Spring & Surgical Stockings

Once again, things have been quiet so not sure that I have much to say or share.  I met up with Jan for lunch last Friday which was really nice because I hadn’t seen her in over a month.  We went to The Plough at Simpson as we usually do, mainly because of its close proximity to the OU.  Food was good but just a shame that we had to wait over half an hour for it to arrive.

Brian brought Sue home from hospital that same day, and at teatime, I took over some homemade soup that Phil had made.  Sue looked great, I had thought that the journey may tire her out but she looked really good.   Her voice was hoarse from the many tubes and she was a little breathless but otherwise good.  I didn’t stay long because it was her first night back at home after a 10 day stay in hospital.

On Saturday, I was back round to Sue’s as Brian had plans for the day, something he’d arranged before he knew Sue was going to be discharged from hospital.  Sue has to have someone stay with her for the first 4 days so she had me for the day on Saturday.  This worked out quite well because Phil went to Melton to do some jobs for his mum and dad during the day and he was then going on to Loughborough to spend the night with Steve.

Sue said she had slept quite well and I really do marvel at how well she is doing so soon after having major heart surgery.  It is astonishing really and if she carries on the way she is doing, it won’t be long before she is back to normal.  Sue has to wear surgical stockings for 6 weeks and she had to ask me to put them on for her.  I have never done this before and needless to say that I wasn't very good at it.  Sue was laughing which made her chest hurt and my laughing at myself didn't help the stockings go on.  But I got there eventually.

I did some hovering and a bit of ironing. Lunch was a bowl of soup and a roll and the afternoon was quiet.  Matt popped round at teatime and I did feel sorry for him when he discovered he had a flat battery on his car and also that his tyre was flat.  He had to jump start his battery and pump up in his tyre in the cold and dark.  I stayed to have dinner with Brian and Sue and stayed much later than I should of.

I changed our bed and then went to the gym on Sunday morning for a not very satisfactory work out.   I knew Phil wouldn’t be back before lunch and sure enough it was midday when he walked the door.  He had promised to take me to lunch and I really wanted to go to the Ship Ashore for their Sunday lunch but I could see Phil was suffering with a hangover so we went to The Giffard instead.  We both had the roast beef and it was truly disgusting.  Yes I know it was cheap as chips, but to me, my plate was almost inedible.  Never again.  It would have been nice to perhaps have had a walk along the canal as it was such a nice day but all Phil wanted was his sofa.  And so it was back to the flat for a ‘duvet’ afternoon.

For some reason we didn’t wake up till after 9am yesterday morning which is most unusual.  We both had slept like logs so we must have needed it. I really wanted and needed to go to the gym but there was no time.  Phil organised the lunch and I went to Tesco for some supplies.   It’s not often these days that Phil cooks, so it is nice when he does but I was a little concerned that the pork wasn’t cooked enough; it tasted okay and I wasn’t ill afterwards so I guess it was fine.  

After lunch was cleared away, I went to Sue’s to spend the afternoon with her whilst Brian took his mum shopping.   Sue looked tired and I think yesterday was a down day.  It says in her post op literature that patients will have highs and lows so this is normal.   The trouble is that Sue is like me and is not one for sitting down and doing sod all.  I could tell yesterday that she was bored and I do worry that only a few days at home that her convalescent is going to feel like a long haul but I think as her wound heals up and she can get out and about, it will get better.  I hope so anyway.

Changing the subject, Phil has booked us a holiday in March but he says that I am not allowed to blog about it.  And so my lips are sealed for the moment, but needless to say, as with every Phil & Claire adventure, there is a story to tell.

I feel this entry and indeed my last one is a little flat but that just about sums up January.  It is my worst month.  February for me fares little better but in March, with spring to be sprung, my mood improves.  Roll on........................