Day 224 (Mon 12 Feb)(Day Minus One)Tue, 02/13/2007 - 01:41 — endc011
DAY MINUS ONE

Fred was settled by early evening and seemed happy in his new room. He can watch the world go by from his bed, and this keeps him watching the window for a few hours.

Once he nods off I have to keep waking him, as we have to change his nappy every two hours or so during the night, for his urine to be checked for traces of blood. Obviously this tends to disturb him and so will all the jiggling around he does tend to be sick a little more. This, combined with the various drugs he is having makes him a bit sickly all through the night.

I am up constantly with him, and then drop off quickly. As soon as I hear a bit of a retch or splutter, I awake and usually manage to catch the stuff before it goes all over his clothes. There is not a lot of the stuff, but it means that all the bedding sometimes needs to be changed, plus his clothing. A few times during the night with all the other disturbances mean little kip.

Also, added to this the nurses tend to come in regularly in the dark and move about so you tend to be half awake in any case.

He gets these stomach cramps again during the night and I wonder whether the NG tube is too low again. He is on a pump feed of milk at the moment for 16 hours, receiving 10ml over each hour. This is just to keep his stomach processing food, but each time he is sick, only bile comes out and not milk. I mention it to the staff, and leave it as I do not know the workings of the stomach.

The bed is the same as before, a fold down one. It did not have any bedding at first but it eventually arrived before I wanted to sleep. No duvets here sadly, or if you do they need to be washed so often it is too much hassle. The room has better lighting control so I keep the background light on for the staff and pull the curtain around the bed. I am still a few feet away from Fred, ‘though if I have to get to him in a hurry I am a bit like Eric Morecombe trying to fight my way through the curtain.

In order to keep bugs out, the room has a positive air pressure, in that we have a constantly blowing duct above us that fills the room with cleaned air. There are balanced vents above the doors into the corridor that allow the air from the room to go into the corridor. In theory any nasty smells we have in here as well will leave the room and blight the staff out in the corridor. The down side of this constantly moving air is the temperature, and the noise from the fans.

He is still getting his TPN (in addition to milk) over 18 hours, so nutritionally he should be fine. His Weight was the same as yesterday too in the morning.

By mid-morning he is quite happy, but I can detect a little change in him which is very subtle. He is still happy and smiley, but yesterday he was rolling and clawing at things in a playful way, though today he more subdued. At times he looks quite thoughtful and sad, and tends to stare at things a bit longer than he usually does.

He gets his chemotherapy at 1400h today - Melphalan - which will run for 30 minutes and is likely to make him feel sick. He is getting a number of prophylaxis for a range of things, including anti-sickness. We are also to get some mouth care equipment as ulcers are likely to start appearing soon and he will become susceptible to infections in the mouth. Poor little Fred, yet he is still behind me chuckling away quite oblivious thankfully. As he was having his chemotherapy hooked up, he burst into life with slam dunking legs and big grins at the staff.

I can see a number of the other rooms from here, each with families and staff in. It is difficult to tell the difference between staff and visitors here as we all wear the blue scrub suits. We are all in our own little worlds here, and I do not really know who is who here at the moment. There is at least one name I recognise who was in the newspapers recently looking for a donor. They have had their transplant but have experienced a few complications I think.

Tomorrow is Day Zero, and will be an important one for everybody. We are told the marrow will be infused either late afternoon or early evening depending on where it has come from. We do not know the identity of the donor, other than it is a UK male. He may have given it on the day, or it may have been taken and then frozen for Fred’s use. His transplant was cancelled on two occasions so this may well have happened so as not to inconvenience the donor.

I understand that the donor is checked over medically and is given a date to go and have the procedure done. They will get a drug which stimulates the various things that the hospital wants from the donor’s blood a few days beforehand. Depending on where they are and what register thy came from, they either go to a regional hospital or a private one.

