Monday morning - another poor night, I seem unable to get comfortable unless I am on my left side. Any other position causes discomfort and then pain in my abdomen. Perhaps its just the result of all the messing that went on in my belly and it will settle down given time. My hip, knees and back feel better than the have done in ages - so there's a big positive.

Sunday morning - Kathy the district nurse came early this morning, I was still asleep. I had had another poor night going off to sleep late and troubled with aches a lot in the night. Good news dressing can stay off now, what was a wound is now a scar.To celebrate I have just had a bath, it was delightful.

I didn't win the grauniad best british blog award, Scary duck did. I wasn't even a runner-up. Still never mind, I am working on a website to support this blog and do some of the things I haven't properly sussed out how to do here. Things like pictures, on line calenders and even a webcam (only joking). Depending how I am I'll tell you about it next week. My america friend Marta has been in touch, she thinks I'm having a bad time - I have to say I thought I was doing ok. She sounds like she has missed out on some of the post op delights I have experienced.

My evening meal was not good, I had liquidised luxury fish pie from Tesco. Something happened on the way down and it blocked my stomach. It just seemed to set hard, realising it was blocked I went out in the garden. The pain is sudden and severe, almost bringing tears to my eyes. The neighbours must think I have turned bulimic, retching in the garden after meals. Ally would flip if she hears me vomiting the sound distresses her (doesn't do much for me really). After some water and a couple of chucks the blockage is clear, and the pain just goes. I was absolutely shattered afterwards and lay on the couch in distress. Subsequently I don't feel at my best for the rest of the night. No more food, reduced fluids and a visit from my sister.

After lunch Phil a very old (70+) friend appeared, I drove to Romania with him a few years ago and got to know each other quite well. Our relationship whilst based on mutual respect and support involves a lot of humour and windups. He took great pleasure in describing the lunch he had just had at the little chef on the way up the motorway. I have had to stop reading Bill Brysons Tales from Down Under because of his extensive descriptions of breakfasts. Phil had a heart bypass thing recently so we exchanged stories of pain and intensive care. I also found him a great encouragement, and he often helps me get my feet on the ground. There is no danger of him reading this as he is a total Luddite, he still thinks mobile phones are way cool.

Just had the rest of my staples out, no painkillers still sore but less disorientating. The nurse was great we had a good laugh and she cleaned up the incision line really well. It looks good now, Jean thinks its shrunk to about 12-14 inches now, a sign that the swelling is subsiding. Noticed I have lost weight off my forearms and wrists. Absolutely shattered now going to have something to eat and then a sleep before lunch.

Yesterday was a bit of a blur, I had a couple of strong painkillers as directed at 8.30, and it was all a bit fuzzy after that. The staples out thing wasn't fun, and later I was visited by Cheryl, Lisa and Gareth from Hammy House. I don't think I was 100% mentally aware when they were here, Hope I didn't make any promises I can't fulfill. I felt a lot better after a sleep for sure. The cleaners from dial-a-duster came and so did Frank our G.P. He told me that my wound was infected with staph aureus and that it was sensitive to flucloxacillin which I have been taking. He stopped the frusemide and inhalers as my breathing is loads better. He told me I need to start walking in the street, which I later dutifully did.

10.17 More than half of the staples are out, full marks to the district nurse. I didn't enjoy it, lots of hot needle type sensations. Wound looks good only wet in one place, Steristrips applied across the bits that were gaping.

The LIS team came last night to see me Adam, Paul, Fran and Carole, they seemed surprise to see me looking so well. It was good to see them and Paul especially made me laugh (as he always does).

Wednesday am 9.17 (the blogger clock is one hour slow) - The district nurses have just rang they are on their way. Staples out this morning, I had a terrible nights sleep, restless at first till about 2am and then constantly waking up from the pain of the staples pulling on my skin. I want them out. More later.

Tuesday Lunchtime :- Well it is true I did have an infection, the swab came back positive, and Frank had already started me on Flucloxacillin, which the bug is sensitive to. So I continue on the right track. My mum is here with the dog, giving Jean a bit of respite. My mum must think I'm better because her irritable bowel has settled down.

