We’re Not From Brighton…
Jan. 13th, 2008 08:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcom… you see, this could be Rottingdean, or anywhere….
So, the long-awaited follow-up, but it doesn’t really seem like yesterday since I was here for my op. We’d decided to stay overnight in The Downs Hotel (Caroline had stayed at another one which she preferred, but was unable to remember the name of it, so we went for the default option). I got packed up in the early afternoon (after Friday’s bath-dilate-douche) and sorted out the street atlases to take with us, as we thought about coming back home the long way. The scribbling on the notepad do not correlate to the plans for the day – Dundee is a little too far to do the long way!
I got my baggage ready, see I can travel light… just one change of clothes, two pairs of knickers, and the box of dilators and stuff!... (Later probably not needed, but taken just in case anything happened on route)
… until the second bag full of atlases joined it!
So, I was ready with a couple of hours to spare, and we left the house around 1820 on Friday evening. We stopped at a drive-through on the A505, before returning to the M11 at Duxford, then straight down the M11, M25, A282 Dartford Crossing, M25, M23, A23, A27, Falmer Road, Warren Road, to the Downs. I’d been checking the state of the roads on ‘new’ Highways Agency website TrafficEngland.com, which suggested the only delay we were likely to expect was around 10 minutes on the south side of the Dartford Crossing, with long-term building works, but we sailed right through. In fact, Whittlesford to Woodingdean was done in just under two hours! We did the usual ‘loop’ turn at the lights to defy gravity and make it into the car park… a real ‘stick your arm out the window and grab the lamp post’ job!
So, anyway, we checked in. These pics were taken from the room 10 inside the Downs, which faced out onto the traffic lights. Caroline did manage a rather amusing pose, but we couldn’t recreate it, so this had to do.
Yes my hair is sticking up, but you get the point. Taken by C, as opposed to me at ‘arms-length’.
I had a solid night’s sleep, but Caroline wasn’t so rested… maybe I’m just used to sleeping above pubs! Anyway, this was the view from the window of the room, Saturday morning… and I was trying to get an ‘example’ shot out the window, without the sun or any signage in the way… until Caroline said ‘give me that’ and ended up with a better pic of the bus than I did... again, she has some useful talents, that woman of mine!
There were lots of Metro25 lime green branded vehicles (Scania double deckers) to be spotted on Brighton &Hove’s Route 22 bus service. On weekdays, the 25 to the University runs up to every 5 minutes, but half of that on a Saturday, and as they are some of the newest vehicles in the fleet (and biggest!), worth sharing around. (Incidentally, the night before I’d spotted several Metro25’s on Route 22, and also a Metro49 purple bus on both Metro25 and the 22.)
After breakfast, we drove the short distance to the Sussex Nuffield Hospital. My appointment was for 1015, and (as most people seem to be) I was happy and lively at going back AFTER the op. Don’t know why, but I decided that when I walked through those doors, then I would be. (I usually try and smile as much as possible, and this was going to be a good day). We walked to the waiting area, and a few other patients also arrived while we were sitting. Although we’d not met any of them when I was in the last time, they were all still chatty and friendly. Some really interesting people, as ever with these things. Mr T arrived well over thirty minutes down, and Carla called the two of us in shortly afterwards. (Liz is on holiday in Antigua, hence why Carla was doing the clinic today).
It was quite a smooth post-op check, and it all seemed to go well. I explained (basically what I wrote in my diary the other day) the situations, and he had the usual look. The ‘scarf’ will eventually go away if my docs keep using the silver nitrate on it, and he did quite a bit of aggressive sticking at it, which seemed to work, and cause a little bit of blood at the same time. Now, naturally, all post-ops will have frequent looks at the ‘finished product’, but the sight of a tiny bit of granulation tissue over the urethra caught his eye. I’d not seen that before, and there is a good chance that was also partly responsible for directing my streams in all directions! Thankfully it was nowhere near as bad as previously (although I am sure I would have noticed!), and this also attracted a few rubs of a new silver nitrate stick. The labia on the left is a bit big, but, he does believe it will take time to shrink and retract further – potentially up to 18 months afterwards for the nerves to remap too. (Again, this is not a fixed limit, but more for guidance). Other than that, he seemed satisfied at the work done, and now, next thing is waiting for C’s op date in a few months.
