Liver and Cherry

[Sundae]

A new post?
About me and only about me? Surely not!
Well, yes, I have a history of this
Still, it will keep people updated if they want to be and confine it to one thread.

Got my transjugular biopsy appointment. No ideas what the multiple tests showed, but I'm booked in.
Addenbrookes, Cambridge again.
But fair enough (hairy muff) my appt is 15.30 on 21 May and my departure date is 23 May. So yes, I have the 5 hour journey to contend with, but on two separate days with one day in between.

I'll have to ask about my discharge time, but my guess is I'll be turfed out early on Thursday - in the nicest way.

Fulfills one of my childhood ambitions; to stay overnight in hospital.
It's two nights - woooo!
Am bound to hate it of course, I think I just wanted the attention when I was a girl.

No idea what to pack except earplugs and books.
Mum has offered to lend me a couple of nighties. I have protested thinking that leggings would be more suitable. I'm a restless sleeper. I'd rather wear t-shirt and leggings than a nightie and knickers; the latter allows the possibility of pant moustache after all.

Still, hey-ho here we go.

[limey]

Even with your new personal thermostat I reckon you'll be too hot. Bear that in mind when planning your wardrobe.
Good luck, dearie! x

[orthodoc]

A suggestion - take a little bottle of your own mouthwash for rinsing/spitting if you're confined to bed for several hours post-procedure. Good luck, hon!

[infinite monkey]

You need a nice pair of manjamas. I love men's style jammies, and they don't get all crooked and wrapped up if you toss and turn.

wishing you well!

[DanaC]

An adventure then be well, honey.

[Aliantha]

Hospital sucks, as most of us know. I hope you can make an adventure out of this trip Sundae, and most of all, I hope it brings some good news!

[Sundae]

I can make an adventure out of a trip to big Tesco.
Will try to do better on the photo front this time. Might even bring back a photo of Christs Pieces - a part of Cambridge that always make me snort slightly. Or at least it did until I saw it three times while hopelessly lost, looking for my bus-stop. Less funny then.

That's the trouble with old, picturesque cities; the situation of their signage leaves a lot to be desired. And I'd like to strangle the person who created the various maps I consulted. The You Are Here circles were pretty much as big as a building and gave no insight into which way you might be facing. Add no street signs to that and you go on a tour of Christs Pieces once again.

I'm not sure there is any really good news at this point. Just that some could be worse than others.
And in truth, the damage is done. I've never been one to avoid appointments or tests for fear of results. This has already happened and I'd rather have a grasp on it.

Mum is crazy-mad to organise my packing.
She doesn't want me to feel out of place on the ward.
When she went for her lumpectomy, all the other women had lovely bedclothes and dressing gowns and slippers. They had make-up kits and body wash and sprays.
I know I put my slap on, on the odd occasion I go out, but I don't really roll like that.

She has also advised me that I won't be able to walk barefoot on a ward.
Apparently I might catch AIDs that way (I think she means HIV) like a nun somewhere.
She was slightly mollified by the fact I do have slippers... somewhere.

I know she is doing this because she cares and I love her for it. But it is a tiny little bit wearing, knowing this might go on for the next 9 days
I'll be a cross between Doris Day and Grace Kelly by the time I get to that ward. And the rest of the inmates will be creatures out of Shameless, because I'm guessing it's a dipso ward (self deprecation, not real snobbery.)

[richlevy]

I agree with you on the adventure part. I once had an occasion to have to go into the city for a medical test that would have had a big but non life threatening impact on my life. Knowing that nothing I could do would change the results, I mentally prepared for either result and resolved to do some touristy things in the city. People who knew about the situation thought I was crazy.

[Sundae]

Mum has dug me out some shortie pyjamas!
So what with her dressing gown and my slippers, I have proper hospital chic now.

I do look like a hospital patient too - a mental hospital patient!
My hair is clean but won't lie flat today.
And Mum was horrified that I was prepared to be photographed with a dark bra on underneath, and the clothes unironed.

So I sincerely promise that when I get to hospital I will have tamed hair and ironed clothes. And properly untrammelled breasts.
The only downside is that these are so comfy and relaxing I want to stay in them from now until next Tuesday.

[richlevy]

You look adorable. If Peter Pan were flying about, he'd drop Wendy like a hot rock and take you instead.

The only thing cuter than those slippers would be pajamas with feet.

[Chocolatl]

Hospital fashionista! Hope it's as comfortable a stay and with as best results as one can hope for in an overnight stay.

My biggest comfort when I was recovering from having my daughter was having my own shampoo. It made me feel human, again.

[Nirvana]

Take care of yourself!

[wolf]

You will be great and definitely stylin and profilin on the ward ... do they still do 4 and 8 bed wards in the uk? The us is all about private rooms these days. Havent seen a true ward since I was a child. Over here you dont bring your own nightie ... you get issued a gown that hangs open up the back and has all kinds of slits and openings for monitor packs and surgical drains. Slippers are a must, though. To guard against the Hep C. And flesh eating bacteria. And for the traction when you have to run from the fast zombies.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Sundae

When she went for her lumpectomy, all the other women had lovely bedclothes and dressing gowns and slippers. They had make-up kits and body wash and sprays.

Originally Posted by wolf

The us is all about private rooms these days.

Was just going to say this. Private rooms are all I've ever experienced. You practically never even see another patient.

And now this has caused me to think back and count the number of times I've been in a hospital in the last 7 years... it's 6 times in a proper hospital (3 for me, 3 for Minifob) and 5 times in a day surgery facility (3 for me, 2 for the kids,) plus add another trip to the day surgery this June when the kids get another pair of colonoscopies together. Holy crap, no wonder medicine in this country is so expensive.

[Aliantha]

It's all about group wards over here, unless you're a private patient, in which case you get your own room. Lots more people have private health insurance these days though, so there are a lot more private hospital wards around to meet those needs.

I would suggest that since people in the US in general only go to hospital if they have health insurance (unless there's no way out of it of course), that would be why you get your own room. People would expect it since insurance costs so much.

I don't think people over here in the public system have such high expectations, although I have to say, a private room is nice. I've had 4 babies. Twice I was in a ward, and twice I had my own room. All four times sucked, but the two where I had my own room didn't suck quite as hard.