I’m checking into hospital this afternoon at 6 pm. After all the waiting and upset and fears, the time has finally come. I’m actually feeling okay about it all – much calmer than I was even a few days ago. I guess there’s a sense of just being resigned to going through with it now, especially as there isn’t anything I can do about it – I need to have this surgery and that’s that.
It also really helped having a chat yesterday with friend and neighbour Becky (who runs this fabulous bookshop across the street from casa az ). She’s been through the cancer thing twice now, once for each breast, and she has a very pragmatic view of things that I found I could really relate to. Somehow I felt much better after talking with her.
Nog will be coming with me when I check in (and will also be staying over tonight – in case I start to panic we can always have a game of scrabble to keep my mind off things), and Pipocas is going to stop by after I get unpacked and settled in.
I sure hope I get a room with the new furniture I saw them moving in over the summer – really cool-looking modern beds just like in House! Last time I had a depressing circa 1940’s bed with chipped enamel paint and a hand crank, so I had to rely on passing nurses or visitors to adjust my bed for me. These new ones look to be fully automated and they also have a pulley gizmo, which will make getting into and out of bed much easier. So fingers crossed on that one. I also hope I get a reasonably polite roommate who won’t have the television blaring all day long. It occurred to me that out of the four roommates I had during my last hospital stay not one of them ever took out a book, or even a magazine, to read. Amazing.
Well, time to finish organising and packing up all the stuff I’ll be taking with me: mobile phone, iPod, camera, laptop, DVDs, books, travel scrabble game, notebook, pens, toiletries, bottled water, dressing gown, slippers … wish me luck!!!
casa azahar 
I send you big hugs, Darlin’, and lots of love…
LikeLike
All the best, Az! I’ll be thinking about you!
LikeLike
Oh, I hope you don’t have to suffer the TV blaring all the time. And of course I hope that the operation and recovery go smoothly.
I’ll be thinking about you, too.
LikeLike
It is so amazing to realize how many people out there never read books! I remember when I was still doing outcalls on massage going into a house where not only were there no books, there were no magazines, no newpapers. The only book was the bible, the only other way to get “information” (and I use that term advisedly) was the TV. Egads.
Good luck, and hope your room mate is a kindred spirit.
LikeLike
Good luck with your operation and recovery!
LikeLike
Good luck! I know you’re well-prepared, or as well-prepared as one can be, and you’ve got a good team on your side. I hope this is as easy as possible for you and you know you can call me any time, day or night.
LikeLike
Bring a porter as well 😉 – someone more to play scrabble with as well as carry your stuff.
Good luck and all that. I’m never more than an call and/or mail away.
*hugs*
LikeLike
Sending love from us both
LikeLike
Thanks everyone … just five more hours to go before we leave. I’m pretty much packed and ready, so this feels a bit like ‘neither here nor there’ time. Weird.
I’ve got your phone number in my notebook, Rain, so you might just hear from me via Skype towards the end of the week.
It’s going to be so great to have internet access this time. And I’ll be sure to send Blues Shark lots of emails, linking to every comment I make. 😉
LikeLike
Carry on Az, carry on. 🙂
LikeLike
And what’s wrong with spanish tv? Very educational from what we could tell. Which wasn’t much but the soaps appeared top-notch productions and as for the Euro-productions written by a Pole for German actors in Spanish, well they looked VERY special indeed.
And I see you are getting COOKING NUNS as wel! Really, with such television you are spoiled for choice.
And why stop at e-mailing? You have my mobile number so you can link to that and send me text alerts. 😉
LikeLike
Thanks, cj!
Well, you were complaining about not getting a break from me being online while I am in hospital, Blues. Didn’t you like the Spanish Imposition? I thought it was rather inspired considering it was 9 in the morning and I hadn’t finished my coffee yet. 🙂
Cooking nuns?
Okay, just time for a shower and then we’ll be off. Eep!
LikeLike
Yup, cooking nuns. Spains very own answer to Nigella. Or maybe Jamie but surely not Sweary Gordon. The programme is to be called Heavenly Food and is being presented by two nuns. All being shot inside the nunnery because they are from a cloistered order.
I’m not kidding though I don’t remember where I read about this. Either one of the London freebies (ie scumbloids) or the Grauniad. Oner or the other.