District Nurse Kathy has just been. She didn't disturb the dressing - just me. Staples start coming out tomorrow, take some analgesia at 8.30 and be on the bed (usually dressings done in the chair). I told her I might be out, she valiantly tried to reassure me but I have never liked them, even in other people. It is also the last chance for the patients to get revenge for all the pain I have subjected them to over the years.

I could kick myself I woke up this morning and realised I had not been taking my zoton for about 4-5 days. Zoton is an anti ulcer drug which is pretty important post op. I am stupid, still took some straight away, too much to remember.

Its difficult to see any weight loss on myself. My sister thinks my cheeks have sunken in a bit, and several people say I look thinner on the face front. My hands and fingers seem less porky than usual. I have a pad of fat at the bottom of my neck, in the middle of my shoulders affectionately known as my buffalo hump. That is palpably smaller. Most dramatic is the change to my feet, my large wide feet were replaced in the night with a pair of old guys spindly numbers. In serious terms I wont have any numbers for you till six weeks post op, when I see Mr Kerrigan. He told me not to worry about weight losss but concentrate on healing.

Monday - wound red and discharging a bit. Jean took a couple of snaps with the digital camera, I'll send them to anybody who is interested. Went out to see Frank the barber in the afternoon. He was surprised at the amount of weight I've lost off my face. Keen bloggers will recall I told him that I was having my gall bladder out. I levelled with him yesterday, in an almost empty shop. He was made up, he said he has been worried about me for some time. He wanted to know lots of details about the op and questioned me on a target weight. I haven't got one, yet.. E-mail from Helen Maguire last night who works for In Practice one of our suppliers. She says no details yet about weight loss...well.....

Sunday was a quiet day all told, no visitors but several phonecalls. I spent the day gingerly re-establishing my relationship with food. Couldn't eat all my lunch but by tea time I was back in the saddle. We watched blackhawk down quite the most bloody film I have seen for some time. Bit too much American jingoism for me but plenty of action and some good helicopter footage. Other top video news is the new series of League of Gentlemen, starts on Thursday 10pm BBC2, watch it, tape it then watch it till you find it funny.Get a taste of it here.

Cant eat all my breakfast this morning, not even going to try, don't want to feel like last night again.

On looking back I think the milk was the killer, it is listed as a meal not a drink. I shouldn't have had it so near to mealtime. I don't know if I just overfilled the pouch or it was blocked but the pain was terrible, but the relief was instant. Anyway put it down as a good experience and learn from it. Bit cheesed off, its the first time I've thrown up, to be fair some people do it six seven times a day so I've been lucky. No more to eat that night, just concentrate on fluids.

The girls came back, and Jean went off to Tesco for some essentials. On her return she got me a drink of milk. Usually served as a meal, I thought it would be a good idea to keep my protein levels up. (We are only talking 20mls of semi-skimmed BTW). About an hour later I had my meal, liquidised steak and gravy and mashed potato (two tablespoons in all). It went down fine and I snuck off into the garden while the girls finished their meals. Once outside I was crippled by abdominal pains, radiating from the centre of my belly up to the tips of my shoulder blades. I couldn't breath properly and thought I was about to croak. DETAIL ALERT :- THE SQUEAMISH SHOULD SWITCH OFF. I threw up on the patio, nothing to do with what I'd eat but clear viscous liquid and a large bubble????????? What's happening here, panic sets in. I was going to the door when Jean came out. She saw my obvious distress and sat me down, we talked about what to do when things block, sips of water they say. I tried it and it worked, I vomited twice and felt heaps better. Relieved that what came up looked like something I had eaten as well. That episode had me scared.

No posts yesterday, my brother emailed to check if I was ok. I just didn't have time in the morning and well I'll tell you about the afternoon later. The morning was running late the DN came, she was impressed with my wound which is nearly dry (hurrah). No more bg pads just a small dressing. Jean and Ally went to town to get a new outfit for a party later that night. I was left on my own, for a couple of hours. I bummed about the garden, watched TV and had a sleep. All fine there.

Lousy nights sleep. Suffering from belly warch ( a colloquial term I remember from my nurse training in Warrington), a generalised ache and a burning sensation down the staple line. Up about 6 times in the night. Running behind this morning - but hey who is counting. We got a phone call late yesterday afternoon telling us to pick up a prescription for some new antibiotics and cream. I am being treated as though I have an infection it would appear.

