The Rain It Raineth Every Day . . .

 Sunday. 7.40 a.m. The weather has changed. I woke in the night to use the toilet and there was an almighty crash of thunder and then there was a heavy rainstorm which went on for around ten minutes.

Friday. 8.40 a.m. We've had more rain, but as I write this, the sun is out, and it's really pleasant, but it's getting chillier. Well, we are now into September, so it's to be expected.

Yesterday I got a letter from the cardiology department of Milton Keynes Hospital. It was regarding the transmission of data from the implant I have. It says, 'We are pleased to confirm all checks and automatic measurements are within expected parameters.' Since this was several weeks ago and the fact that I had this information when I spoke to the receptionist on the telephone, it seems somewhat irrelevant. But at least it leaves my mind that things are fine and don't need to worry about it.

Another sign that Christmas is on its way. Not more mince pies, but in Sainsbury's the other day, I noticed a pallet with a pile of Quality Street. I think I have worked out why. It's so they can mark them up at a lower price closer to Christmas, and, to comply with legislation regarding sales, items have to be shown at a higher price for many weeks or months to then be offered at a lower price.

Saturday. 12.45 p.m. The weather is still pleasant, but there's a definite chill in the air.

I have been to Sainsbury's this morning. I needed to get some batteries and when I was in there I bought something extra, one of Sainsbury's delicious hot fudge puddings. I know, I should keep off this sort of thing, and keep out of the biscuit and sweet aisles. But I was shocked to see, as I came up the travelator from the car park, a notice informing customers that it was time to order their Christmas food!

On Thursday, I ordered some items from Amazon, using points I had from one of the survey companies I work for. Scanning my shopping on something called Nielsen IQ. I have been thinking of buying a dash cam for my car, but it's difficult to decide which one to go for. There was one on Amazon half price, so I decided on that one, as well as a book I wanted, related to a recent exhibition about the Roman army at the British Museum, which I would have liked to have gone to. Also, I wanted a King James Version Bible, and there was one called a Cultural Background Study Bible. So I went for that. The Roman army book, called 'Legion', was supposed to have arrived on Thursday evening, but I thought it was stretching it a bit, considering I had only ordered it at around 7-8 that morning. But, having looked via the Amazon website, I saw that it said 'Delivered and put through the letterbox', which I knew wasn't correct as I certainly hadn't received it and, anyway, the book in its packaging, would never have fitted through my letterbox. I attempted to contact Amazon and, after some effort, found that, if I sent my phone number, someone would phone me, which they did. It transpired that they would send me a replacement of the book about the Roman army. It didn't explain what had happened to the original book. I'm intrigued to know where it went.

The next day I was expecting the NKJV Bible and the dashcam to arrive, but at around 7 p.m. I just happened to check again on the Amazon website to see when or if these items were going to be delivered, and saw, much to my surprise, that they had been delivered, but not to my door. So I went down to the entrance of Dexter House and there I discovered a pile of parcels, and two of them were addressed to me. So much for me instructing delivery drivers to come to my flat to hand over my purchases. The Roman army book was delivered to my door. I wasn't too pleased to have my items just left where anyone could have stolen them.

I have managed to set up the dashcam on the windscreen of my car, although I'm yet to set up the rear camera, which I might do tomorrow afternoon after I get back from church.

Chloe WhatsApp'd me during the week and said she was coming to Stony Stratford, and we could meet up for coffee. She would be there at around 2 o'clock with George, my grandson.

I was getting ready at around 1.30 to leave to drive to Stony Stratford when there was a clap of thunder. I was thinking, just typical! No rain all day until I want to go out! But it didn't deter me, and I took my bright yellow Regatta raincoat with me. I had the new dash cam working as I drove up Watling Street. 

Sunday. 4.10 a.m. I awoke, as usual, to go to the loo. As I got back in bed, I heard the sound of rain. I wasn't sure if it was raining, so I went into the kitchen to look out of the window, and, sure enough, it was pouring. By the time I came through to the lounge to sit and write this, only a minute or two later, the storm had passed.

8.30 a.m. It's still raining. I expect there will be large puddles on the road when I drive to church later. They usually appear at the point where the roads meet the many and various roundabouts across Milton Keynes.

Cardiology Procedure

 Tuesday 3rd September. 10.25 a.m. I know, I don't normally put the date on my posts, but, since I haven't posted in a while, I thought it might give some sort of idea of the length of time between the last one and this.

I have mentioned in earlier posts about the procedure I had at the cardiology department at Milton Keynes Hospital, and the electronic device, called an I.L.R., (Implantable Loop Recorder) that was inserted subcutaneously into my chest. It's tiny, and I assume it has an electronic chip in it, similar to a SIM card which can be found in a mobile phone. Anyway, I was informed at the time of the procedure that I would need to upload data from the device after six weeks and had a letter given to me informing me of this, and I was shown how to use the electronic device which looked somewhat like a telephone with a handset which I set up near my bed and also a small device, about the size of a luggage label which I put on my key ring. By holding the key-ring device near the I.L.R. and pressing a key on it so that it lit up, data would be transferred onto it, and then you use the gadget near my bed to upload the data which goes via the mobile phone system to the cardiology department. 