LikeLike
Good Luck, Az, I’ll be thinking about you and sending good energy non-stop.
LikeLike
Well, I’m here now. The wifi is working great! Pipocas was here for a couple of hours, during which time my roommate checked in. She’s having an endoscopy done tomorrow to replace a tube (or something) in her liver – she had a transplant two years ago – and she’s more scared than I am. Her husband left awhile ago, so I went over to talk to her and she started crying … and there I was holding her hand and telling her everything was going to be fine (and thinking that she should probably be comforting me!).
It’s kind of poopy that her husband just left knowing how scared she was. I’m lucky that I’ve already had a visitor and that Nog is staying the night. Of course if I was really kind I would ask Milo if she wanted the TV on (it’s on my side of the room) but you know, there’s a limit.
I hope I get to keep this room, but I was told that if I end up spending awhile in the ICU they’ll have to give my bed to someone else. So after the operation Nog might have to come back here, pack up all my stuff and take it home again – unless I can get Isabel (from The Team) to let him keep everything in her office.
And yes! I got the new furniture! The bed is wonderful. And I ran into one of my nurses, Nati, from last time. She was surprised to see me and upset to find out why I was back. She’s actually working on the other side of this wing but promised to come and visit me. Before she left I asked her how to open the window (it seemed to be stuck) and she told me that none of the windows or balcony doors can be opened now because of people committing suicide (!). I’ll have to check with The Team tomorrow to see if Nati was pulling my leg.
So that’s all for now folks. Nog and I are going to start a game of travel scrabble … I hope he is kinder to me than Beth, who is totally whupping my butt on Scrabulous at the moment (good energy my eye!). Oh, it’s my turn, gotta go …
LikeLike
It would be better with cats … but I have to say that having Nog here and all these comfy home-like distractions has really helped. Going to read for awhile now and hopefully get some sleep.
Looking forward to coming back!
Buenas noches, mis amigos…
LikeLike
Hmm…live blogging an operation, from the receiving end…Has it been done before, or are we watching blogstory in the making?
Good night! 🙂
LikeLike
Thinking of you, and hoping all goes smoothly: its an auspicious start to have a) a non-TV-pest roommate and b) a good bed 😉
LikeLike
Nope, she’s not kidding. Hospital I used to work at had 4 stories. Patient went missing one day after getting diagnosed with something horrible. Everyone on the ward thought he’d just walked out. They found him 2 days later face down in the bushes where he’d jumped from the 4th floor ward balcony in the middle of the night.
Although these days its used mainly to prevent the staff jumping ;o)
LikeLike
Thinking of you. Virtual cats at your side if you need them.
LikeLike
*fingerscrossed*
LikeLike
*&legs*
*&eyes*
LikeLike
*&ears*
Oops, that didn’t work – I think I have pulled a muscle in my scalp! I need your hospital bed!
LikeLike
* wonders how things are going
LikeLike
All good thoughts from on the road.
LikeLike
Who is going to update us? I assume the surgery is over now? I hope she’s come through it all okay.
LikeLike
Sara and myself are awaiting updates from Noggin via mobile. We’ll let you all know as soon as we do. 🙂
LikeLike
I’m okay, everybody, but still very groggy. More tomorrow…
LikeLike
*serves az another grog* 🙂
LikeLike
Glad to hear you are okay
LikeLike
It’s good to hear that you’re okay. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your update.
LikeLike
Waits with bated breath….
LikeLike
That grog seemed to have caused an echo 😉
Good news though.
LikeLike
I wrote you a little card of sorts. (The pingback seems not to have come through. Probably too many links.)
LikeLike
How are you? I have been thinking about you since my last message and I am glad to see you came out of surgery OK. How are you doing now? abrazos, a
LikeLike
Hey Ale! Yes, I didn’t end up bleeding like a stuck pig on the operating table after all … I think the fact that they didn’t end up doing the resection took away most of that risk.
I’m happy to be home and doing as well as a girl with a 15″ J-shape gash across her middle can be expected.
Nog and I are getting to be old pros at bandage changing by now and I’ve learned how to shower without getting it wet. Still hurts like a bugger though.
LikeLike
Pingback: hospital check in… « casa az