Last Friday

I realised I haven’t written anything for a few days, so here is an update from last Fridays appointment at the hospital.

I took some painkillers first thing in the morning, yes my arm is still hurting, and drove to Liverpool. Driving has been OK and I have been out a couple of times taking Charito to work to get used to it. My arm aches a little, but as long as I time it right with the pain killers, I can get away with it. Anyway … I got there at about 9am and waited to have my bloods taken and then went around to G-Clinic. Thankfully this time I only had to wait about an hour for the results to come back before going in to see the doctor.

As was in with him for what seemed about an hour, but was probably only half an hour. I had a good chat with him and went through lots of different things, but mainly about the pain I was still experiencing in my arm. He examined me and went through option for changes of medication. The septrin that I was put on the week before has now been taken off my list of things to take, as he thinks it may be affecting my bloods in some way. My neutrophiles have dropped, they went up to 3.2 but are now 1.6. He said it is usual for them to up and down, but just in case he would take me off them especially as I am ok taking the pentamidine, which I have been taking for months and my body is used too. Also got some new pain killers and different anti sickness.

I also needed to have that X-Ray that I didn’t have the week before as well as have the pentamidine while I was there. So after seeing the doctor I went on my travels around the hospital. First to the X-Ray department (another wait), while there I helped a woman get a glass of water from one of the many water boxes, scattered around the waiting area. As it was the same tap control on a box of wine, I was quite skilled in how to use them. The woman, whose name was Susan went on to tell me that she couldn’t use her hand properly as she had fallen over about seven weeks ago.  When she showed her hand to me it was all twisted and swollen as if she had only just done it. Apparently when she did it they put it in a cast and that is how it set and now they are telling her that there is nothing wrong with her hand! She had argued with them that there was and that her hand didn’t even look normal and she couldn’t use it properly and insisted on getting it X-Rayed again. I don’t think I helped build her confidence up when I told her that it looked more like a foot than a hand! Oh well I hope she gets it sorted as I doubt I will see her again to find out.

After the X-Ray I had to make my way up to 10Z to have my Pentamidine and also to get one of the doctors to have a look at my X-Ray results which would be on the system for them to examine. Oh prior to that I dropped off my prescription at the chemist. While waiting for my Pentamidine there were a couple of people in the waiting area (broom cupboard) I didn’t know one of them, but the other person was a woman called Jennine. Jennine is the woman that was in the next room to me during my stay in hospital. Although I never met her during my stay, I knew of her and was aware how ill she was during her stay. It was good to meet her and know she was ok. I knew of a few times that the crash team were buzzed in the night and was thankful that I didn’t have to go through what she went through. I also found out that she had her stem cells from a donor, rather than her own, which is what I have had. Having stem cells from a donor is more difficult than having the autologous transplant, which is what I have had.

When I was on my own they locked me in the room as usual and I had my pentamidine, afterwards another nurse came in and told me that she had spoken to the doctor and my X-Ray was fine and wasn’t showing anything unusual. So now I have to wait until I have the MRI scan to see what that shows up.

I picked up my prescription on the way out and also bought a drink and a snack as I was shaking a little with not having anything to eat or drink all morning. By the time I got to the car in the car park I was absolutely shattered and sat there for a few minutes having my drink and snack, which consisted of a bueno bar. I was conscious that I couldn’t see there too long as I had already paid for the car park and I wasn’t sure what the time limit was from actually paying for your ticket to leaving the car park. Fortunately I was ok and got out without any trouble. Oh forgot, I took some more tablets before leaving the hospital as the previous ones had worn off.  I was in more pain driving home than I was driving in, as the tablets hadn’t fully kicked in by the time I left.

Since then I have been resting and trying different times of taking my tablets and I seem to have found a routine that works. I can now manage to get at least 5 hours sleep each night if I time it right. I have even managed a whole night from 12am till 7:30am one night, which was great.

I have to mention again Chris and Jodie (next door) and thank them for helping me. Jodie has looked after my garden and cut the grass (again) and cut down all of the bushes in the front which now looks a lot more respectable and Chris has washed my car (again). I really appreciate having such good neighbours.  Thanks :)

While I’m thanking people I should mention Pilar my sister in law who has been staying with us for the last 5 months (from Peru) she has been making sure that I have everything I need and been cleaning everywhere for me to make sure I don’t catch any germs as well as preparing my lunch and generally taking care of me when Charito hasn’t been here. Which has allowed Charito to relax when she gets home from her Jobs.