Kate's Mum Is A Bloggette!

Bloggettes/Blogsters!

Glad tidings of comfort and joy!


The new-'lung'ed Mark has been a busy bunny - Confidence rising along with stamina and lack of sleep!

On Tuesday took 10.58am train from Burton to Newcastle (via the chemist which still hadn’t got my new magnesium tabs in…grrrrr) and then taxi to hospital.

(Chemist since redeemed because I now have it!)

I had to carry the big old nebuliser unit because I was going to stay in a flat for the first time so had no access to the oxygen which I put my nebulisers through when an in-patient.

Nothing to do once checked in and taken medication, so went for an early dinner in the canteen - which is very nice for a hospital.

What I didn’t realise until told by another patient is if I showed my flat key I would have got a discount off the food.

I bought some nuts and chocolate for a hi-magnesium ‘snack’. Spent most of evening in the lounge near Ward 23, with a Diet Coke machine and The Times.

During the evening I wrote the cards for staff I hadn’t done last time.

I had to be up at 5.15am to get to the clinic before 7am – it’s a long cold outdoor walk (in a mask) from one end of the hospital, round the building site to the outpatients department.

This time I was the second person in the queue and was seen pretty quickly, although I need not have bothered, as there were few people waiting this time.

One may warned me that rejection could come at any time and it almost killed him. This isn’t what I wanted to hear thank you.

I spent the time writing in my journal and trying to only participate in positive conversation.

A lady from Glasgow had had a heart transplant 14 years ago. Double lung transplants are fairly new and risky things and I have not yet met a long-term survivor.

This is slightly worrying.

My weight was 85kg and my height was the same as last time! For some reason the torturous lung function tests were done in the room when one saw the doctor.

Mine FE1 was up to about 2.50, about 60% of what it should be for someone of my height and weight. This is up from 59% last time. He said the spirometer he had was under-reading by a couple of % too. So the real figure is closer 63%. All good.

He seemed happy with this and said many people with double lung transplants never get past 70 per cent. I didn’t want to hear that. I am not MOST though. I am Mark.

We discussed side effects I am suffering from and said it was unlikely the doses of offending drugs would be reduced in the near future. I understand this. At the moment I am doing well and ‘if it isn’t broke…don’t fix it!’

I had time to kill so had my hair cut into a Mohican at the back and short on top.

The rest of the week went in a blur really. I was delivering Christmas cards and doing the jobs that never end,

French Nathalie came on Thursday and we went for a walk on Castle Ring, followed by a coffee in the Park Gate.

Friday was eventful. In the morning I went to Burntwood and bought a coat (well I was cold….ok!); came back and wrapped pressies

In the afternoon Debbie B came. It was good to see her, as we hadn’t caught up in a while. I also arranged to meet Corinne later.

Mum and I went to a mulled wine evening at the Olsen’s house. (Hannah’s family).

I met the lovely Kate (Park Gate)’s mum (oh that rhymes!) - who is a Bloggette and many other nice people …..and the Cannock Wood Clangers – the seasonally affected campanologists.

I then went to meet Corinne and had a text from Laura to say she was in the PG. When I got in the cricket club were in too, celebrating the birth of Gareth P’s baby.

So what a triple whammy! I got to speak to the lovely Laura and the Sharp clan, PLUS Corinne and her b’f.We just needed Jim Bob and Fruit Bat to make it a party.

It was a bit crowded in the Park Gate….But I decided to live dangerously for once. It was better for me to be social. Social-ness should be on prescription.

So to continue the conversation……Ducks or hens? Which make the best pets? Answers on a postcard please.

I walked home in the pitch dark, but it was a comfort. I was thinking ‘Wow…I am walking home…. How good is that’…

Christmas Eve hit Lichfield and went to Tudor Tunes for the new KT Tunstall single and working there was Louise - Who some of you may remember used to be the lovely barperson at the Pig ‘ Truffle yonks ago. Well she is still as smashing as ever! Hello Louise. You haven't changed a bit and we still love you.

(Hello too to Jo and Rebecca who came over this afternoon.)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all our readers (isn’t that what we are meant to say at this point?)

If you haven’t had enough of me. The village news is in this week’s Mercury I presume. Although I wouldn’t know, as the stupid paperboy doesn’t bother to deliver it to me and you can’t buy that edition anywhere nearby!

I also have an article in said paper over the new year which will reveal a resolution you can make, which won’t cost any money, but just ten minutes of your time, will last forever and cannot be broken. You don’t have to subscribe a religious cult either!

All will be revealed.

Another hello to Bekki, Kelly and the horsey girls over the road. I hope you and your equine friends have a lovely Christmas. Did the four-legged friends enjoy the Christmas pressies I left for them.

Headline of the week The Sun, on Elton John’s ‘marriage. ‘Elton Takes David Up The Aisle”

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Book: Gridlock by Ben Elton
Music: Green Day, System Of A Down. Daft Punk, Matt’s CD, Rufus Wainwright .