The Waiting Game Continues . . .

I've just returned from taking Alfie out for his morning trot across Eaglestone Park. I wasn't going to take him, having first peered out of the window. A somewhat gloomy and over-cast sort of day on the weather-front, which was really enough to put me off going out, but he hasn't been out since Wednesday. He follows me around the house and when I get dressed in the bedroom he's got that expectant look he has when he thinks he's going out. It is a bit unfair on him, being left alone in the house when I got to the hospital to see Carol. He must have wondered where on earth I was the Sunday I had my heart attack and didn't come home. Then Carol keeps on disappearing and he must miss her. He usually sleeps on my bed, but over the past week and a bit he's been sleeping on the sofa or he goes into his bed in the kitchen. Must be totally confused, poor little dog.

Anyway, we got out of the house and into the main part of the park where I usually let him off his lead. We did the full circuit, until we came across a man walking a whippet, which was looking somewhat nervous. Alfie bounds up to the poor thing and just wants to be friends, as usual, but the poor dog wasn't interested. I had to quickly put Alfie back on his lead. I apologised to the dog's owner and walked on. 

I could feel spots of rain. It was over-cast, but the sun was making a very weak attempt to come through. It's a good deal colder than the past couple of days. If it was attempting to rain, it wasn't making much of an effort.

I'm concerned about the amount of pain Carol is experiencing. The pain management team are working on getting this under control with various strengths and concoctions of drugs at their disposal, but all this is pointless if, when Carol asks for pain relief, the nursing staff don't act quickly to administer it, or if they do, it isn't always the correct dosage. This really needs to be sorted out. I just hope that today she's feeling a little more comfortable. She now has a special air mattress which is to help relieve this discomfort. It is plugged into the mains supply and sometimes automatically adjusts itself by filling up with air. Quite intriguing how it works.

Later. The weather has held off for most of the day. Any rain didn't eventually fall and the sun has been shining, although rather weekly.

We were hoping that Carol's consultant, Dr Saka, was going to visit her on the ward. He came last Friday, but only after I'd gone home. He wanted me to be with Carol when he told us what the next stage of her treatment was going to be. Apparently he came around 4.30, but to be honest I couldn't wait much longer as I was gradually falling asleep. Carol had quite a few visits, including her manager at the Academy, Kevin, who hasn't visited before. She was quite tearful. She so misses her job. He was being really lovely, he's a good man and it's obvious that he thinks a lot of her. He should do, she's a brilliant and highly respected teacher. They talked about how things were doing at the Academy. A lot of changes, staff leaving and new science laboratories now built and opened. Then Sarah, who is one of the hospital chaplains, turned up. We've had several visits from her, and then Dr Ben came in (I'm not sure of his surname) who is part of the palliative care team and he deals with pain management. He was being shadowed by a lady who I presume is going to work in his team, finding her way around the hospital, which must be quite a challenge as it's all corridors, many of them long and it's like being in a sort of maze if you don't know where you're going.

By 4.30 it was quite obvious that Dr Saka wasn't going to appear, so I collected my bits and pieces together, such as they were and bade Carol farewell and left for home. Let's hope we get something from the Oncology Department or Macmillan early next week or that Dr Saka does list Carol on Ward 19.

Something which sparked my sense of humour (if you can call it humorous, which some might not, but anyway, my sense of irony.). Walking about the hospital, as I do because of visiting Carol in Ward 19, I see lots of those yellow, plastic signs, usually triangular in shape, which are put down when the floor is being cleaned and is likely to become wet, or when there is a leak. They usually have wording printed on them, such as 'Beware, wet floor,' or 'Trip hazard,' or 'caution: Wet floor,' or words to that effect. Well, they are a good idea, to protect you from slipping over and damaging yourself. But then, why do they put these yellow signs up directly in the way, where you can trip over them, say, in the middle of a door-way, usually leading to a toilet, so you come through the said door and -trip over it, making the thing even more dangerous than the hazard they are supposed to be warning you about?

Cardiology Nurse Appointment

(Monday) Carol came with me to my first appointment with one of the cardiology nurses at Milton Keynes Hospital this morning. We've walked through the cardiology department quite a few times because it's immediately opposite the entrance into the oncology department which is where Carol came to have her 12 sessions of chemotherapy, so we know it fairly well, usually acknowledging the lady on reception as we walk through.  So it was rather off for me to be there for my own appointment this morning. At least we could park the car easily because we were so early and we went into the Macmillan unit which is further along the corridor to get the parking ticket clipped so we didn't have to pay to park.

We sat down in the waiting area, having reported to the reception desk. There was one other person waiting. Which I assumed would mean I would be next to be called in. But a couple came in, a woman in an electric wheelchair, and her husband (I presume that they were husband and wife.) was called in almost immediately. The letter I'd received giving me the appointment (although I had been telephoned to giving me the appointment. They sent the letter as a reminder.) told me I should arrive a good 10 minutes in advance of the appointment so they could do the, by now, routine observations, such as blood pressure, temperature etc.

Then I was called in by the nurse, Lucy is her name. I had bought all my medications with me in a carrier bag, along with the discharge information from the John Radcliffe. I discussed what had happened leading up to my recent heart attack two week's previously.  It didn't seem to follow any particular pattern, for example, I had difficulty distinguishing between angina, indigestion and any other sensation which lead to it happening. We went through all my medications and discussed any problems I had with the, including the fact that the Ramipril was giving me an annoying cough. She also checked my blood pressure, which appeared very good, considering. She then went through the rehab course, which I can join, but at the moment I can't start because it would appear they don't have any space so it's not likely to start until the end of October. I can't give a clear date to begin this because we don't yet know what Carol's treatment plan is likely to be and probably won't know anything until we've had the consultant's appointment on Friday. So, it's rather open as to when I can begin, but I will go to the hospital gym for this. I wasn't even aware that there was a gym in Milton Keynes Hospital. But when I go I will be checked out to see whether it's safe for me to do this by having a cardiogram done. Then we went on about food and diet in general and then the appointment was over, but it's nice to know I have someone to go to if I need advice since having my heart attack. I will receive a letter soon confirming the day and time I have my first cardiology rehab session.

I saw a piece on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, before we went off to the hospital for my appointment, about the Highways England campaign called 'Don't Be A Space Invader,' which is to attempt to stop tailgating, something which I have experienced and mention in my blog posts, where a driver will come up far too close behind me when I'm driving. It can be extremely intimidating and in some cases, really frightening. There are, apparently, around 100 people killed or seriously injured in crashes caused by drivers who drive far too close to other vehicles, Highways England says. Around 9 out of 10 people say they feel 'victimised' by this. Police would fine motorists £100 for driving too close to the car in front, in response to concerns over an increase in antisocial driving on motorways and A-Roads. As a result of this, I'm glad that something is being done about this. Apparently you are supposed to give a 2-second space to the car in front when driving on any road. There are markings on the M1 coming south when we come down the motorway, chevrons, that is, markings on the road, which are supposed to give you an approximate distance to keep from the car in front.

Football and Sunshine

Yesterday morning I managed to virtually complete the clearance of the brambles and weeds at the end of the garden. I did the work before it got to hot. Not a good idea to be outside in direct sunshine. There is still some more to do, but it can wait as I'm not risking going out in the blazing sun.