There are two types of having the marrow taken. One is the older way, is to be admitted to the hospital and have a general anaesthetic. The big bones of the hips are entered and a bit of marrow sucked out. It depends on the size of the recipient as to how much is taken. I think you are hospital for a few days afterwards and can feel a bit flu-like.

The other way is to have the blood taken peripherally and you still have a course of medicine to stimulate various cells. You have a tube into the left arm and this passes to a filter, and then a tube comes out of the filter back into the right arm. As the blood passes through the filter they extract the stem cells they require and the blood returns to the donor. From what I have heard, this is the preferred in most cases and by most donors as they are out of circulation for a much shorter period of time, and you do not lose much blood.
We must not forget that the donor too will have been nervous (or terrified even), and may have joined the register many years ago wondering if they ever would be called. Well now they have, and hopefully nothing will happen to jeopardise the event from happening. I do not know anything about them, or their circumstances, but they have been cancelled on a couple of occasions in the past before, because of Fred’s health, and we did worry whether they may cancel for some reason if repeatedly messed about.

Helen D asked about Total Body Irradiation (TBI) the other day and whether Fred would be having some of that. It is something that was discussed with us briefly in the early days but we were told that he would not be having it because he was too young. I think I read somewhere that it is not a good idea at all until at least one year old, as the body is still forming in some ways and the radiation is too risky in some cases. I do not know if I am correct but it sounds right.

Rachel came down this morning with his boil-washed clothes and toys for him. After the hot wash, the clothes are put in the tumble drier. Once the drying is complete the items are transferred into a plastic bag immediately, and sealed to keep out infection. Rachel was given a JML bag sealer some months ago as a present, and has proved useful in the kitchen for heat-sealing freezer and sandwich bags. It has now come to the fore, in that it can quickly seal the sterile bags for Fred, prior to them being brought into the iso. ward. A marvelous thing to have.

The rest of the day is with Fred who seems quite upbeat. We change his NG dressing and his Hickman dressing, so he looks quite tidy now.

I take some photographs of Fred in the room and have added a couple today to the Media file. I need another USB lead so I can connect the camera to the laptop to upload some further pictures.


Day 223 (Sun 11 Feb) (Day Minus Two)Mon, 02/12/2007 - 04:24 — endc011
DAY MINUS TWO

He has been exceptionally active today and is particularly vocal. He continues to make an irritating rasping sound, like he is clearing his throat. However, he is rewarding us with lots and lots of smiles today. He was watching Rachel use the laptop by peering down at her from his cot.

We get a briefing about the isolation ward from Jane who is one of the nurses here. She runs through a checklist which most of we are familiar with, but there are few new bits for us.

We get our tour of the unit once more and are shown the cubicles that are available. As Fred is little they would like to have him near the nurses station, which we are used to anyway. There are two, one with an en-suite shower. Strangely not all rooms have showers and as Fred would not use a shower, it is doubtful we would get one. In the end we opt for Cubicle 10, right opposite the desk and by the entrance from the changing room/corridor.

It has a view of the central courtyard, and we can see the windows of the sleeping quarters we stayed in on the 8 and 9 July 2006 when he was first admitted. Also visible is the door to the parent’s kitchen which we used when on Ward 34 from July to February 2007.

The atmosphere is much cooler in the room as it has a form of air conditioning to keep the bugs out and there seems more space. Like the room we have now, there is internet access, although this is only dial-up, it is better than nothing. At least we can keep in touch with the outside world a bit more now.

Fred’s weight bobs up and down a bit today when he is 9.06kg in the morning and is 8.96kg in the afternoon. He remains on TPN and had a bit of yoghurt today. Chemotherapy can affect the taste buds at some stages, and this might explain his displeasure at the taste.

He has his second lot of Cyclophosphamide and Mesna and there is not a repeat of the troubles he had yesterday. He has some painkiller before hand though.

We take a wander up to the shops by the Triangle and walk back past the University buildings which come out by Sam’s House. The shops are not that far away so we have found a short cut.

