Big storm threatening: it has just started to rain. Dot is at orchestra. I hope she’s feeling OK, because she had a stomach upset earlier. I have been feeling a bit down and was in bed most of the day, but I thought I’d come down and write this – as well as renewing my parking permit. Did not receive a reminder, but I did get a parking ticket the other day, in the midst of all the other problems. Will pay that soon, if they don’t let me off.
Things are a bit chaotic, but let me start last Tuesday, when they weren’t. It was fine and fairly warm. Dot drove out to Catfield for a DSSO session. Everywhere she goes people say they’re sorry she’s leaving, and they obviously mean it. She is a star. From Catfield she drove to Rosie’s. Rosie was a little more talkative, with a different carer. I was at home, of course, preparing for our retreat next month and sorting one or two other things out. Dot’s new radio arrived yesterday, and Naked Wines arrived just after lunch. She spent the afternoon writing up her reports – the bit she won’t miss. Cake and Compline was at Claire’s; so there was a small gathering at ours first! Jude and Eleanor went with Dot, and I went with Phil. Full house – eight of us. Later watched England beat Bangladesh rather easily at cricket.
Not in a position to write anything on Wednesday and Thursday; so let’s skip to Friday, which was a very wet day, especially afternoon and evening. Torrential rain as we drove back from the hospital by a strange route that took in Hethersett. That was around 5pm – not the best time, but I had just been discharged from hospital with mixed feelings, glad to be at home but concerned because I hadn’t been fixed.
I went into hospital on Wednesday with much blood in my penis and an inability to pass urine. Very odd. In A&E for a long time, then taken up to Urology Surgery. Here I was seen by a doctor who seemed run off his feet. He left me with a catheter half-inserted, and when he came back he tried a lot of painful methods of getting different sizes in. This resulted in quite a lot of bruising, especially when he used a camera. Eventually I was left to try to get some sleep, then early on Thursday morning I was moved into a different ward – Edgefield.
Happily I didn’t see that doctor again, but did see various nurses, nurse practitioners and a female doctor, who did their best to sort things out. I was in a private room; so that was good. But I was still in quite a bit of pain and disappointed that they were concentrating on getting a catheter in, whereas I wanted to know what the problem was to start with. (I still don’t know.) Had a little to eat and had some morphine by canula, which enabled me to get a fair bit of sleep. Situation was eased because Dot sat with me for quite a lot of the daytime.
In the morning she had been to Wreningham for DSSO, then bought some petrol. Meanwhile I was still getting a lot of pain. Eventually they decided to send me home with a catheter in place. Dot came to fetch me, but there was the usual long wait. I was – am – still worried, but David on FaceTime cheered me a bit by saying it sounded like his kidney stones. At home had a hard time sorting out catheter bags, but I think we did it right in the end. Dot informed most of Norfolk about my plight (I’d had to cancel Bible study on Wednesday). On the plus side I’ve finished All the Light We Cannot See, which is a brilliant novel.
Had a good night, but on Saturday the pain returned, off and on. Seems to be provoked by eating or drinking – but at the same time I’m told to drink more. Much nicer day outside, but cool. Dot went to shops to get something for me to eat. Had a shower.
Tuesday – losing track of time. Weather over the last couple of days has been quite pleasant. Frustrating day in many ways. Still feeling quite groggy much of the time. Had several phone conversations: with woman on urology ward, who told me my appointment was on November 9, which was pretty depressing. She arranged for someone to phone me back (from Cromer!) who spoke to me for quite a long time and was fairly reassuring. I also spoke to the company that supplies catheter bags etc, and some are on order. Oh joy. Dot went to the doctors and the chemists to pick up my statins – Dr Hampsheir has prescribed a smaller dose. She then visited Brooke school and called in to see Anne. I wasn’t able to get to the the Julian art PV, which was pretty annoying.
Phil came round and we had quite a long conversation. He had bladder cancer and so shared some of my experiences! After he went I looked at the car battery because Dot had had a warning sign. Brushed powder away but then found the parking ticket: obviously cheered me up no end.
Can’t remember much of Sunday and Monday. Dot didn’t go to church because I was still pretty bad. I had a very good Cocodamol night on Sunday and woke up feeling quite good, but the whole thing is a huge worry. Dot is brilliant. Today (Wednesday) not much fun because we were both feeling very tired. Watched cricket after lunch, and Dot had a stomach upset. I had a much milder version. She had to cancel a visit to Taverham School at the last minute and does not seem her usual perky self. I wonder why.
Sorry if some of this is incoherent. Just can’t remember in which order things happened. Main problem as far as I’m concerned is that my GP (who I spoke to on the phone) is very concerned about my TIA, which I’m not at all concerned about. But he doesn’t seem worried at all about the bladder problem, which to me seems much more critical. I am now on six pills a day; probably don’t need four of them, but I don’t know which four.