Sometimes you just want a good night’s sleep

 

One of the things you look forward to when you get home from hospital is a good night’s sleep.  I didn’t sleep too badly but since I was attached to various antibiotics/flushes for the previous three nights I did get disturbed a few times even though the nurses are very quiet.

B got home early on Friday, came straight to bed at which point I proceeded to have a coughing fit so got out of bed to avoid disturbing him and sat on the settee for an hour eating an ice lolly.  I then went back to bed and snuggled down for a few more hours sleep.

8:22am the phone rings until it goes to 1571 (answer service) and then it rings again.  B got out of bed and checked the number – it was his brother.  While B was checking who had called – the b-i-l must have called a third time and left a message unbeknownst to us at the time.

At 8:22am when he knows B would be in bed (not that it’s the first time he called at 7:25am two Friday’s before) and what he thought I would be doing I don’t know.

When I did get up – after not falling back to sleep properly just doing that dozing thing (that I don’t like) when you have funny dreams there was a message.

‘When did you last go to my mum’s?  I was there at ten past nine last night and the fridge freezer is broken.  It’s leaked on the floor.  We need to get another one sorted ASAP so that would be today or tomorrow.  We can pick it up either in your car or in mine because I have an estate.  (DER!) Can you go and look at Currys or check it out on the internet. (Statement not question.)  And we need to decided if the carpet tiles can be dried or if they need replacing.’  All in the tone of an emergency – to quote an old boss of mine – ‘it’s an emergency if something’s on fire or bleeding profusely’.

When B got up he sorted lunch out while I had a tootle on the web, found an ideal small fridge freezer, B gave it the stamp of approval, I ordered it and it was available for free delivery on Saturday.  Job done – well you’d think so.

It was an open delivery time (8am to 7pm) as that was all that was left.  The b-i-l wanted a number to call about this – well yes, because the m-i-l has such a busy schedule – and I’m sure if they had any timed slots available they would have been more than happy to charge us £21 for one.

Further phone calls asking whether B was going to go and sort it out on Saturday and then it turned out that when the b-i-l had called at the m-i-l’s at 9:10pm on Thursday he hadn’t emptied the freezer as he didn’t have time – I mean what five minutes – bin bag to bin!  So B went and cleared it out and wiped it down.

Saturday the fridge freezer was delivered at some point in the afternoon, they took away the old one and set up the new one and then we got a call from the b-i-l saying it was there, it needed to stand for four hours and then be switched on and was B calling round.  Now we’d had a little trip out to the butchers and green grocers to get supplies for a hot pot because that was what I was craving (it smelled gorgeous but I didn’t enjoy it) – I’d been reluctant to go but felt better for the fresh air but then needed an hour and a half’s sleep after making the hot pot and we’d decided that a little trip out to Auntie Ann’s would be nice for us so he’d see what he could do.  When he did call round at 8:30pm the m-i-l was upstairs going to bed and the fridge was switched on.  (She did shout down a request, well probably more a demand, for a cup of tea but B told her that since she was already going to bed she didn’t really want one!)

And then yesterday I went for my MRIs.  I am somewhat claustrophobic and my biggest concern is having some sort of screaming hissy fit part way through and I think it is just the thought of embarrassing myself that keeps me from doing it.  I was in there ages – at least 50 minutes to an hour and I rested by hands palms up and concentrated on my breathing (as per armchair yoga teacher’s relaxation).  I opened my eyes prematurely on the way out from the last one (lower back) and I wasn’t all the way out so I snapped them quickly shut again.   Now I hadn’t given much thought to the head MRI which was just as well.  Chris called round last night and she has always said that if she ever needs another one they will need to sedate her as it was truly awful (turns out she didn’t close her eyes from the get go).  I’d always said it wasn’t that bad, eyes, closed, relax, don’t think about the fact that you’re in a tube.  Last night I said that she is never, ever to say to me how awful an MRI is until she has had one with her head in a plastic cage.  ‘Just pop your head in the hole.’ In this plastic brace thing.  GULP!  Surely they won’t put anything on top I thought and didn’t quite close my eyes in time to avoid seeing it close in.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch The Man in the Iron Mask again without having hysterics.

I am overall feeling better, temp seems to be a bit high in a morning, and there has been a little bit of knitting going on – Friday there was about three/four rows and then Saturday a few more.  I put the shawl to one side for something easier and decided to do the pyjamas for the one of the bears I’m knitting.  This is how it’s going so far…

 

 

 

 

Because I’m Worth It!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been so sleepy over the weekend – well I say sleepy what would be more appropriate is ‘I’ve been so asleep over the weekend’.  We went to the Royal on Friday and I felt okay but by the time we got home I needed a nap, ordered tea, then napped, ate tea, then napped.  Saturday was pretty much the same although things could have been made worse on because at 4:10 or 4:49 (look I’m really not good when I’ve just woke up even if I am seemingly quite awake) I got up – if B hadn’t been in bed (snoring) I would have put a film on and then nodded off but I got up and knit some squares (being collected by one of the nurses on the Day Unit) and then fell asleep about 6:30 until 9:20 so that gave a potentially sleepy day a definite nudge in that direction.

After I’d woke up for the second time on Saturday, I woke B up, rang Auntie Ann to ask her did she want to join us for a meal out later, slept, went out for tea, managed to keep my eyes open until Auntie Ann went home, then had another kip before getting off the settee for a shower and then I had a little nap before going to bed.

Sunday was very much rinse and repeat – except I insisted on going on Bud and B’s walk and it took us an hour and 10 minutes to do about half the usual walk that takes an hour and 20 minutes – but I got some fresh air and we all know that makes you sleepy so guess what I did when we got home – napped!  I woke up for tea and then managed to perk up to answer a friend’s phone call and then I napped again before bed.   If it’s true what they say about beauty sleep I should be a busty, leggy stunner by the end of the week.

One of the things we did pick up at the hospital was these, which according to the NICE guidance notes have a value of £4,365 excluding VAT…

I start taking them tonight.  Tonight as they can cause drowsiness and I so need some more of that during the day.  I’m also on Fragmin injections to avoid a thrombosis and Allupurinol to protect my kidleys.  As I’m not taking dexamethasone, like with the Velcade, I don’t need to take Acicolvir or Septrin.

I’ve said previously that a gauge of my general wellness is how much craftiness I carry out, Chris was horrified to discover last night that I hadn’t blogged since Thursday – as she was of the view that this too is now a similar indicator.

So onto the craftiness I have been up to.  Last Thursday I showed this little pile of body parts…

they are for two teddy bears, however I’m a tad concerned.  I have to admit I have struggled with the odd piece and quadruple checked the stitch numbers several times.  On Friday I wanted something simple so did part of the dressing gown for one of the bears.  I mean the back was basically a square of knitting with a little shaping at the neck.  Let’s have a little lookie at how that turned out…

Yes, that short it is the back and the long bits are the fronts and I didn’t even notice when I knit the pieces together at the shoulder joints!  So I’m not convinced that one of the bears isn’t either going to have a limp or several heads.

I will share more about our Friday appointment at the Royal once I’ve decided which parts are actually fit for polite company.  Oh, it all started off so well, we met Sean and his brother Nigel and then had coffee and cake with Sean. B seemed his usual self despite having had only an hour’s sleep but from then on, and I can only put it down to sleep deprivation, well, let’s just say it’s a good job I don’t blush easily.  Usual service was resumed once he’d had about an hour’s kip in the waiting area of the Day Unit when we went back up there for my Zometa – maybe the snoring helped as well!