Visited by Sandra Bagnall and Gail Campbell fro the matchworks last evening, they were late but they were probably saving lives or something. They brought me three talking books - a gift from everyone at the matchworks thanks everyone. John McCoy that dedicated engineer popped in on his way home and dispensed some of his homespun philosophy, He is managing a kids footie team at the minute and I think the bright lights of stardom are beginning to affect him. My big sister came to see me later (older not bigger).

Bit of a worse night last, feels like someone is putting their heel into my wound. There is a tight painful area 2" along from the top. Making moving very uncomfortable, and stopping this being the brightest hour of the day. Might just be it all knitting back together again, no leakage from the wound in the night and that's positive.

Veronica Bellis popped in yesterday - should have said, had a good down to earth conversation her being a district nurse and all. No holds barred, nothing off limits.

Wasps 0 Clares 1. Seen by the the Good doctor Frank today, who says its all going well. Still not right on the chest front but continue the meds for another week and review. He had a look at my wound, he seemed well impressed, with the size of it. He will discuss with Jeanette the Care manager whether I need more antibiotics or not.

I spent last night dreaming about chinese food, that's not fair is it. On the plus side I was very full when I woke up.

This hour between 9 and 10 is the brightest of my day. I feel fairly refreshed from sleep, I have a cup of tea and some juice whilst Jean sorts her breakfast out, and I can play with my PC. The man has just arrived from Liverpool Direct to exterminate the wasps, what a lousy job, but a good service at 23 quid. Very difficult to find Liverpool Direct through Google and the URL is appalling, this isnt going to help e-citizenship.

District Nurse thinks I've still got a chest infection, (she is right), and need antibiotics for the wound problems. Still dog tired but on the recovery had a busy day with my mum (and her dog) and Ann Molton. She made me laugh too much. I needed a lie down after she went. Plenty of emails coming in, keep 'em coming sometimes it feels like I am talking to myself here. Oh and the equipment arrived from Home loans today. I dont need the back rest now but the cushion is good.

Some people have been asking for more examples of weight loss surgery - see some pretty dramatic results here self help. Follow the links back to that persons web site if you want to read their stories.

Been round the garden twice today - its not Knowsley Safari Park but I'm impressed. Breathlessness improving! Home loans have been on they will deliver equipment tomorrow. People have been holding off visiting .....don't so long as you ring before its cool. If Mrs Clare turns you down there will be a good reason. First contact from across the atlantic - Marta had the same surgery as me last week.Hang on in there Marta.

People are saying I don't sound so good on the blog. Tiredness is the overwhelming thing, I have just enough energy to do the bare basics. After this I'll breakfast, wash medicate and snack then I'll need a kip before lunch. The district nurses have been every day and are top notch. I have met the whole team and I am well impressed. Today I will chase the equipment they ordered last wednesday.Voice seems to be working better today.

Still too tired, I am losing my voice, and I have a haemo-serous malodourous discharge coming from my wound - sounds like an infection to me. Wound swabs tomorrow. Feel yuk.

too tired to write anything

hey ally in da website! dad is havin his medicine, drama today: lost the augmentin!! im sure dad will fill you in

Sleep still isn't brilliant. Dressing will need changing again, I was very restless but Jean seems to be sleeping better.I woke up at 5.30 and made my own way to the toilet, I didn't put my PJ's on as I thought I would disturb Mrs C. Enjoying the contemplation of the early morning bathroom till a wasp flew in through the window, no problem zapped him with the chemical spray. Then 5 of his mates came in through the window, all looking a bit narked. I shouted for help we shut the window, by which time another dozen were marching incessantly up the glass. Between us we then managed to see off all six. I had a fear for stings to my wound, gentle parts as well as my over exposed body.Last year we had a nest removed from the loft I wonder if these were the kids visiting the now long gone parents. Still, no laxative needed today.

Good day though very tired, District nurse applied big rubber pad to wound, seems better. A few visitors Ali and archie, mickey and the friday night gang. Too tired to do anything but the basics

Slept better again. Spent all night upstairs. Wound is still leaking, which I could do without. My sleep is very poor quality, Jean says I am shouting out and mumbling incoherently a lot. Weird dreams, last night I was planning the trust centenary celebrations. I wake up and the margins between reality and dreamland are very blurred. Could be I am missing some of my best material.

