Passing the time

In keeping with the emotional rollercoaster I've been riding since this saga all began, I suffered another dip today. Having been told by one of the nurses that it would be most unusual to have to wait more than a day or two for transfer to the convalescent home, the surgeon himself said on his morning round that 'it usually takes a while'. The dip of disappointment was immediately relieved when he asked me if I'd like some 'hours off' over the weekend (as in be allowed out of the hospital for a while). Oh yes! Definitely!! Yes PLEASE!!!

Further progress seemed to follow when a social worker from the hospital came over and sat with me for a while to talk through the practicalities of after-surgery survival. He came back over later to say he'd faxed the necessary forms to the convalescent home, and that affairs were now in the hands of both nursing teams. Whichever happens, I don't really mind, as long as something changes. Today is the end of the fourth week since in walked into Beaumont for my angiogram appointment, and all getting to be a bit much at this stage, and even the tiniest bit of a change would be a great relief.

Carl's been unbelievably good, and has brought in several little surprises during my stay here and in Beaumont, not least Stephen Fry's autobiography Moab is my Washpot. This was a surprise surprise in addition to the Wilbur Smith page-turner which I'd actually asked for as a time-passer, but it's turned out to be a great read. Cindy, my oh-so-pleasant Indian nurse, was hugely intrigued when she saw me arranging my morning medication for today's blip. Okay, so perhaps it is a bit of a weird thing to do, but it's kind of difficult to keep finding blippable material, especially around the same stretch of corridor which is the confines of my Mater experience.

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I'm actually uploading this on Friday evening, the 26th, having also managed during the day to sort out and upload Carl's surrogate blips. I would have been badly stuck indeed without his help, so here are links to his contributions:

Wed 17th June. Bypass Day.
Thurs 18th June. Sam's Bridge.
Fri 19th June. Road to recovery.
Sat 20th June. Tea & Sympathy.

Thanks a million Carl for looking after the camera and for getting such great results. Let me know when you're free to give lessons: I'll be first in the queue.