Had a reasonable night with obs and nappy
change at 6. Sugars a bit high.
Checked my emails and the bank statement at 7 and somewhat unreasonably sent some emails to Sian about things, which was totally unnecessary as she has everything under control.
8.30 had a visit from Prof Talbot and Dr Webb who briefed me on the exam. I wasn't to give anything away, and be as brief as possible if they asked questions as they were only supposed to be doing an examination and come to a diagnosis. Altogether I had 6 students and I lost track of the number of times I was hit by a hammer! The examiners sometimes asked the students questions or gave small prompts. One common theme was why they were looking at the foot when they were testing the knee reflexes! Most finally came to a reasonable diagnosis ( spinal compression, possible causes and possible name of what was wrong).
Afterwards Prof Turner and Dr Webb asked my opinion of them, and it was interesting that my opinion of who was best and worst was the same as theirs. My observations of them ( confidence, knowledge, communication, body language etc.) had been the same as theirs, too.
They said that I had been the perfect exam patient and thanked me very much. I felt I was being useful.
They had finished by about 9.30, then the nursing assistant ( the one who did the hair yesterday) came to do the bed bath and linen change. She had a new assistant so she was explaining everything about bed baths, nappy changes, catheter, line and cannula care, bed movement and heights. She was very thorough and a great explainer. I feel that I have played a pivotal role in NHS education today!
10.45 Dr Leitte came with the NMO team to introduce the NMO consultant who will be my consultant from now on. We discussed treatment over the next few days as it is the weekend. I'm stable, but consultant on call and ward staff fully aware of what nursing and medication necessary. I will have another 2 or 3 sessions of plasma exchange from Monday. The number will depend on how the line is. Physio will also start again on Monday. Didn't have any today because of the timing of the exchange.
It is possible that the rehab hospital I will be going to is Savernake near Marlborough, but nothing's decided yet.
Missed my mid-morning cup of tea because it came when the NMO team were here and the curtains were closed.
No sign of the PEX team.
Mad lady in bed diagonally opposite (I have discovered that there is one on every ward) came to talk to me. There was no escape. Somehow the conversation turned to Argentina - she had recommended an Argentinian poet and I foolishly mentioned our Argentinian connections. Mistake. Lots of talk about Buenos Aries that she had visited. She finally gave up and went back to her bed.
Then had chat with lady in bed opposite who was crying, so I asked if she was ok. She said yes, she was crying because she was happy. She'd been suffering with similar symptoms since November, would you believe. She had been in Northampton hospital a few times and been sent home. Eventually she got to the point that not only could she not walk, she couldn't use her hands either. Her GP made a huge fuss, and she was admitted here 3 days ago. She is now able to get herself into a wheelchair and feed herself - huge improvement!
12. Tried to watch Daily Politics on Bbc2 but something wrong with tv unit. Just bbc2 to start with - interference on both pic and sound, so rang the helpline who said they'd pass it on to the tech dept. who would fix it. It was ok for a whole, but then failed again so I rang again. Same response. It still doesn't work - I wonder if I'll get any credit? Watched it on my iPad.
Lunch arrived. Orange juice, Breaded haddock baked potato wedges and sweet corn. For some reason, I also got diced carrots though I hadn't ordered them. Jelly. Tea.
Watched news and dozed.
1.45 PEX team arrived and hooked me up to machine. Just got started when someone came to take loads of blood for different tests. As I am so rotten at giving blood at moment, they kindly unhooked me from the machine so that the bloods could be taken from the line. Good result for everyone! Hooked back up again.
Today was much quicker - apparently first session is often longer as the line plays up a bit.
Whilst this was going on, one of the NMO team arrived to bring me an information sheet about the medication I will be on afterwards. She hadn't seen the machine in action, so the PEX pair e planned it all to her. It can be programmed for lots of things - sickle cell, white cell, red cell, and most impressive of all, there is a process where the stem cells in marrow can be persuaded into the blood and removed by the machine. The NMO lady and had thought that stem cell removal was a surgical procedure. How clever is that?!
They then left me just as the specialist diabetes nurse arrived to discuss my blood sugars which are all over the place and get very high ( although they haven't been as high as they were in Swindon). The conclusion is that because of the variation in times of the Iv steroids, and the PEX, it's not possible to establish a routine yet. So they are being checked every 2 hours and the insulin adjusted accordingly. Hopefully, because if no PEX for the next couple of days, they should settle. They were 27 this evening.
I was hoisted into my wheelchair for supper. Really nice to be out of bed.
Supper arrived - apple juice, tuna salad and cheese and biscuits.
Sian and Julio came and Sian had brought me a present - L plates for my wheelchair. You may have seen the pics if you are on Facebook. I had my sugars and blood pressure taken, given my insulin and then I was allowed off the ward downstairs to the coffee shop. I felt incredibly underdressed - hospital gown, anti-DVT stockings, catheter and sheet. Again, there is a pic on Facebook. Back up onto ward just in time for Sian to do some stuff for me on the iPad before they had to leave.
Unfortunately, they didn't put the visitor chair away so mad lady came over for more chat about Argentina. This included Falklands, Patagonia, Galtieri, mate, dulce de leche, tango. In between all this, she was showing me houses she wanted to buy as her current flat is on the market as she doesn't feel right there. Luckily, she finally left and I could start on this.
My night nurse Dionne came over and introduced herself and did my bloods. At some point she and a helper will hoist me back into bed.
So that's where we are at the moment (21:45). I am watching the rugby and writing.