Plenty of visitors again, and especially welcome from John, a guy I trained with who has retired and is now an odd jobman and gardener.He is going to decorate Alisons bedroom and complete a few odd jobs. He is multiskilled so I hope he will be able to meet my nursing care needs as well. He has a well developed sense of humour and had me almost bursting my wound. In the end we had to chuck him out.

People have asked about visiting me at home. I'm not putting up my address telephone numbers etc on the blog.So email ken.clare@blueyonder.co.uk for details - if you have my mobile number its no use I have turned it off.
Visiting Hours are 1-4pm and 7-9pm other times by arrangement with Mrs Clare. Please bear in mind that I need rest so may fall asleep at anytime, I am recovering so may talk complete nonsense and I don't need grapes or anything like that.
No more than six to a bed ...see you soon

Wound okay district nurse changed it. Mum has arrived to relieve armed with a dog and a pocketful of spam (it's not even real its chopped pork). Jean is going to to the shops and for a kip whilst my mother attacks the ironing mountain. I've bought a new mouse - optical one doesnt need a mousemat or even a flat surface really kewl have a look targus on offer at jungle.com only 19 quid.

Brekkie time now and oh-oh wound has been leaking fresh blood in the night.

Trying to get this back into real time which is hard. Just eating drinking washing and taking tablets is a full time job which wears you out. Visitors email and blogging just add to it. I'll do my best but be understanding when I fall behind - ta

Took painkillers before going to bed messed on the PC for a bit and then turned in. Slept really really well couple of periods of over an hour. Jean did a lot better than last night. Went downstairs at 4.30 had a cup of tea, speculated about the blog, if it's made into a film who should play me. I think tom cruise, would he shoot in reverse and train up into the current role/weight. How much prosthetics would be involved? Or should I be an animatronic?Or how about Shrek type creature.....any thoughts?

Phonecalls and visitors throughout the day, family and friends all eager to hear tales of gore. I have had to adjust my standup(sit down) routine depending on whether or not they have seen the blog. Bloody whacked out by 9pm though and fell asleep when people where there ooops.

Young Gordon from the workforce confederation popped in on the way home, I've been calling him that for 12 years must stop.

Dr Frank our top GP came stayed ages was really interested and sorted me out on several fronts.
Chest infection - inhalers, antibiotics.
Joint Pains - two types of soluble pain killers titrate against response.
Breathlessness- diuretics
Sleeping Sorting out the above three should help that
Infections - antifungal lozenges and creams.
He told me felt three months was the minimum I would be off He also told me to consider how well I was doing just a week after major abdominal surgery.
He wa also concerned about Jean and the effect this would be having on her.

District nurse came she was great, I am dead impressed, wound looks good, she says its 50cm long (sounds big that doesnt it). She says I need a back rest and I asked for a special gel cushion like I had in hospital. Appparently they aren't available on the NHS except to wheelchair users through O/T service. Doesn't seem good to me.I shall investigate further. She says Thursday is delivery day for equipment in South Liverpool so I may get it tommorro. Is there only one delivery a week?

So when we got downstairs tried about 10 times to get comfy but it didn't work. Breathless tired and in pain not good.

Gail Campbell just asked me about food - good question.My reply:-
Six meals a day
A meal =Two tablespoons of "apple sauce consistency" this for three weeks
For brekkie weetabix and some mashed ninnan.Yoghurt for snack.
Rules about fat starch fruit veg and protein servings too
1-1.5 litres fluid (sipped)a day
Cant drink within 40 mins of after eating food
No tablets unless crushed -
this for three weeks - and by the way its a struggle to get down and I do feel full

we then moved downstairs gingerly my wife supporting me from the front. For those of you who don't know us both. She's a third of my weight and a foot shorter, ( I mean in height).Think geisha and sumo (analogy only works for size). It wasn't easy.

At bedtime we took stock and decided to go for it. 30 minutes later we despaired of trying to get me in a good position. We were laughing but not happy. I think we were both tired. Plan B we decided should be brought out..sleep downstairs(it was bad we don't want to turn the house into a hospital blah blah). On the way past the bathroom the new bowels noticed the bathroom. Pre-op bowels were creatures of habit, they have been replaced by Martini bowels ( I wont explain). Anyway twenty minutes later .......Dr Frank (fellow bad back sufferer) advocates the shower and Pat dry method. We have adapted this to the shower and Pat Mustard method. It involves a friend a headstand and a powerjet of water.
I was pleased to see similar methods employed in the Sefton suite. Hang from two coat pegs, assume the cross of St Andrews position and ...Jetwash.

