Page 220 - She's One Crazy Lady!

it was question of hanging on the them for dear life!)
Marilyn had thoughtfully brought some pillows with her to pad me up
as we travelled back and told me she would be staying the night with me – just to make sure I was alright. I appreciated that. It was good to be home, my flat suddenly seeming so small. Marilyn’s decision to stay with me was so appreciated and welcomed, especially as we laughed so much in trying to blow up an air bed for her which, when I had to get up in the night, had already gone down! Marilyn ended up staying three nights.
District nurses came in to see me to change the dressings but on the second day home, after an extremely painful night I had to go back to Leicester again as one of the wounds had started to ooze badly and the top half my body was extremely tight and more swollen.
Drama!! “If it suddenly gets worse, don’t hesitate in ringing for an ambulance! We’ll be waiting for you.” said Leicester. Cas and Roger readily agreed to take Marilyn and I over and we found ourselves at the Nurse’s desk on the Kinmonth Unit again. It was like catching up with old friends – everyone was so welcoming – and genuinely concerned. They had prepared a room for me and when Mr Varma came in he said I would need to be admitted again. However, as time went by we were moved to a day room. Mr Varma and Chris, (who happened to be on duty as well), gave me a thorough examination (another “Wow Miss Hooper” from Mr Varma (for he was delighted with the actual boob and even took more photos!) and sent me for an ultrasound suggesting the swelling could be fluid building up. There were long waits in between all these consultations but Marilyn livened things up when she declared she had just read the entire history of World War Two! I know I fell asleep. The swelling was fluid – pockets of fluid that they felt would disperse on their own – but I was given pain killers and was told they had an open-door and was to go back at any time if I was worried. They also told me that perhaps I had been sent home too soon. I could not have asked for better care but was relieved I didn’t have to stay in.
So... let the recuperation period begin! I set myself little challenges to walk about – a little farther each day. It was tiring – very tiring, but everything was healing well and the District Nurses were regular visitors.
Then came the question, asked by so many: “Are you glad you’ve had it done?” Yes, I was and was willing to show those who wanted to see it. In a visit to see Dr Lawrence, I remember him asking if he could have a look and he intimated that I had almost had a double reconstruction – he was fascinated and studied all the areas very closely generating a few more “Wows!!”
I was to experience ‘up and down days’ for a few more weeks for it was then that I knew I just had to make my mind up about school. I had been off work for such a long time... it couldn’t go on for much longer – could it? ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, came to my thoughts. The school had moved on again too and was making positive progress to being removed from Special Measures which was good. I now had to accept
“Marilyn’s decision to stay with me was so appreciated and welcomed, especially as
we laughed so much in trying to blow up an air bed for her which, when I had to get up in the night, had already gone down! ”
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