2007 — 16 October: baby steps...
Time now (09:55) and it's an hour since I spoke to Christa in the Southampton General. Her night was not as good as mine,1
alas. Since She's currently off all her meds pain is starting to raise its singularly unattractive head again. However, I
comfort myself somewhat with the reflection that a patient in an oncology specialist ward of a major regional hospital must be in one of
the best possible places for this to be dealt with.
Recent update: The wonderful nurse from the palliative care team has just rung, and will now contact the General's palliative team
to get one of them to pop in and keep an eye on Her. This can only be goodness.
She's still a "Nil By Mouth" patient, but at least the glucose and saline drip is rehydrating Her. Meanwhile, the nasal tube is successfully sucking junk out of
Her stomach, and Her bowel is on great form. I will find out more later today when I visit Her, no doubt. Fingers crossed, though it makes typing trickier.
Pussycat pussycat, where have you been? Just back from a flying visit (time 17:57). She's a bit weak, but cheerful, bored rigid, and
completely ravenous. Tomorrow, they may just let Her sip a few bits and pieces to make quite sure the obstruction has fully resolved itself. There is, they
have decided, no need for any surgery. So no cutting remarks, then.
Just (19:40) spoken to Her again — and why not? Her cannula is now once again in (getting these in is apparently more of a skill than a science) so She will shortly commence an evening meal somewhat less enjoyable, I fear, than the one I've been invited to share. But no pain, She's just been reading for the last two hours, and I'll see Her again tomorrow no doubt. It's quite a Life, wouldn't you say?
Driving/rain forecast
By what I can see outside, I fear I shall get my first exposure to adverse weather conditions on today's driving adventure. It also occurs to me that I'd better drop by a
petrol station sooner rather than later. Yet another "first" (or should that be "thirst"?) for an automotive near-virgin.
Recent update: Young Master Mounce has now accumulated a further 40 miles under his ever-tightening waistband. And (apart from the
adventure of the front "L" plate flying off2) it went quite smoothly. At least nobody carved me
up (that I noticed) and a huge SUV rode shotgun on my tail for many miles, which was quite useful in a way.
Linux... department
How can it be six months since I installed Ubuntu 7.04???