Six weeks after the procedure, I had to make sure I uploaded the data from the I.L.R. I followed the instructions, and it seemed to work. This was the Thursday before the Friday when I was to expect a remote consultation, which was scheduled for 1 p.m. I sat and waited. The time came and went. What had happened? Had I got the day and time wrong, perhaps? I checked on the N.H.S. app and both were correct.

So . . . I will cut to the chase. As the following Monday was a Bank Holiday and I assumed that the cardiology department would be closed, I thought it a good idea to telephone on Tuesday to find out what was going on. I didn't have the telephone number of the cardiology department, although I must have got it somewhere, probably in a letter, but I had no intention of going through all my paperwork to find it, so I went on the hospital website. I found the number, or so I thought. When I rang it, it certainly wasn't the cardiology department, and was told, by the lady who answered, to ring the main hospital switchboard, and they could put me through to cardiology. So, that was what I did. I explained to the receptionist about not having a telephone call on Friday, and she looked up my details on her computer and then informed me that they don't telephone unless something untoward showed up in the data from the I.L.R. Mine was fine, so no phone call. I should get a remote consultation in around six months. So, that was that. It was good, but I think it would have helped if they had told me I would only get a call if there were a problem showing up in the data. I have to say, I feel fine at the moment. Certainly no strange heartbeats, arrhythmias or whatever it's called.

Wednesday. 8.20 a.m. A fine and pleasant morning. It's not sunny and the thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

Yesterday morning I went shopping in Sainsbury's. I couldn't believe they have mince pies on offer. I had to have a second look, but it was true. We're only just into September and Christmas goodies are on sale. Crazy. 

Mild and Sunny Weather

Sunday. 8.15 a.m. Well, here I am again, once more writing this blog. I haven't real;y wanted to write it, but after such a long break, I did decide to continue.

I now have my bed reconstructed. It came with me when I moved from the house in Eaglestone and had come with us when we moved from the house in Crownhill. It is a rather nice IKEA king sized bed and because of it's construction, it didn't really appreciate being dismantled and then reconstructed. I think there were parts that got mislaid, and I had broken it up and put the mattress on the floor and attempted to sleep on it. I asked someone at church if there was the possibility of him being able to reassemble it, so he came to have a look one Saturday and then got some brackets which were used in the reconstruction. It is now in one piece and my sleep-pattern is getting more or less back to normal, thankfully.

Around three weeks ago, a Wednesday, at around 6 a.m., I had a sharp pain in my chest. Having had two heart attacks, I have a fairly good idea what a heart attack feels like, although in some ways if I have heart burn, it can feel very similar. I used my G.T.N. spray, but it didn't make a lot of difference and then I took a  Gaviscon, a tablet  which usually relieves heart burn fairly rapidly, but this time it didn't.

By about 9.30 the discomfort hadn't gone away, so I thought it necessary to get assistance from Vashti, the Dexter House S.H.O. She wasn't in the front office, so another tenant went to find her in a flat with another tenant, and she eventually came to talk to me. It ended with me using my mobile to dial 999 and the paramedics came within about 20 minutes.

The paramedics ran a few tests on me, one hooking me up to their portable E.C.G. machine and from the printout they could see I had an irregular heartbeat. From this they decided that I should go to Accident and Emergency at Milton Keynes Hospital, but then they decided that I should avoid A and E and go into the Maple Centre.

I was left in the reception area by the paramedics, who handed me over and I was eventually taken into a triage room and a nurse took my blood, which was somewhat difficult as I might have mentioned in earlier posts, I don't like giving blood, or needles and at one point in the past, I passed out. Anyway, she did eventually manage to take some blood and I was then taken through to wait in a corridor, which seemed to be for a long time.

I texted someone from church, just so they knee where I was. I was eventually texted back to say where I was and part-way through the afternoon I was joined by Margaret, who sat with e in that corridor.

I was eventually seen by a doctor, who had seen the various blood tests and E.C.G. readings and informed me that I had had a abnormal heart beat which would have caused the pain I had felt earlier. He informed me that I hadn't had a heart attack, which was a relief.

So, having had this piece of news I was free to go home, and Margaret, bless her, drove me there.

The following Wednesday night I woke up to use the toilet, but on the way back to bed I collapsed on the floor. I had no idea why, but it was somewhat unexpected. I told Vashti when she came to my door around 9 o'clock. The next thing I know is I'm laying on the floor, but having absolutely no idea why. I think I must have blacked out and, as a result, collapsed on the floor in the space between the bathroom and bedroom. It was the oddest sensation, and Vashti was standing over me, calling my name. She got me to sit up and said that, because I'd collapsed twice within 24 hours, it would be advisable for me to go to Accident and Emergency.

I had intended ringing 111, but I could not get through, so, instead, I rang 999 for an ambulance. It was around 30 minutes later that paramedics were knocking on my door. I was soon given a check and then an E.C.G. was connected to me. From this, it was possible to read the print-out and see that I had a somewhat irregular heart beat.

