Two days down, one to go. Work flew again today, but I was rather hungry.

To continue with today's 'hunger theme', I bumped into my old torturer dietician in Dundrum earlier. The nice thing was she didn't recognise me, which means I was so awful she blocked me from her memory, or I look so much better then when she saw me last. I opt for the latter.

This dietician, had the battle war task to get my weight up so I would be able to get on the transplant list. It was certainly a tall order as I was eating nothing, yet all I could manage; I was already on feeds twice - three times a day (so nothing extra could be added) and the target weight I was given was higher then I had ever been before.

It took her two months. Two. Long. Painful. Months. They were considering steroids to induce my appetite at one stage. Each day she came on to that ward, she would slowly roll in the weighing scales on wheels. It was a stiff, heavy wheelchair like weighing scales. You heard it coming. It would take several minutes to maneuver it to the bed and that wait could be agonising. You would *wish* you hadn't gone to the loo ten minutes earlier...*That fluid weight was at LEAST another kilo god darnit!*. You would curse yourself for being in pocket less pyjamas - *I could have fitted a phone, camera, mp3 AND some change in my jean pockets* And where was the heavy dressing-gown when you needed it?!?

So, I would sit down and try to press down as hard as I could. The weight could only be viewed from behind, so I always knew if there was a long sigh, it wasn't good.

But fair play to her, good old "Olive Tree" got me there in the end. She saw a challenge in me and faced it head on. She didn't give up, and she was realistic with me. She never told me to "PUT.ON.THREE.KILOS.BY.NEXT.WEEK", but rather it was a team effort. We took it slowly and worked our way up. She taught me that I *could* indeed put weight on with a LOT of effort. I'll probably never forget her.

And when I saw her this evening, I was delighted I had actual witnesses, unpaid, who could vouch for my new appetite!
You often hear about how great doctors and nurses are, and what a fantastic job they do, which of course is true. It's not everyday, however, you hear about the other people behind the scenes though. The doctors and nurses are like actors on stage; they pretend they know what they're doing they are the ones you see. The nurses, physiotherapists, phlebtomists and others are like the people who pull the curtain up. You never hear about them, but without them the show wouldn't be seen!