So, that was it. We shook hands, and that should have been the end of me – my third visit of three. As there are two of us, it was actually fourth of six, as C still has at least another two (op & follow-up) to go. We left the car in the car park for a little while, and at £3.20 each for all day travel (versus £4 for four hours at Churchill Square car park), it didn’t take much persuading! I dubbed the bus stop here ‘Warren Road, opposite snake shop’, in memory of some of the silly stop names that have been chosen across the country, in the great new scheme of things! The correct name is ‘Nuffield Hospital’ – which reflects the location. We didn’t have long to wait, as there were a few passengers already there. In the most recent B&H timetable, the two bus services passing were altered, and the 22 was reduced to every 20 minutes, from every 15. In the timetable, the editor mentions this ‘will be a better coordinated timetable for bus routes 2/2A and 22 in Woodingdean with both routes operating every 20 minutes during the daytime’. Actually, as it turns out, buses run every 7/13 minutes from Woodingdean, and every 4/16 minutes from Churchill Square…
Anyway, I digress. All the stops are named here, and the real-time/GPS system was able to read out next stop locations on the bus stopping sign – so, as we were on Scania 607 on Route 2, would show things like ‘Stopping at Gala Bingo Hall’ etc. We got off at the now reopened North Street, and I said earlier that I’d spotted lots of the Metro25 Scania buses on the 22. One was in a convenient light position going the other way to snap up!
We had a look around some stores in North Street, made it to the Clock Tower, and then I suggested that we visited Churchill Square first. We had a few reasons to visit here. The first stop was at HMV, as C has recently discovered she didn’t actually have some of the Star Wars movies in her collection, and that was quickly put right. There is a Supercuts store tucked away behind a pillar opposite Mothercare, and as my hair sits in knots, it could do with a tidy-up (I thought about going a bit further, but not right now, the hair is still unequal lengths on the sides compared to the back). Anyway, as they were working quickly, C decided she’d have hers done too.
After this, we went for lunch. I decided on Quizno’s at the food court (one of only a handful in the UK). C has made some variations to her diet of late, so she can maintain a bit of choice and variety, so I chose a salad for her here, and then a sandwich for myself. I liked it, although C wasn’t so sure (admittedly the salad was pre-packed, with chicken and bacon bits put under the roller grill). Anyway, while we were there, I snapped a few pictures of us, while the new hair lasts!
Me too – Caroline thinks my hair looks lighter, but it usually does after washing & cutting!
Caroline was after some more of her favourite foundation, and the chain of Virgin Cosmetics stores seems to have shrunk. We both seem to remember there being one in Edinburgh opposite Waverly Steps, but it’s long gone. Anyway, there was one in Churchill Square, but we almost missed it. Turns out, if we’d carried on instead of going into HMV, it was a bit further on – almost ‘on top’ of the hair salon. We did find a ‘create a bear’ store, but didn’t quite fall in love immediately. Never mind, we got what we came in for, and left the centre out towards the Clock Tower. We walked up Queens Road (I stopped in at least one of the collectables stores) before stopping at Brighton Station. At this point, I popped off to the loo (I’d intended to use the facilities at CS, but the queue was rather long. I can see the blokes laughing as I type this)…
… once again, I digress. Corporate identities look best when they are clean and fresh – and this included the lovely white and green ‘Southern’ corporate garb inside the loo! So, I got undressed, and there was a fair bit of blood had left my body since we’d left the hospital. I thought, right, ok, to be expected, given the checking involved. This is why still getting the occasional glop justifies pads/liners/whatever, so it was just as well!
