Back after a week, by popular demand...
But it was just a short visit.
Today was a rush. "Can I have a packed lunch please?" says son as he starts to walk out the front door... Drop daughter at school early. District Sports Day all day at K2, Crawley (daughter won Intermediate high jump 1.53m and 2nd in triple jump 9.23m). Walk Mad Dog. Dog is mad. Two people on two occasions look at Summer and say "The joys of Spring"! (mad bounding, jumping fluffy rug... Drive home. Write for work. Nice chat with neighbour - on phone (how lazy am I?). Call from a coach at K2 - can't answer question as not an official event (sorry). Race out of house. Walk dog. Need train ticket. Walk dog to station - then to park next door. 15 minutes to get home, change, wash hair and leave again. Get home with 5 mins to spare. Back to station. Dirty hair. Train arrives as get to platform (phew)! On train. Where can I get Kendal Mint Cake? Need for tomorrow (Little N on Duke of Edinburgh trial hike over night for Bronze level). Use phone and Google. Arrive Victoria. Try to find shop. Can't. Back to station. Sit down on train to Denmark Hill. Train pulls away. Phew!
Meet Mark Hazlewood the Marketing Manager at the King's College Hospital Charity. Go over brochure LISTEN wants to produce. Very positive meeting. Make a few amends. Nearly time for sign off. Look at LISTEN SUMMER BALL poster. Make a few amends. Nearly there! Time running out...
Meeting over. Head to Liver Out Patients. Blood pressure, good. Weight, not so good (steroids man!!)..
See the lovely Dr S (all the consultants are lovely), who was the Registrar who looked after me when I was ill in 2006. He who said I would need a new liver and was to be put on the Super Urgent Transplant List on Boxing Day 06. Dr S has also been my main consultant since I became jaundiced in March this year and he performed the procedure to replace January's bile duct stent.
I love looking at the "numbers" of my blood work. Results from last week; bilirubin down (nearly normal, which means I'm white again). AST (main liver enzyme test) down to 99 from nearly 300 (when I'm normal it's about 27). GGT over 1,000 but "not a good indicator". So I think very positive that the steroids are drawing down the liver inflamation, and I may get a call tomorrow when todays results are out, should the figures keep dropping, to say I can reduce them from 40mg to 30mg.
Whilst waiting for the phlebotomists (lovely Draculas), I met a chap who is coming up to a year post transplant and amongst other things, we put the world to rights about how high level steroids just make you want to eat and eat and eat. It was good for me to have this conversation with someone removed from my immediate life, and bless him, it made me feel a little more human!!
Leave Out Patients. Quick walk to station. Wait 15 mins. Google this Kendal Mint Cake Shop!! Where is it? Out at Victoria. Find shop. Is inside of Student Travel Shop!! Buy 2 bars of Choc covered mint. Buy pair of walking socks, clip for outside of bag to attach mug, plastic wallet. Back to Victoria. Train about to leave. Run and jump on. Phew! "Kids -sorry I can't face cooking. One of you walk dog. One meet me. It's MacDonalds tonight". No complaints.
Sainsburys (glad staff getting a bonus). Matches (to light camp stove). MacDonalds (I really don't like their food). Help from Little N. Home. Phew!
Eat. Mad dog goes for a walk. Son goes too. Time to pack Duke of Edinburgh bag with Little N.
It's nearly 11pm. Just finished. We started packing yesterday and preparing a week ago.
The D of E Fashion Parade by Little N
Night!
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