I was whisked off to A and E (although I noticed it isn't called 'A and E.' It's referred to as the 'E.D' department, which is short for 'Emergency Department.' But it could be mistaken for something else which has those initials. 

A great deal of being left waiting, which is the usual thing in any A and E department. I had bloods taken, several E.C.Gs and at one point, because I had fallen heavily when I'd blacked out, I had a C.T. scan and an X-ray, which didn't show any breaks, fractures or anything else. But they had to take a fresh blood sample because the first one wouldn't take, for some reason or other.

After a doctor had seen me, it was decided that I should be fitted with a heart monitor. This consisted of similar contacts  that are used when you're connected to an E.C.G. machine. This had contacts stuck on my chest and then to a machine, so I had to lay on a bed in the A and E department, which made moving around quite difficult, particularly if I had need of the toilet, because I had to get a nurse to disconnect me from machine. If I pulled any of the cables off accidentally, the machine made a noise. All this made life very difficult.

Quite late in the evening, it was decided that I would need to stay in over-night. At around 2-3 a.m. I was eventually taken upstairs to Ward 1,  a new ward and part of the Maple Centre. It was dark when I was eventually taken in, being pushed in a bed by a nurse. The unit had only 4 beds and t was very spacious.

A doctor came to see me on the ward during the morning. He said that my blackout was a rare occurrence, but, since  had had two heart attacks, it was likely to happen. He also said that I was on far too much medication and took me off caesarean and isosorbide mononitrate

I had breakfast and lunch and I was eventually discharged at around 3.30 that afternoon and was collected by Margaret Jobling. She managed to find a place to park at the front of the hospital. I had intended walking there, but I wasn't allowed to and had to wait for a porter to take me by wheelchair. I don't actually think I would have managed to walk as it was quite a distance, but I was glad to be out of the hospital environment and soon back in my flat.

All Is For The Best, (In The best of all possible worlds)

Monday. 4.55 a.m. Here we go! Yet another fun-packed week at Dexter House. I'm being very sarcastic, but life goes on. What else to do? I have a hospital appointment this morning at Milton Keynes University Hospital at 11.50 a.m. It's not so much the actual appointment which is the problem, it's managing to find a parking space which causes stress which is more of a problem. I'll just have to get there in plenty of time to make sure I can park the car and then walk through to the department where I have to have a kidney scan. The letter I got, which rescheduled the appointment for 16th June, tells me I have to drink at least a litre of water. Well, as I'm keeping hydrated because of the hot weather, that's not going to cause much of a problem.

12.25 p.m. I have been to the hospital for my appointment. It was scheduled for 11.50, but, because of finding a space in the multistory car park, I went earlier. Fortunately, I found a space, which relieved the stress. When it came to walking to the ultrasound department, I at first went in the wrong direction and had to be directed by a helpful man who sent me back to the reception area and I soon found the department.

I was met by a lady who asked me my name when I walked through the door. It turned out that she was going to do the scan, so I was checked in and then the usual wait. Not long after I was called into the room and had to lay on a narrow couch/bed thing and the scan began, laying on my left side, then my right. The reason for this scan was that when I first moved to my current surgery, my doctor got me to have a blood test, which showed up something related to my kidneys and possibly caused by a side effect of taking some of my heart medication, which I have been on since my first heart attack in 2006. The technician doing the scan said this 'thing' was like a birthmark or tag, and was about 5 cm across, but when she did the scan it wasn't viable. In fact, she had to have a second look and still, nothing! So hopefully that's the end of that. No more to be said on that matter, but I should get a letter from my GP surgery with details, which will have been sent from the hospital.

I took Alfie to the dog-sitting lady at about 1.50 and left him to find out how he would behave, rather, if he would settle. I then went to Monday Club at the Oaktree Centre, which is on the opposite side of Shenley Brook End, and returned when that ended at 3.30. I was pleased to find that Alfie had done well, although he did bark a small amount. So it looks as if I can leave him there, so I can go to Worcester.

Tuesday. 5.15 a.m. Thankfully, it's a good deal cooler this morning and, as a result, far easier to sleep. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºC.

4.25 p.m. A relatively straightforward drive to Camphill this morning. I know that it will be somewhat easier when the schools are on holiday, but it couldn't be that, as schools haven't broken up yet for the summer holidays.

Most of the theatre workshop gang was in the theatre today. We got to hear some of them talk about their holidays when we did check in. It seems to take longer and longer each time, probably because there are far more members of the group, and certainly more than when I first went to Camphill in 2019. It took a good hour today. 

I was moved to another of the silent movie projects. I was with the time-travel movie, and last week, when there were so few people in the workshop because they were on holiday, we didn't rehearse that project so I had to take over the pirate project. I have to say I'm disappointed because I had been working on developing the story with the gang and would have loved to see it completed. 

Terrie had managed to construct sets for the time travel movie on the Chrysalis Theatre stage so that some of the movies could be filmed using an iPad. I can say that it's so easy with modern technology such as iPads and iPhones, and editing is relatively easy. 