We start to clear out the room of our stuff as most of it will not come into the room once in isolation. Anything that does needs to be wiped down with a cleaning solution, or washed if it is fabric. The laptop and PDA will be following us, plus a few chargers and things that are essential. With mobile communications being good now, it must have been the highlight of the week to get a letter, or receive a ‘phone call in the old days. Actually letters are good fun to receive here, but we only get them occasionally. Rachel received an oil painting in the post yesterday – of her family's old farmhouse on the ‘moor which was a lovely surprise for her. She will get it framed locally I think and hang it at the house.

At 1615h (whilst I am doing a bit of the ‘blog) we are asked a favour – would we mind moving to Isolation sooner than the 13 February? We have no objections at all really and we ask “when?” The reply is of course “now” so within an hour we have sorted all our stuff into a small pile that can be taken into isolation, and a much larger pile as to what goes back to the house. By the time we have moved in, an adult has taken the room.

Basically a few of Fred’s clothes and a lot of my gadgets have made it through. Rachel’s laptop comes of course and I spend half an hour on the trolley outside his door, wiping everything down meticulously. Any fabric cases are separated, so my camera, video, PDA, assorted chargers/batteries and laptops are all laid bare and installed into the room.

In one hour we have transferred from ‘non-iso to ‘iso’ and Fred seems happy. The room is really good actually and is bigger and lighter. This is good as we could be here some time…..

Basically the same layout as before, but there is a large picture window on one wall, facing the nurses station opposite. One our side of the room is a worktop at desk height which I am typing on now. The internet access is nearby as is the plug sockets. I am sitting here (2010h) in my blue scrub suit, watching the staff on the other side of the glass. It is a bit like being a receptionist, but with no one to receive.

As we are to be free from dirty bugs we have to now adopt the time consuming, but necessary, procedure of coming onto the ward and leaving our outside coats in the cupboard, in a plastic bag. Then we head to the changing room where we choose our blue scrub suits for the day from the cabinet and get changed in a cubicle. Our outside clothes are then bagged up and hung on a rail in the cubicles and stay there whilst we are on the ward. Our outdoor shoes are put on a rack, and will never come onto the ward because they are obviously the dirtiest things. We have indoor shoes now from this point, only to be worn when on the ward.

We are given a locker for our valuables and stuff that will not come on to the ward, such as handbags and wallets, and money. If we need to go off the ward, say to get a meal or wander off, we need to change out of the scrubs, and back into our “outside” clothes again. Apparently you get used to organising yourself properly and end up limiting the time you spend changing and un-changing.

Lots more hand washing and antiseptic gel.

Sadly, eating is limited in the rooms to food cooked/heated on the ward, so fish and chips or kebabs have to be eaten somewhere else. As cutlery and plates are a problem here I might try and see if I can borrow the parents kitchen on Ward 34 tonight. The parent’s kitchen is currently closed for the moment due to infections at Christmas.

There are ten beds in this part of the ward, although if you want to know more about this ward, take a look at the link to the Hospital website on the homepage of my ‘blog. It explains the background behind the ward and what they do. It is not a long section but makes interesting reading.

It looks to be nearly full here at this moment, and a few more are expected in the week I am told. Fred is no longer the New Bug, as there is a three month old, and a six month old here too. It is apparent that the BMT Ward also takes adults as well. The hospital seems to take in patients not only from all over the UK but the world too. There is a family here from Saudi Arabia as well as Greece, so that says something I hope. One of the families did quite a lot of research as to where to go in the world for the treatment and chose Bristol.

My stomach is rumbling now and I will have to go and get some food – the choice is only a kebab tonight unfortunately. As I am doing this on the laptop and will be posting it on the ‘blog by way of a dial-up connection it may not work, so bear this in mind if the words do not make it.














