Veintiuno

I give thanks for lemon scented hospital soap. Who would think it would be so pleasant? For a nurse I've known since starting dialysis, but not seen for ages, answering the bell when I rang it, attending to my requirements and sharing a laugh over a colleague of his who seems terrified of my toilet needs. She just came over all faint when I asked her to accompany me to the loo and patients were asking her if they should ring the bell for assistance for her! I think she thinks I'm a botched job lady boy and she doesn't feel brave enough to look!

For surviving being taken for a lumbar spine X ray at 7.15 before a cup of tea and any pain relief... and thus missing breakfast, tea and having a wash. For nagging mercilessly until these basic human rights were finally restored. I try to accommodate routine and a lack of staff but there's a limit! Later I watched a cup of tea grow cold while I had an ultrasound of the heart, and slept through the after lunch one...but by then the housekeeping staff had spotted the plot to dehydrate me and brought me one unbidden when I woke up for which I was very grateful.

I give thanks the consultant on duty said preliminary reports from these investigations didn't show too much too wrong but I've still got to stay in until they do the MRI and dialysis on Monday at least. I told her the pain was much better and I was physically feeling OK but the stress of the noise and bustle and close proximity of so many people was really hard... And she got it as her husband was the same!