Thoughts from the frontline - 17

Imagine a slightly deflated balloon filled about half full with water with a small plastic tap on the bottom, in fact a bit like the innards of a wine box. You get the picture? Now imagine it stuck to your stomach just to the right of your belly button. Now imagine walking around all day with that stuck to you as you do you do your normal things. Walk to the shops, do the housework, do the ironing, go to work, go to the pub and even try to get a good nights sleep with it there. That was what Wednesday 5th August 2009 was like for me. :-) Yes I was giving my new stoma bag a trial run with it half filled with water. An empty one had been, as they say, a "piece of piss", but what would it be like to be filled with one's waste products? And you know what? I was ok. In fact not a problem at all. Now there is no getting over that having your bladder removed and a length of your intestine converted into a tube connecting to your kidneys so that your urine can flow out of your body on a continuous basis is going to be something I am going to have to get used to. However, it's the best way to give me a prognosis for a future rather than not having one. So, bring it on! And you know something, I'm already getting used to the physical feeling of the bag being there all the time. In fact getting used to the feeling that I'm not aware it's there all the time! I am so glad that the stoma nurse recommended doing this trial run - much better than the first experience being as I come round from the operation in the intensive care ward. The fun thing about it was that I was wearing my stoma bag whilst we had a four hour meeting in the office yesterday afternoon and I don't think anyone noticed? Now talking of the office I have to send out big hugs to Dominika and her boyfriend. They are very clever people. Now Dominika has only worked for us for about three months and I've not really been there for the last four weeks so I was gobsmacked when she presented me with a bottle of red wine with the bottle hand etched with a picture of two cats. Thank you you two, just the perfect present!! :-) Well, having then to go to Homebase to pick up some drawer handles I didn't get home to about 7pm so I made myself a quick and instant tea. Linda McCartney sausages with baked beans and sweet potato mash. Yummy! I then did nothing for the rest of the evening. Nothing, nowt just watched a few tv things I had recorded over the last week, all good quality tv trash! Well it is now Thursday morning and a full day of chores and keeping fit and work stuff to fill the day. And this time next week I will either in theatre or on my way down there. Got a lot of living to squeeze into the next few days so better be off... love and hugs to you all Andrew xx