Yesterday I was so pleased having a visit from my friend Paul here in hospital: such encouragement!
I always like our banter which included being greeted by being told “ you look so institutionalised Doug”. Admittedly I do look rather disheveled with greasy hair and a beard starting to appear. Plus the hospital gown must have added to the effect.
Also I knew Paul was impressed at my previous bladder capacity of 3.8 litres. Clearly Paul was intrigued by this and even went as far as researching this on the web. I think a Paul was pretty chuffed to conclude I may have broken a record! I don’t think I have broken any records but I do agree now that 3.8 litres is a lot!
We discussed possible solutions to the tricky question of coping with a catheter as I explained how I thought cycling and running wouldn’t be feasible for a while. This got Paul thinking, wondering if there was a solution. He suggested hanging the catheter bag onto my bicycle’s handlebars. When running I could have a long tube going right down to my ankle to simply drain the urine away without a bag. His practical, solution-focussed mind was going into over drive and I needed to pull him back down to earth.
“Paul, remember this is all connected to a very delicate and sensitive part of me. I can’t go risking anything like that!”
We concluded I should take one small step at a time. In the meantime, I might need to pull out of the St Albans Half Marathon in June. Grrrr.