Saturday 10th Feb 2007 (Day 222) (Day minus 3)Sun, 02/11/2007 - 18:39 — endc011
DAY MINUS THREE
Fred starts the first of his Cyclophosphamide today and he has been having hydration since yesterday. He experiences a short burst - 20 minutes or so - of apparent agony which came on very suddenly. It is known that in some adults they experience pain across the face and sinuses and this may be the cause, though it is not really seen in children. Frederick obviously is not able to tell us anything but it soon passes.
The Cyclophosphamide lasts for an hour and is followed by Mesna, which is given to counter a form of cystitus for a further 23 hours.
As previously, a careful eye is kept on his fluid balance and this is done by weighing him regularly and comparing the fluids going into him, with the fluids coming out. His nappies are saved and weighed and if he should be sick, the sheet/pad are weighed too. In theory a fairly good idea of his balance can be maintained although breathing and sweating will lose some of it. In the morning he weighs 9.16kg and at late afternoon he is 9kg.
His urine is also tested as the current chemotherapy can cause inflammation and bleeding so we put cotton wool balls in his nappy for testing. This is done every hour during the day and every two hours at night.
Should he become too "positive" with fluid he will again have a diuretic, Frusemide, to keep things moving. It does not take long for a nappy to weigh nearly 500g.
We need to keep a check on his bum again as the drugs he is having at the moment will cause mucusitus, which manifests itself as soreness and ulcers from the mouth, down the throat and into the stomach. He is vulnerable in the latter and the bum again too.
Day Zero is only three days away now and we start to get prepared. We get an information sheet and begin to be briefed as to what to expect. Rachel sorted out a few soft toys capable of being boil washed for Fred once he is isolated, although I unwittingly jumbled them up again when looking for a spare bag....
There are only a few things we can take in with us, and things like newspapers have to be new and unopened (and not wet(?)), new glossy magazines and incoming post is opened and outer packaging removed. Fred luckily will continue with his 'clean' diet of pre-packed food, and will not be able to eat things like pepper, as I think it encourages a fungus.
Hand washing has always been important for us (Garnett) but it becomes even more important now as hands are ideal for bugs to lurk on. Lots more washing and spiri-gel from now on.
The sooner Day Zero comes, the sooner Fred will become very unwell, although hopefully it will mean the sooner Fred will be on the mend. The next few days and weeks will be the most difficult time so far I think for us; most of the previous complications were unexpected, although the first two weeks were pretty scary I have to say. Luckily Fred does not have a clue as to what is being organised for him.
He gets to play on the floor and in his arm chair today, in between power-napping and general trouble making.
He has done well so far in respect of fluid-retention so hopefully he will have a stable night. I am off to the house to have some Bernard Matthews discounted "premium" chicken and chips (£1.06 discounted, Tesco) for tea, and as the great man himself says "they're booti-flu." I made that last bit up, but you read it here first.

Friday 9th Feb 2007 (Day 221) (Day minus 4)Sat, 02/10/2007 - 04:13 — endc011
DAY MINUS FOUR
Fred had his NG tube put back down last evening and did not resist, bless him. He gagged a bit but sorted himself afterwards.
Another good night for the two of them and I had my noodles back at the house.
It was snowing lightly when I got up and walked down the hill to the hospital. The good thing is that it now only takes us about 5 minutes to get here, and is downhill all the way.
I popped into the canteen on level 5 to get some breakfast for us, which comprised 3 sausage sandwiches and a drink. The canteen is heaving with people today for some reason and the queue moves slowly.
When I get in he is quite happy but I learn that his new NG has blocked. They have tried unblocking the tube with coca cola but that did not work. It means another will need to be piped down today.
The music therapist comes by in the morning again with her trolley of instruments. Today he listens to the guitar and once he gets going, he is given the tamboureen to bang. Armed with a rattle he gets banging the drum with one hand, whilst operating the tamboureen with both feet.
He clearly enjoys music and concentrates on the rhythm. He is not distracted by us whilst he is making this din and he is in his own little world. He ends up laughing constantly as he gets faster. Once the therapist starts playing the recorder he quietens down and listens intently, looking at his fingers.
He gets another NG tube put down after lunch and he seems used to the procedure by now. He stays perfectly still when required, though expresses his annoyance once the deed is completed.
The electrician from Estates will hopefully appear to check over my PDA and Rachels laptop so we can use it. I hope it is today so that I can leave Claire in peace as she posts the 'blogs when I am unable to.
I head into town to get a few bits but it is cold and raining and I do not stay long.
The rest of the day sees Fred having some apple pureé and he is happy. His weight today is 9.1kg so is a little drop from yesterday.

