Wednesday

A relatively calm day today - nothing much happening. Well, at least for Michael anyway! As the kids were off school today, I made the most of it and had a lie in to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I sneaked out of the house just at the little angels were waking to do some shopping. Naturally, the first call came in - child in panic over something completely unimportant. Dealt with that and then the next call from eldest and most responsible child was, I thought, to tell me that first child was still stropping. Oh no - nothing as simple. Nathan had managed to break his bed. Not quite sure what they thought I could do whilst do the shopping (maybe just purchase a new bed?!). Anyway, on the drive home, decided it must just been the slats that had broken on his wooden bed frame. How wrong could I have been? The whole bed had collapsed and there was no way it could be mended. Forget unpacking the shopping - I then completely dismantled the bed, putting as much as possible in the bins and the remainder will get to the Dump (together with the lovely pink exercise bike which has just died**) eventually. Nathan believed this was another reason to get his room decorated. I decided it was a good reason for him to actually give his room a good clean and hoover. We compromised and the room got a quick duster tickling and a hoover.

**Yes - Michael's lovely pink exercise bike which he started his training on for his New York bike ride, has now given up. I was happily cycling last week when the pedals lost all their resistance. I have tried to pull the thing apart and mend it but I don't think there's much hope that it will ever work again. Guess it's done a fair few miles - I have gone back to using the wii fit but the only problem with that is I can't catch up with crummy tv at the same time :(

All now sorted and Nathan has a very comfortable alternative to a bed - a comfortable mattress on the floor. He's always moaning he wants and bigger room - and now, without the bed, it does look somewhat bigger!!

Time to wash to the sheets, and time for the house to fuse again..... and again..... and again. I have now narrowed it down to which circuit has the fault and I will eventually get round to calling the Electrician. Eventually the washing did get done.

What should have been a fairly relaxing day just seemed to turn into a rushed day. Why does nothing ever goes as planned? If only Michael realised what excitement he's coming home to next week.

Michael's day was pretty much the same (not as mine, but as every other day in hospital) - except obviously no coffee shop visits. His parents kept him company so at least he wasn't on his own. He spoke with the Surgeon today - again the topic of fluids came up and the Surgeon confirmed that no bowel transplant patient could possible drink enough fluids and therefore Michael will have to put fluids into his tube (going into the intestine) over about a four hour period a day. It wasn't until the Surgeon left that Michael realised if this is on top of the 15 hours a day of feed, he's going to be connected for the majority of the day. So, another thing to query when the Surgeon comes back tomorrow. I want to say to Michael that he then needs to start eating more so that he doesn't need to be connected to the feed for so long, or at all, but I know that's just unnecessary pressure on him. If only it was as easy as me just having to eat extra for him and him gaining the weight :)

They are also taking him off his Antiemetics (anti sickness) drugs which go through his picc line. I thought they were just making him go 'cold turkey' but no - they will now go directly into his intestine via the tube. They are very concerned about infection via the picc line. When Michael had one before (as well as the hickman line) we were very careful in keeping it extremely clean and ensuring when using drugs (obviously the permitted kind!) that it was always done in an aseptic way (sterile). Thankfully he never got any infections but they just don't want to risk this as infections after transplant can be very serious. They'll be trying this new way over the next few days to check whether Michael is still getting the same benefits from the drugs. Can't wait for him to not have to use them at all.

Michael also discussed 'socialising' because of the risk of infection and catching all those horrible bugs that are always around. Basically, no crowds - any place where there are large groups of people (although what does he constitute as large?). Outside is absolutely fine - there can be thousands of people but generally germs are dispelled outside. It's inside that's the problem. Still not really sure what we can and cannot do. He's happy for us to go out and about at the moment, and obviously when we're in one of the many coffee shops around Oxford, there are other people there. How many people constitute a crowd? Obviously at lot of it is common sense and if people are unwell, sorry - we just don't want to see you. This 'antisocial' behaviour will be for about 1 year, so would be good to know a bit more about does and don'ts.

Night x