16/11/12

15/11/12

Ok

 

0330 hrs.

 

 I can’t get no sleep.

 

I wasn’t expecting to be unable to sleep, after what my body has been going through.  Let’s see, good day Monday, singing in the kitchen, managed to get dressed for a couple of hours, split up some logs and kindling, shift some coal, then collapsed. Not seriously, just I became very knackered very quickly. This was okay because all I had to do was build and light the fire. Mmm, toastie-warm. I also felt well enough, that I went without the pain meds. Then on Tuesday, all I had to do was get myself ready to be visited by 2 nurses at different times (best make sure my pits don’t stink). Still no headache so I took no pain meds, I remember looking at my self upstairs in the mirror whilst doing my ablutions thinking “yes, this is good, no headache, it must be working. Ha. There you go cancer, get the f… out of my body!” and it was then that I noticed that my now extra sleek, extra slender form had a new “topcoat” a rash. Not a raw blistery, itchy type rash but just a really pronounced mottling almost marbling of the skin. This was accompanied by four really sore knuckles, two on each hand. This was strange but not uncomfortable. Tuesday carried on and the first of my nurses arrived to check up and change the dressing on my arm (where my PICC line enters me) hopefully for a more robust version of the one that I came away from the hospital with, a dressing that, doesn’t mind an armful of split logs resting on, was the kind of dressing I asked for from the nurse, which prompted an all together more alarmed tone from her than I expected. “What? An axe? You’ve been using an axe?” she responded, whoops, “you men, why won’t you just stay still? At least tell me you had some gloves on.” She continued, a very sheepish, almost adolescent me glanced sideways and lied “yes, safety glasses too.” I think I got away with it. I mean I’d be alright wouldn’t I? Apparently I’d be fine right up until the point I cut myself or get a splinter and then the infections would make me not fine as my usual first line of bodily defence, the bits inside us we forget about, the white blood cells are just not there at the mo. Just as well I did enough logs, kindling and coal for the next 3 days.

 

0425 hrs, best try to get some sleep.

 

Sleep I did. Today is now the 16^th, I’ve not slept for a whole day, I just didn’t get time yesterday to do any typing.

 

Wednesday came and I got the chance to go out for a bit of a bimble, not one on my bike, which would have been awesome, but in the car, the poor neglected car, never the less it was good to be out under my own steam, away from my own safe four walls and out into the infectious filled world.

First stop, McDonalds. Yummy, I do like their dirty food and it has been a while since my last one. Do you know I got medical grounds for going, their burger and fries meals really are easy to eat and full of calories, I’ll have 2 please.

Second stop, pop next door to Halfords and get some bits to start repairing the wifes car, on the way to the third and forth stops, get the car cleaned. It’s the least I can do and doesn’t really take any energy of mine to do it (it feels so good to be doing something). Arrive at this, my third port of call and ask the team of professionals, “could you please make my wifes’ car go around corners safely, and adjust the tracking?”

“Certainly Steve, we can do it right now” was the response at Tyreland, I do like them down there and it turns out the front wheels were 4mm out. That’s another job sorted on to visit number four a social and practical visit to plug this poorly vehicle in to get the dashboard disco lights switched off, into Wimborne to catch up with Shaun and Dan at Minster Mechanics and receive a healthy dose of abuse, as well as deliver some.
It feels great to know all the things that happen in this world keep happening, I mean of course they do, the world doesn’t revolve around cancer and by just getting out and visiting people even for 10 minutes makes me feel so much better, brighter even, more invigorated, recharged and ready more so than ever to beat this. Last scheduled stop, my Christmas present from the wife (early we know but needed now rather than then), Holmans for a Sony Tablet (I think she wants her laptop back), I chose the Sony to match my new phone the Xperia which means the next time I’m having to stay in the hospital I won’t have to shell out loads a wonga for the hosmedia system, so that I don’t be feel quite so cut off from civilisation and I won’t have to try and tap my blog into an iPhone.

This was going to be last stop of my days bimbling and I must admit I was starting to get really tired, really quickly. This is something that happens because of the chemo and I can’t get used to it, so there was nothing else I could do other than an impromptu visit to the wife at her work for a sit down and a strong sweet coffee (good job she works close to Holmans).

Whilst there having a 30 minute rest she commented on how nice her car looked so I thought I would let her use it get home, now that I know it goes around corners ok, also it gave me the chance to finish my days bimble in the mighty Defender and all its V8 goodness (burble burble burble). It just sounds so good to rag around town and makes you smile when driving it.

 

God, it’s good medicine to get out.

 

My rash has cleared up as quick as it came, but unfortunately my head ache has returned, not quite as bad yet, so I’m only on the cocodamol throughout the day, with maybe just a dash of morphine when needed but the hair is coming out, that started around my previously mentioned wang (leaving a trail of short n curlys’ every time that I visited the loo) and has now included the rather short hair style that I have on my head too. I was aware that this could happen, hence the radical hair style change so I’m glad that it is now only a short step to becoming completely head shaved. The question is, do I completely wang shave too?

 

This is me Steve Royal. Buoyant from bimbling, titillated by technology.

 

Have a week.