Because the time travel set had a prison set, the Western video group used it to film footage for their project. It seemed to go well, and they got all the materials they needed. While all this was going on, the pirates' team rehearsed in the hall part of the theatre. Terrie had gone off to have supervision with the manager of Camphill and came back a good deal later than expected. Her supervision was supposed to last an hour but overran by about thirty minutes, so by the time she returned we had more or less finished and there wasn't time to start anything else. So, it was a day of bits and pieces, but in some respects, successful, considering some filming was done.

Wednesday. 5.30 a.m. Yet another mild morning. I slept a good deal better than I have for the past couple of weeks. The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºC. Alfie and I did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, although he was somewhat reluctant.

12.55 p.m. I knew I was due to have a glazier come and replace the glass in the window of the kitchen this morning so that an extractor fan could be fitted. The man was due between 9 and 1. He turned up at about 10.30. It was done really quickly, the old glass taken out and the new one, including the cut hole to replace it. He then went off, mumbling something, which I didn't catch. So, I am now with a beautifully cut round hole ready to receive the extractor fan. But when is it to be fitted? Presumably to be done by a different contractor. So I rang Mears, yet again about this situation (I have now lost count), to be put through to a lay, who said she'd raise an order for the fan. But my question is, when can I expect this? It seems to go around in circles, a bit like a dog chasing its tale.  I JUST WANT MY EXTRACTOR FAN. But, whilst they're at it, what about my bathroom? It's no good asking. When this confounded fan (more of a FAN-tasy than an actual fan- get it? A pun!) I can actually use my George Foreman grill, which is waiting to be used, without setting off the fire alarm.

Hospital and (possible) Film Work!

(Thursday) I had an appointment in the scanning department at Milton Keynes University Hospital at 1.30p.m. I had a letter around a month ago informing me of the appointment, and then yesterday someone rang me to find out whether I was attending. I knew I was due a second appointment, as I had one back in around September and was told that I should have a second scan in early 2021. My first consideration was the ability to park. I left in plenty of time and fortunately there was more than enough space to park, probably due to the fact that, due to the pandemic, there are limitations on numbers of visitors. Then I had the long walk along the infamous corridor, with memories of visiting Carol. I got to the scanning department (somewhere Carol had to visit to have several M.R.I. scans.) and I had to report to the receptionist. Everything where there is some sort of contact with staff you come across grass screens and when I was asked my name the lady on the reception desk could barely hear me, due to having a face covering on and having the glass screen. Anything to make life easier of course. Every other seat had a huge 'X' on it, to make sure people didn't forget about social distancing. It made me think of when they marked houses with similar marks during the Middle Ages, where a house where someone with the Black Death had either got the plague or else had died. The receptionist suggested I leave and come back later (trust me to arrive to early, but what with parking the car and then having to walk to the scanning department I was only making sure I was on time.) But, as I could see one vacant seat, I decided to sit there and wait for my name to be called. The actual scan took no more than five minutes, so I was out of the department and walking back to the car a good deal quicker than I expected.

(Good Friday- Morning) Yet another bright and mild morning.

4.30p.m. I have had several 'bites,' if that's the right word, to do television/film walk-on work, but none have actually yielded any real work, unfortunately. There was no point mentioning unless they came off anything. You get 'put forward' for things, but then the agency just responds later with 'sorry, you weren't selected.' So I have hopes that a text I got this afternoon might turn the tide. It's for a television series being shot in this area, between Pinewood Studios, Aylesbury and Oxford, so not too far to drive (if it comes off.) But if I get selected I will have to go for a costume fitting and have a haircut (it's supposed to be set during World War 2, so it's likely to be extremely short cut to fit the period.) I also have to have two covid-19 tests , (for which I get paid, incidentally.) and the filming is done with all social distancing protocols in place. Just have to wait what happens next. I really hope it does, because I really enjoy being on a set, the excitement and comradary you find with being with like-minded people and then seeing how it all comes together. And on top of that, the food you get, which is usually excellent. You can say that it's something of a bonus, having a meal which you don't have to pay for!

Difficult Post

I haven't posted on here for well over a week, which, if you are a regular reader of my ramblings in this blog, will not have surprised you. The reason is that my lovely wife, Carol, passed away on 11th December. The last 18 months or so have been a really traumatic journey, from the original diagnosis, through 12 completed cycles of chemotherapy, the infection she got after the final chemo cycle, the hospitals stays (I've lost count of how many she had.), but throughout I have gone with her for each consultants appointment, chemo cycle in the oncology department at Milton Keynes University Hospital, consultant's appointments at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, Endoscopy, M.R.I. and as  well as C.T. scans, then to Willen Hospice and finally, Castlemead Court in Newport Pagnell.

I have been supported throughout all this by members of Shenley Christian Fellowship, particularly our Pastor, Ross Dilnot, who was with me on the morning of Carol's death. He came with me when I went to the Registry Office to register the death, which we did last Friday morning and then to Mason's, the undertaker's in Newport Pagnell to arrange the funeral, which will be at 2 p.m. on 11th January at Crownhill Crematorium.

