Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Missing Month

You may have noticed, it's been over a month since I last wrote anything on here! So here's a brief account of where I've been, what I've been up to, and where I am now! Exactly 1 month ago today I had been sick all night .... I called my dialysis nurse and she came by and took all of 30 seconds to realise I needed to be heading to the hospital! She called me an ambulance, and so I spent 3 hours in a chilly waiting room, at which point I got sick again and found myself at the front of the queue pretty rapidly! As soon as I got through preliminary tests I was then into Intensive Care for 4 days and then a dialysis ward for another 5 days. I'd picked up an infection connected to my dialysis, peritonitis, which can be pretty rough! So that accounts for the middle of April. My parents came over , arriving the day before I got discharged, and with their help I spent the next 10 days packing up my American life ready to head back to Wales. I was managing fine by myself over there, but episodes like the past 2 weeks made me decide I'd be better back closer to family! So now I'm back in Wales. I've spent the last week and a half in and out of morre hospitals, seeing different doctors and dialysis nurses to get set up with dialysis here. Initially they thought it'd take about a month to get me a machine so I could do dialysis at home overnight again .... but in an unprecidented turn of speed the good old National Helth Service got me a machine in 3 days! I was quite flabbergasted!! Very happy about that though! The new machine is easier in some ways than my old machine too, though with the minor drawback that I can't read the screen because the text is too small and the screen to dim! But it has icons I can see, and the procedure can just be done in routine order and the machine takes care of the majority of the steps! So that's my tale of why I've been offline for so long! I now have wi-fi at home so can use my own laptop which also helps enormously! One hard thing to deal with at the moment .... I'd made all the arrangements to bring Maggie cat back with me, but we all arrived at the airport and were told there is an embargo on pets entering the UK! At this point I interrupt the tale to say a huge huge thank you to an amazing person .... my dialysis nurse in Rochester not only came to visit me in hospital, she also took a key to feed Maggie twice while I was in. And if you think that's above the call of duty, there's more! She said if there was any trouble with Maggie at the airport to let her know .... I'm sure she didn't really expect me to be calling and interrupting her breakfast asking her to look after Maggie for possibly 30 days! But she agreed with no complaint and Maggie is now staying with her until she can fly back .... that's a big flight for a little kitty all on her own! But she seems to have settled ok with Janice for now and I'm sure she's being well looked after! Maybe I can make a nice quilt as a thank you present ..... I am also pleased to report that, despite initial doubts, I was able to find a box the right size to mail my picnic basket that I use to hold much of my fabric stash .... and yes, I brought a good 95 percent of that fabric back with me! The basket and my quilt have arrived safely in the mail so that's all the important things, except for the cat safely here! next step is to find a local quilt club .... I've seen an advert for one and I believe there may be a second one too, so that's my mission over the coming weeks! Glad to be back and on my feet again! Now I just have to catch up on what y'all have been writing in your blogs over the last month! hopefully they've been less eventful than my month!

8 comments:

  1. HOLY S*** Giles I wondered where you were but it hadnt occurred to me you might be ill. So sorry, I just thought you'd be moving and waiting for broadband.... WELCOME HOME!! Glad you're better, and settling in okay, such a shame about Maggie tho, fingers crossed she'll be on her way soon. So good that you had someone to help out with her. Again, welcome home!!

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  2. (hugs) Holy crap! Like Sarah the Narcoleptic, I wondered where you were. Sorry to hear you have been so unwell. Welcome Home! Hope Miss Maggie gets to come to the UK soon.

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  3. Boy am I ever happy you posted and that you are home and ok(ish)! I've missed you so. Things have been pretty hairy one way and another but nothing as bad as nearly dying that's for sure. It's all on my blogs when you get a chance. I really should have emailed you but I've been ... well let's just say I haven't been the happiest of people for the past month and not great company most of the time. But I have really missed you.
    Lots and lots of love
    Patti xxx

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  4. Well bugger that! Welcome home anyway

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  5. I just thought you were moving and waiting to get internet as well since I had read before that you were moving back to the UK. Holy Cow! What a month you've had!

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  6. Oh! There you are,
    Welcome Home Giles, its good to know you have survived the infection and are now safely back near your Family. Hope Maggie Cat makes it home in the not too distant future too you're sure gonna miss her till then. Glad the fabric arrive safely, happy stitchin when you get settled and back to it, and good luck with finding a group (we'd love to have you in ours but I guess you will be too far away!!
    I'm planning to add to my stash at Quilts UK at Malvern next Thursday - I really don't need any fabric :-( tho with a new machine on the way I guess I'll need something to practice on. LOL
    Lorraine
    Monkey business and Quilts

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  7. I had my heart in my mouth when I got to the bit about Maggiecat - thank goodness she'll be flying over soon! I hope you get settled in soon - have fun with the quilt groups! Welcome home!

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  8. So glad to see you with a catch-up post. Now to get that fabric in motion!

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