Carol needed to go back to the oncology department at Milton Keynes Hospital at 2.20 yesterday afternoon because they needed to check the P.I.C.C. line which was used to administer the chemotherapy. We got to the carpark and there were fortunately two or three spaces so that was one less thing to worry about. A woman came in and got in the way as we were attempting to park. Some people just don't seem to care so long as they get what they want, regardless of the other person. Never mind. It was far too hot to argue anyway. We walked into the oncology department and it was a lot cooler than outside. Not many patients. Quite a few of the chairs empty, but few staff to deal with things, as usual, so what nurses were available seemed to be doing several people's work. Carol was soon seen and went into the little room to have her line checked. She may have the line taken out, depending on what the next stage of her treatment is, and probably not until she's seen the consultant next Friday.

We walked back to the car and got out without having to use the ticket machine because the barrier was raised. All that bother to get the ticket checked and then there's no need to use it. It's so irritating that you have this constant annoyance and then the thing doesn't work properly or at all. Never mind, it's them that's loosing the cash involved if it doesn't work.

Some form of refreshment was in order, due to the heat. We drove to Oakgrove, a short drive along Chaffron Way and parked near Waitrose. We went into the nearby Costa and had cold drinks, their tasty strawberry-and-cream cooler which did the trick. It was fascinating to sit and watch people passing by as we sat inside. I can't say I was exactly over-enthusiatsit about the music they were playing in Costa's. That droning, reparative drivel that passes for modern pop music. It was awful. Why is it necessary? As we sat inside Costas we could see children walking past. It was only about 3 o'clock. They were leaving school. From the comprehensive school just over the road from Waitrose and Costa, Oakgrove School. A very different lot of children to those who attend Milton Keynes Academy. They look far neater in their dress. All wearing uniforms, with blazers with the school symbol emblazoned on them. Ties done up neatly (not just the boys, but also the girls.) Not in the least bit scruffy. Talking quietly. Amazing, but having said that, somewhat boring. I bet the behaviour is better than at the Academy. But somehow they looked mechanical, almost robotic. Too good to be true. This was going me ideas. As I'm watching the Channel Four series 'Humans' about robots or 'synths' these children do have the look and feel of synths. It could be as if they were  being controlled. Just the impression I got somehow. Think also of the Cybermen in 'Doctor Who.' Just a bit creepy. There's a story brewing in my mind . . .

I'm not in the least bit interested in football, and not bothered by the World Cup. There was a match on yesterday evening at 7 o'clock. England versus Belgium. Regardless of whether you've an interest or not there is the constant drip drip drip of football . . . football. . . football. Everywhere you go. The supermarkets are stocked up with beer, pizza, Coca Cola, and all the paraphernalia they expect people to want to buy. Nothing wrong with that. I suppose it's better than Brexit. The warm weather is adding to the excitement. Our neighbours were having a party or a barbecue. They were having guests. Quite a few cars drawing up outside the house. The time for kick-off was approaching. Carol was upstairs watching on the bedroom television. I was downstairs, completing the Futurelearn course on Shakespeare. I did watch the  England v Panama match with Carol the other afternoon, although I wasn't concentrating too closely. Just doesn't do it for me. No sense of engagement. I think they over-do the build up to such sporting events. Then afterwards the endless discussion, the dissecting of the game, the post mortem. They go on and on and on and on and on and on. Fair enough, but some of us are bored silly.

The football match wasn't exactly setting the world on fire. You would have known something was going on if there had been a goal scored. No cheers from next door, or from upstairs. It was after an hour or so that I ventured upstairs and there was a 0-0 scoreline. Carol said it was 'boring.' But looking at the screen, it looks remarkably like some sort of computer game. The grass on the pitch is too green, more like carpet. The players look like computerised graphics. If you remember the television show, which must have been one of the first things on Channel 4 when it started in 1982, called 'Max Headroom.' He was a computerised character. Well, the players look very much like him. Unrealistic looking. Tanned, with over-styled hair.  They seem to move in a sort of artificial manner to me. It looks really dull and lifeless. Why?  Loads of advertising all around the ground. What on earth is Wanda? It was being advertised at the edge of the pitch. You can't ignore the advertising. It's there, centre-stage if you like. I know the advertising is essential to the funding of these events, but it does tend to intrude. Is Wanda a person? An insurance company? A beer? A soft drink? Goodness only knows, but whatever she is, she's got a lot to answer for. The sport is being taken over by money. The players are payed in telephone numbers, for merely kicking a ball around on a piece of grass for 90 minutes. Hence the advertising. I think I may have answered my own earlier question. Too much money and if I was looking at the advertising, even if it was for a company I'd never heard of, at least I was thinking about that (which is earning money) even if it wasn't the football.

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.

A Sunny Day (or not)

It's bright and sunny this morning (Thursday). Just hope it doesn't pour with rain after I've put washing out on the line. It's quite gusty so the washing should dry quickly. The garden still needs lots doing to it, cutting back the brambles at the bottom of the garden. They are incredibly tough to cut through and really cut into your hands with their thorns, so I use gloves.I've put the bits I've managed to cut into our one and only wheely bin. It's not really big enough for all the garden waste I'm putting into it We only get the wheely bins emptied once every two weeks which is making things more difficult, slow and steady. We don't have a side gate which we could use to take the bin round to the front of the house.  I have to take the bin through the house and out through the front door. Not exactly convenient, but how else is it to be taken out for the bin men? What gate we have was sealed up when the fence was repaired. It's really up to our landlord to spend out and have a new gate installed, but he's not going to spend out on anything he doesn't want to. So the bin remains in the garden (Garden? What garden?) 

We went to the Council offices yesterday as we're going to have to apply for benefits. There's really no choice as Carol has been off work for almost a year. I managed to park outside the offices, not too difficult, and payed the £2 required for an hour. Going in to the reception area, it's all changed since we last were here, must be at least 8-10 years ago. All bright paintwork and large photographs of places in Milton Keynes. A bit like the set for a breakfast television show. Low desks in sort of pastel shades. The lady on the reception desk (not a desk. More like a tiny IKEA coffee table. Nowhere for her to sit.) standing and welcoming people as they came in. Took our request for a form to start the application process. They don't have paper forms, it would seem. To get a reduction of Council Tax we need a reference number. We are given a ticket with a number on it and have to wait in the waiting area. Lots of people waiting and coming and going. Our number shows up on the digital screens, in the 'Triage' section. Other people seem to get called by the computerised voice, one in particular called several times, but no takers. We are eventually called by the female computer voice and we go to 'Desk Number 2.' Each desk has a red digital read-out. When we get there we have to prove our identity so I have to go back to the car to get my wallet and return to show my Driving Licence as well as Carol's. Which means the lady on the desk can get into the data-bank and she gives us the reference number we require on a small slip of paper which I store in my wallet for later use.

