Yet Another Move

Well the weekend passed fairly uneventfully. Preston Lodge didn't get beat (they didn't play) but Scotland did - 13-26 to Wales.

The first cocktail of antibiotics have had time to work but haven't, so I'm still feeling a bit rough but the coughing is only really bad when I talk. Unfortunately, that means when I talk to the doctors I start coughing and I think it seems worse than it really is.
Various urine, blood and swab tests have unearthed a throat infection (I knew that) a chest infection (I knew that too) and yeast in my blood (I didn't know that). I wonder where it came from?
So the antibiotic cocktail gets changed a bit and other tablets are added to my morning assortment. The nursing staff also noticed that getting from my room to the loo while pushing the drip stand was a bit of a problem, especially as my UC was flaring up due to my resistance being low, so they suggested that I got a move to 'The Unit'!
The Unit is still Ward 8 but along a separate corridor. Each room has en-suite shower and WC, flat screen telly and a FRIDGE!! Get the beer in.
- Liesl got the beer in - what else are fridges for? We never drank any though but the fridge is good for keeping all the juice and water cool.
There's also a different view - north towards the car park and there's plenty aeroplanes to see. This is much better.

When I get bored with the view, I can always turn to daytime telly. Now I know that I'm a bit of a saddo because I like Bargain Hunt, Flog It and some cookery programmes. I also don't mind hopping on the student and 'senior' bandwagon to watch Countdown sometimes.
However, can anybody tell me . . . . . ?
- What is the point of Goldenballs?
Aloadofballs mair like!

Too Hot to Handle

37.9 C - right at the limit so time to call Ward 1.
There's no messing about - I've to get in there as quickly as possible. Michael had explained when I was in Ward 8 that every hour wasted at the start of an infection could cost a week at the end.
How right he was.

By the time we got there, I was so weak and feeling lousy that I nearly collapsed before they found a chair for me. It was very hot and busy with lots of people getting their chemo sessions. They took some blood but I had to lie down and they soon found a trolley for me and immediately put up a saline drip. It was to be a long day for Liesl as we waited for the decision as to what was to happen. I think we both knew that I'd be re-admitted - I had brought my bag of jammies and toys - but it wasn't until about 4.30pm before the decision was made.

So back up to Ward 8 - to a wee side room to myself this time though. And it had a telly. Hooray!

Hey-ho - my freedom didn't last long but we have to get rid of the cough and any other viruses and infections that I've got. Bring on the antibiotics by the gallon.

Poor old Liesl. Hope her Mum can come over to stay with her again. Not least because all the ironing gets done!

Things are Hotting Up

I'm not feeling quite so well today so we decide to have a quiet day.
By the afternoon I'm back on the couch and under the duvet.
And my temperature is 37.6 C.

Getting too close for comfort - let's hope it's down a bit in the morning.

Stripped for Action

It's a beautiful day - in every sense.

It's strange to be in a new routine again - or is it an old routine? Getting showered and shaved is stll quite an effort and unlike the hospital, there's no seat in the shower. Getting ready takes ages but there's no rush.

There's a letter to be handed in to the Docs, so by late morning we're ready to set off. Temperature seems steady in the late 36 degrees Cs. That's my temperature but it's such a good day that the air temperature might easily be in the high twenties.

The Surgery is closed for staff training until 2pm so we walk along the entire length of North Berwick High Street and go for lunch at Tiffany's Tea Room. Haggis Stovies will do just fine for me.

The Biarritz of the North is at its best today and I'm glad to be here. (The Biarritz of the South or BIARRITZ would be pretty good too though.)

I'm a bit puffed oot and glad to be home. Liesl is out the back and shouts for me to open the door. There's an enormous parcel on the doorstep - and a smaller one too!

As I tear off the paper, the enormity of peoples' kindness and caring finally overwhelms me. Inside is a framed Preston Lodge rugby strip, signed by all of the players and of course Shona, whose brilliant idea it was. I don't know what to say. It's amazing. Totally amazing. What a team we are.

The smaller parcel was equally amazing. It's a Nintendo DS with a Brain Training game! This is from the girls who sit beside me at the rugby - the WAGs. And they're better than any you might read about in the papers.

Shona and Nicola have been down while we were out and so sadly we've missed them.

It doesn't matter how terrible an illness might be, when you've got this much support behind you, you just have to get better. There's no doubt.

Team Craig has many players and backup staff pulling together to make sure I get better. It's awesome.

Temp's crept up a wee bit - over 37 C now. Probably caused by all of the exertion and emotion.

Root Toot, I'm Oot ! !

Two weeks after I was admitted with a mystery virus thought to be linked to my Ulcerative Colitis, I'm getting home having been diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma probably caused by the use of a long term drug which was keeping the UC in check. It's a funny old life.

However, I'm very glad to be on my way. The staff here have been brilliant but it's time to go home.
Liesl has bought me a nifty wee thermometer because I have to take my temperature every four hours to make sure it doesn't fall below 36 degrees C and doesn't rise above 38 C. If it does then I've got to get in touch immediately. No risks are to be taken and I've not to catch any infections, so that means avoiding crowds and enclosed spaces.
When I came in, I could hardly walk from the car due to weakness. Now I can hardly walk to the car due to a different sort of weakness. I'll soon get fit again (stop laughing) by walking to the paper shop every morning.

It's great but emotional to see my house as we come down past the pub. It seems ages since I last saw it. It's great to be home.
For the first time I see the flowers sent by the NHS Scotland team at Atos - the messages of support continue unabated. It really is amazing. And humbling.

Liesl has bought a new duvet and sheets as part of the pristine and germ free house.
It's braw and cosy but I feel engulfed in it - like being swamped in a big meringue.
And when the lights go out, it's very dark.
Not dark like it was when I was in hospital, just dark - really dark. Scary!
I canny sleep but it's good to be home.

To Go or Not to Go . . ?

Not to go - apparently.

My temperature is still not perfect and I'm still coughing so The Lady from Del Monte says 'NO'. It's better to be safe than sorry so one more night in Ward 8 is recommended. It's probably for the best.

On the outside world, the National Gallery of Scotland has managed to raise £50 million to save Titian's 'Diana and Actaeon' for the nation.

Pretty good I suppose - I expect we'll all get to keep it for a week or so each. We'll probably put it above the fireplace when it's our turn.

It's one of Titian's greatest works and depicts the moment when the Goddess Diana met Actaeon. He was a famous Greek hero and was trained by a Centaur. I reckon it was a Friday because she's obviously dressed down for the occasion.

You don't get this sort of stuff in other blogs you know. It's all Greek to me too.

Good Riddance January, Hello February

Well apart from PL getting beat again, it was quite a good weekend.
One of my fellow in-mates is annoying me a bit - especially when he demands attention whenever a nurse enters the room. But it's ok, it's the weekend which means a slightly different routine and more sudokus and crosswords in the papers.

It could be my imagination but I think I'm feeling better. It really must be a magic potion.
Still coughing though.