Talk about timing! So today I received a message on my NHS app. I thought it would be an appointment to get the results of the biopsy. But oh no, it was to let me know that I am being sent my biannual bowel screening test in the post!  A bit late for that.

I went to the doctors to have one of my dressing looked at, then walked from there into town, via my old work, to meet Annie for lunch with Tommy.

Thank you Annie

Spent the afternoon asleep, then Rebecca came home to see us for the weekend. 

Blue today...

A chip off the old block

This morning I walked round the block to see dad, I found him in the back garden reading his book. 

Had a good catch up then I headed back home via the park. Flopped onto the sofa and fell asleep, that tiny walk (and humid weather had really taken it out of me). 

This evening Helen came round for a visit, the bottle she brought stayed unopened... This newly found teetotaller is not yet quite ready to celebrate 'to my good health'! 

Todays photos are Yellow

I can't remember how to write
1, 100, 51, 6 and 500 as Roman numerals!

IM LIVID

One week on

One week since the operation. I treated myself to Jelly for lunch, ice-cream for pudding... It was too hot for anything else. 

Emma came round to re dress my dressings. Another hot day, I am still having to wear my compression socks 24 hours, which I really could do without in these temperatures.

I had wanted to go out for a little walk, but it was just too hot.  So I decided to photograph pink around the house and garden...

If you saw a heatwave
Would you wave back?

Lettuce Eat

I had a telephone call this morning from the enhanced recovery colorectal nurses team at Lister to see how I am doing. She told me that I do not need to be doing the low residue diet. So now I will be able to eat the lettuce I have been growing! 

Homegrown Lettuce

Moved around a lot easier today, Julia came to see me in the afternoon with flowers and pastries and we sat in the garden.

 

I just wish my BACARDI could grow as well as my salad!!

Getting back to normality

Five days in hospital and now I am home. I did not sleep well even though I was in my own bed again. I felt worried and unsure, albeit not in too much pain. I made a spreadsheet of all the drugs/injections that I have to take at all the different times through the day and night. 

Today I stayed at home, it was good to wash my hair for the first time in a week.

I will be given an appointment to go back once they have had the results of the biopsy.

I am back on the diet of white food again... no greens, fruit or salad. But whoopie, I am allowed a few really overcooked mushy carrots.

Opium to go home

At bedtime last night they asked me if I needed any morphine for the pain, but I felt ok, so declined it. A sleepless and slightly painful night found me reaching for my bed buzzer to ask for some more of the opium chemical. 

8 o’clock this morning the surgeon came round to say he is happy for me to go home today. I think I have been here too long… even the breakfast staff said do you want your usual? Cornflakes, no sugar; yoghurt; orange juice; tea with milk, no sugar!

Tommy came to pick me up at noon. I said goodbye to my ward buddies and staff. The discharge process takes forever. It is 2:30 and I am still trying to leave! My friend Tina, (she's the funny one) suggested tying blankets together and taking the window, I said that I had been caught doing that. I had to admit too that the porters uniform did not fit me so in the we end opted for the linen basket. 

We were permitted to leave around 3pm with a bag of drugs and headed for home. Once home I slept solidly for an exhausted nap. 

Moving on-ward

Slept for a couple of hours at a time last night. 6am wakening with lots of tablets and a new IV drip for medication. After breakfast in bed the surgeon came to see me to say that I should probably stay in for a further 24 hours, just so all boxes can be ticked ✅ I need to do lots of walking around the ward. He said he was working on a Saturday as he is on call (he is usually slalom water skiing). 

They removed my cannulas today, so no more drips through my aching veins. 

Tommy came to see me, he bought some clean clothes and took the laundry. I had a nap then Deb came for a visit and a catch up before my tea. I am feeling better day by day. Having a laugh with the 3 ladies in the ward, all with very differing ailments and life stories. 

So I am coming close to the end of my hospital CHAPTER, I cannot put into WORDS how pleased I am with how it all went. Looking forward to turning a new PAGE. Now the big QUESTION MARK is will the reconnected ends of the COLON heal properly? 

How do you console an English

teacher?

There, their, they're