Markus

After a horrible day struggling with a bladder infection myself, I went to see Markus last night. He was on the balcony at the hospital, smoking. He went back to bed when I arrived, taking his pump with him. This great pump (and other infusions) has given him freedom from pain, so he is feeling much better. However, it makes him very drowsy, so he can't keep his eyes open long - I think he is sleeping most of the day. He had been feeling very nauseous, but they have managed to control that, too. His temperature is also down, and he is getting infusions of antibiotics. The diagnosis, as far as I know, is pneumonia. His pain probably comes from the something in his neck and shoulder area which is apparently infiltrating the tissue there. Not directly a tumour, they said, they can't really tell us what it is. I don't think they've given him any nutrition of any kind yet - it's now a week since he ate solid food or had more than a cup of soup. But he's comfortable, that's the main thing. I'll go in this afternoon with his daughter for a short while (so he's not too tired) and then go again in the evening. I've got sick leave again this week - it must have been a really virulent bug that got first me, then Markus, about 10 days ago. And I even got the flu vaccine last autumn so that this wouldn't happen. The best laid plans of mice and men ....