At 15:00hrs this afternoon, I returned to my room, hoping that I would be able to get through the night before I became neutropenic and before my diarrhoea worsened.
Evidently, this did not happen.
After hours of checking my temperature seeing it creep towards 38, and managing my frequent trips to the toilet, Mamma Jones called the Ambi Care helpline at 21:00hrs, and we were told to come in via Accident and Emergency.
So, a quick walk up to Warren Street Station, and down Euston Road later, to A&E I arrived. By which point, my fever was in full bloom, and I looked like , well, I do not know what I looked like. I looked unpleasant. Mamma Jones said I looked like a criminal.
They helpfully would not let me sit in Reception, which led to me standing in a corridor for 5 minutes. I was seen in the tiny A&E room before I was moved, in a wheelchair to the section where the exciting things happen on Casualty.
You hear a lot of crap here. We literally heard somebody crapping themselves, which definitely smelt ‘offensive’. There I was until 23:00hrs, during which time, I was squirming in pain, trying to think of the correct answer to the official medical barometer of pain, had tests taken and I was seen by a haematologist. He established that I was neutropenic. I had a temperature of 38.2 and I really did feel like an alien was going to come out of my belly.
Due to the smell of faeces, I was moved to a private room, whilst they located a bed for me. There were no beds in haematology. Brilliant. Slick. Efficient.
At 23:56hrs, I arrived in my room for the night, I say night, because there is no way I am staying on a general ward, under the care of nurses who do not know what myeloma is. I am tired, I am in pain, I am on oramorph, and still I can confirm that I do not like this room. I doubt that it has been properly cleaned for I have found a jug with urine in it and there are blood stains on the floor. I have been advised not to touch a lot in my room. Mamma Jones apologised for my reaction.
Now, to try and sleep. I can see Gower Street… I want the penthouse.
