good news!

dear readers, what follows is reliant on a report from herself, as for some inexplicable reason lurchers are not allowed into hospitals. i can only assume that this is because they are worried we might catch something from all the sick people, but i would have been happy to take that risk to see himself after his op. but we were left in the care of her maamship, who also had the job of keeping my boy out of mischief.

himself and uncle martin had the transplant yesterday. they had to get there the day before in order to make sure they didn't go out on the town and get beered up. herself was picked up by the gypsy at 5.30am and they drove up to london and arrived in time to give both brothers a good send off. it sounds as though the brothers were dressed rather oddly, with white stockings and blue patterned dresses. it was too dark for a photo but in any event himself might be slightly embarrassed to be displayed on the internet in drag, especially as he has a rather fine beard.

the brothers went down to theatre at 8am, leaving herself and the gypsy to wander the corridors of the hospital, reminiscing about previous occasions when they had done the same. the gypsy's son is bionic. he has had a lot of surgery in his short life, including a metal back brace being inserted to keep his posture up to scratch. he has also had two kidney transplants, one from the gypsy herself. so a better companion for yesterday was hard to imagine. the gypsy has a vast knowledge of things medical, and especially things kidney-shaped. she also has a nice line in interrogation of doctors. she was able to put this to good use when my boy was born. herself rightly foresaw that himself might be a little shy about telling doctors what was what, so she took the gypsy along to make sure things were just so.

anyway, the ladies (and readers, i use this description very loosely indeed, as neither of them is particularly ladylike), roamed the hospital and its environs, alternating between laughing and weeping. herself took a couple of photos, but didn't really have her heart in it. the day dragged. uncle martin came back to the ward at about 2pm, looking sleepy but cheerful. himself had to have various scans and tests and it was not until 4.30pm that he was back on the ward. by this point herself had melted into a tearful jelly. himself was attached to an array of pipes and tubes and bags were collecting things that ran out of him. herself sat by him, stroking his beard and weeping with relief.

the nurse who was looking after himself and uncle martin described the operation. the kidney had apparently carried on peeing even when attached to neither brother. this kidney sounds a most amazing chap, a superhero among kidneys. my boy has made a card for himself and uncle martin, with a picture of the superhero kidney wielding an ak47 and shooting at bad cells. i will ask herself to scan it in and if that is possible i will post it on my blog.

herself and the gypsy left the hospital at 7, leaving himself and uncle martin watching football on the tellies above their respective beds. when they got home, they spoke to himself on the phone. my boy was very pleased to hear himself sounding perky. himself asked what my boy had for tea, a sure sign that he was on the mend. my boy asked about himself's day:

"so how was your day, apart from being unconscious?" herself and her maamship burst into giggles.

"what's so funny about asking that?" said my boy, "he can't tell me about the bit when he was unconscious, can he?"