Ah my own bed, the promise of a good nights sleep. How we hadn't really considered it confused us both. There has been too many other things to get sorted out?
The problems:-
Breathlessness - I need to be as near upright as possible too low or have difficulty breathing.
Belly Ache - big cut down the middle (Veronica had asked for details? pics?)
Arthritis pains Back knees hips . The surgeons had changed my pain relief for some fancy new drugs that don't work
Acute gout now in left foot
Swollen left leg ? not sure why
Pressure areas - "sore bum"
Difficulty in getting to toilet
Anxiety and mind working overtime
Easy to sort or what

One of the docs from the practice rang, she was really good. Some real practical ideas an appropriate prescription and the promise of a visit from someone tomorrow. A good evening, too many phone calls but me happy spent replying to emails.

Home is bigger than hospital, home doesn't have wheelchairs grab rails level access everything within reach. Getting from the car to the house nearly did for me, fine after half an hours peaceful sitting. First toilet call challenged us to the full. 4 stops require between living room and bathroom. What felt like life threatening breathlessness on the way. Just pass the oxygen off the wall will you nurse....where's my nebuliser.........shall I call an ambulance all of this combined with arrival of Ally from school, who whilst failing to get the full picture picked up the full panic from our faces. It settled after an hour an nine phone calls.

For some reason the last posts are out of synch. I could change it but it feels part of the messy blog hospital stay blog.
Tough first day, nearly called an ambulance to go back - fill you in tomorrow

Final day, as every day has passed someone has said "ooh tomorrow willl be =
your worst day" Many people are saying about today, I suppose the contacts =
with people are right down, the sense of backup and equipment will have gon=
e. Personally I am looking forward to being at home, a bit of my own space =
and a sense of relief. I really miss jean ally and the broadband connection=
too. Good breakfast, and as usual no drinks for 30 -40 mins after whilst i=
t tries to get absorbed.=20

Home at last

The eagle has landed, Hi Hunny I'm home. The journey home took days first we waited for the biggest bags of tto pills I have ever seen. Jean is asleep Ally is awaited, me and omnibook this pc are getting reacquainted. Later

Its been a funny old week, quite a lot happened I think. I need to get home=
tomorrow and get settled down. A lot of visitors today and a very tiring d=
ay generally, walked more than ever and feeling quite jaded.
The blog will of course continue and there will be day to day updates and=
some reflections back along the road that brought me here. There has been =
some discussion about a theme tune for the blog
First cut is the deepest - rod stewart
Mack the knife - various
I cant stand losin - The police
doctor doctor- thomson twins

Just seen the consultant, evrything is fine go home tommorrow. Few things t=
o sort and should be ok.

Well its good how not being connected to any tubes makes you feel human. Cau
sed a problem in the night I woke up drenched in sweat and shivering covere=
d in a rash. The night staff called the doc I ended up with 30 mg of sterio=
ds and some piriton. They think it was an allergy, speculated as to what to=
o?????yoghurt was implicated, a balanced diet of less than 300 calories see=
med a likely candidate to me . off for shower, without any plumbing of my o=
wn
Ken=20

Sunday night
all tubes gone full diet and fluids being taken.still got what looks and so=
unds like a chest infection. Am having nebulisers and antibiotics, but all=
looks good for release on tuesday. Rang jean when I first passed urine aft=
er having the catheter out (some things just have to be shared). I didnt re=
alise how much pleasure could be gained from.....I was less enthusiastic to=
share the joyous news of the bowel situation. It started with a short dash=
on a big zimmer (against the tide really) and ended in,... well the full s=
tory will probably be in the directors cut DVD edition. Suffice to say my e=
mpathy skills were extended again in a practical sense. =20

