The Graduate.

          This is just a quick update because I am on my iPod, so it needs proof-read etc.

          Yesterday (Thursday 26th) was my graduation. So mum and I went off early for breakfast then headed home, got ready and headed with my sister to The Usher Hall on Lothian Rd. Picked up my robe, which everyone spent all day fixing because they never sat probably, then headed to get photos done across the road. That was better than expected, actually got a picture that was decent. Saw Billie Swinton in there, graduating HND in Beauty Therapy, also saw Chris and Grant walking in as I was walking out. Eventually a man walked around ringing a bell and we all piled into the auditorium. Managed to find my seat without having to learn Braille first and eventually the ceremony started. A mock run through was done then the top dogs were paraded in led by a piper playing 'Scotland the Brave' which the lass sitting next to me was not happy about. A few people gave speeches, the Principal and Chairman of the colleges, then a man named Mark Beaumont who was a world record holder in terms of cycling around the world, who also tries his hand at rowing and other sports while, more recently, turning his hand at broadcasting. He gave a talk on what it means to be a graduate, unconventional success and personal experience of it all. Then we were all presented with a dire... DIRE choice. Do or run. We we are discussing all the things that could go wrong as babies and toddlers got restless and friends and family got excited. Name would be said wrong, trip, fall, timing disasters, reach for the scroll before shaking hands, babble an incoherent babble where a "thank you" should come out. We even laughed about the possibility of going in for a hug when the guys are trying to shake your hands and just holding on for dear life before they have to carry us off stage. That is all assuming we didn't throw up and actually made it to the stage. Okay, HNC Social Care is ushered to the stage, suddenly all the seats directly in front of us are painfully empty. Shit. Okay, HNC Social Science follow me. No thanks. Shit. Three people from the front there I am feeling like a drunk Bambi, what are legs for again? Shit, stairs. Okay... the woman takes my paper... And I hear the head of the department say, "Taylor-Claire Corrigan" I take one step, hear the cheering from the tell-tale corner, walk to Mark, extend a hand and when he speaks all I hear is WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH (my heartbeat, remember it sounds different to yours). I mutter a "Thank you", he hands me the scroll, okay walk to the Chairman and stop to say thanks unlike everyone who seemed to keep walking as the shook his hand. Off the stage, up the side, towards the desk. "What's the name?" Ah, I can hear again. Back into my seat and watch the rest of the graduates... AND BREATHE. 

          Then the principal says "The drinks are on us." And we leave. Grab a drink, avoid the overly-touched-by-strange-hands cake and outside away from the crowds. A few more photos, a failed attempt to find Jude, give the robe back, smooth brush off of a cheeky bastard junkie anddddd TAXI! Drinks in Frankie's and Benny's then into Cosmos for food. Brilliant food, good laugh, bye-byes. Taxi up to the house, bedddddddd. Phew! Nothing at all went wrong that day. Breakfast, punctuality, weather, robes, photography, award, acceptance, drinks, food, ANYTHING.

          Friday morning I woke up early, quarter to nine, got breakfast and settled in to watch The Mentalist when my phone rang, 0800 number... Pick it up anyway. Golden Jubilee Hospital.

          And this is where it gets a little tricky so bare with me. Elaine at the hospital says the doctors had a meeting that morning (while I was munching on toast and watching some murderings) and they'd definitely be going ahead with the valve replacement. Well, as you would probably realise from past posts this was not my impression when I left after my angiogram. So long story short, I told her that I was under the impression the tests were to decide between a stent (access point in the artery in my right leg, as they do with the angiogram) or a valve replacement (involving open heart surgery) so when Dr Owens said "We've decided to do the stent" and I asked "Is that INSTEAD OF the valve replacement" and he said yes in was under the impression that meant stent and no valve replacement. It seems I was wrong. What Dr Owens did not explain properly (which is no surprise considering how he did not even want to debrief me at all) was that they would be putting in a stent while replacing the valve, all done via the artery in my right leg. Irish or not I could swing for him. So, at some point soon I will receive a letter with a date and time for a valve replacement. Still a major operation that I gave been preparing for since I was 12 and expecting since I was 14... 

          All I can say is... She has no idea how happy I am that she never phoned me on Thursday...