h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

that was left blank, because I don't need to write anything, as you know my thoughts GB


you've a shoulder here love

We all send love all the time

We do

Hugs and more hugs.

Thank you everyone, I greatly appreciate all the support and I am passing on your best wishes to Ian

Today's news is not good. Ian wasn't well enough to attend the cancer support group but Caroline and I went to have a chat with Helga (cancer nurse). She had seen the doctor who performed the endoscopy on Ian, and he reported to her that his oesophagus was one of the worst he had seen

We were a bit stunned, but appreciated her honesty and we have decided not to tell him. It has been recommended that he have two stents fitted inside his oesophagus which will involve an overnight stay in hospital but he won't have a general anaesthetic, I have been reading up on the procedure and for the life of me, I can't see that it will do him any good. But then I am not his doctor nor am I medically trained, I am just the one by his side wishing there was an off switch to save him any more pain

- it doesn't sound particularly nice whatever it might be (and I can half imagine.....) I offer you as much strength as I can, virtually, to help cope with this... I honestly can't just imaigne.... - sadly I fear the hoovery appendage might not even be much help ATM

thanks 2legs, I am relieved it's not just me worrying unnecessarily

Not good news my lovely but the procedure may give him some relief. And those of us who have been in your shoes with loved ones have all wished for that off switch at one point or another.

I noticed today that Ian has stopped asking after my Mum... it used to be his regular second question when I walked through his front door, after "Hello sweet, how are you?" "How's Mum?"

I texted his friend Steve this morning to thank him (and John) for going round to see Ian yesterday morning (it must have been harrowing for them), but he didn't reply, then he rang me this afternoon and thanked me for my text, sorry he couldn't reply but he was up a ladder () so thought he'd ring, he said it's them who should be thanking me as Ian had told them everything I was doing for him, taking his newspapers 6 days a week, spending at least 2 if not 3 hours with him, and I am such an angel.

Strange that the people you do most for cannot say the words themselves, they use an intermediary, my mother is exactly the same - she will praise me to the roof to visitors yet will not even thank me when I tell her what I have done or after she is all bathed & had her Friday pampering session. It's exasperating!

I have not been able to visit since I left on Monday due to my coming down with a hacking cough and sneezing affliction

I am in constant touch with Caroline (she is there every day to administer the tummy-jabby-things).

Ian still has oral thrush and they were at the picc line flush yesterday when Stacey (2nd cancer nurse, Helga is on holiday for 2 weeks) was trying to phone them both (no signal in the hospital) so she rang me, he has been scheduled for the double-stent insertion today at 3pm. I texted Carrie to ring me which she did. So he's nil-by-mouth from 9am (not that he can eat, anyway) and depending how it goes, may stay in overnight. I am no better but back at Mum's as there's no lunch carer in place but I am praying I will be well enough to visit Ian tomorrow. It's his brother Les' birthday today. I haven't let him know what's happening today but Ian can ring him himself if he wants.

The procedure was postponed due to the oral thrush. Rescheduled for next Thursday, which means on Tuesday we're off to Scunthorpe for the long-awaited scan, Wednesday the usual picc-line flush at Diana in Grimsby, then Thursday at the endoscopy ward for the double stent insertion.

Hope you're feeling better today than yesterday, too

Oh, how we hate the mad social whirl of medical visits.

I hate medical visits, and all I had to do was go three blocks to the chiropractor and try to explain my skeleton to them. It was like science fiction: they ran a buffer over my back till I felt like a waxed floor, then zapped me with something weird that buzzed, then made things go 'pop' in my neck, and said it was escaping nitrogen...Exozoology, anyone?

A song for you both:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrMioT5MUqY

Goodluck with the trips to and fro and for the opperation going well hospital trips are the worse... - my main achievement today was avoiding an emergency trip there, which I so didn't want to do on a bank holiday weekend - did one trip to GP instead, plus a trip to GP surgery's pharmacy - I think we've had a trip to the pharmacy now, every day for ... since last Friday (excluding the weekend)

Thanks Dmitri. Exozoology that's a new one on me. Did the procedure do you any good?!?

Thanks Sasha, yes I am much improved but not yet 100%. An early night beckons.

Oh poor 2legs I am dreading Ian being admitted to hospital as they are so strict about the visiting times and the parking is a nightmare (and expensive)

with the meds

"explain my skeleton to them" easy! I'm meccano and lego after been in a blender and the construction plans in Chinese

Well, he *did* say I needed 2-3 more treatments, and daily ice packs this coming week...so I can say 'I told you so, I really do have a hinky neck'.

It was feeling much better for a whole five hours - until we went to the high school graduation. Sitting on backless bleachers in the gym is not good for old people - we weren't the only ones groaning by the time all the awards had been given out and the caps flung into the air.

Oh, and 2legs - you deserve a reserved parking space at that pharmacy.