We left here, and took a bus down to the Clock Tower. Interestingly, Trident 885 arrived on Service 27 first. This is one of the ex-Stagecoach London T-KPU batch of low-height Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400’s [TA73] that were new to East London’s Leyton garage back in 1999, and subsequently moved around. Reason I mention this (the buses were sold by Stagecoach South when B&H took over all of the Brighton – Eastbourne corridor) is that buses from the same batch worked the Cambridge Park & Ride until last summer (two still remain in the city). From the bus stops opposite Churchill Square, Scania 912 (one of the 25 branded buses) took us back on the 22 to Woodingdean. As we left, the signs were scrolling ‘Stopping at Nuffield Hospital’… that internal information can be reassuring for occasional passengers, and non-locals. We went back to the car, and we decided to go along the coast. So, we did – down the Falmer Road to Rottingdean, Saltdean (passing 885 on the 27 working back along the coast!), Peacehaven, Newhaven, Seaford, and then the edge of Eastbourne, where it was starting to get dark around 1600.
We went inland, and stopped at Polegate ‘Services’ – essentially a Somerfield store with a petrol garage – which is around 60 miles south of London. C didn’t feel too well, and her tummy was feeling rather bad. The reason for questioning the word Services is that there was only ONE toilet here, and I had to check myself again before we left. There was a fair bit of the red stuff. Then, we had a look round the store. C’s tummy felt really bad, again. Afterwards, I did the same. More and more of the red stuff is leaving my body! I take it that is going to be ok, but I was feeling more run down, and a little sore with other pains anyway. So, took two codydramol, and we headed back via a series of roads onto the A22 and M23. We stopped at Clackett Lane once we got to the M25. C felt like a nap, so I went and used the facilities (the bleeding had abated a bit, but was still noteworthy), had a bite to eat, and left with one-and-a-half large take-away cups of coffee for the car (the whole one for the driver!)
That was the last stop we made, and we got back home around the back of eight. I’d had a clean-up shortly afterwards with the showerhead, and it blew away a fair bit of ‘dead’ tissue and glop, and that seemed to also show the source of the bleeding, yes, it was the loose bit of granulation tissue.
The following (Sunday) morning, very little blood loss to speak of – so, it’s back to business as usual!
We did have a lovely weekend, though!
I got my baggage ready, see I can travel light… just one change of clothes, two pairs of knickers, and the box of dilators and stuff!... (Later probably not needed, but taken just in case anything happened on route)
… until the second bag full of atlases joined it!
So, I was ready with a couple of hours to spare, and we left the house around 1820 on Friday evening. We stopped at a drive-through on the A505, before returning to the M11 at Duxford, then straight down the M11, M25, A282 Dartford Crossing, M25, M23, A23, A27, Falmer Road, Warren Road, to the Downs. I’d been checking the state of the roads on ‘new’ Highways Agency website TrafficEngland.com, which suggested the only delay we were likely to expect was around 10 minutes on the south side of the Dartford Crossing, with long-term building works, but we sailed right through. In fact, Whittlesford to Woodingdean was done in just under two hours! We did the usual ‘loop’ turn at the lights to defy gravity and make it into the car park… a real ‘stick your arm out the window and grab the lamp post’ job!
So, anyway, we checked in. These pics were taken from the room 10 inside the Downs, which faced out onto the traffic lights. Caroline did manage a rather amusing pose, but we couldn’t recreate it, so this had to do.
Yes my hair is sticking up, but you get the point. Taken by C, as opposed to me at ‘arms-length’.
I had a solid night’s sleep, but Caroline wasn’t so rested… maybe I’m just used to sleeping above pubs! Anyway, this was the view from the window of the room, Saturday morning… and I was trying to get an ‘example’ shot out the window, without the sun or any signage in the way… until Caroline said ‘give me that’ and ended up with a better pic of the bus than I did... again, she has some useful talents, that woman of mine!
