Christmas cheer.

Had a great Xmas, favourite present was a digital camera that I totally didn't expect (A 'bridging camera' apparently, not 'look how small this thing is, la de da).

Anyhoo, I went to the Dr today for a check up, and typically, whilst I'm there, my chest doesn't rattle of any sort, so I can't really explain to the Doc what its like, and he said today 'Well, I think you're pretty healthy for now' which, yes, is a great thing to hear, but I certainly don't think it while I'm rattling away. Which incidentally I have done since I left the chest clinic. Plus, there's that annoying supposed-to-be-a-stomach-muscle thing, which also disappeared as the hospital appeared into view. Bugger.

I did get some other good news that I'd gained weight. Yey! So far, for the past two visits I've gained a kilo on each one, which is good for me, considering the whole crap appetite, and the fact that CFers supposedly burn calories twice as fast and stuff like that. As I was saying, next time, if I've gained weight again (trust me, over the next 5 weeks, you'll find me covered in chocolate wrappers) I'll have this irritating PEG out, which is a gastrostomy tube that, instead of going through my nose and down my throat (an NG), goes directly into my stomach, which I used to be fed through overnight. That feed stuff was disgusting. What is weird is that when they do (and they will) take out my PEG, it leaves a small scar, obviously, but as its round and about 3-4 inches away from my actual belly button, it'll look like a second belly button. That, frankly, sounds weird to me. It'll keep in match with the whacking great scar I've already got across my stomach though (When I was born, I had the menocum illeus surgery. Lovely. That scar goes all the way across my stomach, and freaks the hell out of my friends when I show them. Teehee.)

I do have one rant though. On Tuesday I had to go to the Freeman hospital where they have the Ear, nose and throat dept, so I could get my 6-monthly ear check up to make sure I haven't gone more deaf (Is that even possible anymore?!), and we find out that the Dr is there, she just isn't going to see me. Uh, why? We were meant to see her about a month ago but the hospital phoned up to say that the Dr wasn't going to be in. So we turn up for the appointment after driving the obligatory 30-40 minutes from home to the hospital, through some of the busiest routes through Newcastle, and when we finally get there, and wait the typical what feels like 3 hours in the waiting room, I eventually get called, and then told that the Dr won't be seeing me. Well, I say I was told but the truth was that the nurse only spoke to my dad. I may be mostly deaf, but I'm the patient and don't appreciate it when people refuse to speak to me because I'm deaf. And, is there a reason that prevented them from picking up the phone and dialling 6 numbers? That really pissed me off, and it was an entire morning wasted when I could have been doing anything else.

The hilarious thing, is that all over the hospital are posters saying 'so and so many patients didn't turn up for their appointment last month' and yet on Tuesday, there was about 10 or so patients, possibly more, that travelled all the way to the hospital, waited patiently, and then was told that the Dr wouldn't see us. Then, of course had to spend 10 minutes in the line for reception to get a new appointment.