We return to the reception area where there is a row of three computers on desks and start the process of making our application. The application goes well enough, but by 2 o'clock I realise I'm going to have to put another £2 worth of parking ticket on the car, but, as I have no change, I go to the NatWest next door (fortunately our bank.) and take out £10 and then go inside to get change from one of the tellers. I then return to the car and pay the required sum into the machine and put the ticket inside the car's windscreen and the return to Carol who is continuing to fill in the on-line application.

It seems so obvious that the Council are attempting to run the benefits department with very few staff. The lady on the reception seemed to be doing the job of at least three people, attempting to help those with their on-line application as well as signing in new people as they entered reception. Usually they would have several people behind a reception desk. Also, no doubt they are trying to cut down on paper if you apply on line. Which a good idea because if you fill in a paper form that information has to be transferred onto a computer at some stage in which case another team of people would be required, so to have that information fed directly onto a computer system must surely save money in not having to employ more staff to do the job.

All the effort to do the application at the Council offices was a waste of time because there was so much information we needed which we didn't have with us. So we went home and did the application on our own laptop.

We went to the oncology department at around 10.45. The actual time we were supposed to be there was 11.20, but Carol wasn't seen until 11.35. She was having the pump removed and this was the last time, after the completion of the 12th chemotherapy cycle. 

Pothole Repairs, Oncology and Oxford P.E.T. Scan

I just had to mention this. We were going out in the car the other morning, I forget where, but it doesn't matter. We were going out at the Saxon Street exit. We saw a man in one of those hi-vis jackets. He had some sort of paint spray device in his hands. I had to look twice. He'd been spraying paint around some of the potholes around the entrance. We've been mentioning the fact that the road on which we live is full of potholes and the fact that they need repairing. Most are along the centre, the point where the two sections of the tarmac meet. No doubt this was a cheap method of constructing road surfaces back when the estate was built, must've been in the 1970's. But the 'seams' (I can think of no better way to describe it.) are coming apart. It's like driving in some sort of Rift Valley. The surface is worse when you come round from the Marlborough Street entrance where we usually come back from Oncology or other hospital appointments. It's just really awful. So, at a later time when we came back home we saw the man (and no doubt a partner in crime) had been really busy as there was some considerable amount of spray paint along the road which would be to show the workmen where to fill in the holes. But the fact is, most of the road surface needs completely resurfacing and not merely patched. It needs doing properly and not just a 'quick fix.' Saying that, some sort of repair is better than none at all, and it's far better to do it in the summer because if it's left until the winter, when it's likely to freeze, the road surface will break up even more.

Another bright and sunny morning. We went to the oncology department for gone 10 o'clock. The place was virtually deserted and Carol was dealt with for her final blood test. They are reducing some of the chemotherapy to help prevent her numbing fingers which should help.

We went to the Shell filling station in Grafton Street on the way back from the hospital. It's surprising how far you can go without filling the Renault. It seems very economical, thankfully.

We were scheduled to go to  Churchill Hospital in Oxford for Carol's 3.30 p.m. P.E.T. scan and we were all set up to go. Then we got a telephone call to say that they had a cancellation and could we make 2 p.m.? We could, and were out of the house within 15 minutes. We took the SatNav (which has been christened Dora, after Dora The Explorer, but it was quite difficult to set it up as we were driving along, but we stopped in a lay-bay on Standing Way and managed to get the postcode of the Churchill and then set off in earnest to get to Oxford on time.

We got to the hospital with barely 10 minutes to spare. The problem was parking, as is generally the case. We drove around the site and found several carparks, but full. Not a single space. Then we drove around to what must have been the furthest point of the site and managed to find two spaces and then rushed round to the reception area. We walked through the hospital to where Carol had her first P.E.T. scan. You have to telephone a special number to register your arrival. Why no human on these reception desks? Is it a way of not employing a human to do this job? You don't always manage to get through. Making things quite frustrating and stressful. Why not have a computer touch screen as they have at our doctors' surgery or at the In-Patient clinics at Milton Keynes hospital. Not that they always work successfully. Just as we were waiting and I was about to settle down to sit and wait in the waiting room, a small nurse turned up to tell us we needed to be in another building, possibly because one of the scanners wasn't working. So she led us outside and we got to this other building and had to enter using a keypad on the door. Carol had to fill in a form before she was taken through to the scanner and I was left to my own devices for a good two and a half hours.

What amuses me is that, because they inject you with a radioactive substance so that the scanner can do it's job properly, patients who are injected with this substance are not supposed to mix with other people for a few hours afterwards. They use separate toilet facilities and so on, and must not sit in the waiting area after being scanned. Last time Carol had the journey back to Milton Keynes in that awful ambulance, driving at speed and being treated more like a sack of potatoes than as a patient with feeling and at the same time very uncomfortable. You aren't supposed to sit next to anyone more than six feet apart or something. But then she was right next to me all the way out of the hospital, walking along the corridors and out to the carpark and then sitting next to me in the car. A rather crazy ruling, did it not matter about me becoming contaminated by radioactive material? Taking Health and Safety rules too far and I bet the radioactivity had far less strength than is already in the environment, in, say, a luminous watch face or other electronic gadgetry. What about a computer screen, such as the MacBook Air I'm using to write this?

Having left the scanning department we walked towards the entrance along a long corridor. Hospitals always seem to have endless corridors. I know they have lots of departments and they need to be linked together, but endless corridors are just, well, endless. Then when we got outside, having been into the coffee shop to have lattes and a nice iced bun, we were confronted by the prospect of wrestling with a parking ticket machine. We extricated the ticket which was issued when we entered the car park when we arrived, but we didn't have sufficient change to put into the machine to pay. It was similar to the system in Milton Keynes hospital, whereby you put your parking ticket into the machine and it tells you how much to pay on a digital screen and then either pay with coins or use your debit or credit card. Simple. We went into the reception area to see if we could find an A.T.M. but the one in W.H.Smith was either out of order or had no cash in it. Nowhere else would come up with a solution to our problem. Smith's also didn't do 'cash-back' which some shops do. We went back to the ticket machine and spoke to the gentleman who was on the end of a switchboard somewhere in cyber-space and said he'd let us out with paying. Which was what happened when we eventually got back to the car and drove out, with the barrier lifting when we spoke into the machine.

By the time we got out onto the roads of Oxford and were driving back to Milton Keynes, things were getting very busy. The traffic was building up as people were leaving work to return home. We decided to stop to have something to eat at a K.F.C. on one of the main roundabouts on the outskirts of Oxford. The point where the A44 meets the A34. The build-up of traffic was quite intense and it took us some time to wend our way round the roundabout and get into the carpark near a Travel Lodge and next door to the Peartree park-and-ride carpark which we've used on a couple of occasions when we've visited Oxford in the past. It was a relief to be out of the traffic and to sit down and have something to eat. Carol hadn't been able to eat or drink since breakfast (she'd had something to eat at about 8 o'clock and then she had a KitKat chocolate bar which I'd bought at the Shell garage when we'd bought diesel there.

By the time we'd finished in K.F.C. the roads were calming down and we got on the A34 and then onto the M40 for a few miles until we reached the road back towards Buckingham and then home to Milton Keynes.

