Do I need to change the name?

My plan was after my op on the 25th of June. I would update this blog regularly didn't realise at the time that wasn't to be the case. I had a stroke whilst in the ITU at Walton hospital or the Walton Centre as it preferred to be called. It's only now nearly 4 months later that the effect it had is beginning to dawn on me. I am and always have been the king of denial, especially around matters related to illnessaffect affecting me. I'm not gonna make a rash promise as to how often I will update this but everybody seems to think slow and gradual is the way to go.

Late nights and Early mornings.

The hospital has its own rhythm unfortunately I keep missing my place. So I was up at 6 and I am here waiting to see if I can get some of my usual strength of Quetiapine pills. It's a novel antipsychotic that works with my mood stabilisers (lithium and sodium valproate) and mirtazapine to keep my bipolar happy. It's available in 25mg or 200mg. I take 600mg last night there was only 25mg available- do the math. 

King Toast

I have blogged before about the role of toast in my nursing career and its pivotal role as the staple snack in NHS. A child of the sixties I was exposed to many bread promoting advertising campaigns. One of them "six slices a day is the well balanced way" has stuck with me. Nobody mentioned the lathering of butter that I have often applied. The catchphrase was promoted by British and Irish millers to try to halt the decline in white bread consumption. 1970-74.
Anyway toast is everywhere in the NHS and to borrow a rodent analogy you are never more than 6 feet ish from a means of making toast in the NHS.
I spent a lot of my student days making, eating or thinking of toast or related matters.

Water No Get Enemy - Fela Kuti

Enjoying stumbling across a recent episode of Desert Island Discs guest is boxer Anthony Joshua   Found this with Shazam, have a listen... Water No Get Enemy Fela Kuti Discover, explore and share music you love Get Shazam now

The plan is the first casualty of war.

Ok so I had resurrected my vintage blog to chart the highs and Lows of my repair to my vintage cerebral aneurysm (no 1). I read all the preop info. Lost some weight increased my physical activity and even did some COPD classes. I thought I was ready to go and up for it. The blurb said one or two nights in dock and 4-6 weeks off work. In my dreams. I confess in retrospect I was terrified. Particularly of having a stroke caused by the trauma and losing speech or thinking power.
Jean dropped me off at the front of the hospital advised not to rush away in case there wasn't a bed. Jefferson Day Ward came up trumps with a bed and a chair with my name on. I got changed into the kit. Was told to sit in the chair but opted for getting in to bed pulling covers and falling promptly to kip.
TBC

Saw everyone l need to.

So it's waiting apparently I have lost my top of the list slot. Seen the gas man and the radiologist and feel really tired. I am alone I am room full of beds. Sod this I am on one and have an hour a halves kip. I emerge feeling humanoid, and two staff jump on me for an ECG.

First on the list

P was Pole position fully clerked in just need to see anaesthetist and doc to consent me. Saw top staff nurse and pharmacist. Lost 7kg by their reckoning in a month. I am not putting to much store in different scales. They may need to wake me up for the anaesthetic the shock of two 5 oclocks in the same day has left me reeling.

Game on (I hope)

Eureka aka the Sandown.

I spent a lot of time in the Sandown 77-79. Mind you so did half the Students of Mabel Fletcher Technical College. Its mission was to churn out mainly girls Iand women to vocational roles like nursery nursing, dressmaking, some arts and drama and people like me who was deemed not bright enough for nursing yet. I was sold a pup when I rocked up at the careers office after leaving school.
What's your plan laddie? The careers master with the waxed moustache asked. I looked and felt baffled. He stunk of St Bruno. Nursing Sir Nursing said a sweaty boy quivering at attention. WHAT! Nursing for a man.
Don't worry Sir not till I am 18. AND TILL THEN??!! Dole sir. 9 quid a week I will make it last. He made a phone call shoved a paper in my hand and said you'll get a letter to start in September. The leaflet said people remember nurses. That always stuck with me. Anyways what is a Greek restaurant was where I spent two hours a day around lunchtime. The Sandown the bar never the

lounge.

Half all over (and the beard)

Thought I better get a trim prior to my op tomorrow. Kev is old school in his seventies and spends more time in Turkey than the UK. It's a tiny two chair shop. His grandson covers half the week for him. We talk about his cardiac problems which are now sorted. Also 40 degrees is hot for a Turkish holiday.
Kev bought the shop off Frank who I was a loyal customer of for many years. Next door is a tiny gym seems to be women only.

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield

I was just lamenting to myself the lack of floor standing Tom toms and percussion instruments in general and this comes on.  Found this with Shazam, have a listen... Move On Up Curtis Mayfield Discover, explore and share music you love Get Shazam now

Another disturbed nights kip.

Restlessness and bizarre dreams are the order of the night. Tomorrow is the big day. I have to rock up at Walton Neuro at 7am.

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