Still in hospital! Wishful thinking I would be discharged 2 days ago. It’s not all bad however, and I understand why the team are keeping me here.

I’ve been analysing being an in-patient. In my lifetime, I’ve had 5 stints as an in-patient in hospital. 5 years ago during my first immunotherapy treatment with interferon, a couple of weeks in different hospitals a year later for gallstones and gallbladder removal, an overnighter after having Nate, and now! I’ve realised how different your experience can be, mainly depending on which hospital you’re at, and the reason why you’re there. It’s an interesting ‘day in the life’ and I can hands down say that this visit has been my best. Which might sound odd, as of course having Nate was the best day of my life, and this time I have cancer. However the hospital stay with Nate was pretty miserable.

Things that have made this stay such a positive experience include the fact that I’m at a hospital where I’m really starting to feel like part of the family. I’ve said it before, I’ll shout it again – the people here make this place a relaxed, friendly, enjoyable hospital to stay at. It’s worth noting that my health improved within 24 hours and I started to feel a lot better very quickly, which of course must also have contributed to a positive stay.

Velindre is a different kind of hospital than your general intake A&E department, it’s less crowded with specialised treatment particular to you as a cancer patient. I was therefore extremely lucky to have my own room, and my own bathroom. I’ve decided that this makes the upmost difference to your wellbeing in hospital. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a princess, of course I would make do with whatever was given to me. However, when you feel rubbish, in general, you want privacy. Even more so when you’re away from home, in pain, and alone. Being able to close the door and let Nate run riot in my room on visits without worrying he was disturbing an entire ward, or binge watching Netflix with the sound up, all made such a difference. Needless to say when you have immunotherapy induced colitis, having your own bathroom is invaluable (!!)

I also found it fascinating observing the daily routine of being an in-patient, and surprised myself at how quickly I became used to the schedule. (Very) early starts, with the nurses changing over at 7am. The new shift will then administer medications and do observations, before the doctors ward rounds. The tireless catering staff seem to understand the business of these hours and offer endless cups of tea, and an early breakfast. Then it’s a game of do I try and take a shower and get dressed or do I wait for the doctors rounds so I can get an update on my case and plan for the coming days.

I am fully aware that the majority of hospital in-patients perhaps don’t feel as well as I did, which in turn makes for a less positive experience. But I’m going on what I’m given for now, and what I have genuinely experienced during my time here. It also wasn’t all roses, I had drips in both arms that were painful and uncomfortable, and I had to drag a machine administering fluids around with me everywhere I went for the first couple of days. I also slept perhaps a maximum of 4 hours a night, and missed my family and home life enormously. But, I’m a glass half full sort of person, and increasingly try and take the positive out of every single day!

Back to my current ‘day in the life’. Getting the medical update from the docs, for me, consisted of how I was feeling, and updates from gastroenterology and endocrinology specialist departments regarding various medications I was on and tests that perhaps still needed to be done. Then my day was free for visits and wanders if I felt up to it, with regular obs administered by the nurses and food orders taken by the catering staff.

I was lucky that my husband, son, parents, sister and close girlfriends came to visit everyday meaning I wasn’t left alone for too long. The opposite of spending lengthy periods alone, I can imagine, would have been mentally a tricky game! I became mobile quite quickly and could therefore go on little walks with Rich and Nate – there is a really super family room at Velindre with countless toys, TV, PlayStation, a kitchen etc. which is a great space in which to spend time away from the wards with a boystrous 2 year old. Something else I appreciated hugely at Velindre (compared to other hospitals) was the flexibility of visiting hours. Everything was so relaxed and people were pretty much free to come and go as they pleased, apart from around meal times.