This week started well, Tracey had recovered from her initial chemo pain and was enjoying her mums company. Adam and I decided we would go on a bike ride on Bank holiday Monday. A cycle along the canal to the bottom of Cain hill locks in Devizes. It was a brilliant afternoon, we picked some blackberries and some sloes, I shall make sloe gin for the first time.
One thing that I have noticed is how much fitter than me is Adam. I can hardly keep up with him. I had to stop at all possible points, for an ice cream and a pint of coke. I have some pictures of him disappearing in to the distance.
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| Bye bye Adam and Adam has a drink |
Well Brenda left to go to France. It was a good stay for her and we look forward to her coming back for the second chemo.
Its ironic that Tracey should fall ill after she left.
Anyway I was working and Tracey was looking forwards to the kids going to school for a bit of peace and quiet. All went well till Friday evening.
Tracey had not been feeling too well. Her head was a bit "muzzy", nothing would shift it. She then started shivering and began to get hot. She took her temperature and it was 38.5. May be that doesn't seem too high but we were told to report in if it was higher than 38. She took it twice more, 38.6 - 38.7. Time to ring the ward. Tracey rung up and was told that she needed to go to A&E. So she took some paracetomol, we got ready, drove in and got there about 9:00. Tracey went straight in and I parked the car and followed her. A&E was a sort of nightmare.
We had to wait a long time, no problem the Nhs is hard pressed. That didn't prepare me for what followed. I have never seen two people make such a mess of trying to get blood, by the end Tracey had 5 holes in her arm and two in her legs. Eventually a syringe of blood was taken. Whats worse about this is that she was susceptible to infection and now had 7 extra places for infection to fester.
Anyway at 2:00 we made our way to William Budd ward which is at the far end of a very large hospital. Tracey was settled and it was time for me to say goodbye. Next I had the most surreal experience, walking through RUH at 2:00 in the morning. I saw 3 people. One was sitting at a table in the main entrance as I took the chance to go to the toilet. The second was a nurse who smiled nervously at me as I walked down the corridor (I quietly slipped my serrated knife in to my back pocket, she was not the one) and the third was near the exit as I took the chance to raid a food and drink machine( my sweaty fingers slowly crept around the knife's handle, one step nearer to me and she was mine), a nurse hurried to the machine, realised she didn't have any change and walked away. Then it was home. Livi was still up with some friends. I went to bed after 3:00 and had to get up at 6:15 to get the boys to school. No work for me on Friday, too tired and Tracey might be coming out.
Most of the morning was sleeping and texting, people needed to know. I had conversations with parents and a close friend of Tracey's. All are naturally worried. there was one misunderstanding made by both Tracey's mum and me, must be an age thing. Tracey text that she was on IV antibiotics. Now to some of us that meant 4 different types. Others will realise that that means in to the vein. I suppose those of us nearer the Roman era will automatically think 4.
In the afternoon I went to visit Trace taking a few girl things for her, books and glasses etc. I was sitting down for the afternoon with Trace when we got a call from Vaughan to say there was no bus. So I had to leave and get them home. Last year there was a bus this year not, I blame the council (and the Lib Dems).
So on to the evening, Tracey has Carole visiting, an old friend from Plymouth and I went to sign Vaughan on for this years rugby.
It's late now and I want to go to bed. Blog again tomorrow.
Chris x
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