A room with a view

I am fortunate enough to have been allocated a large and pleasant room in the hospital and even more fortunate that the view from the room is so good.

Hospital San Jaime is situated just to the north of the town of Torrevieja. Looking through the window and to the left, the town can be seen almost completely. Looking straight out, however, is more interesting. In the far distance is a range of low mountains is visible, the slopes of which lead down to the pink-coloured salt lagoon of Torrevieja. The pink is not any form of pollution, but rather is caused by the millions of tiny crustaceans, called Artemia salina, that thrive in the waters of the lagoon (and are thoroughly enjoyed by the flamingoes). If you click on the small image to the left, you will see a larger image and you can just see some long piles of salt over to the left of the picture, at the height of the white roof of the round building.

On this side of the lagoon, there are quite a number of buildings to be seen before arriving at the centre of the photo. Here, the large round building and the smaller complex to its right stand out. They certainly look smart, but are, unfortunately, just another example of PP (Partido Popular) corruption. The buildings are empty and serve no purpose whatsoever. The round building is a fully-equipped theatre, once used for a meeting of the PP faithful; the complex was intended for musicians to practice in. Like other prestige projects of the PP (other include the Aeropuerto de Castellón and the Ciudad de La Luz), the whole thing was based on corruption, with no forward planning, costing, budgeting, or any other -ing, other than profiteering.

The green area is an uncultivated natural area, which leads into the as yet unmetalled parking area of the hospital. This is used when the available parking places prove inadequate, which is just about every day. The road which runs around the hospital and some of its parking spaces can be seen in the foreground.

As the light changes during the day, the scene can alter greatly. In the evening, the sunsets can be quite lovely.

And as for me, I feel a lot better today. Had a CAT scan this morning.

Half the man I was

It is now six days since the operation. Apparently, all went well, though I feel as bad now as at any time. In addition to the pain still caused by the internal disruptions, the staples that have been used to close the incisions are highly uncomfortable. I have bedsores on my back, caused by lying in basically the same position for several days, my left foot swells up when I walk, and I have to put up with a penile catheter, which, believe me, is not the most pleasant thing in the world.

Analysis results will be in tomorrow and the decision to discharge me will be based on those.

Can't complain about the hospital: the nurses have been excellent and the food abundant and very good, given that it's hospital food, of course.


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Last post

Just waiting to be "processed" by the admittance service. In fact, I've just been called in by Annika to get the necessary papers, for the "warder" to be called, and for me to be taken to the room.

See you when I get back!


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Location:Hospital San Jaime

All systems "Go"

I had a chat with the anaesthetist yesterday and all is set to have the operation to remove the left kidney and ureter next Monday morning, 26 November.

I have to be at the hospital at seven-fifteen in the morning (07:15!)—it's enough to make you ill.

Still, I should be first in the queue and therefore also be served first. Like being at the butcher's in so many ways! (300gr. of kidney, please…)

Actually, I used to quite like steak and kidney pie (though not so much the pudding). Well, I liked the steak bit; I used to leave any kidney I found on the plate. Faggots and peas, lovely.

Through the Keyhole

All the results are now in from the procedure that was carried out at the beginning of last week. The cytology report of tests carried out on samples taken from the inside of the left kidney speak of abundant malignant neoplasia cells, with the one-word conclusion, "Carcinoma" (cancer).

Yesterday and today I spoke to the doctors invloved and the decision has been taken to remove the left kidney and ureter. This will be done through means of what is politely referred to as keyhole surgery, though the keyholes are still quite large, as can be seen in this video (not for the squeamish) of a similar operation, though on the right side.

If you like long words, the operation is called a nephroureterectomy, a word which would probably win any Scrabble match.

The date of the operation must still be fixed, depending on approval from the insurance company.

Good news, bad news

We had to be up early on Monday morning in order to be in time for my appointment at the hospital at 07:15. Yes, that's a quarter past seven in the morning!

We arrived on the dot and were surprised to find that the admitting staff were there, too (last time we had to wait about twenty minutes for them to arrive), and that all was ready and waiting, so that withing about ten minutes we were on or way up to the room.

Shortly after entering the room the nurses were there with their razors, ready to shave me in all sorts of places: I was still in my ordinary clothes! So, out of the street clothes, into the operating gown, lie on the bed, scrape, scrape, scrape, ready to go down to the theatre area, here comes the orderly and off we are. Things have never moved so fast in Spain, I can assure you.

And it didn't stop there, for I had hardly arrived at the waiting area, when a nurse was already trying to find a vein in my hand (always difficult) and the anesthetist was asking questions. I don't know much of what happened after that, as I was given sedation: I vaguely remember being lifted up in order to have the epidural injection in my back, but that's about it. Next I know, I was in the recovery area and shortly after that I was back in my room with full plumbing (both the room and myself).

The procedure that had been carried out was a ureterorenosopy: looking up the ureter and into the kidney. The kidney couldn't be reached about a month ago, so a ureteric stent had been in place since then. This time, presumably thanks to the stent, the kidney could be reached and examined.

What was found is both good and bad news.

Good because nothing was found.

Bad because nothing was found.

The doctors had expected to find the tumour in the kidney. Had they done so, there was a chance it could have been removed there and then. Even if it were too large to remove immediately, knowing its location would have meant that an operation to remove it could have been planned. Now, hoever, things are rather more problematic. As I understand it at the moment, either the tumour is a flat one, which is more difficult to locate, or the tumour is elsewhere.

In any case, the doctors involved are having a meeting about the case this week and I shall know more about the possible courses of action next week.

I feel a lot better after this procedure than after the previous one. The stent has been removed, so I am much more comfortable. There is already no more blood in the urine (last time it took a full week for visible traces of blood to disappear) and I have far less pain when going to the toilet.

So it's not all bad news after all.

A Date to Remember and Sand

Sand brushed from just a few tiles

We went to the hospital this morning to see if we could get any news about the next procedure. Of course, all was in hand and they would call me back this afternoon to let me know when it would take place.

To be fair, they have just called back and I must first go in next Tuesday for a blood coagulation test and to speak to the anaesthetist, in preparation for the actual procedure, which is then planned to take place on 29 October.

A day to remember! Not especially because I shall be yet again in an operating theatre, but because it will be our 41st wedding anniversary!

Meanwhile, the rest of Spain seems to be having plenty of rain, but here only a few drops have fallen from what is admittedly an overcast sky. The drops fell as we were driving back from the hospital, but there were insufficient to even give one swipe with the windscreen wipers.

Last night it rained in a different way, with lots of very fine almost red sand having fallen whilst we were sleeping, so that we were met this morning with a light dusting of sand over the tiles, the car, the windowsills… heck, everywhere where it could possibly land. Apparently there have been some very nice sunsets in the north of Europe because of the amount of sand of Saharan origin that is flying around in the atmosphere. Well, there's less of it now, as a lot fell in Guardamar.

Sand from around the car