There were lots of Metro25 lime green branded vehicles (Scania double deckers) to be spotted on Brighton &Hove’s Route 22 bus service. On weekdays, the 25 to the University runs up to every 5 minutes, but half of that on a Saturday, and as they are some of the newest vehicles in the fleet (and biggest!), worth sharing around. (Incidentally, the night before I’d spotted several Metro25’s on Route 22, and also a Metro49 purple bus on both Metro25 and the 22.)
After breakfast, we drove the short distance to the Sussex Nuffield Hospital. My appointment was for 1015, and (as most people seem to be) I was happy and lively at going back AFTER the op. Don’t know why, but I decided that when I walked through those doors, then I would be. (I usually try and smile as much as possible, and this was going to be a good day). We walked to the waiting area, and a few other patients also arrived while we were sitting. Although we’d not met any of them when I was in the last time, they were all still chatty and friendly. Some really interesting people, as ever with these things. Mr T arrived well over thirty minutes down, and Carla called the two of us in shortly afterwards. (Liz is on holiday in Antigua, hence why Carla was doing the clinic today).
It was quite a smooth post-op check, and it all seemed to go well. I explained (basically what I wrote in my diary the other day) the situations, and he had the usual look. The ‘scarf’ will eventually go away if my docs keep using the silver nitrate on it, and he did quite a bit of aggressive sticking at it, which seemed to work, and cause a little bit of blood at the same time. Now, naturally, all post-ops will have frequent looks at the ‘finished product’, but the sight of a tiny bit of granulation tissue over the urethra caught his eye. I’d not seen that before, and there is a good chance that was also partly responsible for directing my streams in all directions! Thankfully it was nowhere near as bad as previously (although I am sure I would have noticed!), and this also attracted a few rubs of a new silver nitrate stick. The labia on the left is a bit big, but, he does believe it will take time to shrink and retract further – potentially up to 18 months afterwards for the nerves to remap too. (Again, this is not a fixed limit, but more for guidance). Other than that, he seemed satisfied at the work done, and now, next thing is waiting for C’s op date in a few months.
So, that was it. We shook hands, and that should have been the end of me – my third visit of three. As there are two of us, it was actually fourth of six, as C still has at least another two (op & follow-up) to go. We left the car in the car park for a little while, and at £3.20 each for all day travel (versus £4 for four hours at Churchill Square car park), it didn’t take much persuading! I dubbed the bus stop here ‘Warren Road, opposite snake shop’, in memory of some of the silly stop names that have been chosen across the country, in the great new scheme of things! The correct name is ‘Nuffield Hospital’ – which reflects the location. We didn’t have long to wait, as there were a few passengers already there. In the most recent B&H timetable, the two bus services passing were altered, and the 22 was reduced to every 20 minutes, from every 15. In the timetable, the editor mentions this ‘will be a better coordinated timetable for bus routes 2/2A and 22 in Woodingdean with both routes operating every 20 minutes during the daytime’. Actually, as it turns out, buses run every 7/13 minutes from Woodingdean, and every 4/16 minutes from Churchill Square…
Anyway, I digress. All the stops are named here, and the real-time/GPS system was able to read out next stop locations on the bus stopping sign – so, as we were on Scania 607 on Route 2, would show things like ‘Stopping at Gala Bingo Hall’ etc. We got off at the now reopened North Street, and I said earlier that I’d spotted lots of the Metro25 Scania buses on the 22. One was in a convenient light position going the other way to snap up!
We had a look around some stores in North Street, made it to the Clock Tower, and then I suggested that we visited Churchill Square first. We had a few reasons to visit here. The first stop was at HMV, as C has recently discovered she didn’t actually have some of the Star Wars movies in her collection, and that was quickly put right. There is a Supercuts store tucked away behind a pillar opposite Mothercare, and as my hair sits in knots, it could do with a tidy-up (I thought about going a bit further, but not right now, the hair is still unequal lengths on the sides compared to the back). Anyway, as they were working quickly, C decided she’d have hers done too.
