Room with a view....

...of another bit of the hospital.

The craftsmanship and time that goes into shaping granite to generate enough smooth, dressed stone to make a big old building like Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is impressive when you know how tricky it is producing hard, dressed granite. The net result, however, is all a bit, erm, dull. A bit grey-ish. Sorry. I’ve never really been taken in by the whole “sparkly, granite city” line that Aberdeen folk cling to. But anyway – shouldn’t sound like I’m complaining. The room’s nice and bright, has a telly, a fridge, kettle, en-suite (though I’ve not to use the shower after the transplant, apparently), a phone with outside line (for free) and a Ninendo Wii with Big Beach Sports (I kid not, it’s a physiotherapy device). You'd almost think I'd gone private.

I got into the ward yesterday around 11am, but my isolation room wasn’t ready (Easter something-or-other holiday), so spent yesterday in a 4-bed room, initially alone, but joined by one other chap last night and then 2 more arrived this morning. The whole day was all pretty laid back with only some bloods taken and I got to pop out in the afternoon with Corri to walk the dogs.

I was taken down to have my Hickman line fitted early this morning. Done under a local anaesthetic, I would say it was totally painless - and I’m certain it was - but they also gave me some happy drug, and if I’m being honest, it’s suddenly dawned on me that I have almost no detailed memory of the thing being done, or how I got back up to the ward. I think I did remember soon after, but I’ve since forgotten. Drugs, hey! Anyway, the thing's in now and my fuzzy memory thinks it had a fine time in the process. I do remember the radiologist was very pretty.

Tomorrow’s the day they fill me with Domestos – aka Melphalan, the potent chemo drug that constitutes the “Engine Flush” aspect of my metaphoric title (or is it a simile? I know the difference; but this one seems grey). I'll be following the advice of others during the infusion(cheers Rory) and sucking ice lollies before, during and after.It apparently reduces the likliehood of developing mouth ulcers a few days later. Seems like a harmless thing to try. Thursday is marked down as "rest day" and then my stem cells get given back to me on Friday. Apparently a big anti-climax of a procedure.

A keen interest in my pee output has emerged. Not just mine I guess, everyones, but aye, they fair like keeping a close eye on your pee production. You're given cardboard-ish box things with very accomodating willie-friendly-recepticle-spout, that's suprisingly satisfying to wee into. Holds the old chap just nice. Dangerously, being the keen recycler/waste reducer I am, I almost came a cropper last night. I'd only half filled one and left it in the loo to be measured by the nurse. When I went for my next #1, the thing hadn't been emptied /measured yet, so I thought, "save the NHS some cash, might as well fill the thing". Totally underestimated the fullness of my bladder and quickly filled the thing right to he top, then had to grab another one and put the last wee bit (no pun intended) into a new box. The nurse then had to (very carefully) empty & measure one brim lapping timebomb and about 50ml in an almost empty box, the preservation of the planet having been progressed not one iota.

I've stopped looking for cost savings.

Had trouble getting my laptop to connect through my phone SIM yesterday - hence the lack of a post yesterday afternoon - so Corri came in with a mobile broadband dongle thing this afternoon.
Anyway - I'm off to sniff lots of Alco-wipes to see if it can induce some altered perception of reality and help with the poetry I feel I should be writing.

Later.