An Ordinary Couple of Days

 We've been attempting to clear some of the untidy weeds and long grass at the bottom of the garden. Yesterday fairly early on I continued with cutting back the brambles and weeds around the shed (such as it is. Totally derelict. You can't get into it as the door is completely off it's hinges.) The grass and other weeds can be trimmed back once the brambles and other tough growth is removed, otherwise when you use the trimmer it will break the blade.) Carol gave me a hand, but it was getting really quite hot so we gave it a rest and will continue. The job is best done in stages, perhaps 10-15 minutes at a time. I just hope the weather remains fine so we can get the job done. No good attempting to do this work when it's wet.

On Friday Carol got a telephone call from the nurse/coordinator at Milton Keynes Hospital, saying that Oxford Churchill Hospital had been trying to contact her. No doubt this would be when we were at Oncology, as we were there on Monday for her blood test, Tuesday for chemotherapy and then on Thursday to have the pump removed. We should have taken one or other of our mobiles with us, but we don't always carry them around with us. We neither of us are tied permanently to such technology as most people are. Just another item to carry around. When we go to oncology we take a bag of things to keep us occupied for the couple of hours we were there. On Tuesday we were at the hospital for at least five hours. Books, our Kindles, and other items such as sweets and my wallet to pay in the Friends' shop. The telephone call was to call to set up a P.E.T. scan at Churchill. The doctors want her to have this scan before the next chemotherapy cycle. It took several attempts to actually get through to the department to speak to the secretary who books such appointments. On first attempting to get through Carol just got a recorded voice, saying 'I'm on leave but will be back at my desk on Monday,' But she wasn't there, and the same recorded message could be heard. It took at least thee attempts to actually get through to speak to this person and an appointment was made for this Monday afternoon. So we will be going to oncology at Milton Keynes Hospital at around 9 o'clock first for her usual blood test and then we'll drive to Oxford, giving us enough time to get to the hospital and park the car and then get to the imaging department for the scan. But because it's relatively late, and it takes around two hours, we're not likely to get home until past 7 o'clock in the evening. 

So, once the scan is done and the final chemotherapy cycle is complete, another few boxes are ticked off and Carol will be ready and waiting to get conformation of dates for the two operations she will have to remove the remnants of the cancer so this horrible period of our lives can be completed and we can get our lives hack on track.

Oncology Error

For some reason or other, Carol didn't have an appointment arranged to have the pump removed, which she has as part of each chemotherapy cycle. Usually which ever nurse is in charge of her care when she's in the oncology unit arranges the appointments and writes them in the book she has which she takes to all her appointments. Probably it was forgotten because the staff are so busy. It would be easily done. I suggested we ring up and find out what time was on the system at the oncology department. Carol said we should just turn up, but it wasn't such a good idea because we could just find we sit and wait for a long time otherwise. The first number I rang was to get a bleep number, but when the operator answered I was told it was for emergencies only, so if so, why was it in the book I was given? Then I rang the direct line into the department and the lady who answered couldn't find Carol on the system, so it would appear we would have wasted our time without Carol being on the system. The receptionist said she'd speak to another nurse and then ring back. Which she did within the hour, by which time it was around midday. We could go immediately. Which we did. Of course, there were one or two things necessary before leaving in the car, such as Carol getting dressed.

Parking wasn't a problem, fortunately and the oncology department was almost deserted. The nurse who dealt with Carol said that when she'd come to work that morning it was difficult to park. Even the brand new multi-storey carpark which has just been opened especially for staff to park their cars was full to bursting. It's what you would expect, no sooner there's a new place to park then it's going to be full and then there's nowhere else to park. You would imagine the opposite, but that's not the case. Crazy. This same nurse was telling us how her husband had an accident and fell down stairs and broke his arm. He had to go to Accident and Emergency. It sounded like a really horrible accident. Seems amazing that you would break your arm.

I was speaking to another patient in the oncology department this morning and he was telling me that a Conservative MP, Robert Halfon, Member for Harlow, has introduced a Bill to scrap hospital parking charges. I am so glad that someone in Parliament has thought this important to have these wretched charges removed. Not for just patients, but it seems amazing that the staff who run N.H.S. hospitals have to pay to park their cars for work. We don't have to pay, and get our parking tickets clipped in the Macmillan unit at Milton Keynes Hospital which means wee don't have to pay. Although it does annoy me that usually the barrier at the exit of the carpark is usually raised which means you can leave without having to put a ticket in the machine which raises the barrier. I shall follow the progress of this piece of legislation with interest and will report on it here.

Eleventh Chemotherapy Cycle

When we go out we usually have to leave Alfie behind. Going to the oncology department at Milton Keynes Hospital, for example, we obviously can't take a small dog, for hygiene reasons, although we'd love to take him and I'm sure the other patients would love him and he'd be spoilt rotten. He usually stays in the kitchen, where he has his nice warm bed, some food and water and it's generally quite pleasant for him. Sometimes, if I say 'kitchen' to him he goes all pathetic, ears laid back with his tail between his legs. I think tone of voice could suggest that he's done something wrong, even when he hasn't. If I say this, he sometimes forgets where the kitchen is and runs upstairs to our bedroom. Well, you can't blame him for preferring to lay on our nice comfortable bed to being in the kitchen. But yesterday morning, when we were about to leave the house for the hospital, I attempted to get him into the kitchen. You have to have the door into the front hall shut, and get him into the kitchen from the lounge through the door from the lounge. But he wouldn't comply. He usually goes in there without any fuss and bother. But he'd picked up fairly early on that we were going out and leaving him. He goes into the trembling-dog mode, all pathetic and really crazy. I had to attempt to open the kitchen door and just put him through, but he just wouldn't stay, with as much effort as he could, he rushed back through into the lounge. For such a small dog he has quite a lot of strength, surprisingly, so we decided to leave him to it and have the door between the lounge and the kitchen left open so be could wander about safely when we were out, so at least he had food and water and a choice of either laying on the sofa or using his own bed in the kitchen.

So, yesterday Carol started her eleventh chemotherapy cycle. Just one more to go and all twelve will have been completed. We got to the oncology unit far too early. We were due there at about 11.30, but as there can be a real problem with parking we got there about an hour too early and, fortunately, we were able to park quite easily. There were several vacant spaces. We went to the Friend's shop which is near the restaurant, and bought sandwiches, drinks and crisps so we had something to eat at lunch-time.  It was really warm in the oncology department. I know cancer patients need to be warm because the chemotherapy they have to undergo can have the effect of making heat and cold quite unbearable. This was particularly evident over the winter months as Carol had to wear gloves and a scarf, usually over her mouth when we went outside. But it's quite warm at the moment and the doors and windows were open in the department when we arrived but had to be closed as one patient, a fairly elderly lady, insisted on having them closed. A bit unfair on the rest of those in the department.

Today (Wednesday) I've spent some time cutting the grass with the new cordless grass trimmer (as mentioned in an earlier post.) I'm having to deal with a lot of brambles growing up near the fence to the left, because the trimmer isn't powerful enough to cut these branches. It's good at cutting the grass, though, and from my experience of using a Strimmer or at least a cutter that uses fishing line, it's more efficient and I haven't had to stop to deal with the cutting blade (similar to that which is in the mower we have.) With trimmers with fishing line in them, this line tends to brake very frequently and you have to stop and deal with it, pulling out the line before continuing with the job in hand.

