What can I say that everyone else already hasn’t …
I know … a hug from the pig!
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EeeeK!..
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I know from when I had it done last time that I would not glow in the dark and it would still be necessary to turn the lights on come night time. 
I felt in some pain in the bladder area after the scan but I don’t know why. Almost gone now that I’m up and about.
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Er, I think that pales into insignificance in terms of danger compared to this….
Eeeek, eeeek and triple eeeeeeeeeek !
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When do you get the results of the scan Mart?
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It will be about a week Annie.
A bad week coming up with the appointments that Mrs mart and myself have to keep. Mrs mart’s appointment for a scan at a different hospital to the one she’s staying at is today at 9.30 a.m. This is too early for hospital transport so our son and I will have to manage it. We’ll need to do it with her in the manual chair and transferring to and from the passenger seat using a sliding board. The difficulty of getting the powerchair to the hospital and all the transferring needed would just make life too complicated. After the scan, we have to get her back to the hospital she’s staying in.
My next appointment is on the 26th for changing the nephrostomy tube. Our son is still around for this one, so can help with getting me there and back.
Mrs mart has an appointment on Saturday for a scan at an even more distant hospital. Again, no hospital transport available. Our son goes back to Germany on that day, so he can’t be helpful with the ferrying around. We’re hoping another of our sons can step in. It will probably work out OK but he hates driving our WAV.
As if feeling rough isn’t bad enough on its own. My bladder is bleeding again. It has a catheter with a flip-flo valve on it that has to stay there until December the 9th. I wonder if that might be irritating the site from where the two bladder tumours were removed.
After all this, the radio therapy is coming up (set for mid December). Hospital transport is being made available for this. I just can’t get myself to where the treatment is every day. I’ll be on my own by then and I don’t think it’s fair to ask anyone to do the drive there and back over the five day period of the therapy.
At 81, I sometimes think I’ll refuse the whole blinkin’ lot and just let nature take its course. Then I have to think that others still want me around for some reason or other.
EDIT: I just remembered. I have an appointment on the 4th December for a CT scan with contrast dye. This is for the Thorax, Abdomen and pelvis.
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That’s outrageous. Did you raise this with the hospital? How can people having operations when they have to get in at 7am sometimes manage?
As a matter of interest how does a sliding board work? Sounds difficult.
Again not acceptable for the medical service to make appointments when disabled patients cannot attend. Can’t you change this to another time/day when they do have transport. You shouldn’t have to struggle like this. It’s not fair.
Thankful that they organise transport for oncology. How many days therapy will you need?
I understand how you feel that it’s all too much at once, but 81 is far too young to be thinking this way Mart! You have a loving family and friends who want you to keep going. I won’t even start on how forum members would feel.
What a pain, but at least they are being very thorough and that means you will have the best result. The main thing is to get that bleeding under control. I hope you have a way to access the service to address that problem.
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Thank you so much AnnieS … you’ve said what so many of us will have thought reading Mart’s post… and you say it so much better than many of us could, but we agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments.
@mart … hugs. I truly think you’re one courageous and unique guy.
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A sliding board enables a disabled person to slide across from one place to another on their backside. A safer way than to try lifting them across. Probably more correctly named as a transfer board:
A bit more difficult for us than what’s shown in the video because the car seat is higher than the wheelchair seat, so some pushing and shoving is needed. OK from the car seat to the wheelchair because that’s sliding downhill.
The transport situation from one hospital to another is a pain but we have to balance it up against the what has been done for us I suppose. Mrs mart has been in NHS care for 7 weeks now and had had the best of treatment. Better that we just handle it because we can rather than get cross.
Mrs mart is going to put the waterproof over-dressing on my Nephrostomy at some time today. Then I can have a proper shower before going to the hospital tomorrow for my Nephrostomy tube change. I mostly have to settle for a wipe down with a damp chamois leather at other times. Well not quite true but showering isn’t the easy job it once was.
A funny thing. When I get bleeding in the bladder, I leave it for a few says to see if it will settle. It is only when I’m worried enough to think about phoning the Oncology Nurse about it that it starts to clear up. Happens every time …as it has this time too.
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The slide board process will be too difficult for you Mart, even on a bed it’s too strenuous. Does your son have a friend who can help?
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There is always help around by way of family or friends. We don’t need to use the board in the car normally because Mrs mart drives up and down the ramp of the WAV in her power chair. All that has to be done is to put the anchors in place.
In this case though, the logistics of swapping the chairs about would be more difficult than what we are doing. Our son is helping at present but he has to go home on Saturday. Another son will handle Mrs mart’s Saturday appointment. I never need to handle things on my own. The main problem is they try to stop me doing anything but being an observer (bless their cotton socks) I have been used to doing everything previously, so I find this difficult.
No problem at home because everything is at more or less the same level and she can handle transfers on her own. Having said that, we might have to rethink things. We have both lost strength through the recent bouts of illness. Life could be a struggle until we can both build it back up again.
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This is not a problem - it’s wonderful! But totally understand how you feel.
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Good luck Mart, I had a Stent a couple of years ago for Kidney Stones.
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Glad to hear your sons are looking after you and Mrs Mart. Take things very easy Mart, a virus can make it’s presence felt for six months. Muscle weakness is one of the after effects, don’t expect too much too soon…I’m probably teaching grandma to suck eggs because you are a very level headed guy with lots of experience and tolerance.
Chin up Mart and I wish you and Mrs mart all the very best.
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And we are still watching in for you you and Mrs Mart !
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Yes, it’s all just a procedure to follow day by day. The steps will work out one way or another. My turn today with the Nephrostomy tube change.
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Got home from the hospital at around 6.30 p.m. I felt OK until the time came to empty the bladder by opening the flip-flo catheter valve. That’s when the groan-worthy burning Urethra pain set in. It lasted until 11.30 p.m. Better now but still a bit sore. The Nephrostomy tube change went OK. A little painful today and the tube is coming out of the dressing in a slightly different place or angle. I will take all the Nephrostomy supplies with us to see if it can be sorted when we go to see Mrs mart this afternoon.
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Had to spend a lot of the time yesterday laying down. Total lack of energy. Off my food as well. I’m making the effort today because one of our sons is coming here. Then we head over to Farnham hospital to pick up Mrs mart and take her to Heatherwood Hospital (Ascot) for a scan. Then back to Farnham before heading for home.
Our other son who has been staying here has to fly home today. I’ll miss his him, He’s done a sterling job of helping out …but our daughter is coming back on Wednesday. This coincides with the day that Mrs mart should be coming home.
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That’s good that your daughter is coming back but a pity you have to go to Heatherwood today if you’re feeling so poorly.
I hope you feel a little better as the day goes on and that you managed to eat some breakfast. It’s always good to force down some porridge at least when you feel like this. Sometimes you don’t feel like eating but once you start the appetite kicks in.
Great news that Mrs Mart comes home soon. I hope her voice is a little better.
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@mart, it’s good to hear that Mrs. Mart will be home soon and that your daughter will be there; I’m sure it’s really taken the pressure off to have your kids around. I hope you can get your strength back with a little more nutrition and good rest.