A day of surprises

Stunned silence. Then….. hahahahahaha! You are joking, right?

That’s what both John and I thought when we overheard the conversation between Paneesha, consultant haematologist, and Ben, consultant respiratory physician. Paneesha is delighted with John’s progress on the leukaemia front, but baffled as to know how to manage the repeated chest infections and persistent breathlessness. It’s time for someone else to take over. “…so, perhaps some oxygen therapy……hmm? And maybe consider a lung transplant?”

We both nearly fell off our perches. Crikey! We weren’t expecting that. Caught us both unawares. However, Ben said, no, he didn’t think John was bad enough for a lung transplant but yes, he’d ensure that the respiratory team took John under their wing. And yes, the antibiotics John was on would deal with a new bug, acid fast baccillii, found in his lungs on Day 29 of culturing the sample. A bug that can cause TB – although maybe it was a cross-contaminated sample? Who knows.

We are both pleased that the respiratory team look like they might actually sit up and take notice and ‘adopt’ John’s case at last, however. It will certainly save Paneesha scratching his head each time we see him, anyway.

So, this morning we had been to the hospital, first for an infusion of immunoglobulin, then to meet up with Paneesha. By the time we’d finished, it was one o’clock. “Do you fancy a McDonald’s, John?” I asked. He nodded, yup, why not? Even sat in a car park in Bordesley Green which, despite its name, isn’t the most salubrious of places, we enjoyed our food – it was delicious – naughty but nice.

This afternoon, we had thought we might call on the Sutton Sleaths. I had a ‘window visit’ at the care home to see Mum, and I’d suggested that I drop John off at Michael’s. But, in the end, we were both absolutely worn out, so we didn’t.

I shot off to visit Mum and take some things with me to help her settle in, and then I walked round to her window. She was absolutely delighted to see me. Unexpectedly, she was looking and sounding a lot better, and everyone I met along the way seemed to be very kind and pleasant, so I am hopeful it will all work out well.

Despite my reservations about Mum being able to use the walker that Warwick Hospital had provided for her, I was delighted to see that she manoeuvred it very well and was quite nifty on her feet. “And, look! I can stand up, I can sit down – ooh, I’m good,” she said, demonstrating her physical prowess and grinning all over her face.

The window visit was just half an hour so I was back home pretty quickly. I collapsed on the sofa, switched the TV on and promptly fell asleep – again….. heavy days, clearly.

I was awake enough at tea-time to respond to John bringing his phone to me to chat to Michael and William on a video call; and to grin at Thomas, too. He had already filled my heart earlier in the day when I saw a video of him in a ‘Jo Jingles’ class, rocking away to music. Always brightens my day to see the kids and the grandchildren.

And then it was Quiz Night. I was relieved it wasn’t our turn to be Quiz Masters. We might have had to resort to a ready-made quiz if it had been. However, Nigel and Hazel compiled the quiz between them and, once again, it was great fun. Really enjoyed everyone’s company.

The quiz reminded us that amazing things can happen, and I had temporarily forgotten how thrilled I was that there had been the first helicopter flight on Mars the other day, with pictures being beamed back to Earth.

I am, however, all too aware of the ‘doom and gloom’ reported in the news with COVID high on the agenda as a result of the horrific scenes of an overwhelmed India. If the power of prayer can help, then I am praying very hard for them over there in the absence of being able to do anything else.

Here, however, the COVID situation still looks steady. Although the scientists are keeping us all reminded to keep safe in the light of COVID variants appearing here in the UK and likely to infiltrate, as people arrive in the country.

• 2,396 people tested positive for the virus today
• 22 people died with the virus in the community in the last 24 hours
• 13 people died on 19 & 20 April with the virus in hospital

• It’s Day 24 since the lifting of Lockdown 3;
• Day 10 of our new, limited freedoms, where we can play in each other’s gardens;
• Day 394 since Lockdown 1; 
• Day 400 (!!!) since our self-imposed Lockdown 1

Keep up the meticulous hand-washing, mask-wearing, distance-keeping, folks. God bless.