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2006 - October 15th - Saturday

JH phoned Kathy back at some point: JH told Kathy that everything was arranged and that JH would go into Derriford for 3 days of Tests, but was not required to stay the night.


 

2006 - October 17th - Tuesday
DAY ONE IN PIU

FIRST DAY SPENT IN PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION UNIT FOR INVESTIGATIONS
JH was instructed to drink two extra drinks with her breakfast and then went straight to the Nuclear Medicine Department – having arrived early enough to consume a cup of coffee at the Mayflour Café – arriving at NM at 9.15am.  JH then had to drink two more glasses of water – for which squash was also provided, but she was allowed to go to the toilet before lying over the camera!  Then a NM Renogram MAG3 kidney scan was performed – which JH could watch on a screen - as the radio-active technetium-90m was excreted through her kidneys and collected up in her bladder.  (Although a micturating cystogram was listed on the appointment letter, it was not considered necessary for JH to have one.)  Then JH went to the Nuclear Medicine Department’s special toilet to empty her bladder; JH was also given a sheet about her urine being slightly radioactive for up to the next 24 hours – so she needed to report any accidental puddles in the Ward’s toilet: fortunately she had no accidents!  JH then went to PIU and was ‘weighed and measured’: weight 15 stone (with clothes); B/P 135/100 (the Nurse observed that JH had an attack of Hospitalitis); pulse 56; blood taken for Lab; pO² - blood oxygen saturation - was not recorded by JH as she was so surprised that it was measured, even though she had a small lead clipped to a finger: in any event, it was normal!  Lunch consisted of a bowl of soup, roll and butter, sandwiches, and tinned fruit {which was much more palatable than the expected stewed-up-meat-and-two-veg).  Prior to lunch, the Ward Maid informed JH that only the Nursing Staff could provide a patient with a jug of water!  JH then went to have a chest X-ray performed, and also an ECG (where her pulse was recorded as 62 but B/P not recorded – the ECG trace would be sent to Dr Denton).  JH also called in at the Ultrasound Department to receive any pre-scan instructions prior to her scan being done tomorrow.  JH reported out of the PIU and went home in the early afternoon.

2006 - October 18th - Wednesday
DAY TWO IN PIU

JH was allowed to drink clear fluids only, but have nothing to eat; JH reported to the PIU at 9.15 am.  A specimen of her urine was sent to the Pathology Laboratory (at least 24 hours after the radioactive injection).  JH then took herself (with her notes ‘hidden’ in a large envelope) off to X-ray West for her appointment at 10.05am; however, there was some delay due to a biopsy being done – presumably an emergency – and so one of the Nursing Staff came and asked JH to go over to X-ray East to have a CT with contrast, ie, a renal angiogram, performed: JH was amazed at the speed with which this investigation was performed as she had recollections of angiograms taking ages – before the days of computerised tomography.  JH then returned to X-ray East but did not have the Kidney Ultrasound Scan until gone midday – by which time she was feeling very hungry!  The scan was performed by Sally Pearson, Consultant Radiologist, whose dying baby JH had nursed in the Special Care Baby Unit some 20 years ago.  We exchanged reminiscences, and Sally assured JH that JH’s kidneys were of normal size and quite visible, in other words, JH had not lived for 65 years with only one functioning kidney – which has been known to be discovered incidentally when someone has a scan!  JH then really enjoyed her picnic lunch on PIU - after which she reported-out. Kathy had left message on JH’s CM asking how JH was getting on – which JH received after she had been to play recorders.



 
 
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