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My best birthday ever

It is less than a week since I had my gall bladder removed. Although I'm not feeling anywhere near 100% yet, I am getting there. Wednesday was my birthday and I had a big party for around 50 people. Steve and Steph from our local butty shop "The Hot Crumpet" provided individual beef hotpots and my friend Mary Goodliffe made me a cake.


Mary also took these two photographs. I think I've had about three real birthday parties in my life. Usually I get only two or three cards as most people are just too busy to bother about someone's birthday when it is so near Christmas.


This year was therefore very special as I now live in a community full of friendly folk who'll lay on a party at the drop of a hat. Not since I was teenager (and maybe not even then) have I had as many as 27 birthday cards to blue-tack to the wall. Now I can start to look forward to Christmas and the New Year.

Shadow Shot Sunday: Gall stone

Following my admission to hospital in October I was due to go in to have my gall bladder removed on 1st December. However because of the public sector strike over pensions on November 30th the op was put back to the 15th. Having cut out biscuits and pies and cream and stuff from my diet, I was doing OK (pigged a little on toast).

So Wednesday I had a glass of milk at 11.10pm and in the morning got a taxi to Tameside hospital for 8 am on Thursday. I answered various questions and had blood taken but then lay on a trolley watching others who had not arrived until 10.30 am go down for surgery come back and go home until 5 pm when I was eventually taken down to theatre. I woke up back in the unit about 9pm and was shown a gall stone the size of a walnut.


See it here with a penny for comparison casting a shadow on the kitchen table.

At midnight I was given some tea and toast. There were only three of us staying overnight but I had a drain in me which was uncomfortable so I rested but didn't sleep. I had more tea and toast at 4.30 am and at 6.30 am the drain was taken out and at 7.15 am I was sent home in a taxi, getting home just before it started snowing.

I discovered that a carer had give my wife her breakfast at 9.15 am on Thursday but then nobody had been at lunch time. A carer had finally turned at 7.30 pm by which time Christine was hungry and shaking (possibly having a hypo). She was given four large sandwiches! Whether she took her correct medication I can't tell for sure. I'm glad to be home but am in quite some pain as yet - have been told to take it easy for the next three or four days by which time I should be feeling better.

Our freezer and fridge are nicely stocked and a neighbour is kindly getting us some more bread and cooked meat later so we should be OK till early next week.

For more shadows visit Shadow Shot Sunday