Page 397 - She's One Crazy Lady!

and leg areas where she’d had significant skin grafts taken. Oh, my goodness! I didn’t say much, hid any emotion and we changed the subject. Having been in hospital for such a long time and in such strange circumstances I asked if she was alright about going home, knowing how vulnerable I felt when I left after my long stay at Leicester. Marilyn assured me she was ‘fine’ and was ready to get home. We were soon laughing when they brought her lunch along. “I’m having that,” she said, “the meals in here have been good”. Her appetite was back and the lunch looked inviting – for I hadn’t taken any food with me.
Just a week later we were back at the hospital to have her dressings changed – and again the next week. The following week Marilyn went to Northampton General to have a pacemaker fitted. Nottingham had wanted to do this as, apparently, she’d had a few worrying moments whilst under anaesthetic. As her wounds were where the pacemaker was to be fitted, Northampton were able to offer her a different type. Poor Marilyn. What else was she to endure?
Sadly, more surgery! At the next check up (with all
the travelling making Marilyn very tired) they told her
there were more ‘bits and pieces’ that needed to
come off and be biopsied but this procedure would
have to be carried out at the Queen’s Hospital in
Nottingham – Marilyn having been to the University Hospital. It was a subdued journey home, Marilyn telling me her consultant told her they would have to ‘battle’ this. It was not looking good. A week later she was back in for day surgery.
In the interim period, we were able to sort out Patient Transport for Marilyn which made things slightly easier in some ways but it was still distressing for her as she was still having to go for appointments at Nottingham. We could not fault the care the ambulance staff gave to her but the art of booking transport was, sometimes, a nightmare. Trying to get them to answer the phone often took 20-30 attempts, then every operator you spoke to had different criteria about her eligibility going through dozens of questions – one time even asking if Marilyn had a cat!?? I got to know some of the operators well! For ninety nine percent of the time we were allowed to go with Marilyn to help her at the other end but the ambulances were not that comfortable and were very noisy. Occasionally the drivers would wait for us to take us home. If they didn’t, so began the endless phone calls to book transport again and often a long wait. It wasn’t ideal but we were appreciative of the service which was free.
After Christmas Marilyn had to go back for yet more day surgery. They explained that the cancer had ‘little fingers’ which were stretching
Marilyn with life-long friend Irene
“We were soon laughing when they brought her lunch along. “I’m having that,” she said, “the meals in here have been good”.
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