I was supposed to have had a second stent fitted the following day, 12th December, at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. I was driven there by Tim O'Brien who is a member of S.C.F. There was no way I could drive, and I was supposed to get to the hospital department by 7.30a.m. Also, I was told that I would not be able to drive after the procedure. I was on the morning list, so I'd be finished and ready to come home around midday.

But, unfortunately, I had a bit of a meltdown. I should have cancelled the procedure, but it was barely 24 hours since Carol had passed away. So I discussed this with one of the nurses and explained that I was feeling depressed over Carol's passing. She understood and suggested they postpone the procedure. Then one of the doctors came to talk to me and said that there was no immediate emergency regarding the procedure and it could be postponed until sometime in January. Hopefully after the funeral. The doctor had to ring Tim on his mobile because he had gone off to park in a park-and-ride carpark with the intention of going into the centre of Oxford until I was finished after the procedure. Everyone understood that what I have been going through was traumatic and emotional enough and that it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to go ahead with the procedure.

This is a shorter-than-usual post, for me, at least. It was really difficult to write. It has actually taken a few days to put into words what's been happening, but now I've completed it. It's going to be a difficult couple of weeks as you can imagine.

Carol Having Surgery . . . Or Possibly Not

Carol has been visited by a whole range of different people during Thursday whilst I was with her. She has continued to be in a great deal of pain and for me it's really difficult to see her struggle with this horrible thing and not be able to do anything to help. During the afternoon she was visited by the palliative care team who are involved in managing the pain. Then some of the doctors came and did an examination and decided that some of the pain is due to an abscess that would need surgery to drain to relieve the pain it is causing. In very quick succession, barely 20 minutes or so, a surgeon came to see her to discuss this and it was decided that a further scan would be needed to be able to see how things are shaping which should help the surgeon. We were expecting the scan to be during the time I was with her, but, having been on the ward since 10 o'clock I had to leave at around 2.15. Unfortunately I need to get some rest. Carol was concerned that the scan (not exactly sure whether it's a C.T. scan or M.R.I scan.) would mean she would be in a lot of pain because of laying on the bed they use for this procedure, although the doctor in charge of her pain said that they would give her extra medication to help relieve this, but it would be no use if they didn't know more or less exactly when the scan would be because it takes at least 20-30 minutes before the medication takes effect. 

The surgeon came back with the paperwork for consent to the surgery and this was duly signed by Carol and he discussed further the procedure that would be involved. As I write this (7.35a.m) we're not entirely sure what time the operation will be, but apparently after 8a.m. So I'm not sure exactly what time she's likely to be back from the  operating theatre and, no doubt, awake after the anaesthetic. As a result I will have to contact the ward to discover all this or to get them to telephone me when she's back on the ward.

Anyway, I still managed to take Alfie out for his usual walk (well, it's a walk for me, but more like a trot for him, whilst all of the time he's yapping excitedly.) Yesterday we didn't go, because I just didn't feel 100%. Just one of those days, unfortunately. Nothing bad, just that some mornings my medication can make me feel queasy. A surprisingly mild morning. Eaglestone Park looking more than ever autumnal. The days are beginning to draw in and it's getting dark earlier and the mornings darker, longer. If Alfie had his way he'd be going out in the dark, but it wouldn't be such a good idea, so going out at around 7.15 is a good deal more sense.

Later. 8.50a.m. Carol has now texted me and apparently she's not having the operation. No doubt they've looked at the scans and decided against operating to drain the abscess. Not sure at the moment exactly what's going on and probably won't know until I go into the ward a bit later this morning. All a bit up in the air, as you might expect.

Later still. It's now almost 3 o'clock and I'm back home from being with Carol for most of the day. She appeared to be much brighter than over the past couple of days. We can't quite understand what happened regarding the surgery which had been planned over the last 24 hours. Infact, Carol hadn't eaten since early yesterday because of the expected surgery. She had a  C.T. scan late yesterday evening and I presume the surgeons looked at the results and decided that surgery was unnecessary and wouldn't benefit Carol. They say an abscess didn't show up on the scan. So, I don't know what to make of this. What surprises me is that none of the nursing staff on Ward 19 were aware that the operation had been postponed. It seems there is a communication problem between the nurses and the doctors. Which is crazy, considering it is them who have to deliver the care to their patients on the ward. The pain doctor had prescribed stronger pain relief medication but this will take several days to arrive from the hospital pharmacy, and it is likely that Carol won't get this until probably Monday at the earliest. Which makes it seem rather pointless if they can't get it to her quicker. Just another problem that needs to be ironed out and I can now see why the N.H.S. has so many problems if these sorts of situations arise.

So, amidst all this, no nearer to having Carol discharged from hospital at the moment, unfortunately, but there's no point her coming home until they've got on top of the pain and to be hones, being in hospital is the best place at the moment.

