Tuesday 29 October 2013

Morphine

This might be a bit of a ramble as it is 4:25 am and I am enjoying the cocktail or Oromorph and Paracetomol. I think there may be future similar blogposts I seem to wake up at this time.

The troops mobilised yesterday, and if all goes to plan I will be at home in my own bed tonight. All seems to be dependent on an oxygen installation engineer and, of course, The Churchill Pharmacy. Wouldn't it be ironic if I managed to motivate so many people into helping me achieve my aim and pharmacy declared they have run out of paracetomol so I can't go home.
It looks like I have reached a major milestone in this cancer process that I was dreading. I think I have probably driven my last drive. I would have liked to have known it was coming and done it in a planned way, I might have been a bit more larey. I think it is appropriate that my last drive in 500Tie was me doing a motorsport aquaintance (Wayne LeBailey) a favour. He had been running as course opening car in Jersey in his fabulous MK1 Escort when it dropped a valve. He appealed, by the wonder of facebook for anyone travelling near Brackley in the UK to take it to www.pug1off.com Sharon and I were still on Jersey when he appealed so we met up and I bought it back for him. Being too pathetic to lift a cylinder head out of the car I ran it over to Brackley in 500Tie. A fun drive under blue skies.

The final drive looks like it will be the drive to Oxford last Tuesday to go and see West Side Story. A sedate pootle, 4 up, in Sharons Alto. It's a great little car but it really let's you know you have passengers.

I have loads of ideas for the AUTOBiography, I just want to get home and get writing/dictating.

This Oxygen business could have a huge impact if I have to think inside NHS boxes. An oxygen condensor is being installed at home. This will have a pipe on it that will allow me to move around the house. I then get 2 portable bottles to go out and about. A portable bottle lasts 90 minutes. I think there is a 48 hour leadtime on bottle delivery.

So let's start with an oncology visit on Friday.

Travel time to Churhill 1 hour.
Waiting time and appt. 10 minutes to 3 hours.
Travel home. 1 hour

All goes well, 2 bottles, clinic running late, 4 bottles. Fortunately it is a Hospital so they can plug me into their Oxygen main when I arrive, so it's just 2 bottles.

I asked about popping to Dorset to see Frank. "Oh no problem" said the respiratory nurse. "You give us a couple of weeks notice and we get an Oxygen Condensor installed at his house for you". Then of course there are the 6 bottles for the journey there and the journey back. I wonder how much that costs the NHS then? And with the way appointments work and my health is, how do I plan 2 weeks in advance?

Lauren and I did a bit of research yesterday and found portable Oxygen Condensors that will deliver the 4 litres I need and cost between £3k and £4k. Discussions will be taking place with Macmillan asap. I will buy the bloody thing and Macmillan can have it for others when I am gone.

Right my battery is getting low (on the blackberry) and I really ought to go back to sleep. The drugs from 10:00 pm are wearing off. The coughing has started and I can feel the pain coming back. Next dose 6:00 am.

Morning Blogreaders. OiOi.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

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