Swans at Gartnavel

Southern General revisit

Well I've been back at Southern General Hospital for a week now, I had my neck dissection last Monday, the op lasted six hours but the surgeon managed to save almost all the important nerves and structure and was very optimistic... I've lost a lot of my swallow and my speech sounds like I have a pair of Rob's sock stuffed in my mouth at the moment but this should come back, I have no interest in rushing it. The main problem has been my neck drain, it should have come out after 3 days allowing me to get back home for the weekend but on Friday for some reason the amount of outflow doubled so I've been stuck here.... It's now going down at a good rate so I'm hoping that I'll get home tomorrow and start the real process of repairing myself......
Thursday 75ml - Friday 155ml - Saturday 120ml - Sunday 80ml and hopefully anything under 50ml for today, Monday

Hospital Updates

Monday 26th Jan saw me back at Dumfries RI for an update about the biopsy and CT scan I had done last week....
The biopsy isn't back yet but based on the CT scan I have an enlarged node on the opposite side of my neck now, this means that another operation has now been scheduled for Monday 2nd Feb back at Glasgow Southern General for a neck dissection and the removal of all the nodes on this side. The operation will last around four and a half to five hours and I will then stay in hospital for the following five days (unless I can escape earlier). I have to go to Glasgow on Friday for a load of tests (to make sure I am healthy enough for the operation) and I'm hoping that the pathology will be back by then so that I have a better idea about things. 

You've got to be kidding?

Phoned my nurse today at 11.30am to see what was happening about an appointment I have been waiting for at Dumfries RI..... after a few minutes on hold I was told that I was expected at 2pm today and should have confirmed as soon as I got my letter, 'what letter' I asked..... 'did you not get one, oh that's typical, just one of those things I suppose, lucky you phoned'..... Yes it was very lucky I phoned or I would have missed the appointment and it would have shown as a 'Did Not Attend' on my records with the chances of it being followed up being very slim indeed... The joke is wearing thin now.....
— with NHS Dumfries & Galloway.

Picc Line

During my recent treatment I had a PICC line inserted to pump in the drugs (it never worked properly) but upon removal it WAS snapped in half and so left about 6 inches of plastic tubing stuck between my arm and shoulder..... today I had several xrays in order to locate it with a view towards it's removal..... It's moved and they have lost it, cue panic and confusion amongst those 'in charge' and no doubt a few more visits to Dumfries RI next week, to say my confidence with those that 'know what they are doing' is wearing thin is somewhat of an understatement. On the upside I cue jumped so I was only there for about 40 minutes......

So Clear

So clear this morning... Heston Island with the Cumbrian mountains in the background...