Later still. About 8.30 this evening Carol rang. She said that Dr Saka, the Oncology consultant, arrived on the ward. It seemed quite late, but he is an incredibly busy man and no doubt found it difficult to fit in all his patients, but his office is just below Ward 19, within the Macmillan unit. He will be coming back between 11 and around 3 on Tuesday so I want to make sure I'm there when he comes.

Ward 19 seems very noisy. Not just the patients, but the staff seem to make an incredible amount of noise. There is a door immediately outside Carol's room and each time someone goes through it, it makes a slamming sound. Also, a female domestic was cleaning one of the bathrooms or toilets close by and dropping the toilet seat repeatedly, getting really annoying. Then an elderly patient was walking up and down the ward using a Zimmer frame to walk with and it was making a dragging sound as if the wheels hadn't been oiled in years or the brakes were still on (not that the wheels on a Zimmer frame have brakes, but it seemed like they were locked firmly) Anyway, you would think that a ward would be a quiet and peaceful place where you could rest and recuperate, well, that's what I imagine it would be like. If I remember correctly when I had my first heart attack in 2006 and I was on the C.C.U. (Coronary Care Unit) at Bedford Hospital, I'm almost certain they had at least an hour's quiet. Not that it's ever quiet on any hospital ward, what with staff coming and going and new patients being moved in and out.

Even later. Carol rang me on my mobile at home. She told me that Doctor Saka came to see her on the ward. at around 7 o'clock. She asked him about the new chemotherapy treatment which can't proceed until her current situation is under control, the infection, which is being treated with antibiotics as well as the intense pain. He told her the cancer can be treated successfully and that he would be back to see us both on Tuesday between 11a.m and 2p.m., so I will make sure that I am on the ward when he arrives.

Short Trip To Hospital

Early morning and it's hot. It's going to be another scorching hot day. Just as well we don't have to do much, although Carol needed to pick up antibiotic tablets from Milton Keynes Hospital. We weren't sure where to go to collect them. It would have been easier for us to go to the pharmacy in the hospital.

I took Alfie out for his, by now, daily walk. He's following me around the house, making sure I'm aware that we hadn't been out. We do the usual circuit of the park and we see the two little dogs we came upon a couple of days ago. Chihuahuas both, one a brown-and-white and the other black. The black one, Poppy, obsessed with a rubber ball, very protective of it. Alfie just wants to be friends with them. He's not going to bother with the ball. After all, he's a terrier and not a reliever and don't you know it. He runs rings around both dogs and wags his tail frantically. Just having a lovely time. Really great that he's socialising with the dogs he meets.

Right. Having walked Alfie and had breakfast, we had to go into the hospital to the A.E.C.U.           (Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit) department in the Maple Centre.  Actually we didn't at first know it was there. We parked in the hospital multi-storey carpark and walked to the reception in the new hospital entrance. Well, not probably that new, as it has been opened for about 6-8 months now. It was here that we were directed to the Maple Centre. Had we known, we would have parked at the front of the hospital, in the ground-level carpark, which is actually directly opposite the Maple Centre. Never mind. We were somewhat surprised that there were notices along the top of the low wall outside the main entrance, telling you not to sit on it. Why? What reason was there that you couldn't sit on a wall, particularly at the moment when it's so hot? Might it be because the wall isn't designed to take a person or persons sitting on it? Are they concerned that it might collapse and then be sued for injury? Is it our old friend Health and Safety gone slightly crazy? Oh, never mind, there are a couple of benches further along which are designed to be sat upon and not likely to collapse if you sit on them. It was a relatively short walk around the hospital campus to get there. We spoke to a lady on the reception but then we had to go round the corner to the A.E.C.U., which is where Carol had to come a couple of months ago, when we had to wait virtually all day before a doctor could deal with a situation she had at that time. It wasn't long before on of the nurses managed to find the antibiotics that were needed and handed over a package of these medications to take home. Fortunately, when we returned to the multi-storey car park and out our ticket in the payment machine, we didn't have to pay anything, no doubt because we hadn't been more than half and hour, which means you don't have to pay.

It's Far Too Hot!

Thursday. I've taken Alfie for another of his early-morning walks across Eaglestone Park. I am particular about picking up any dog mess. I know it's not something to talk about or write on here, but we are supposed to dispose of it in the red dog-waste bins dotted around the park. It seems a lot of people who also have dogs don't do the same, I can see they don't. It's the same with litter in general. Empty beer and fizzy drinks cans, all around the benches where no doubt youths congregate. I'm also shocked to see piles of Red Bull cans in the verges along the Redway within the hospital campus as I walk in to see Carol on Ward 22. Quite often I come across groups of staff standing on the Redway, smoking, sitting on the grass, drinking Cokes or Red Bull. A litter of fag ends. I know I've discussed this in other blog posts, but it really isn't pleasant to see this rubbish. They have a 'No Smoking' policy within Milton Keynes University Hospital, but they should make allowances for smokers. Even patients. Where the ambulances come in near the Macmillan unit, I see a young man who must be a patient, from oncology, with his drip on the wheeled stand, along with the pump mechanism, a similar contraption which Carol had when she had her chemotherapy. Anyway, he was outside smoking. I don't think if I had to have chemotherapy I would smoke. I have never smoked. I was told, when I had my heart attack, that had I smoked, I would have had a heart attack five years earlier than I did. People do have a choice, to smoke or not, but if it's bad for your health and you are warned of the consequences, why continue with it? Or make an effort to give it up. I think it's also the mess that is left, the cigarette-ends, ash and also the smell that cigarettes make is really unpleasant and must affect your taste.