This week I'm doing an on-line course through something called 'Futurelearn.' It's called 'Shakespeare: Print and Performance.' It's a course run by King's College, London in association with the British Library and Shakespeare's Globe. I've done several of these courses before, an earlier one on Shakespeare called 'Shakespeare and His World' and another about Hadrian's Wall. Most of these courses are free, but they've started to keep them free for the duration of the course, but then you need to pay to continue to have access after this period. There are video 'lectures' on various topics as well as downloadable material which you can print out as well as points where you can join in discussions and make comments on various topics. A really interesting course as it covers two subjects which I have an interest in, Shakespeare and history. Learning a lot of new stuff about Shakespeare I didn't know about before as well as about the history of Tudor theatre. I never realised until doing this course that there were so many theatres in and around London at this time, because you only seem to know about The Globe Theatre when studying Shakespeare.

Alfie Hurt and More Oncology Problems

Alfie has hurt himself. He's currently limping around the house. We think he hurt himself when he jumped off the bed. On Sunday night he came downstairs and slept in his bed. It's in the corner of the kitchen by the patio doors into the garden. Perhaps he feels safe and secure in there, it's virtually draft-free. He's currently sleeping on the sofa in the lounge (Sunday, 6 20 a.m.) I'm not exactly sure what he's done to himself, but I think he's twisted his back or his hip. He keeps on limping and finds it difficult to jump on the sofa and has to be lifted on. Even coming up the step into the house through the patio doors from the garden seems a bit of a struggle. He's found it almost impossible to get on our bed and has to be lifted up. When we've taken him out for a walk he runs off like a little hare, so perhaps it's that which has sparked this off. I put some of the remaining liquid ibuprofen in his food last night, left over from when we went to the vet a few weeks ago. I think it might be easing the discomfort for him.

We've been to the oncology department this morning as Carol had to have blood taken to be tested before the next chemotherapy cycle could begin. As the weather was fine we walked. It saves on the stress of finding a parking space and it's no more than ten minutes stroll. On arrival in the department it was really warm. Infact it's been quite humid for the past couple of days. They had to open the windows and the door onto the garden area to cool the place down. There were further problems with the compute system the nurses use to check in patients and input data so we had to wait quite a while before Carol was seen. I feel sorry for the staff having to deal with this new computer system which seems to cause so many problems. They have enough stress in that department, what with staff shortages and it seems to hold up patients' treatments because they can't access the new system. If it's like this in oncology, no doubt it's the same throughout the whole hospital.

The chemotherapy cycle will presumably go ahead as planned as we didn't get a telephone call to say it couldn't go ahead which has happened on two occasions. They usually call between 5-6 p.m., once they get the blood test results back. We don't have to be at the oncology department until around 11.30 this morning (Tuesday.) Let's just hope we manage to find a parking space when we arrive at the hospital and it's close to the oncology department.

The Adventure of the Missing Parking Space

It's rather a dull and over-cast day. It rained in the night, not particularly heavy, but a sort of steady sort of wetting. It will definitely keep things green.

I had to ring Ashfield Medical Centre this morning to ask for a Doctor's certificate for Carol, as the latest one runs out this week. I did attempt to do this yesterday mid-morning, but the receptionist said that there were no appointments available the rest of the day, and I couldn't book one in advance, it could only be for the same day. Crazy. This would make life so much easier. I don't understand why they do this, because sometimes, when you've seen the doctor, he might ask you to book an appointment for, say, a month ahead. Or doesn't that count? It seems they make up rules just to he awkward. It seems to me that the staff are running the place just for their own benefit, and not for the patients. It took a reasonable length of time to get through this morning, but I rang at 8 o'clock, just as the surgery was opening and there were three other people ahead of me in the telephone queue. I got through and then told them what I wanted and the doctor will call back to speak to Carol and, hopefully, sign another certificate and I will drive to the surgery to collect it and then take it to the H.R. department at Milton Keynes Academy.

Carol was scheduled to be at the oncology department for 2.20 on Thursday afternoon to have the dreaded pump removed. As usual, we drove there in plenty of time, but we couldn't find a place to park the car, so I dropped her off near cardiology and then I drove to the street level carpark at the front of the hospital in the hope that there would be a space. On arrival I drove in but no space was to be had. I wracked my brain in an attempt to think of a suitable place to leave the car and drove immediately to the multi-storey carpark opposite the new entrance. There were cars queued to enter, and when they moved there was a complete jam-up within the confines of the carpark. It was similar to one of those games where you have tiles to move, but there's only a couple of spaces and to complete the picture that the tiles make, you can only move a couple of tiles. The queue wound it's way around the carpark. There's a crazy layout to exit. Even if I'd gone onto the higher levels I don't think I would have found a space. Then, when I eventually got to the exit I didn't have a ticket, so a parking official had to let me out. Just as well as you don't have to pay if you're in there for under 15 minutes. So, I was still stuck for somewhere to leave the car, so I drove round the inner ring road and back to where I'd left Carol. I considered parking in a no parking space within the carpark. As Carol's appointment would be no more than 20 minutes, it would be fine, or so I thought, to leave the car in what was essentially a 'No Parking' zone. It's marked off with yellow lines painted on the tarmac. I got out of the car, and then a man who had just parked his car told me that I could be fined £70 if I left the car there. So I decided to drive out and had no alternative but to drive around again to the carpark at the front of the hospital. Again, no spaces. I was tearing my hair out by now. If only we'd bought our mobiles with us, I could have contacted Carol to tell her what was going on. Again I drove round to the cardiology department entrance and went into the carpark once more but THIS TIME I was able to park in a space directly opposite the entrance. As I walked towards the cardiology entrance, Carol was coming out! She said she had wondered where on earth I had got to, but at least it meant I didn't have to walk in to find her in the oncology department, so we walked back to the car and managed to drive home. Certainly something of an adventure, to say the least.

Tenth Chemotherapy Cycle

So, we didn't get a telephone call from the oncology department yesterday evening, so Carol's tenth chemotherapy cycle will begin today, thankfully.

We've put two bags of bark chippings on the weed-resistant material. It's fairly easy to spread, but it won't cover as much as we thought so we'll need to get several more bags to finish the job, so it's another outing to Bunnings.

We went to the oncology department for 11.30 this morning. They'd managed to sort out the problem with the computers. It was just as well we decided to go early because when we got to the usual carpark behind the cardiology department, there was no space, so we thought we could park in the new multi-storey carpark, but when we drove round it appears to be just for staff at the hospital. Considering that there is a street level carpark behind the main block you'd have thought that if staff used the new facility there would be more than enough space for visiting patients. We drove right round the inner ring road and tried to find a space in the carpark at the front of the hospital, but it was entirely full so we drove back round to the oncology department, with the intention of me dropping Carol off and then going on my own to find a space, even considering returning home and then walking back into the hospital campus, but fortunately we found that someone  was driving out of the first carpark and we were able to take their vacated space.

There's not a great deal else to record about the day, which was fairly uneventful.

