Wed. 28 /9/12016
So............today is S's first kimo day. She had gone to the hospital two days ago to be shown the kimo treatment room , go through more paperwork and be shown via dvd what was going to happen and ask questions .
We arrive at 08.15 via a kind lift by a friend of S's who dropped us off at the Oncology centre she had gone to with S on Monday also and...................30 SECONDS FROM ALIGHTING FROM THE CARE THE GREAT NHS STARTED FECKING ME OFF. 30 FECKING SECONDS !!!
We check in at reception and are told that we are in the wrong area for the kimo treatment ( even though this is where S had been told to report to ) . We were told to take a seat and would be directed to where we should be . Five minutes later , the receptionist gave us directions to another part of the hospital . We went on our way and easily found it.
Ok.....newpapers laid out for patients , barriers between all the treament chairs , nice compact well laid out room for 4 patients . We were the first ones there.
S's details were checked.............S was asked to take a seat ...........S was given a bucket of warm water to put her hand in ( as she doesn't show veins easily for the canula and warm / hot water brings the veins up )...............S and I getting ready for the kimo treatment , verbally suporting each other................and then told to dry your hand...........YOU'RE IN THE WRONG AREA. YOU NEED TO BE ELSEWHERE .
YOU FECKING BUNCH OF IDIOTIC TWATS. ALL THIS PSYCING UP AND YOU'RE FECKING US ABOUT .
We were then escorted to another area , on a lower floor..which was a dormitory , with 8 treatment / patient chairs , VERY open plan .........a bit like a youth club . I kid you not .
Radio was on.....not sure for patients or nursing staff . More name giving , more personel info and " take a seat " . No not there , we use that cupboard behind the seat . WHY THE FECK DO YOU HAVE A CHAIR THERE ?
We take seats by the window and arrange my chair from being next to S's to facing opposite her so i can keep eye contact and not see the side of her head . Bollox if they thought I was rude to have my back to the room.
The assigned treament nurse arrived with another bucket of warm water. General chitchat about the morning and being sent to the wrong place
" OH " , say the nurse , " THAT'S THE PRIVATE WARD. "
I then told S that we we lucky that the Sister didn't click her fingers and have Jeeves throw us out . And I did wonder about the silver service cloches with what I smelt to be kedgeree under them . Also , WTF was a bartender doing with a cocktail shaker ? We also suspected that the warm water was champagne whereas now it was possibly toilet water.
WE DID LAUGH .
So......after security checks re. the kimo in the bag and more name and d.o.b. checks.............at 10 am the kimo went into S's body via her hand . It would take 3 hours , then another kimo treatment for 1 hour and then line cleaning and that was the start of PART 3 . PARTS 1 & 2 WHERE THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND THE FULL HYSTO OPERATION .
The time ticked along and the room began to fill with other patients . Some their first time , some old hands at it . You could tell them apart from the gaunt looks , the bandanas , the wigs and the quiet / nervousness.
S mentioned that she had odered 3 turbans instead of bandanas.............a leopard print , a zebra print and a red one . I commented that with the red one she'd look like a Swan Vesta matchstick.............a used SV match if she wore black !!!!!!
She then said that she wanted my 'tach to glue to her forehead , place the turban on her head , it's edge just touching the 'tach , ..........to make it look like she had a fringe !!
We laughed liked drains and am sure that the rest of the room thought we we not taking things seriously and were a couple of loons .
A bit of book and magazine reading and shooting the breeze and 3 hours came and went .
The Ward Sister came to see how everything had gone and to do more security checks with the second part of the treatment starting .
She asked S if she had further dates for treatments planned . S said yes and mentioned that travel was a problem at times . The Ward Sister mention FREE travel / pick up to have treatment ...... and that a 20 MINUTE meeting with a nurse could be done over the telephone instead of a 30 mile trip to the hospital and a 30 mile trip back home . She went off the change the appointment to a telelphone one and that look one headache off S's head .
More laughing by both of us as the radio played a track where the lyrics were " You've got your troubles , I've got mine " by The Fortunes. I wonder if anybody eles in the room saw the irony.
S's friend arrived to give us a lift home and was promptly ripped off by the vending machine................it was the chocolate bar she wanted and it was cheaper at the Costa coffee shack....!!!....AND WHEN SHE AND I REFER TO COSTA COFFEE....WE MEAN COLOURED HOT WATER.
I suggested she go and sit with S as the treatment was finishing and it was only a line cleaning to go .....about 5 minutes , whilst I sat in the corridor outside . I threw my coffee away .
So.........cables and lines out and a plaster on , next treatment session confirmed and back home . WITH NO FECKING PITCH UP BY MACMILLAN AT ALL ....JUST TO SAY 'HELLO' ON S's FIRST KIMO TREATMENT DAY . NO DOUBT BUSY WITH THEIR FECKING CAKES .
When we got in we went through the day , laughed again at some things , could hear pins drop at other things , and diiscussed what her body would need foodwise during her kimo treatment .
Another bad night's sleep for both of us and I had to go back to London on Thursday re. work . S was very tired and went to bed as I left her in the afternoon . She awoke for a few hours , had a bite to eat and went to bed earlier than usual dur to still being tired .