Thursday 8th Jan 2007 (day 220) (Day minus 5)Fri, 02/09/2007 - 05:08 — endc011
Today is my Dad's birthday so I ring home in the morning and evening. It is a shame we are not all at home like we would normally be.
I had a good look around the house last night and was impressed with what I saw. It was opened in 2002 by Gary Linekar and has fifteen large bedrooms. The quality of furnishings and decoration all appear to be high and new, and are similar in standard to an hotel.
The ground floor is large and open, with a reception and settee-seating area that leads on to a communal type kitchen. There is a "kitchens within a kitchen" layout so there is plenty of space for cooking and spreading out. We each have cupboard space as well as fridge freezer areas. The room also has generous dining facilities adjacent to the huge play room. As the families all come and go at different times there rarely is a scrum for space or equipment.
Further down the corridor are some bedrooms and the laundry room which has three washers and three tumble dryers plus a number of wall mounted irons.
We are up on the first floor where there is another multi-kitchen and dining area. The majority of bedrooms are on this level, though if you go to the floor above there are a few further rooms.
Up there is also a gymnasium and a kitchen plus a massage room.
At the rear of the property is a garden on a sloped area with timber climbing frames and an amount of timber decking....
Some of the bedrooms on the rear elevation have extensive balconies over looking the garden too, 'though ours has a less pleasant view.
The bedroom is spacious with fitted wardrobes plus an immense bathroom, shower and wc. All the hot water you can drink too.
To have such great accommodation is such a help too whilst we are being held here against our will. I think it costs about £100000 a year to run Sam's so all donations to this part of the charity are certainly worthwhile, and you can actually see/experience where the money has been spent.
Next door to the property is another block of parents accomodation called 'Ronald McDonald House' which is funded by the McDonald Corporation. I have often wondered whether the residents get vouchers for burgers.
Fred was on a continuous milk feed overnight as well as his TPN, and so he is getting 5ml over 12 hours which helps his stomach to tick over. He now weighs 9.28kg so he is gradually putting the old weight on.
He is very well and active today which is wonderful for us. He has lightning speed reactions too and at times he is difficult to keep under control. Those tubes are so attractive to him he is like an octopus with ten arms.
His NG tube is whipped out whilst we try and restrain him. He is once again pleased with his efforts and so we leave him until the tube is needed again.
When he is "tubeless" he looks totally normal.
He has his last doses of Bulsulfan and Campath today and did not react to it either yesterday or today. He gets some drugs to cover him just in case, but they drop the steroids for today. Tomorrow he will start a phase of Hydration in the evening, in preparation of the next course of chemo. On Day Minus Three (Sat 10 Feb) he will start Cyclophosphamide and Mesna for two days.
The doctor says that his blood counts are slowly dropping now which is what should happen - so far so good.
He has slept quite well today and as I type (1635h) he is in deep sleep on his side, eyes half open, snoring away.
I am staying at the house again tonight so will be making a noodle stir fry from scratch.

