And breathe...

So up early to get Alan up and out to PRI for 10am to have his feeding tube x-rayed to make sure it was definitely in his stomach and not in the cavity between his stomach and abdominal wall.

Got to the hospital and David, Anna and Alan went to the CI Unit and I went straight to x-ray to wait for them there.

The receptionist in X-ray checked he was on the system for me and the good news was that he was.  The bad news was they don't normally do the type of x-ray he needed there and she wasn't sure there was anyone there to do it.   

So, he was on the system but that was as much as the weekend out of hours staff had done.  They hadn't actually arranged anything.  Meanwhile David was having a very similar conversation with the poor nurse up in the CI Unit (who was the only nurse on duty and was rushed off her feet.)

There was talk of us maybe having to return tomorrow, or go to Dundee but to be fair they couldn't do enough for us and given that they'd been landed with the problem, pulled out all the stops and after a couple of hours they got hold of a doctor who could do the specialist x -ray and it all went ahead.

Alan was a star and lay perfectly still while he was being x-rayed and thankfully the doctor was able to confirm that his new feeding tube was indeed in his stomach and all was well.  Well done David!  :-))

Of course we couldn't just come home after that, we had to go back up to the CI Unit to be officially discharged.  The poor nurse was as harassed as ever and explained we'd need to wait till the ward doctor officially released Alan and she wasn't sure how long that would take.

She was also dealing with a brand new, just out the box doctor on the ward (I say doctor but it was his first day out of med school and on a ward for the first time) and trying to keep him in check as well as dealing with 5 other patients who were getting impatient and ratty and one poor man who had missed his slot for his x-ray due to delays in getting the paperwork ready.  

Everyone was absolutely fraught and angry and stressed and then the most wonderful thing happened.  Alan got a fit of the giggles. 

It started out with that silent laugh where your shoulders shake, then he drew breath and could not contain himself.  Pure, unadulterated laughter escaping from him, his eyes closed, head thrown back and laugh, laugh, laugh.  

Within seconds the whole place was laughing with him, all of us giggling uncontrollably.   And then he composed himself, and we all composed ourselves, then he started laughing again and we all followed suit because  it was unstoppable and beautiful and so, so funny!

Eventually we all calmed down and the doctor appeared and told us we could go and the poor harassed nurse said, "Alan I am so glad you came in today, you are just what we needed" and everyone heartily agreed.  

Finally got home just after 2 and Alan ate a massive plate of mac cheese followed by chocolate buttons then David and I headed to Broadslap farm for a lovely late lunch of garlic and rosemary flat bread with asparagus, red onion, pesto and black olives followed by coffee and a chocolate brownie for David (best he's ever had he says) and rocky road for me.

After the drama of the weekend I am hoping things will be back to normal tomorrow.

PS Today's blip is the view as we were driving away from the farm.