Technical Hitch with I.T. at Oncology

Another bright and sunny day. We had to be at oncology at gone 9 o'clock this morning. But as soon as we walked in to the unit, which was completely deserted, we were told by a member of staff that we could expect to be kept waiting as there was a problem with the new computer system which the nurses have to use to input data. It's the same old, same old. Whenever they decide to up-grade computer software, in whatever use it might have, there is invariably a problem. They'd changed passwords, which meant they couldn't get in to it and so there was the inevitable wait. But Carol was seen relatively quickly. A lot of patients coming into the unit to wait. Not a lot you can do when you are due for chemotherapy. With all this going on, it makes you wonder how much the N.H.S. pays out for this sort of thing, and to then have it fail miserably. And relying on a computerised system when it could just as easily be written on paper. Let's hope that the blood test shows enough blood cells for the chemotherapy to continue tomorrow, after the last two attempts didn't show sufficient cells for this to go ahead as planned.

I had put in a repeat prescription for Carol on Tuesday. I rang Lloyds at Sainsbury's. This would give the surgery ample time to sort things out and then allow Lloyds to make up the prescription. Then on Friday evening one of the ladies from Lloyds telephoned to say she'd picked up the prescription but that she could only have one item from the two I'd ordered. Ashfield told her they 'didn't have time' to do the second one. I don't know what to make of that, because Carol was about to run out of this particular tablet. It seems to me that the surgery is being run for the total sake of the staff, not the patients. Anyway, we drove to Beanhill after we'd done with oncology. On enquiring at the reception, Carol did eventually get the missing prescription, but she has to have a doctor's certificate as she's off sick. The receptionist said that 'all today's appointments are taken.' Also, when Carol said she needed the certificate by Wednesday, she was told that she couldn't book an appointment that far in advance. Would it not make patients' lives easier if they did let you book appointments in advance? But I don't get this, because we've managed to book appointments a good month in advance, when the doctor specifically asks you to do so when he needs to see you again for whatever reason. Seems a bit like 'the tail wagging the dog' syndrome. They love to make up rules just to be awkward.

We drove over to Westcroft to do some shopping in Morrison's and to take the prescription into Boots to have it made up.

On arriving home we put washing on, and since it was so warm and sunny it was all put out on the line in the garden. By around 5 o'clock I thought I heard thunder. It did cloud over somewhat and it was this that prompted me to rush out and collect up the by-now dry washing. There was further thunder but it didn't go on to rain. It has been warm and sultry all day, meaning we needed to cool the house so we've had windows open to attempt to cool the house. Not entirely successful, though.

We've got Alfie involved in what zoos call 'enrichment', that is, giving him some sort of activity which stretches him more than just giving him a treat. He has to work for his treats. So we put these treats in hiding places and he has to find them. He doesn't usually have a problem and he uses his nose usually to hunt these bits of food in various locations around the room (and in other parts of the house as he'd beginning to just go to the same places where we've hidden these treats.) 

Potting, Wool, Coffee and Hospital

A really weird collection of different elements to today's activities. We've now managed to re-pot the Christmas tree and the fuchsia plant, a job we've been meaning to do for some time. The fuchsia was relatively easy, but the Christmas tree posed something of a problem. It wasn't until I removed it from the pot it came in that I discovered that it was actually in another one inside, which had to be cut, being made of tough plastic, with the loppers. The Christmas tree and the fuchsia were given good waterings and both seemed really relieved to get a good drink. Not surprising, considering how hot it's been over the past couple of days.

Carol has been busy with crochet so we went to Hobbycraft at Rooksley to buy some woo. We went into Costa, just a few doors along within Next and I had a tasty mango and passion fruit cooler whilst Carol had latte. I also had a cheese and chicken toast. When we sat down to have our drinks Carol was chatting to a lady at the next table who was knitting and made a comment regarding the balls of wool Carol had with her. Her friend turned up and it came out that she was a hairdresser. Carol mentioned that she was in need of having her hair cut and styled and the lady was a travelling hairdresser so Carol booked an appointment.

We were in actual fact wasting time; there was no point in going home because by the time we'd crossed Milton Keynes to get home, we'd only have to go out again to visit the hospital for Carol's blood test in the oncology department. We had a quick browse in Pets At Home, glancing at the rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals they have in there in cages. It was after this that we drove towards the hospital. There was always the hope that, if we got there in good time, Carol would be seen earlier. But this didn't happen.

Fortunately we were able to park in the carpark near the cardiology department. There were actually few spaces but a car was coming out so we grabbed the opportunity and took their vacated space.

The oncology unit seemed busier than usual. The nurses seemed to be working harder than ever, probably due to staff shortages. We waited for a good twenty minutes past the time Carol had been booked for her blood test.

Later. At around 7 o'clock this evening we got a telephone call from one of the nurses in the oncology department to say that Carol's next chemotherapy cycle would have to be postponed yet again because she wasn't producing sufficient blood cells to fight of infection. So hopefully the next session will be next Monday (blood test) and Tuesday (Chemotherapy.) Getting somewhat frustrating, particularly as we're getting to the end of the 12 cycles of chemotherapy.

Tenth Chemotherapy Cycle Postponed

It's another really beautiful warm spring day. We've been to the oncology suite so that Carol could have the usual blood test so that she can have the tenth chemotherapy cycle beginning tomorrow morning (Wednesday), depending on whether the test is as it should be.

As it happened, at around 6 o'clock on Wednesday evening we had a telephone call from oncology to say that there were not enough neutrophils in Carol's blood, which are the blood cells that fight infection. Which now means the tenth chemotherapy cycle has to be postponed until next week. This happened a couple of weeks ago and the next chemotherapy cycle was postponed for two weeks because Carols parents came to visit for a couple of days (see earlier blog post.)

So, I'm a bit lost as to what to write to make this blog post worthwhile. Well, we've been watching more episodes of 'The Woman In White', the current BBC1 classic adaptation. It seems to have really taken off after the third episode (of 5) but there's so many plots overlapping and so much going on it can be somewhat confusing. I don't think it will be particularly clear what's going on until we've seen the final episode (which was shown on May Bank Holiday Monday.)

I'm currently reading 'White Heat' by Dominic Sandbrook, part of his mammoth cycle of books tracing British history from Suez in 1956 up until the election of Margaret Thatcher. It's an extremely detailed account of the period, this particular volume covering the '60's, Harold Wilson, The Beatles, Mary Quant and other personalities.

It's been a really warm night. As a result, it's difficult to sleep, particularly when you have to keep the bedroom cool with the windows open.  You get the sound of cars along the A5 making a lot of sounds, racing, revving their engines. A lot of loud noises. During the day, then having bees and other flying insects buzzing in and out of the house.

Later. The Christmas tree, which is currently in the garden, in it's original pot from when it was bought in Dobbie's garden centre two Christmasses ago, is growing rapidly. It desperately needs re-potting before it dies off, which usually happens when we buy a 'live' Christmas tree. We have been meaning to find a suitable size pot so it can be transferred so that it can happily grow. In the current plastic pot it's likely to get pot-bound and then the roots will start to rot which will end with it dying which would be a shame since it's growing so successfully. We've seen suitable pots but hadn't got round to actually buying one, so this morning we went to Bunnings (which has taken over the Homebase branch in Winter Hill.) They had a quite spectacular selection of very suitable pots, one of which we purchased, along with a fuchsia  plant which Carol bought, along with potting compost and gravel to put in the pots. We had to use a trolley to convey our purchases to the till to pay and then out to the carpark, but the thing proved quite difficult to manoeuvre through the store and, once at the car, it took some effort to fit the various items in the interior of the vehicle.