One of the female doctors visited Carol on the ward this morning. Usually there are at least 6 of them  who do the ward rounds at around 10.15-10.30, so it was odd that she came on her own. She told Carol that the P.I.C.C. line should be done tomorrow afternoon. Does that mean they've found cover for the lady who usually does this, but who is currently on holiday? I presume so. I would imagine that she would be back at work on Monday, because it doesn't make sense having a holiday and coming straight back to work on a Friday, or is that just my thinking on the matter? Perhaps she hasn't gone away for a week, just a few day's leave and she came back on a Friday after all. Anyway, let's hope that all goes well and Carol can come home. She's really chomping at the bit, particularly as severe other patients on the ward have already gone home and they haven't been there as long as Carol.

I was walking back along the Redway within the hospital grounds, when two women were walking towards me. Then, as they got closer, one took out something from her bag and just tossed it onto the grass. I was really annoyed. I looked when I got closer to where she dropped her litter. It was an empty cigarette packet and used box of matches.  On second thoughts I wish I'd had the courage to tell her that she was littering and she shouldn't throw her rubbish away on the roadside, but I didn't. Just a disgusting act. People just don't care. There's enough litter already so I imagine people think, if others do it, I can too, but that doesn't make it right.

I came out of Ward 22 just before 2 o'clock this afternoon, and the heat hit me. It was baking, almost like opening an oven door. I like it when it's sunny and bright, but at the moment the weather is far too hot. We are desperate for some rain to cool things down. I don't think people are used to such heat in England. None of our houses are designed for this sort of temperature, no house has air conditioning. Electric fans alone don't really cool the house, they merely push the hot air around.

No House Inspection

I'm somewhat annoyed. I got a note through the door this morning (Wednesday), from our landlord, to say he won't be visiting and can I ring him tonight to reschedule? Having spent the last few days cleaning the place, it's a bit of a nuisance, to say the least. It does mean that I can be with Carol this morning when the doctors do their ward round, because I wouldn't have been there if the house inspection had gone ahead for 11 o'clock this morning. Hopefully Carol will be discharged sometime today, so at least she will see a spotless house, or as near as possible. Never mind, at least it will be ready for a landlord visit next week. I don't know when the note was put through the letterbox. I have been awake since at least 5 a.m., been out with Alfie for a walk, but I never heard the letterbox rattle, as you would expect if something was pushed through.

I was washing up at the kitchen sink when I saw a dustcart drive past. I had put three bags of rubbish out, two black bags and a pink one with recycled stuff in it. Why didn't they stop to pick up our bags? It's 8.35 as I write this, and those bags are still were I left them earlier this morning. Why don't the dustmen take them instead of driving past? I know they take the recycled bags separately, but, frankly it doesn't make sense to just drive past. I bet these bags will still be here when I get back home later this afternoon. It really is an odd way to collect rubbish. You are supposed to put it out well before 7a.m. on a Wednesday, but quite often it's still there at 2 p.m.  I heard a report on BBC television news the other day, which said that some recycled material isn't recycled and goes to landfill. Not very good to hear that, when I go to so much trouble to put stuff in the correct pink bag. Incidentally, why are Milton Keynes Council replacing the pink bags with grey bags? Seems a bit pointless to me. What's wrong with pink? As it is, they are very flimsy and easily torn and quite difficult to open.

Later. The continuing saga of the carpark barrier. I don't know whether to laugh or cry over this. I know I've given time and energy to the car parking arrangements at Milton Keynes University Hospital in quite a few of these blog posts. Why on earth they don't just remove the stupid things, because they seem to cause much stress and angst. Either you can't get in, because the barrier won't raise, or the tickets don't come out of the machine when you enter, or the barrier won't raise to let you out. It's more than a little bit annoying. This morning the barrier was raised, so you couldn't take a ticket when you pressed the button. Which meant, when I came to leave this afternoon, I had no ticket, so when I drove out, with the barrier down, I had to press the 'help' button to get a security person to let me out. It can be tricky to do this, because you have to stop the car near enough to the machine so you can stretch out your arm to press the button. Then a disembodied voice asked 'which car park?' to which I had to think, and then said 'near Cardiology,' at which the barrier was raised. I think they must be loosing money from this pandemonium. The barriers seem to spend more time inoperative and operative and people wouldn't be paying to park. Why not just remove all these machines and return to free parking?

