And Nothing Happened

I really think we’ve got to the boring bit of this story. Our youngest son, Inigo, whilst at primary school, used to write a strip cartoon called ‘the adventures of Dilly Dan Doo. There was often a little blank white square interspersed amongst all these amazing shaded drawings that simply had the caption: ‘And nothing happened’

Yesterday I was sick, today I wasn’t. Yesterday I was wheeled across to the Gartnavel Hospital X-ray unit armed with nothing but a face mask. The whole grim grey building looks like the Maryhill slums: a massive slab of a tower block. I did not have long to wait before I was wheeled in and stood with my chin above the screen. They needed to check-out my lungs because of odd spikes of temp over the last 3-4 days. Then came the wait to get a porter to take me back - they are elusive as gold dust and grumpy to a man. After a half hour or so of listening to harsh coughs and wet sneezes emanating from every room and corridor in the vicinity I decided it might make a lot more sense to get back under my own steam. Alas I only made it as far as the end of the corridor before an “excuse me” hauled me back to my place damn it. Should just have dashed out the front door instead of trying to retrace my steps down to the tunnel. Well another 15 mins went by and at last a porter arrived wheeling in a grey-haired old lady. I gave him a friendly hail only to be met by a look from him that you reserve for what you normally cough into a handkerchief during a heavy cold. ‘And a merry christmas to you mate ! ‘ I muttered under my breath, as he stomped off without a word. Eventually the nice young irish lass that had actually done the X-ray took the initiative and wheeled me back, avoiding any crowded lifts. The whole adventure took well over an hour.

Today's results were inconclusive so they’ll just continue to be vigilant until Mondays X-ray meeting. What it has done , though, is to slow down their plans to throw me out of here at the minimum one month period. Things may be delayed by another week or so. ‘Thank God’ shouts Christine, who was getting in a total panic at their mutterings of discharge. She’s planning to be up again on Sunday having sort of caught up on the ‘mail mountain’, the laundry mountain, and the fluffy ‘can-I-have-a-cuddle?’ puss mountain.

Todays breakfast was quite bland compared with yesterday’s. The coloured stuff arrived much later....




....I stared at them and wondered if they were trying to tell me something

Another two bags of blood, late yesterday evening, has put a spring in my step today, lets hope it contunues. It was interesting to learn that from now on all blood that I recieve will be O+ve; All my life up to now I have been B+ve. So for quite a while to come I am going to have these two types swirling around together until the O+ve becomes the dominant at some unknown point in the future. Vive La France !

Christine has been very impatient regarding the falling out of all my hair. Today I was able to text her and say my beard is coming out in tuffts this morning. At last she’ll get to see this strange, other person she unknowingly married. I think you may have to wait a few days yet before you get to see a photo.

ps. Never heard a bang or saw a flash last night; only the faint hint of wood smoke coming in the air system. A strange bonfire night.

Day T.+14

Well wasn’t breakfast colourful this morning ?
I managed it though... but only just. Still feeling very washed-out and nausea not far off.
When the anti-sickness pills, arrived half an hour before lunch, I dutifully attempted the first wee white pill. In less than a minute it was back up again, drat it! So that was lunch a non-starter.

Christine came back in just after that minor setback: she had been vacating her room for the next poor sole’s stint of vigilance. She has been camping out in it for the past two weeks and fitting in visits to the laundrette and the local supermarket. She will be home for a couple of days and be back on Sunday. It’s bonfire night tonight... I wonder whether the odd rocket will stray into my little corner of sky?

And then a foot massagist just appeared in my room from the ‘Friends of the Beatson’. Totally magic treat for ma’feet. I can add that to my Indian head massage experience of a few days back. My toes are tingling.

Day 12

Maybe burning the midnight oil last night wasn’t such a good idea. I’ve been playing catch up all day. But it was great to have a brain for a couple of hours yesterday evening. I’m carrying a lot of onboard fluid at the moment - my legs look like tree trunks, with podgy toes sticking out the bottom. A good excuse to sit with my feet up and snooze.

The Neutrofil count was up again to 0.90, and platelets continue to go up. Definitely the first green shoots of recovery. I was allowed ‘out’ and took a brief trip through the airlock across the corridor to have a peep at the room where Christine has been staying for the past two weeks. She has a fantastic roofscape view. The trees are nearly bare, three weeks of leaf fall since I last saw them.

Day 11

Somewhere under the rainbow, things are on the move. The neutrofils have jumped from 0.03 to 0.53. It's been a good day, free from nausea and for most of the day unhooked from a machine. I even managed to have a shot at my Tai Chi form in two separate sessions with a rest in between. Need a snooze now, that was a busy day!


....and thank you Ronald, for sending this very helpful suggestion for a more becoming line in hospital night attire.

Well... all this waiting is beginning to get a bit of a bore. But I am reliably informed that the ‘counts’ are on the move. Yesterday the White Count was 0.04 and today was 0.11 (normal for me is about 7.5). Small beginnings I know, but something to build upon. Platelets were 15 today; ideally they should be over 100, so bumps and knocks are to be avoided.

They are trying to ween me off this psycho-tropic drug that has been given to me through a tube to the stomach muscles. Swapping to a slow release tablet. However, 30 minutes before the other anti-sickness tablets arrived, the inevitable happened... Have you ever been half way through a pee and suddenly had an urge to retch ? Interesting experience.
Didn’t know what to hold where.

But I think maybe the water is beginning to taste better.

Day 9

When I come out of my visitor's room I am greeted by three impressive lino prints, wonderfully familiar in their style and execution. But of course they are, they are Clare Melinsky's, our friend from Galloway.




Thank you Clare not only for such a cheering visual delight.....

......but also for sending this scanned leaf. Rodger was just saying how he missed seeing a single plant or tree. (Flowers are not allowed here).

I thought that these images would make a welcome change from tubes and buckets.

It was quite a good day today, the new blood added a bit of colour and wellbeing, just a pity the attempt at a Calshake and supper was an abortive failure.

(Posted by the secretary)