We drove home to unload the posts, plants and bags of gravel and potting compost and then went out, first to drive through Woburn park, which is one of our favourite 'go-to' places when the weather is fine, searching out first rhododendrons which have begun flowering along the side of the road leading up to the cattle grids you have to go over on entering the open spaces of the deer park. We could see a few deer straggling across the road ahead of us, with one car stopped, no doubt to get a close-up view of these animals. Unfortunately we hadn't remembered to bring either of our cameras with us, because we might have got some really good shots had we got them with us.

We had to decide on somewhere suitable to have lunch so decided on Dobbie's at Bletchley, which has a good restaurant and we  had lattes, baguettes, panninis and cake. Carol had a rather nice slice of chocolate cake and I had a really tasty lemon frangipani tartlet, absolutely delicious. One of the best cakes I've had in a while. We must return at some time in the not-too distant future to partake of such delights again. We bought some plants which Carol wants to use in a bottle garden which she intends to construct in the former fish tank we have sitting in the garden.

Having finished in Dobbie's we drove back into Milton Keynes, to go to Marks and Spencer's at the football stadium where we bought milk and garlic bread which we needed.

My least-favourite job has to be done, mowing the grass. The grass seems to grow at unprecedented speed once we get any sun. It was cut a few weeks ago, and was somewhat difficult as I'd let it get too long and the mower, not really designed to cut such tough grass, really struggled. I think it's intended for those gardens which possess nice, neat turf and not the type of grass we have to contend with, more suitable to be eaten by horses, sheep and cattle and perhaps not mown at all.

Frustrating Wait

Last Friday we had an appointment with one of the oncology consultants in the Macmillan Unit at Milton Keynes Hospital. We were given really positive news that the cancer has been shrunk considerably, due to the chemotherapy treatment that Carol has been receiving for the past few months. In fact we've reached the ninth cycle of twelve. We were told that an operation would be performed to remove a considerable amount of the cancer at Milton Keynes Hospital and that Carol would then have radiotherapy on her liver to remove the remaining bits left and that would be carried out in Oxford. We would get a telephone call on Thursday of this week to give us details after the surgeons had met to discuss the case. But we waited all yesterday (Thursday) for the expected call, but nothing came. As you can imagine, this has caused a certain amount of frustration, as Carol is keen to get things moving, so that, hopefully, by September at least, she can think about returning to work, even if it's for a few hours a week to begin with. We had to return to the oncology suite at 4.30 this afternoon (Friday) so that Carol could have the pump removed. She mentioned this to the nurse who removed the pump, and as a result she rang the colorectal department to find out what was going on, and why she hadn't had the promised telephone call. It turns out that the hospital has had nothing from the Oxford hospital and are consequently waiting to get some sort of go-ahead as regards the continuing treatment. So, we will have to telephone on Monday to get some sort of answer. Also, we heard that Carol will need a further P.E.T. scan at Churchill Hospital in Oxford in the next week or two, which she's had before.

A rather wet and depressing sort of day today (Friday). Having had really warm weather last week, it's a sort of backwards step, weather-wise.

Oncology Morning

We took Alfie for a walk early this (Wednesday) morning, before we drove to the oncology suite at Milton Keynes hospital. Well, I say 'walk.' As soon as we let him off his lead in Eaglestone Park he ran like a little hare and made friends with a couple of little dogs who were being walked. I think they must have wondered what had hit them, as Alfie sniffs them and runs around in circles getting excited. We didn't walk far, just a short circuit. At one point Alfie ran ahead of us as if he had an idea where we were going to walk, but we went in a slightly different direction. Then we came across another couple of dogs also being exercised. It seems a popular time for people to walk their dogs. It only seemed fair to Alfie to take him out like this, before we had to drive to the hospital, as he would be left home alone, in the kitchen.

I'm continuing with the antibiotics for Alfie, but this morning he sicked up his food, poor little dog. Maybe it was because we bought a different dog food. Or it may that the new antibiotics don't agree with him. He has a rather sensitive stomach which might account for him not feeling too well. I could tell he wasn't his usual self because he didn't give eye contact and generally looked a bit down. You can tell with Alfie, because he's such an 'in-your face' little dog, so if he's not feeling well, you can tell immediately. The first sign is that his ears go back, laid across the back of his head. If they stand up straight, he's feeling fine.

We got to the carpark at the rear of the hospital and couldn't find a space to park the car. Considering that it was fairly early, I would have expected there to be at least one space. I had to leave Carol to walk in through cardiology and then drive around to the street-level carpark at the front of the hospital. One would think that they could provide parking spaces for those who are regular visitors to the hospital. It wouldn't be difficult to have around 20 dedicated spaces for oncology patients. I suppose things will be easier when the new multi-storey carpark is opened. It can't be long before it it completed, although we hope that by then Carol's oncology treatment will have finished.

On leaving the oncology department we found that it had been raining quite hard as there was definite evidence, and the looming dark clouds looked as though there was the possibility of further rain, but hopefully not before we'd walked to the carpark. It just shows that Carol is on the mend if she can walk so far. Not a possibility when she was first diagnosed. She couldn't do much of anything due to the pain she was experiencing. The barrier was raised when we eventually left the carpark. These barriers seem to spend most of their time broken, for what reason I don't know, but they certainly cause a lot of trouble. Just remove the things and let people park free.

Poor Alfie looked as if he was in pain. He couldn't jump up onto the sofa or my armchair. I think he might have over-done things when we went out for our early-morning walk on Wednesday. He chases around madly, and might have pulled a muscle or a tendon or something. Just showing his age. I gave him some of the painkilling medication I was given the other week by Rebecca the vet when we visited regarding his eye problem. I also gave him half of the antibiotics in his dinner on Wednesday evening. No reaction like this morning when he was sick. As I write this on Thursday morning he seems fine. He's currently curled up asleep on the sofa. 

More Mowing and Oncology Appointment

Another really warm and sunny day. I've done a bit more of the mowing of the grass, but there's still a bit more to do. The grass is exceptionally long and somewhat wet and the mower really moaned. Who can blame it? It's designed to cut nice, neat grass, not grass you would ordinarily find in a meadow and eaten by cattle. The machine is still sitting on the grass, waiting for me to complete the job. At the moment it's really far too hot. Not a good idea if you have a heart problem as I do. I have used my G.T.N. spray to alleviate any angina attacks, which is always possible if I'm exerting myself, which is definitely the case pushing the Flymo back and forth across the garden. I shall continue the job when it's a little cooler, which makes sense.

