12 May 2011

I telephoned one of my pals today who is coming to Lord’s later in the year just to check to see if he had received his ticket which I had posted to him just in case, for one reason or another, I was unable to make it myself. He had but told me that he was about to go into hospital to have a gallbladder operation. (Today it’s no more than keyhole surgery as a day patient) I was able to recount my own gallbladder experience. Some years ago I suffered from severe pains in my stomach and occasional nausea and vomiting. After a number of investigations it was decided that I had gallstones and would have to have my gallbladder removed. A week or two later I went into the Middlesex Hospital for the operation.. Unfortunately a couple of weeks later, the symptoms, which the removal of the gallbladder was meant to cure, occurred again.

Now this whole episode happened around the same time as we were having trouble with our central heating. Mr Plumber was called and his diagnosis was a faulty pump which was duly replaced. (At no inconsiderable cost I might add) All was well for a couple of weeks and then the same problems occurred that had meant to be resolved by the allegedly faulty pump. I telephoned the plumber and asked if he still had my pump. He said he had. ‘Right’, I said, ‘bring it back, re-fit it, and we can start again and find out what he is the real problem. Oh, and incidentally’, I added, ‘I will not be paying your original bill’.

Now when I had a similar problem with the gallbladder I telephoned the surgeon and asked him if he still had my original gallbladder.

Of course he was a little perplexed by this until I explained the problem and suggested he might care to put it back and we would start again. He was not amused, nor was I. I just hope my friend has a little better luck than I had!

At lunchtime today we had a visit from the’ Tummy rubbing lady’ (I think her correct title is aromatherapist by the name of Karen Curdy ). She came as a result of the palliative care visit from Dr Margaret Saunders, from the Rank Hospice, in Cambridge. Margaret thought that she would be able to show Alice had to massage my tummy in order to remove some of the surplus air that obviously accumulates overnight from wearing the respirator. Karen made a special mixture of oil and aromatic herbs with which she proceeded to massage my tummy. It was very pleasant and if repeated morning and night daily, as she suggests, may well alleviate the bloated feeling with which I suffer. As part of the service Karen has arranged to come once a week for the next six weeks after which we will be on our own. Having put a little of the oil mixture on the top of my chest I must say it’s has a very pleasant soothing smell but I feel rather sorry for ‘my lovely’ as this is another thing for her to do, albeit only 5 min at a time. Maybe when the continuing care comes through we can ask the nurses to do it