Wednesday 7th Feb 2007 (Day 219) (Day minus 6)Thu, 02/08/2007 - 03:10 — endc011
Just after I sent off yesterdays 'blog I noticed one or two spots on Freds right cheek. I pointed this out to the nurse who explained it was expected and was happening because his 'T cells' were starting to be killed off through the Campath.
Over the next few hours they became more prominent and spread to his legs and back of head. It can come in varying degrees from a mild rash to severe hive-type things. I am told that this generally appears on the first dose, getting less on the second and third doses. He gets some Pethidin and Piriton to counter the reaction.
It starts to fade gradually but he is sick a bit later. Luckily it is some time since he had some oral chemotherapy so hopefully none has been wasted.
The nurse clears his bedding whilst I hold Frederick and give him a cuddle. He is looking very sad at that time, and quite worn out. He is feeling rotten and I hope appreciates all this horrid treatment is to try and make him better. He hugs on to me tightly and blinks wearily but manages a weak smile.
A quick bed bath and new clothes make Fred feel alot better and he goes into deep sleep. I check him at 0400h and the rash looks to have subsided by now.
By morning it has gone.
I chat to our room cleaner who explains the system which is similar to where we were before. More bags for our grubby stuff though.When the rooms are "deep cleaned" it takes about 3 1/2 hours and to date the infection control here is very good which is promising. I suppose the room is just 3 metres square.
He is active most of the day with a few sleeps in between. He gets a massage in the afternoon which he tends to like, but is still too active to enjoy it and relax.
Rachel returns and Fred has some rice pudding. He is weighing in at 9.1kg which is good.

Tuesday 6th February 2007 (Day 218) (Day minus 7)Wed, 02/07/2007 - 04:38 — endc011
DAY MINUS SEVEN
I popped back to Sam's House last night to get some stuff and had a quick look around. All looks good and I saw a few familiar names on the residents board.
I headed back down the steep hill in the gloom and heard a loud scraping sound behind me. It was a cyclist who had probably been coming down the hill too fast and did not see the car emerging, so skidded off the bike, avoiding the car. The road was damp too and he went past me, followed by his bike. He got up and hobbled about for a bit as I went into the kebab shop. Probably did not have any lights on either.
We both had a good night though it was a bit cold without a duvet. Fred had his hat on again to warm his head during the night.
As we are no longer barrier nursed I have some breakfast in the canteen while they prepare Fred's chemotherapy for the day. Today he is having Campath and Bulsulfan plus a cocktail of other drugs during the day.
They are tending to do his obs. every 30 minutes now as he may react to the chemotherapy drugs he is getting.
One of his nurses today is Sarah - who worked on W34 for a bit - and she has not seen Fred for a few months now. She reckons he has grown by a huge amount.
Fred spends a while in his armchair and falls asleep. Once back in his bed he is playing with his toys and shaking the cot from side to side. The music therapist comes around (which he has enjoyed in the past) and listens intently whilst she plays the guitar and sings.
My brother pops by but does not join in the singing. Fred continues to accompany the therapist with a tamboureen and rattle and he seemed to enjoy it very much.
I chatted with one of the doctors about blood, and the transfusion. Apparently if all goes to plan, Fred's blood group will change to that of the donors, which happens to be different. At one point he may have two blood groups.
It is difficult to see Fred happy at the moment with an "appointment" for difficulties coming within the next few days.