Sunday pm progress continues a rack of visitors overstuffed with food(yes).=
Catheter out after teamwhoopee do. Keep mobilising and temp down and shoul=
d be out by tuessday. In the nhs the sloppy diet is nodoubt the ubiqtuous =
mince and mash. Here it is duck breast and noisette spuds. Class distinctio=
n or what? My brother has been in and complained I have not been responding=
to his emails, truth is jean downloaded a a ruck of them to one of our hom=
e machines where they will be replied to on discharge. So! apologies to th=
ose of you I have been calling for not being in touch. We mused atlength ab=
ou't the blog and its place, he is enjoying it I think. One of the staff i=
s an HV (health visitor) at a place where I was the boss. I told her about =
the blolg she said they were alreadyfollowing it there (nice one Delea, the=
woman who taught me all Iknow about health visiting).

was meet the parents good dad?

spiked another temp, still up and down had more visitors (the Brownes) cant=
sleep now, but chest fells better as I had a nebuliser.Watching some very =
strange and possibly funny film with Robert De Niro. I must find out what i=
ts called and watch it when not under the influence of morphine.=20

the film last night was called meet the parents. I had a really good sleep,=
nearly 6 hours in total, passed wind 6 times (proudly) seems to be the onl=
y thing they dont count and worse still its the only thing i stand a chance=
of getting placedn in. just had my breakfast 8 teaspoons of mashed banana.=
it was good and is stiill down there. drip has tissued and needs removing.=
and top nes i can have a shower

22:15 dad loads better watching harry potter. Jealous, Dad? No? Didn't think so!! :-))))))))oooooooooooo

still movin on up, feeling better over all each day. very up and down and a=
mazed how tired i am. had some visitors today and i was worn out when they=
went. Spiked a bit of a temp but back to normal now. Sharon the ITU Nurse =
came to see me today, very impressive.i have wind which is a good sign

things are getting lots better Ally was more impressed with me last night .=
i am now drinking 200mls an hour and feel much more human. iam up walikng =
but still have belly pain . mr kerrigan has rang the ward to check howi am.=
he seems pleased.expecting visitors this pm hope i can stay awake.i rang m=
e mam this am she was upset how ill i looked theother day. made up to here =
from me.everything pointing well to a startbon food tomorrow,keep you posted

pain lights noise needles blood alarms. intensive care was just that, back =
to the ward after 18 hours. more of the same just lower tech. still on oxyg=
en and morphine but getting better. not much fun here=20

:-) Dad out of theatre at 23:30 4/09/02 he is fine on a drip and oxygen for a bit he is groggy :-( and tired |-(zzzzzzzz so not the bst mood natch bye bye night night

Ally's news update live from the Clare household

21:18 in theatre now- wonder when he is going to get out

5.30 and still on the ward. The laterit gets the less I feel like its going=
to happen. It cant be cancelled again can it?

Probably my last posting for a while - who knows how long, hopefully jean a=
nd ally will keep you informed. Visitors welcome after tomorrow. Jeff has j=
ust been in to see me and jean. It was great to be able to speak to someon=
e who knew exactly what i was going through. Catch you later. =20

looks like i'm not going to theattre till 4 or 5. anaesthetist says there i=
s a bed in ITU. and my new bigboy bed has arrived at the ward. jean has bee=
n in and gone off to see her mate in ot over in the main building. Mr kerri=
gan has been in and I told him I'd put together a website for the service f=
or him. He introduced me to Jeff a fine character who had the op last june =
and has gone from 32 to 14 stone. He was a great bloke and it was really go=
od to get the user perspective on it. I feel so much better after talking =
to him. He said the first few days are terrible but keep foccussed. He also=
summed the difficulties of being obese in 4 great sentences, and pointed o=
ut how they had changed now. He showed me his belly and told me he is off f=
or some cosmetic surgery later in the year.

Disclaimer

anything written in the next 48 hours or so is completely deniable and will=
be attributed to lack of food, sleep excess drugs or post op psychosis - y=
ou have been warned. The computer I am using (known as jornada) had flat ba=
tteries this morning, i probably left it switched on but there is a nigglin=
g doubt that the night guards made merry on it all night. Any way i had a p=
oor nights sleep and had plenty of time to spout material for this blog and=
the first 7 volumes of my autobiography.I'll see if I can preserve some of=
the less bizarre stuff for posterity here.

