Monday, July 25, 2005

Day 66 - In Hospital

Well technically I am I told the ward staff I was going for a walk, but really I am home having hot footed here in my car, wristband on, hospital tea inside me, well about 500 calories of it, and my room without a view and the pool sorted. Things are so going down hill in the NHS!

I have been booked in by the doctor and all ready for the midnight sessions to kick off. I decided to come home because the waiting until midnight is frankly intolerable, despite the fact I have 9 hours of Lord of the Rings films to catch up on. The ward will be quiet tonight, only 4 out of the 6 beds are occupied and I have as requested a bed in the corner away from the noise and prying eyes of staff desk. I am lucky tonight because Cllr Kevin Mitchell, he of fish advice, bingo, speedway and Exeter City AFC fame is on duty. Kevin has always maintained he would not work on the ward if I was on the ward, mainly because of the difficult questions I would ask him about things he would be doing, and less to do with injecting your mates with the wrong juice, not in a shipman way, well I hope not!

I asked him to promise not to be too bossy and call me Mr Gooding, but it kind of embarrassing as I will have to be on best behaviour and leave the Father Jack tendencies at home. I must admit though he has been a rock, calls me everyday to check up on me, bollocks me when appropriate and I have Kevin to thank for not being tube fed by his constant badgering on eating and taking in calories. I just wish he would stop ringing me from pubs saying how wonderful the beer tastes and he is looking forward too another pint!

Well as expected the camper failed its MOT, Ali my Iranian mechanic, yes you heard me who is married to my mate "Big Charlie’s" sister has always looked after my cars for the last 20 years. Ali came to the UK when things went west with the Shah in the 1980s and quite frankly an amazing bloke to know. He also runs a very successful cab firm, but you can rest assured Ali will get things sorted and fixed for you at half the price of your high street garage. The only trouble is he told me what the camper failed on, I nodded and he said bring it down on Thursday I will do the work, and get it through the MOT, and "bring it down on Thursday" was the only bit I understood during our conversation, who cares by Thursday night I will have the van with an MOT and campers watch out!

I better go and sort things out at least by this time tomorrow I will only have one 4 hour bag of saline solution to go and I will be 66% through chemo and 51% through Radiotherapy!

Keep attacking! Nigel

PS: Mick Wilkinson I am sorry but I just do not believe you and the cat sorry! I use to wonder where you got those furry gloves in winter!