thoughts from the frontline - 13

Afternoon all - and here is the update from my pre op review at the hospital on Wednesday and our trip into London after. Well they called it a pre op review and that it would last two or three hours. What were they going to do? My operation was only going to last about 6 hours so was this going to be a trial run? Or were they going to let me see the same operation on someone else so that I knew what was going to happen to me. Or were they going to take another look with that horrible camera in a tube thing that they push up your.... Well it's a bladder cancer so I think you know which little "tube" they push it up! Anyway we arrived at the ward about 10 mins early to be greeted with the normal smile we have come to expect from the team. Oh, you're here for a pre op review? Well, you now have to do a tour of the hospital. Firstly back down to the ground floor to the phlebotomists to have your bloods taken, then off to the third floor for an ECG then back here to Krystyna (specialist nurse) and can you take this little pot with you so that you can give us a urine sample if you're caught short! So, with pot and paperwork in hand we go on our travels. Arrive at phlebotomy and take a number. Number 39. Two seconds later number 39 comes up on the laser display screen. (homage to "I'm sorry..." :-) ) And I'm in there for two mins maximum as they take a gallon of blood out of my body into little coloured bottles. 1 for each test and three for the local vampire group. That completed we find a lift to go to the third floor. Get in lift. Buttons only go to 2nd floor. Get out of lift and walk round to other lifts by the cafe area. Success, buttons all the way up to 7 but decide to go to 3 as instructed. Follow signs, found reception, where greeted by nurse "come straight through". A minute later they had me on the bed with my shirt off. Good job I had T with me as they seemed keen ;-). Sticky pads all over my body and then wired up. Now, those who know me can imagine that I laid they all quiet whilst they did the test. Yeah, now how likely was that?! So I chatted and cracked jokes (without having to go into another room to do it :-) ) But I was then told off. "Please don't talk for 2 minutes". Boring. Boring. Boring. But I was a good boy, especially as I was strapped to the mains. All done I collected my report and went back to the ward. All these test done and I'd only been in the hospital for less than 20 minutes!! Not long to wait and I was called into see the nurse. More tests. All passed. Good health. I could see that she wanted to say "... for your age" but she knows me better than to try and wind me up! Long review of my medical history and lifestyle since birth. Review of medical history of family. Review of weather forecasting. No, that was an article in the paper I'd been reading. Long discussion about the operation itself. Me scared. Risks generally. Me scared again. Discussion about the high protein drinks I would now need to take between now and the surgery. Discussion about being no food from 8am on the day BEFORE my operation. What's that about??? I just think they don't want me to pooh myself with fear on the way down to theatre so they need to empty me out. All good information for the patient and carer. Did I want to hear it all? Yep. Was I nervous? Yep. Was I scared? Yep. Did I still want to go through with it? Absolutely. Choice of operation and better prognosis or go into hiding and look to take on a gardening job pushing up daisies. Roll on the 13th and getting cut up! Then I can move on. Beat this bloody thing that has invaded me and get on with puddle jumping. Talking of puddle jumping, we had some fun planned for after the pre op review so it was onto the station where we caught a train just 2 minutes after we had been dropped off there by the wonderful future mother in law. (He he - if you're out there reading this, what's it sound like to be called mother in law?!?! Just a 30 minute journey and we were in London and as this was a pre op treat we took a cab to the hotel we would be staying at that night. Arrive hotel and start to book in. Whispers amongst the staff behind the counter... "We have been able to upgrade you a bit to a room with a terrace but we're afraid that it's not quite ready so could you wait in the lounge with a complimentary tea or coffee whilst housekeeping finish your room. No problem we say. An upgrade. Cool. When we booked the room on the internet a few days before it asked if the booking was a special occasion so we said that it was a pre op treat for me. No details. No mention of the C word. Just a "pre operation treat". Anyway, tea was drunk and they brought us our key. "It's room 504 when you are ready and we have already sent your luggage to your room" Service with a smile, great! So up we went in the lift to the 5th floor and found our room. We opened the door and were shocked speechless. And we swore rude words. Very rude words. Followed by even more rude words. But we had smiles on our faces. When they said an upgrade they really meant it as we were now in their penthouse suite!!!!!!! Put it this way, you needed a map to find your way from the door to the bed and then onto the bathroom. Ahh, life was good. Well apart from the cancer bit that is but what hay, take the pleasures when you can!!! And the smiles continued all evening as we went to see Les Miserables. Row B seats (thank you Ebay and the Spanish man who originally bought the tickets and then couldn't go so we got them at a 40% reduction from face value!). Back to the hotel after for an expensive cocktail. Then bed... Breakfast in bed the next morning and then out for a days adventure around London taking pictures with our new camera. Bliss. Stopped for coffee and it rained whilst we were inside but sun out again by the time we had finished. Stopped for lunch and it rained again and stopped again when we had finished. Things were going our way and it was great. But the day had to come to an end so we got a cab back to the station and got on a train for home almost immediately with plenty of seats to choose from. And our "taxi" was there waiting for us when the train pulled into to our home station. One simple word to describe the experience. Bliss. Shame it was back to work on Friday but now need to refill the coffers from recent expenditure! Love to you all Andrew xxx