Mrs Malaprop's Kidney

Well doing nothing is easier said than done. I had forgotten just how hectic how a school morning can be, especially if despite yourself you insist on doing hair and being generally bossy, even if it is from your bed. Just how do I turn a lifetime's worth of control freakery off?

Mr Malaprop is looking after me very well and the kids are trying their best not to be too demanding.

Tonight is Halloween so the two smaller ones have just set off with friends to go trick or treating, Master Mal as the Grim Reaper and Miss Mal as a red devil. Rather enjoyed doing their make up. Might be biased but they looked fantastic.

Tomorrow it's back to the hospital to have the dressing changed, I sneaked a peek on day 3 after the op when the dressing was first changed and even then it looked great - no stitches on the outside, just steri strips. I'll ask the nurse to check my weird rash too. Noticed it the day after the transplant and thought it was from lying on my side during the operation, but it seems to be getting worse. Apart from that I'm feeling remarkably well. Bit tender of course, would be strange if I wasn't.

Did have an emotional moment this morning after the kids had gone to school. Little bit tearful. All very well convincing yourself before hand that you won't do anything and will just lie there recuperating but I had forgotten how hard that is once you return to real life.

Mr Propermal is now fully mobile and more or less tube free. I think he still has a fluid drip over night, I'll check when we go in tomorrow.

Back at home and being spoilt. All has gone remarkably well. Mr Propermal doing brilliantly.

Thanks for warm thoughts and wishes, so sure they help. More tomorrow.

Birthday cakes just out of the oven, packed my toothbrush and I'm basking in the warm thoughts and wishes that are coming in from all over.

Thank you.

Ready to leave in just over an hour.

Mr Malaprop and Mrs Propermal will come in tomorrow and be there while the transplant takes place. But there is no Wifi on the ward so the blog will have to wait. Next installment probably on Monday.

Meanwhile check this wonderfully apt image: www.sueridge.com/Mind%20the%20Gap%20%201.html

Donor nephrectomy. I love it, sounds like a character in a dodgy novel. That is the real term, I even have it in a letter.

Mr Propermal is already in the hospital, I check in tomorrow at 2. Not long now. Feeling surprisingly calm.

Ooh, writing 3 days to go is a bit freaky. Lot more than 4 days to go. But then I did just write '4 days to go' about 2 minutes ago. Didn't get around to blogging yesterday so only posted yesterday's brief missive this am.

We're off to Sunday lunch en masse shortly to celebrate the squillions of birthdays coming up. Going to put off celebrating my birthday which falls on the day after the op for a month. Eldest son has me going into hospital on his, but is being vey stoic about it. He is planning on having lunch with his mates from school. Mr Malaprop's little sister turns sweet sixteen tomorrow and his dad is another year older next Sunday.

All the family frenzy and the onset of half term haven't left much time to dwell which is no bad thing. This time next week I'll be getting ready to come home again. It is a bit strange.

Spent the day getting a few last minute things done and devouring the paper.

Did my last yoga class for six weeks today. Has been very good discipline going twice a week. Feel very fit and healthy. Bit disorganised around the edges, but all the important stuff is taken care of.

Had to have another little lie down today. Very effective way of dealing with the nevousness - have a little nap.

Besides, I justify it with the thought that I am bulding up my strength.

Off to the hospital for the bloods this morning fortified by the thought of the scrumptious lunch to follow. We had decided to repair to Yakitoria for fabulous Japanese food to celebrate.

Bit put out then when told I had to have my heart and lungs tested again. Luckily just an x-ray and an ECG, completed pretty quickly.

Short stroll along the canal, and inside the restaurant is gorgeous. Some days later we had decided what we wanted to eat. Then changed our minds again.

In the end we started with seafood tempura, grilled green lip mussels with escargot butter, wagyu beef, Hijiki black seaweed salad and asazuke - pickled vegetables. All to die for.

Then we worked our way through the Yakitoria selection, a chicken filet, tuna, duck breast, salmon, asparagus in bacon, quail eggs and courgette, served sizzling on it's own hot plate, more seafood tempura and Shogun prawn with wild mushrooms. And rice. Even the rice was special.

Finished with the sorbet selection; lychee, peach and strawberry.

Each dish presented beautifully, fresh ingredients and inspiring flavours. Such a treat.

It is getting exciting now. I was so excited after lunch I had to have a little lie down.

Rattling this off before CSI.

Busy morning, quiet afternoon, mumsy evening. Now blessed with 3 clean children, they had started to resemble wet dogs - swimming in the sea on Sunday contributed. They had only been spot washed. Luckily son the elder doesn't want to look like a goth and the younger 2 follow his lead.

Last bloods tomorrow, fingers crossed. Should be a just a formality.

At last some quiet time in the house to catch up on some admin. The other day I was trying to sort out how to burn video I'd shot and captured to the computer on to a DVD. I was working from the help manuals in the software and the fairly random 'point and click where it looks likely' method. I would just get my head around some stage in the process and be about to implement it when one of the children would need something, ask something, lose something and my train of thought would be broken.

So much easier for me to work when they are at school or asleep. Jumping in boots and all with Spanish classes and computer training is keeping me busy enough to not dwell on things. When I do take time to check my feelings on the coming operation (which don't worry I do) I'm feeling quietly positive as well as obviously a bit scared of the discomfort. Have great faith in my own and my immediate family's ability to heal quickly and well.

Doing last minute planning for next week, final blood tests day after tomorrow.

Ten days until the transplant. At last we can really get excited. A wonderful email from Mrs Propermal's Mum has finally forced my fingers back to the keyboard, I had been a bit blog phobic.

Of course I am nervous, more so I think than if everything had gone to schedule back in July, but not too scared. OK, I'm s***ing myself. But what's worse, heading for major surgery, or possibly making a complete tit of myself with an overly emotive blog? More tomorrow, off to the seaside now.