Week 2 - June 13th to 20th

So a week at RVI and no sign of going home.  Pam has been in to see me twice a day, every day.  She is the most dedicated wife I could hope for.

So it is now Monday afternoon and she has popped in to say hi.  Well we sit and chat for 10 mins then I run out of new news!!  Then I try to find stuff to talk about but it is tough as nowt really happens from one day to the next!  And making stuff up just doesn't really work either.  So we do have some longish silences!  I have spoken about them before but just so you know!!

We flick between subjects and explore certain things.  In fact, if only we'd discovered our mutual love if scrabble that would have been a great thing, but we didn't!  That has to wait till I come home. It's good when we get there but not just yet!

So what do you talk about.  Well turns out everything becomes so much more important.  My drugs plan is always interesting, and changes quite a lot!   Also, their plans for my ongoing treatment are always good, and today is no exception!  My head has become infected and they are worried about the swelling becoming too big.  Tomorrow they are planning to do a lumber puncture if they need to - I can't wait!!

Tuesday

So that we are.  It is Tuesday morning and guess what!!!  Costas has come to put the shunt in.  Today it is just a drain, although it's a nasty old job.  During the prep, I cough and spray him with CSF!  CSF stands for cranial, spinal fluid I think, although that could be wrong!!  PYou have to lie on your side, with your knees pulled up to your chest, in a kind of feral position.  Then they poke a needle into your spinal cord which is no fun.  Why?   Because they can't see where they are going and have a massive risk of hitting your nerve.  And that makes you jump like mad, and I mean like crazy!  As soon as they go off course, and hit your nerve, you can direct them as they just need to adjust their angle of attack.  But until there is a hit, we are all in the dark.  When they hit your leg just shoots away and they know they have hit something.  They are pretty keen to find out which side it was!!!  And I tell them straight away, although how they can't tell beats me!   Anyway, after a couple of millimetres adjustment he plunges the needle into the canal and bingo, off comes the fluid!!  They decide to drain me down to something like 10, although what they actually measure in is a mystery!!  So after about 15 minutes it's the drain in, they remove it and apparently all is good!  If only..

Thursday

So the lumber puncture worked, but only a bit and they now want to do another.  Great stuff, I am prepped again, back to foetal position and a new surgeon comes along.  I manage to avoid spraying him too, and just give him my full support!  Well he turns out to be 100% useless, and can't get into the canal at all.  After 15 mins of poking around he gives up and starts another attempt.  This time, straight in and no diversion via my nerves!  He drains more pressure and all seems good, until they have a chat later and decide to put me on a drain!

Well that is a different experience!  For a start off you can stand up, so it is flat on your back territory.   All fine until you need a wee, and believe me when I say that is a highlight of the day.  So for a wee you need to
1. Push your buzzer
2. Wait maybe 5 mins for a nurse, who can't do the job!
3. Wait another 10 mins for someone who can to come and clamp the drain off
4. Shuffle to the toilet, complete with drain on stand!
5. Wee
6. Return to the bed
7. Buzz
8. Wait for the wrong nurse, although sometimes you do get the right one!
9. Get unclamped!

So that's a 20 minutes minimum process I guess.  Well what else is there to do anyway?

Friday

It is Friday teatime and my surgeon pops to see me.  That's good I think.  He is doing his final round before he nips off for the weekend, but he has lined me up for something rather special.  He is keen to leave the drain fitted over the weekend and is checking all ok.  I am used to lying flat by now so I have no problem.  Trouble is, about 2 hours later the tube pops out of the hole and we have to call the out of hours chap.  When he come we chat about the process and he decides to leave it out.  Great, I knew my surgeon would be pleases!!  He wasn't! As the next blog tells you...