After this, we went for lunch. I decided on Quizno’s at the food court (one of only a handful in the UK). C has made some variations to her diet of late, so she can maintain a bit of choice and variety, so I chose a salad for her here, and then a sandwich for myself. I liked it, although C wasn’t so sure (admittedly the salad was pre-packed, with chicken and bacon bits put under the roller grill). Anyway, while we were there, I snapped a few pictures of us, while the new hair lasts!
Me too – Caroline thinks my hair looks lighter, but it usually does after washing & cutting!
Caroline was after some more of her favourite foundation, and the chain of Virgin Cosmetics stores seems to have shrunk. We both seem to remember there being one in Edinburgh opposite Waverly Steps, but it’s long gone. Anyway, there was one in Churchill Square, but we almost missed it. Turns out, if we’d carried on instead of going into HMV, it was a bit further on – almost ‘on top’ of the hair salon. We did find a ‘create a bear’ store, but didn’t quite fall in love immediately. Never mind, we got what we came in for, and left the centre out towards the Clock Tower. We walked up Queens Road (I stopped in at least one of the collectables stores) before stopping at Brighton Station. At this point, I popped off to the loo (I’d intended to use the facilities at CS, but the queue was rather long. I can see the blokes laughing as I type this)…
… once again, I digress. Corporate identities look best when they are clean and fresh – and this included the lovely white and green ‘Southern’ corporate garb inside the loo! So, I got undressed, and there was a fair bit of blood had left my body since we’d left the hospital. I thought, right, ok, to be expected, given the checking involved. This is why still getting the occasional glop justifies pads/liners/whatever, so it was just as well!
We left here, and took a bus down to the Clock Tower. Interestingly, Trident 885 arrived on Service 27 first. This is one of the ex-Stagecoach London T-KPU batch of low-height Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400’s [TA73] that were new to East London’s Leyton garage back in 1999, and subsequently moved around. Reason I mention this (the buses were sold by Stagecoach South when B&H took over all of the Brighton – Eastbourne corridor) is that buses from the same batch worked the Cambridge Park & Ride until last summer (two still remain in the city). From the bus stops opposite Churchill Square, Scania 912 (one of the 25 branded buses) took us back on the 22 to Woodingdean. As we left, the signs were scrolling ‘Stopping at Nuffield Hospital’… that internal information can be reassuring for occasional passengers, and non-locals. We went back to the car, and we decided to go along the coast. So, we did – down the Falmer Road to Rottingdean, Saltdean (passing 885 on the 27 working back along the coast!), Peacehaven, Newhaven, Seaford, and then the edge of Eastbourne, where it was starting to get dark around 1600.
We went inland, and stopped at Polegate ‘Services’ – essentially a Somerfield store with a petrol garage – which is around 60 miles south of London. C didn’t feel too well, and her tummy was feeling rather bad. The reason for questioning the word Services is that there was only ONE toilet here, and I had to check myself again before we left. There was a fair bit of the red stuff. Then, we had a look round the store. C’s tummy felt really bad, again. Afterwards, I did the same. More and more of the red stuff is leaving my body! I take it that is going to be ok, but I was feeling more run down, and a little sore with other pains anyway. So, took two codydramol, and we headed back via a series of roads onto the A22 and M23. We stopped at Clackett Lane once we got to the M25. C felt like a nap, so I went and used the facilities (the bleeding had abated a bit, but was still noteworthy), had a bite to eat, and left with one-and-a-half large take-away cups of coffee for the car (the whole one for the driver!)
That was the last stop we made, and we got back home around the back of eight. I’d had a clean-up shortly afterwards with the showerhead, and it blew away a fair bit of ‘dead’ tissue and glop, and that seemed to also show the source of the bleeding, yes, it was the loose bit of granulation tissue.
The following (Sunday) morning, very little blood loss to speak of – so, it’s back to business as usual!
We did have a lovely weekend, though!