Carol had an oncology appointment with one of the consultants at 11 this morning (Friday). As it's been so warm and sunny it seemed a good idea to walk to the hospital. After all we only live around 10 minutes away. So we set of at around 10.30 and got there, having walked along the Redway and then into the hospital campus. Carol insisted we scramble up a slope which lead into the carpark behind the cardiology department. I had to climb it first and I helped her over the hump. On arrival in the Macmillan Unit it was exceptionally busy. Nowhere for us to sit together at first. As people went in for their appointments, this left vacant chairs, so we were able move around and to sit together. All a bit like a game of musical chairs. When the music stops . . .

Overhearing people's conversations. Well, it's just impossible to not hear. One old man, he must have been in his late 80's, if not older. Sounding a bit like Jones the butcher in 'Dad's Army,' who kept going on about his time in the desert during the First World War. This old man had been 'in the desert, in North Africa.' He'd been a chemist, so he knew a lot about the various chemicals they were using for his chemotherapy. He'd also worked in a paper-mill or somewhere and they'd used his skills.  Rather like being in the midst of an Alan Bennet play. He did go on and on. Got the other waiting people smiling. He did go on, though. But then he was called in for his appointment.

One of the volunteer men came round collecting mugs. Then he asked people if they would like tea. I didn't, but Carol did. By the time Carol was called in for her appointment at 11.20, he was coming around with a tray of tea, so Carol took her's into the consultants appointment. The surgeons have yet to see the results of the last M.R.I. scan from Wednesday afternoon, but they have discussed Carol's treatment. It looks likely that she will go to Oxford for radiotherapy on part of the cancer whilst the rest will be operated on in Milton Keynes and it's likely to be within the next four weeks or so. So everything is very positive. The warm weather definitely helping and the fact that we walked and didn't have the stress of driving and having to park the car.

On the way out of the unit we bumped into the cancer nurse we had been assigned when Carol was first diagnosed, and whom we haven't seen in quite a while. She said she didn't recognise Carol, as she is looking so much better. The fact that we've been out and about, that she is walking further and further is probably one reason.

So, a really pleasant walk back home, going through the hospital campus and back along the Redway.

We had a grocery delivery during the afternoon from Sainsbury's. It was easier to order on-line and have it delivered. We'd booked it to come between 3 and 4. It was efficiently done and saves so much bother of going to the store and trudging around picking up everything ourselves. It's great to let someone else do the work for us, and you don't end up buying stuff you don't need. As the site 'saves' your list of items, it's easier next time to do your shop faster.

I did a further bit of mowing, but there's still another section to do, mostly around the edges. I refuse to describe this scrappy bit of grass a 'lawn.' It no more resembles one, it may be grass, but not a neat and tidy piece of turf. Perhaps we should tear it up and have some artificial grass as someone has obviously had a bit further down our road. Oh, gracious! It would save time and effort, but I don't think our landlord would approve.

Eighth Chemotherapy Cycle

A rather cold and overcast day. Some slight rain.

On Saturday Carol had a scan appointment at the hospital. At first, when the letter came, we thought it was to be at the M.R.I. place she'd had an earlier scan at, called In Health, just behind Sainsbury's in Witan Gate. It was as well Carol queried the location, as she rang and was told that it was actually within the hospital campus. I think I had an idea where it was, as I'd walked past on several occasions when Carol had been on Ward 19. The appointment was on Saturday and it meant that her parents would be able to come with us. The appointment was at 2.20, but we got there in plenty of time. Well over an hour in total. She got a second letter, telling her that she'd been given yet another scan appointment, at the same place, for this Wednesday. She queried it, because if her chemotherapy cycle went according to plan, she would have the pump with her she would be given as part of the treatment and it would be possible to have she M.R.I. scan with it in situ. She was correct as it was to be re-booked for 18th April, during the week between chemo treatments and when she didn't have the pump.

On Sunday Carols mum and dad went back to Bournemouth. We went over to see them at the hotel in Newport Pagnall. By now the weather began to change. Rain, although not heavy. We'd had the best weather when we'd visited Waddesdon on Friday.

Today Carol had to be at the oncology suite for a blood test, at the beginning of the seventh chemotherapy cycle. As it was gone 10 when we arrived in the hospital campus, it was quite difficult to find a parking space, but there was one available, fortunately.

In the oncology suite it was clear that there was a shortage of staff, particularly the fact that there was no receptionist. We had to wait quite a while before Carol was signed in. One of the nurses had to do this, which meant she had to leave off another job elsewhere. Quite a lot of patients waiting, coming and going. Carol didn't get taken into the room for her blood test until well past 10.30.

We left and drove to Rooksley because Carol wanted to go to Hobbycraft. We had a look around but couldn't find what she was looking for. We went into Costa in Next and had lattes, really nice cheese and ham toasties and chocolate tiffin. I was ready for something to eat as I was hungry by this time. We then drove over to Westcroft to go into Morrison's, to buy something for our evening meal and for the next couple of days.

Under normal circumstances Carol would have had the bloodiest on a Friday and then have the chemotherapy begin on a Monday. We were expecting the seventh cycle to start tomorrow (Tuesday) but thankfully Carol checked her paperwork to learn that this cycle will begin on Wednesday, so it was as well the M.R.I. scan she had booked was rescheduled. We trust that the bloodtest will allow the seventh chemotherapy cycle to go ahead as planned.

Blood Test and Consultant's Appointment

We had to go to the oncology department at the hospital for 9.20 this morning as Carol is about to start the 7th chemotherapy cycle on Monday. Fortunately there wasn't a problem parking although the barrier was raised so we had to take a parking ticket. Those barriers seem to be effected by cold weather. A considerably warmer day, though. It was a good thing we got to oncology early because Carol was called in for the usual blood test and weighing as well as all the obs they do before the chemotherapy begins.  Arriving early does have an advantage. We walked down to the Friends shop for something to drink and eat, as Carol was saying she had a nasty taste in her mouth (part of the side-effects of chemo.) We got a Fry's chocolate mint and orange drink and then walked back to the Macmillan unit. Carol was due to have a consultant's appointment at 10 o'clock but we had quite a considerable wait. It was full of other patients. She was eventually called into the office at about 10.20. The scan she had about two weeks ago shows the cancer is shrinking considerably. A very positive response. The chemotherapy will continue (as we've reached half way. Meaning there are six more cycles to go.) The surgeons will meet next Thursday and then decide what options are open as regards surgery. We walked back to tell one of the nurses in oncology the news. They are so lovely and helpful in there. Generally, everyone we meet in the hospital, from nurses, doctors, surgeons and so on, so friendly and positive. You really can't fault them. They do a really amazing job, considering the work-load they have to endure.

We left the carpark and intended going to Waitrose for a coffee and cake as a sort of celebration. On arrival, we saw a long queue in the café, so didn't bother with the coffee and cake. We did some shopping and then came home.

Later in the evening we got a phone call from the oncology department. Apparently the blood test has shown something (which I don't understand properly) which shows up that Carol isn't producing something which will mean Monday's chemotherapy session will need to be cancelled and shifted to the following week, no doubt once whatever it is has been detected in her blood. A bit of a disappointment, but it's not a problem. It would mean that if the chemotherapy went ahead, any bacteria or whatever wouldn't be destroyed if she was to become ill. Which, at this half-way stage of the treatment would be quite dangerous.