Monday 5th Feb 2007 (Day 217 )(Day minus 8)Tue, 02/06/2007 - 04:07 — endc011
Fred is finally where he should have been in November of 2006. We are now in Cubicle 14 of the BMT Ward and live at Sam's House just a few minutes walk from the hospital. Our accomodation there looks good, having a huge ensuite bathroom.
Yesterday he started some anti-infective treatment comprising three drugs (Ambisome, Clonazepam and Defritide.)
Today he had his first "conditioning" chemotherapy drug Bulsafan so the ball has started rolling for him in effect. He may start experiencing side effects soon but I understand at around Day Zero and beyond things will start to occur.
I arrived with my mum and dad during late morning and they enjoyed seeing Fred on top form. He was tired so had a sleep whilst we had some lunch but soon woke again. He enjoyed the attention whilst perched in his new blue arm chair.
The ward is so much quieter in that there is not that constant bustle like before. Ward 34 was once or twice a bit noisy for Fred but was generally good fun. That sounds weird for an Paediatric Oncology Ward but we were settled and happy to be there, given the circumstances. It was like going into work each day seeing the same old gang so we shall miss them. Obviously his rooms on that ward have been filled and again it seems odd to see a family plopped into our old "home" of six months.
I visited Ward 34 this afternoon to hand over a cheque in the sum of £1000 from one of the newspapers that published an inaccurate article about Fred. Hopefully it will help those coming along behind us in some way.
The room we are now in is about 3.5m square with a window overlooking the new renal unit which is under construction at the moment. It has similar facilities but no ensuite like before. There are not any baths or showers here which is peculiar so we have to make our way back to Sams House or sneak to the parents PICU showers on Level 4. Also there is not any air handling in the room so it is quite warm in here at times. Apparently gets colder over in Isolation though.
Rachel is back at home for a day or two and is taking some stuff back too.
The good thing about this ward is they get you cups of tea and other things which is different. The staff so far have been great too.
I am not sure what to eat tonight as I have yet settled to a routine.

Day 216 (Sun 04 Feb)Mon, 02/05/2007 - 04:53 — endc011
You can see that I have been a bit busy recently, and that is the reason why the ‘blog has been delayed since Thursday 1 February. I have now updated back to Day 213. You will also note that the titles are formatted slightly differently for each day. Claire, who does the ‘blogs for me when I am unable to post them, prefers a different format including the year. Thanks Claire for all your help though :) I do not know what computer arrangements there are in the BMT Unit so there might be a bit of ‘blog disruption over the next few days.

I also seem to have been eating a lot the last few days which makes a change from the intermittent feeding we get used to in the hospital.

Today I went to a christening in Paignton, where I am to be godparent of little James David, or david james as the vicar kept referring to him. He is 6 weeks younger than Fred and you will have seen some of his comments on the ‘blog over the duration. James and Fred went out in the week before he was diagnosed (when I was on a weeks leave) down to Goodrington beach on a nice hot day.

Again the weather is very good this morning and the sky is blue, with the bay looking a real picture. I am collected by Amanda and Mark, together with James who is very smartly dressed indeed, strapped into the back of the car. I have not seen him for a few weeks, but he is growing quickly.

Once at the church we are given a brief run down of what will happen, as I was not able to attend the rehearsal. All went well, and even the children did not make any noise, which was good. James managed to hook my handkerchief out of my breast pocket and suck on it though.

Over to the golf club for a carvery and drink afterwards was another great change. I have been eating a lot the last few days, and I noticed that the waist band on one of my suits had tightened just a little. On my return to home I had a little nap, and have to pack all my stuff back up to take back to Bristol.

Rachel assures me that Fred is very active and moving around the bed too. They have moved from Ward 34 to the BMT Unit as planned. I have not heard much more than that really, and I suspect the accommodation is of similar size to our cubicle on Level 5.

The ratio of staff his higher, at 1 nurse for every two patients. On Ward 34 it varied but was around 1:3 or 4 patients. There is also an adult on the ward too and I think they can take older people. It is different in that you can press the buzzer and they will come and cook your food for you as they have Hotel Services staff permanently available on the ward. Apparently nothing is too much trouble so we will have to see. I have purchased a lot of spicy noodle packs from our local Thai mini-market.

Day 215 (Sat 03 Feb)Mon, 02/05/2007 - 04:17 — endc011
I met with my brother in Torquay and bought some things I needed and had a quick look around.

I am visiting Wayne and Claire tonight for an “annual feast” that occurs this time of year. It is a time when Wayne tries out his new draft menu for 2007, and so we have to sample about 15 or so main meals and comment on them, followed by the puddings. Wine also needs to be tested too. We do not have full portions of course, just samples…

I ring Rachel and hear that they have moved up to Sam’s House and it is apparently very good indeed. She briefly explains the layout of the place and it sounds like a good change to me. Luckily CLIC arranged for one of the taxis to move the stuff across.