Chits

It came too me in the night as a blinding flash, they are what we need in t=
he NHS, their reintroduction could solve 99% of ills.For those who dont kno=
w a chit is a piece of paper, signed by someone in authority, which has mag=
ical powers. When I trained as a nurse in the late seventies they were the =
lifeblood of the hospital. Produced from a simple numbered duplicate book =
with a piece of carbon paper they were the open sesame to a world. Armed wi=
th a chit you could queue in central stores for hours. Your chit would be c=
losely examined by an exmilitary man with a tash, a long brown coat and a =
pencil behind his ears, he would frown look you up and down and dissapear i=
nto the netherworld "round the back" He would emerge from round the back s=
ome time later with the goods, A chit could get you anything........woodbin=
es, patients for the use of, or guinness or even mackesons. A chit got me a=
three piece suit once, and 30 sausage rolls. The best chit of all was one =
requesting a blank book of chits, armed with this golden ticket you could g=
et a book for yourself and have hours of fun. I think they may have stopped=
them because they were open to abuse. I think they tried to replace em wit=
h the reqqy or even new fangled computer systems. Eric Chitty was for me th=
e chit-meister general, he loved them so much he changed his name to honour=
them. He found stardom in later life as the old bloke in please sir, A cla=
ssroom based 70's sitcom.
Chits, gawd bless 'em c'mon alan mliburn, we are all chitless here put it r=
ight, lets get central control back properly in this system. Can I be the c=
hit czar please?=20
If anybody is still reading this please let me know. =20

Perioperative visit

Well i am dead impressed, one of the sisters from critical care has just be=
en to see me. she spent 20 mins going over post op stuff. She told me about=
the tubes i would have drips,arterial line,catheter,ecg pads, oxygen mask =
and monitor,nasogastric tube. They dont give patient controlled analgesia(p=
ain relief) the gas man prefers you to be awake and ask for it. They will g=
et me up on thursday am with the fizzioterrorist who will get me coughing.=
Getting up early is key to preventing clots. She said it was a noisy place =
with lights. She said I can have my glasses as soon as i wake. Good coz I g=
et more paranoid when i cant see. she asked me did i want to go for a tour =
of the unit. I declined and had tea and toast. i will be fasting from midni=
ght coz at this stage they dont know what time I am going to theatre. The w=
ound will be closed with staples and wont leave much of a scar (shucks). Sh=
e was really sensitive and caring I am dead impressed. No watching losy fil=
m till night pills come

well still no bed to sleep in, but they are looking. i can sleep in the big=
boy recliner if i need to. posting to the blog is haphazard - the technolo=
gy sucks. please forgive poor appearance.the girls have gone for the night,=
and i will see ally again on thursday. tomorrow is the big day - hopefully=
. =20

things are getting better. i have a fan and a jug of water (funny how small=
things become very important), they are tracking down a big boys bed and c=
hair. Off to c clinic 400 yards away pulled by brenda and heather. accordin=
g to the scales i have put on 10kg in 1 week. I havent been dieting but don=
t believe that. They could do with their own scales here to save that embar=
rassing drag through the outpatients.=20

we were late we had stopped off at the tai pan for some excellent dim sum. just after 2 o'clock we arrived, history taken by a different doctor from lastweek. Back in same room. still very hot in here. no evidence of heavy equipment yet. Blood taken.

Some places that make me laugh
Private Eye
Are you local?
Drink!
The Office
Well I've a feeling the blog might be deficient in humour for the next couple of days

The chair - Ok it is too big, it fills the room and it has a Five inch raise on it. Its only when I look at how low the other chairs are in the room I realise why I have had pain when sitting in them, and trouble getting out of them. Such a simple measure, but what a difference.

Right, time to get affairs in order again before I go into hospital. Not that much has changed in a week. Check policies and all that, quite sobering really. Getting a steady stream of feedback about the new look (the site not me). Jean has just returned from the Independent living centre with a chair they have lent me. I went for a seating assessment last week ( I forgot to tell you). I need a higher chair, coz of hips back and knees, and being post-op. They have lent me a big boy special and risers. An OT is coming to assess me in hospital tomorrow I think. By the way both my PC and phones are playing up this morning - aint technology brilliant. Until PC's are as reliable as the telly or a lightbulb they wont be fully adopted by the population as a whole.

Right we are definitely on again. The Sefton Suite have just rung, 2pm tomorrow, fast from midnight and op Wednesday afternoon. A result

Thought I'd change the look....