On the ward things haven't changed much. No new patients. I arrive in plenty of time for the doctors' ward rounds. It amuses us that when they arrive, around half a dozen of them, with one pushing the computer trolley thing which has all the patients notes in it, they bundle into the 12 X 12 space each patient and their bed contains and draw the curtains around them. How many doctors can you fit in the space? It can be quite intimidating if you are the patient, as I have been myself, with so many people crowding in, sometimes with students, some at the back of the group, someone making notes. What are they all for? The, should I say 'lead doctor', who does all the talking has this morning come in and SITS ON THE BED! Outrageous! I was told you must NEVER, as a visitor, SIT ON THE BED! When I was on one ward a couple of years ago, there was a woman, a volunteer, who was so rude to Carol, she wouldn't let Carol read my notes, which were on a clipboard in a holder at the foot of the bed (now all notes are on the new computerised system eCare or something.) This harridan came in to work in Ward 1 when Carol was first admitted nearly five weeks ago. I think she took her authority too far and was just plain unpleasant. Anyway, this female doctor tells Carol this morning that they have found an antibiotic which will work to eradicate the infection in her septum. She can be given this new antibiotic via a P.I.C.C. line, which has to be inserted (as the old one was, which was removed a week or so ago.) Carol would need to come to the hospital on a daily basis to have the antibiotics administered through the P.I.C.C. line, for two weeks, then the medication can be taken in tablet-form for a further six weeks. We later learn that a community nurse (I think that's the title.) would visit Carol at home and administer the antibiotics, which would cut the risk of further infection, which might happen if she was to visit the hospital. Later on, another doctor appears and says that the lady who fits the P.I.C.C. line is currently on holiday and there is no-one else able to do the job. Which seems amazing to me. Why on earth doesn't the hospital have someone who can cover for this lady whilst she is on holiday? So, it would seem that Carol is likely to be in hospital for another few days, intact, most likely until Monday when I image the P.I.C.C. line-lady returns from holiday.

This evening I have been attempting to contact our landlord via telephone. Each time I attempt this operation, I just get a recorded message and to 'leave a message.' I try on three separate occasions. I don't want to record a message. I just want to speak to the man. I don't want either him or his wife ringing once I've gone to bed or to ring when I'm out. I want to speak to a live person. So much easier and less annoying.

Some time later I get a telephone call. At first I think it might be the landlord. But it's not. It's a woman doing a survey. I agree to do it. It's on political things and turns out to be on my views on Brexit and the so-called 'Chequers Agreement' on a 'soft' Brexit deal. What are my thoughts? Well, I'm not going to tell you on here. I did ask, at the end of the interview, what the information would be used for, but she wouldn't say. Probably for a newspaper of one of the television channels, BBC News, ITN or Channel four or even Sky News.

Busy Week

So ends another week. It's been relatively busy, beginning with Carol having a blood test at the oncology department at Milton Keynes Hospital. I forget to call it Milton Keynes University Hospital, but it doesn't matter that much, as it's still a hospital, with or without the academic addition to it's name. Then we had to drive to Oxford to go to the Churchill Hospital so Carol could have a P.E.T. scan. All of this related in an earlier blog post. Then she had two letters to say she had two scans booked, one an M.R.I. and the other a C.T. scan, both at Milton Keynes Hospital. Just don't ask which is which, but it means things are moving towards the next stage of her treatment, but as yet we don't have conformation as to what it's likely to be.

I went to Aldi early this morning (Saturday), getting to their branch at Westcroft just after they'd opened at 8 o'clock. A good reason to be so early so as to beat the crowds as well as finding a parking space. At least you can get in and out of Aldi's relatively quickly and their prices are a good deal lower than Sainsbury's or any of the main supermarket chains. It's a small store, as all their stores are. A far smaller range of items, so you don't waste time deciding which item to choose. At the till they whip your items through and straight into your trolley and you pack it all yourself on a shelf away from the checkout, so this reduces the queues. Such a simple idea and it seems to work. They put larger bar codes on their packets which means it's easier for the checkout staff to put the items through. 

Earlier in the week Carol had a text message from Daniel, to say that he was going to visit on Saturday (today). He's got a new job, at long last. He's been doing night shifts in a hotel in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, a Holiday Inn. He's being attempting to find something better for some time. It's working as a bar supervisor at St James's Park, the home ground of Newcastle United Football Club. To him it's a dream job. He's a mad Newcastle fan and has been since he was a boy. Although he would love to find a job he's been to university to study, computing, this will at least mean he's doing daylight hours and will actually be in charge of staff and not just a dogsbody which is how he's been treated at the hotel. He texted to say he'd be arriving around midday, but wouldn't say exactly when, but got here around 12.30. He came from the station by taxi cab, arriving with a huge bunch of flowers for his Mum.  We didn't do much. We stayed in the house as Carol wasn't feeling that well as a result of the final chemotherapy cycle. Alfie, our little Yorkshire terrier was pleased to see Daniel. We weren't sure he would remember him as it must be two or three years since he last visited.

He has an odd way with males, not me, of course. He can be a little off when Chloe's husband, Steve comes to visit. I don't know why. He gets very close to your face and shows his teeth. Is it a sort of territorial thing or something? I'm not sure. Anyway, we took Daniel back to the station as he was going into London.