More tomorrow!
Love
Me
Checked my emails and the bank statement at 7 and somewhat unreasonably sent some emails to Sian about things, which was totally unnecessary as she has everything under control.
8.30 had a visit from Prof Talbot and Dr Webb who briefed me on the exam. I wasn't to give anything away, and be as brief as possible if they asked questions as they were only supposed to be doing an examination and come to a diagnosis. Altogether I had 6 students and I lost track of the number of times I was hit by a hammer! The examiners sometimes asked the students questions or gave small prompts. One common theme was why they were looking at the foot when they were testing the knee reflexes! Most finally came to a reasonable diagnosis ( spinal compression, possible causes and possible name of what was wrong).
Afterwards Prof Turner and Dr Webb asked my opinion of them, and it was interesting that my opinion of who was best and worst was the same as theirs. My observations of them ( confidence, knowledge, communication, body language etc.) had been the same as theirs, too.
They said that I had been the perfect exam patient and thanked me very much. I felt I was being useful.
They had finished by about 9.30, then the nursing assistant ( the one who did the hair yesterday) came to do the bed bath and linen change. She had a new assistant so she was explaining everything about bed baths, nappy changes, catheter, line and cannula care, bed movement and heights. She was very thorough and a great explainer. I feel that I have played a pivotal role in NHS education today!
10.45 Dr Leitte came with the NMO team to introduce the NMO consultant who will be my consultant from now on. We discussed treatment over the next few days as it is the weekend. I'm stable, but consultant on call and ward staff fully aware of what nursing and medication necessary. I will have another 2 or 3 sessions of plasma exchange from Monday. The number will depend on how the line is. Physio will also start again on Monday. Didn't have any today because of the timing of the exchange.
It is possible that the rehab hospital I will be going to is Savernake near Marlborough, but nothing's decided yet.
Missed my mid-morning cup of tea because it came when the NMO team were here and the curtains were closed.
No sign of the PEX team.
Mad lady in bed diagonally opposite (I have discovered that there is one on every ward) came to talk to me. There was no escape. Somehow the conversation turned to Argentina - she had recommended an Argentinian poet and I foolishly mentioned our Argentinian connections. Mistake. Lots of talk about Buenos Aries that she had visited. She finally gave up and went back to her bed.
Then had chat with lady in bed opposite who was crying, so I asked if she was ok. She said yes, she was crying because she was happy. She'd been suffering with similar symptoms since November, would you believe. She had been in Northampton hospital a few times and been sent home. Eventually she got to the point that not only could she not walk, she couldn't use her hands either. Her GP made a huge fuss, and she was admitted here 3 days ago. She is now able to get herself into a wheelchair and feed herself - huge improvement!
12. Tried to watch Daily Politics on Bbc2 but something wrong with tv unit. Just bbc2 to start with - interference on both pic and sound, so rang the helpline who said they'd pass it on to the tech dept. who would fix it. It was ok for a whole, but then failed again so I rang again. Same response. It still doesn't work - I wonder if I'll get any credit? Watched it on my iPad.
Lunch arrived. Orange juice, Breaded haddock baked potato wedges and sweet corn. For some reason, I also got diced carrots though I hadn't ordered them. Jelly. Tea.
Watched news and dozed.
1.45 PEX team arrived and hooked me up to machine. Just got started when someone came to take loads of blood for different tests. As I am so rotten at giving blood at moment, they kindly unhooked me from the machine so that the bloods could be taken from the line. Good result for everyone! Hooked back up again.
Today was much quicker - apparently first session is often longer as the line plays up a bit.
Whilst this was going on, one of the NMO team arrived to bring me an information sheet about the medication I will be on afterwards. She hadn't seen the machine in action, so the PEX pair e planned it all to her. It can be programmed for lots of things - sickle cell, white cell, red cell, and most impressive of all, there is a process where the stem cells in marrow can be persuaded into the blood and removed by the machine. The NMO lady and had thought that stem cell removal was a surgical procedure. How clever is that?!
They then left me just as the specialist diabetes nurse arrived to discuss my blood sugars which are all over the place and get very high ( although they haven't been as high as they were in Swindon). The conclusion is that because of the variation in times of the Iv steroids, and the PEX, it's not possible to establish a routine yet. So they are being checked every 2 hours and the insulin adjusted accordingly. Hopefully, because if no PEX for the next couple of days, they should settle. They were 27 this evening.
I was hoisted into my wheelchair for supper. Really nice to be out of bed.
Supper arrived - apple juice, tuna salad and cheese and biscuits.
Sian and Julio came and Sian had brought me a present - L plates for my wheelchair. You may have seen the pics if you are on Facebook. I had my sugars and blood pressure taken, given my insulin and then I was allowed off the ward downstairs to the coffee shop. I felt incredibly underdressed - hospital gown, anti-DVT stockings, catheter and sheet. Again, there is a pic on Facebook. Back up onto ward just in time for Sian to do some stuff for me on the iPad before they had to leave.
Unfortunately, they didn't put the visitor chair away so mad lady came over for more chat about Argentina. This included Falklands, Patagonia, Galtieri, mate, dulce de leche, tango. In between all this, she was showing me houses she wanted to buy as her current flat is on the market as she doesn't feel right there. Luckily, she finally left and I could start on this.
My night nurse Dionne came over and introduced herself and did my bloods. At some point she and a helper will hoist me back into bed.
So that's where we are at the moment (21:45). I am watching the rugby and writing.
More tomorrow!
Love
Me
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