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

As of today in theory my first whole year at university is complete.

In reality I have to pop in first thing Monday morning with my plinth as one was not provided for me and I have to build it myself over the weekend and set everything up then.

Then it's a tense wait until the following week when our show starts off with a private view and then continues for 2 weeks.

The day after the private view we will have our results, at which point we will also get our results. If successful in obtaining a Level 3 grade we're sorted, otherwise we have to do a referral task to improve our grade.

Then we have to invigilate our show and then we take it all down after two weeks and this whole year is done.

It's been quite a hard one actually - around half the group that started in September has dropped out - so it feels like even more of an accomplishment to have done this.

It sounds very hard, but it sounds like you've done really well. I hope the show is a success and the results are what you've hoped for (I'm sure you'll impress).

Good luck!!

This is the easy bit now - the show and suchlike. The only catch is if our assessment isn't high enough, then we'll have to pick up some bonus points somewhere.

The hard parts really were knowing how many people had dropped out, and why, and keeping yourself going when the tutors didn't really do anything to help in that regard.

One has an almost legitimate excuse in a broken leg or some injury to her leg, but she's milked it for 2 years now. Must be some injury!

The other just doesn't care. In his second year teaching and he isn't that good and he could improve and be more organised and care, but he won't put in any extra time into anything (he's a part timer and that means strict adherence to his hours - no extras, for no reason) and everything must be done his way.

Lets just say that we've had our differences this year.

Wow.

Our private view show was tonight and there was quite a good turn-out, with lots of booze and merriment.

It felt a bit odd in some ways, like it hadn't lived up to my expectations (like I'd know, never having even been to one before!) but I had no real expectations, but still felt vaguely disappointed. Can't even explain it.

Afterwards went with OH, best mate from school, her OH, her lodger and her friend out for a meal in town, which was lovely. Everybody really got on and chatted and so on which was great - no his friends / her friends clash or suchlike.

It feels so strange to be 'done', apart from one day sitting invigilating and getting my grade, in theory. I'm working on the assumption here that I will obtain the grade I need, otherwise I will have to do some extra work for credit, and sharply.

It's definitely not sunk in yet that I'm done - I keep thinking what's next. How bizarre.

Well done!

(Sorry, only just catching up on all these convos now )

That's OK - how was your trip?
I am of course assuming it was purely for research purposes?

Oh, of course it was. I'd never just take off for two weeks purely for fun

Wow! Not only am i now going on holiday in 2 weeks but I also got my grades today with level 3s throughout meaning I'll get the full diploma distinction jobbie!
On top of that I also get one of the awards for an informal competition the students had to design a t-shirt that we had earlier in the year. This is great because there were so many great graphic designers in the year, but I had a really good idea that was visually strong so I'm chuffed to bits! And there's money in it!
Then this afternoon I was showing my writeup to DT and noticed that out of the two pages of comments I had one was written by the only tutor I respect at school and it was very positive.
DT and I celebrated by obtaining some caramel cinnamon crunch carte d'or, having been completely taken in by the advertising.

Bravo!

The final part of my summer is now lining up - I've done the diploma and the holiday and there's only one thing left - surgery.

I've had the pre-assessment, met the surgeon, been briefed about the procedure and been given a date for it - July 29th.

I've also seen the cardiologists at the local hospital, who were looking into things before everything kicked off in January. Due to various trips for my gran, I never went back there for my results until today. They are happy, don't need to see me again and feel that any damage done to my system will fix itself once my BP is down to normal levels on a permanent basis.
He mentioned that my left ventricle is slightly enlarged and there's a slight murmur but he felt it should recover once my BP isn't hopping over the 200 mark on a regular basis.

Surgeon has possibly slightly oversold the results of the surgery, basically saying that as soon as it's done my body chemistry will fix itself immediately and that I won't need any drugs and will feel 100% better. You know, apart from the pain from the surgery itself. I'd like to believe him but it's a little bit tough to do - I'm reserving judgement at this time.

And then it's back to school for my first year of my new BA program. Eeek.

In the run up to the surgery I find myself cocooning slightly for whatever reason. I really really should go deal with errands out of the house and I can't be arsed. Although I have started tidying the spare room so my parents can stay there this weekend, even if they haven't actually sent me their flight details so I can't actually go pick them up. Well. They know where we live.

I'm also not feeling very well, with almost daily bouts of queasiness and am more tired than a person sleeping the amount I'm sleeping should be.

Hope it goes smoothly for you, and that the surgeon is right that you'll be mostly ok as soon as the surgery is over.

Sorry I didn't see this sooner!

Just let that confidence spill over to you - and do the chores and errands when you're feeling better

Currently drinking some vile concoction and hoping to keep it down as if I don't the whole thing will get repeated at the hospital tonight with a tube up my nose. Swallowing has never seemed more preferable than now!

And hospital will call this afternoon to tell me where to go and when to be there and then tomorrow is Blob Day.

So, I won't be here until Friday or Saturday (they didn't think they'd let me out until Friday probably), although OH may post on my behalf.

Ma & Pa are making themselves useful / scarce after I collected them from the airport yesterday - they're going to Friedrichshafen tomorrow for a week and then swinging by here again on the way back.

Best of luck keeping the stuff down!

And a Blob Day that's as pleasant as it can be

Ismarah's hubby here. I visited her most of this afternoon and she just asked me to post here.

According to the hospital team, indications are the surgery went well and to plan. Ismarah was sleepy (on morphine) but we chatted as she drifted in and out until I left around 7. Having spoken to her just now, she's also started moving about, which is good, and although the doctor's suggestion that she might be coming home tomorrow is probably premature, I'm very much hoping she'll be back Friday.

Oh good! All the best wishes to her

And to you - thanks for the update

Am back home now, very thrilled but very tired.

Adrenals 2 - 0 Blob = meaning the surgery was a complete success and went exactly according to plan. My BP is already lower but we'll see where it stabilises in the next 2 weeks as I heal.

I have three lovely little holes on the left side of my tummy, just hugging the line under the ribs, and no ability to use stomach muscles. I believe some Pilates will be in order to suck up this gut. In the car today I was hot, bothered and uncomfortable and found myself constantly rubbing my belly in order to soothe the nausea and the pain. Of course with it's forwardness at the minute, it just looked like I was rubbing my pregnant belly.

Poor OH has driven to central London twice (we NEVER drive there) as I was unable to take the train there and back, although he used it for visiting me every day, bless his little tube map. He had good fun on Wednesday playing with his iphone whilst listening to me alternate snoring with gurgling in the O2 mask, but I wasn't much company.

Then with a spot of the vomit comet Wednesday and Thursday nights I have not rested really since Tuesday night. Or eaten. Problem with this ward was that it was very fancy and the food was very good - but they were three large meals a day when it would have been much better for me to have a small yoghurt or half a banana every 2 hours.

But it's all over now - I do actually feel like I'm firing on more cylinders than before, mentally speaking and I'm more zippy / zingy / springy in myself, so the surgeon was right.

And I forgot the almost most exciting thing! We have a new boiler! It has HOT WATER! We can SHOWER! and so on. Installed yesterday, so OH really has been up against it!

Glad to see you back, ismarah! Take care of yourself

And all the better if the results seem to be that instantaneous!