(To read my cancer story from the beginning start here – April / May 2018 – You Have Cancer)

Time to try solid foods

If you have read my previous posts you will know I’m settled on my ward now, hobbling around and now having small tubs of ice cream or custard as well as the Fortisips that I was having though my tube.

Nigel, my nutritionist came to see me and said it’s time to start eating again.

I was initially pleased about this until I had my 1st meal.

They have 3 grades of food on the Menu at UHCW; The main menu, Texture E – Fork Mashable and Texture C – Puree (you can see the menu here PDF of Menu at UHCW )

I was on the Texture C – Puree and when I saw the menu I thought that sounds nice so ordered Salmon, mashed potatoes and pees for the next day.

Having never had pureed food before I didn’t know what to expect but was quite looking forward to it.

I had a good evening, was used to the machines by now, was used to the 4 hourly checks and even used to the bee sting like injections we had in the belly for blood clots.

I went to bed dreaming of the following days meal.

The next day I still just had fortisips for breakfast but as lunchtime was approaching I waited in anticipation, it’s amazing how you get in to routines, waiting for breakfast time, waiting for lunch time, waiting for supper time.

My salmon, mashed potato and pees arrived, at least I think that’s what it was.

If you can imagine a really, really soft scoop of mashed potato but pink, that was my salmon
If you can imagine a really, really soft scoop of mashed potato but green, that was my peas
If you can imagine a really, really soft scoop of mashed potato but white, that was my potatoes

It not only tasted how it sounds (partly due to the operations effect on my taste) it was also still very tricky for me to eat, not only due to my mouth troubles but those bloody elastics.

I ended up eating less than a quarter and having a fortisip instead 🙁

I tried 2 or 3 other things of the puree menu over next couple of days but with the same result

Having stated the year at 16 stone plus, being 13 stone plus when going in to hospital, I was now down to 12 stone plus.

Moved to the Window

There was still the same 3 guys in the ward with me, one had been on the verge of being discharged for 3 days and was itching to go.

They saw him in the morning, said he could go in the afternoon, afternoon came but they still wouldn’t let him go.

The same thing happened the next day then finally on the 3rd they let him go.

We all said our farewells his wife came to collect him and the nurses stripped down the empty bed and within 10 minutes of him being gone I asked the nurses if I could have his place.

No problem they said, wheeled his bed out, had a quickie tidy and wheeled mine in, I moved all my stuff across and spread all my stuff out on the window sill, not only did I have more room, I had the lovely views and the control of the window 🙂

It was still sweltering hot so being next to the window was nice, plus I had a better mobile phone signal

Story continues here – Stitches out, temperatures and infections

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Time to try solid foods

Moved to the Window

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