so "blog now" is Friday tenth

I just sent an email to Deb at her work:

"Would you bbe able to come home sooner rather thasn later?? It's Wednesday's symptoms though not at ED level. But caRE & comffort would be nice. Annd a veery large apple juice if possiblle :-)"

Deb arrives home. I'm feeling absolutely crook: aching from top of head to mid-shoulders. Totally exhausted. Lying flat, trying not to move at all, eyes closed... though I'm not sure why that helps.

btw: I'm not thinking well. I'm writing several days later. Some details have been told to me by Deb. Facts in this post may not match the original reality...

Dinner. Crawl into bed. About 9:30 Deb calls the locum doctor.

Takes him a while to arrive. I barely see him, my eyes are still generally closed. The cat likes him though.

Doctor takes a look. Asks what drugs I'm on. Calls an ambulance.

Ambulance arrives. Cat likes them, too. She joins me on the bed and purrs at everyone. Then I'm off to SCGH ED again.

How do I get downstairs to the front door? By stretcher would require a second ambulance crew. So, no worries, I can walk down. I've done it before.

Paramedic keeps telling me, Straighten that leg! Straighten that other leg! No worries, I'm fine...

Later Deb tells me that the paramedics have piped in Ketamine. Horse tranquiliser. Okay, so perhaps I am just a little bit... relaxed :-)

A pleasant drive to ED at Charlies. Access is easier by ambulance...

I'm measured, tested. Blood tested. No infection. Last visit showed that my brain shows clear signs of having been operated on -- but no other damage.

Diagnosis: inflammation of one of the linings of the brain. The dura-mater? Robbie tells me it's a hard lining round the outside of the brain and stretching down to cover the spinal cord.

Makes sense me. Inflammation hurts. Dura mater wraps round the brain and spinal cord. I move my head... or shoulders... dura moves... and hurts somewhere else. Perhaps if I move lower parts of my spine it will hurt just as much. But I move ... very little.

I believe that I am pumped full of more painkiller. I'm thinking in super slo mo... I 'm moved to another area. I'm aware of the move but, later, need to ask, So where am I now? It's the Observation Ward part of ED. Where I spend the night. Deb has gone home.

I wake up a few times. One time I am absolutely dripping with sweat. Fever? (Or "febrile" -- my new word.) A nurse changes all my bedding and lies me on towels.

Next morning, Saturday: I wake up exhausted but able to walk round. Must have been force fed anti-inflammatory :-)  And I'm looking forward to breakfast... it seems a long time since I was last hungry. Nurses and a doctor drop by. I'm told to up my Dex dosage and speak soon to my oncologist.

A phone call or two with Deb...

Today we are supposed to be on an afternoon rogaine with Deb's sister and my sister. Deb contacts them to say, Forget it !

I'm released from ED, from hospital. Deb & I nearly get lost in the hospital corridors. I'm no help but at least I'm walking... I walk as far as the first seat outside -- then wait for Deb to bring the car to me.

Very nice to be home again :-)  I celebrate by sleeping. Most of the day and night. With anti-inflammatory added to my drug list, plus (I think) another anti-bacterial, just in case. And back to a higher level of Dexamethasone. Ahhh, whoopee, more pills.

Sunday evening: we finally get together with my sister! For dinner, with our (Deb & my) kids. I speak with my sister but I'm still somewhat dopey (I suspect). Still, good to catch up.

We gather at the table for dinner. I sit at the end of the table. Smiling happily and possibly drooling foolishly. All very pleasant. Only our grandson looks suspicious.

Deb & I drive my sister to the airport. Easy there, we get lost driving home... I manage to stay awake... till just after we arrive home. Then it's a restless but largely painless night. I do a lot of sleeping.

I'll draw the line here. Proof-read and post. More of the story will be in a later post.

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The "real" today is Wednesday. It's been a yo-yo week so far, ups and downs. Today I feel not too bad. But still tiring very quickly!

Time to rest and relax.

Till the next post... :-)

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"Give a man an inch and he'll think he's a ruler" … Agent 86

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Now much more than a clever name for a holiday journal:

 https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/  :-)