Lockdown Diary - Wednesday 22nd July 2020

This is a combined Tuesday and Wednesday post, because my outpatient appointment on Tuesday ended up being an unplanned overnight stay, once a bed was found for me.

I shan't bore with the details, but the outcome was a simple one: on Tuesday, even though my x-ray was good (surgeon/consultant was pleased with the results and also with the stitches underneath (I think the scars spell out "Wrong Way Up", but I may be imagining that)), the subsequent tests were not so good and so they decided to keep me in hospital overnight for monitoring, finally discharging me late morning today, after feedback from my consultant and being seen by one of the Urology doctors.

Again I was phenomenally well looked after by the nurses and staff, both in Urology procedures, and on the hastily created overnight ward that was stood up in the Surgical Admissions Unit (SAU), far away on the third floor of South Block. Luckily I was taken there by one of the Urology nurses who was still there after the department closed, because I'd never have found the ward without her. Coincidentally, one of the nurses who'd looked after me on Redlands Ward, on the morning after my operation, was on the night shift in SAU.  SAU is not a restful place and there were initially a couple of other patients, both in quite severe pain, and also admissions from A&E during the night.  I barely got any sleep. The lights were on. People kept arriving, generally in pain, and needing to vocalise it.  I was quietly in discomfort, which meant it was hard to settle and almost impossible to sleep given how busy it was.  I suspect Piccadilly Circus is quieter at that time of night. I could say more but I think I'm going to erase it from my memory, after all the main point was that I was well looked after. Can't really ask for more,

When I was finally discharged (again), this morning, it was on the basis that, all being well things were improving, but if things should deteriorate out of hours, I should come to A&E making sure I was seen / treated by one of the Urology doctors, primarily because of the operation I'd had.

Once home, I was knackered and not up to doing much at all.  Had a call from my elder sister, who wasn't aware I'd been in hospital again (my younger sister knew, as she works there and is in contact with me over social meejah, which my elder sister doesn't use) and was checking up on how the outpatient appointment had gone. She got a bit of a surprise.

Another good friend phoned and asked how I was doing and we discussed the entire saga, and he also suggested a few approaches to keep track of how things were going.

The boys made dinner and generally looked after me - we watched another episode of 'Umbrella Academy', after which, feeling tired, I went to bed, hopeful for sleep.

YouTube suggested 'Wrote For Luck' and then this song by Happy Mondays. Still sounds good to me today - this was when they really hit their stride - a single from the album 'Pills 'n Thrills 'n Bellyaches', this is 'Kinky Afro'

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