Morning all :)
I've just got back from having another blood test. I was the best - again. Nearly able to look at the needle now!? I know!!! I can't believe it. Next time I am going to look. I only did a little bit of foot tapping today.
Diane and Sally (the nurses) were pleasently shocked to see me with my newly shaved head. Sally gave me a big cuddle and was happy to see me so happy. She said my eyes were really blue and looked really big. Made me feel really nice and gave me a boost.
Diane mentioned that because I have had low white count before it may mean that I will have to have at some point the injections in my tummy to boost white cells. If anyone reading this has any information/experience with this could they message me, that would be great. I have left a message for Dr Newton to call me back, but I don't know when she'll get in touch.
I mentioned pay and display car park fees a while ago in my blog. It's £2 for 3 hours and £5 for the full day. I have racked up quite a bit of money, paying each time to park and decided to go find out about a permit of some kind today. I would have done it before, but to be totally honest I really wasnt strong enough or bothered. I had that much on my mind and paying £2/£5 wasn't a priority.
Today I felt particularly strong physically and mentally to ask, listen and work things out, so off I went to ask. Sally on the ward said I needed to go to patient advice service and ask them. They were really helpful and friendly, thankfully. I had to take a form to Sally who would fill out the information for me and sign it. Back to the ward. She did it straight away for me and signed it til September for now and then review later depending on what happens with appointments. It felt weird thinking like that. Seeing the date 1/9/11 and knowing I would be coming and going to hospital from now until that time and possibly a bit longer, felt odd. You might think why, hadn't you worked it out that it would be that? well.. really I hadn't.... my mind and feelings have been for the now and taking each day at a time. Other wise I think I would get all stressy and plan to far in advance.
I had to go back to the desk and pass that to the patient advice team. Where a lady figured out how much it would cost. I didn't have a figure in mind, but Sally had said it would be at a reduced rate and would cost less than paying seperately all those times over and over.
The lady came back and told me I needed to go to the cashiers and pay the sum of £13. THIRTEEN POUNDS. That is all?! That's the equivalent to two lots of chemo and a blood test. And I had a permit for 10 appointments with a review to more. I was very pleased. I thought about all the other people that might not know about doing this. It's not something that is advertised, I'm guessing because the hospital need/want to make as much money as possible and advertising it would make it so they wouldn't do so.
I paid the £13 and went back to the desk (yo-yo, but it was worth it) A different lady came out and gave me a permit. It was for my reg plate and Anthony's, so which ever car we're in it's ok. Really worth doing. I thanked everyone for their help and left feeling chuffed and happy that I wouldn't need to faff about with pound coins again and I was saving money!
Back at the car park, I started to unlock the car and a man and I'm guessing his wife pulled up. 'Are you going love?!' He wanted my space, it had gotten really busy in the car park. I smiled, took out my pay and display ticket and asked him if he was staying long. There were a couple of hours left on the ticket. I know it's probably frowned by people in the car park money making business, but I try and help out other people if I can. He smiled a big smile and thanked me. He was visiting his Mum who had just been admitted, I thought about how stressful that would be and how getting to the hospital itself and parking can be a nightmare.
'Suppose you want my space now as well do ya?!' I said in a jokey smiley way. His wife giggled, 'well yes please!'
I gave them a wave as I left the car park and they waves back and they both looked happy. I felt good inside.
I drove home with my music loud and full of joy, drove home.
Waiting to either get a phone call or not about my chemo. Will keep you posted... xxx
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