We leave for Manchester at 13:30. Plenty of time to arrive on time. But as all things go on London’s highways the traffic is horrible. The Fathers for Justice Protester on the M25 has cause closure of some lanes. The merging of the highways at Birmingham and the Creamfields festival has caused severe delays and I only arrive at the hospital at 7. The staff is extremely friendly and efficient.  A doctor comes to take my bloods, the normal routine stuff. Blood sugar tests and blood pressure tests. I have a massive room. There is no bed for Stuart and they can not find him one either. He is assigned room no 21 to sleep in. I don’t like this. He is the one thing that is keeping me from not running away. As I was walking to reception from the car I kept on asking myself what the hell I am doing.I am getting really scared now and cry loads throughout the rest of the evening. Stuart gets into my little bed with me and cuddles me till 1:30 in the morning. He must be knackered. He goes to sleep in his bed and I drift in and out of sleep every 20 to 30 minutes. I wake up at 6:30. I know I am first on the theatre list. I immediately feel like crying and phone Stuart. He is here within seconds and lies with me in my bed. I drift of and sleep for 30 minutes before the nurse comes and tell me to get ready. I meet the anaesthesiologist, he is cool and calm, very friendly and I feel at ease after seeing him. I then get to see my surgeon Dr. Amorri. He oozes of confidence and looking in his eyes I feel ok. We go through the forms and sign on the dotted line. I have a shower, wash my hair and put on this extremely “sexy” paper knickers, green gown and stockings to prevent blood clotting. Soon the porter appears and I have to go. Stu hugs me and a few tears are shed. The personnel here are amasing, even the porter tries tells me I’ll be ok.  I walk to the theatre and feel a bit like a cow on the way to the slaughter house. The nurse cracks a few jokes about piercings in weird places and makes me laugh. I meet the anaesthesiologist nurse, a very nice guy who makes light conversation. I get the butterfly needle in the back of my hand and an oxygen mask. The he asks me to open my eyes but I can’t. I don’t think I had to count backwards from 10 like they do in the movies. I wake up with someone telling me they are taking me back to my room now. I just want to see Stuart and it feels like it takes for ever. I get to my room and manage to open my eyes, see him and feel assured. I ask him to phone my parents. Then I sleep. I know I felt very nauseas; they give me something through the drip. It wears of as time goes by.  I have a self medicating morphine button. I use it sparingly. In between all of this I had a wash sat up and went back to bed again. They monitor my statistics every 2 hours. Perhaps it is good that Stu has his own room. I am only allowed little sips of water 60mls per hour. Not that I can manage much more. I am not hungry at all and don’t have anything but water on Saturday. I have to inject myself some blood thinning medication into my stomach. It does not hurt at all. You just simply do not feel it. All is well and stable. I have to take these dissolvable tablets twice a day for six months, they are anti-acid and will prevent ulcers forming on my stomach lining. I am not allowed to get my dressings wet for 10 days till I go for my follow up consultation in London. I need to wear these lovely green stockings for 2 weeks and I am not allowed to drive for 10 days (in case I need to do an emergency brake).For lunch on Sunday I have some vile tasting soup, I think it is oxo or Bovril mixed with water! And some red jelly. I have a couple of spoons full of soup and a spoon of the jelly. That is all I can manage for now. I am sipping on cold apple juice as I am typing this. I just saw my doctor and he says I can go home tomorrow (Monday) I hope I get to see the people from healthier weight soon so I can leave early tomorrow morning. I have amasing little pain considering what I have done to my intestines! I am looking forward to what’s to follow.