Friday 24 November 2017

Addenbrookes Hospital

or to give it it's other name -  Cambridge University Hospital. What ever it's called it's still huge. As well as being the local hospital for Cambridge and the surrounding areas and The Rosie Maternity Hospital is based there too, it's also the centre for the whole region for more complicated things. Which is why Colin will be in there for his donor stem-cell transplant very soon. He'll be on the transplant ward which is on the 10th floor and the air is filtered and purified up there to help with the prevention of infections.

We were there the other day for him to have a Hickman line put in ready for the chemo and stem-cell  transplant and I thought I'd take a couple of photos while I was waiting.

These big mosaics are outside where the main lift area is to take people up to the wards. Very colourful.



Down the main corridor between outpatients and the main hospital are these drawings, originally done by Quentin Blake, they tell the story of scientific achievements through history.

Close inside the main entrance is the shopping concourse. There's a hairdresser's, bank, clothes and gift shop and even a travel agent. Plus every sort of food outlet from Burger King to M&S.


When we first went to this huge hospital I was lost in 5 minutes but I've learned my way round the place now. The worst thing will be going up in the lifts to the 10th floor every time I visit Col!

Today, instead of going in on the Park and Ride bus we thought we were early enough to park on the Hospital's multi-storey car park. We left home at 6.45am but the traffic on the 52 miles of the A14 and A11 was even worse than last week, the last couple of miles to the hospital took half an hour, so it's Park and Ride for me when I go and visit him. It will save a lot of stop-start queueing.

Back Soon
Sue












46 comments:

  1. I appreciate seeing these. I've never set foot in Addenbrookes, but my nephew was transferred there when he was 6, spending the week in a coma. Long, sad, and infuriating story. I've heard so much about it but never seen it.
    I can absolutely imagine the traffic troubles, the park and ride sounds like it will be a big help. Hope all goes well for Col.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The park and ride is good, we've used it lots of times, very reliable

      Delete
  2. Good luck for Col's treatment. We're in Ipswich hospital right now. Turns out asthma plus a chest infection wasn't a great combination for my son, but hopefully we're going home today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no, poor fella,hope you are safely home again now

      Delete
  3. I have only positive comments to make on Addenbrookes, I have been under their care since 1997. Staff are generally brilliant. I wish Col well with his transplant. Cambridge traffic has been a nightmare and using the park and ride when visiting will be less stressful. All good wishes to you both.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope all goes as well as it can do with a successful outcome at the end. Glad to see that the hospital has good facilities and I am sure that the park and ride will make things easier than that hospital parking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes the P&R is much easier than the multi storey

      Delete
  5. Hi Sue, wishing you all the very best for Col's treatment; my partner had the same cancer 15 years ago he is now 64 and ok as the treatment worked for him, sending love and hugs x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you that is so good to know. We are hoping for the best

      Delete
  6. As I made my way to my laptop this morning I tried to guess what your post would be about and Addenbrookes came into my mind. How strange was that?
    On a serious note, I hope that Col's treatment is a success, it's been a long haul for you both.

    Joan (Devon)


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Er, very spooky!. It's lovely that you enjoy reading and wonder what I will write about

      Delete
  7. That artwork is fabulous, I could sit and look at it all day. Hope all goes well with the treatment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's fantastically colourful, must have taken ages to do

      Delete
  8. Those murals are wonderful especially yhe Quentin Blake drawings. Good luck with your journeys to visit Col when he's in the hospital. Is there no relatives accomodation that you could use even for a few nights over his stay? Like you, I hate lifts but couldn't manage 10 flights of stairs! Catriona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 10 flights is too much for walking up! I shall have to get used to the lifts

      Delete
  9. How lovely the hospital looks with all the different artwork. Always nice to think a place like this is brightened up and looked after well.

    I hope all the treatments go well for Col and visiting runs smoothly for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is all sorts of interesting things along the corridors

      Delete
  10. I know it as Addenbrookes, I didn't realise it had another name. Aren't those mosaics wonderful, and the Quentin Blake artwork too. Sending my very best wishes for Col, I hope everything goes to plan.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Prayers the transplant works this time and he is well and prayers for safe travel for you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful art work.
    Good that you've had a trial run on the driving. Park and Ride is almost always the best option.
    Like everyone else, I'll be thinking of both of you over the next few weeks.
    About the green-backed Virago books yesterday - I collected masses of them in, I suppose, the 80s and 90s. Almost all of them were/are a good read. But, with house moves, only a select few remain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The mosaics are incredible.
      Now virago don't do dark green covers anymore they are much harder to spot in charity shops

      Delete
  13. The mosaics are just beautiful.
    I'll be thinking of you both and wishing Col all the luck in the world for his treatment.
    Stay strong.
    Hugs-x-

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a huge hospital!!! The mosaics are beautiful and I love the drawings as well.

    Good luck to Col for his upcoming treatment.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  15. How fortunate you are having such a wonderful facility to be treated, def, park and ride. Positive thoughts that all goes well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. It all looks very daunting Sue, so well done you for sounding so strong and matter of fact about it all Sue.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Best wishes to you and your Hubby,Debi,xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. When I used to walk the very long corridors at the old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in the 1990s to see my mother I found the art work very useful for positioning where I was as all the corridors looked the same, as well as it all looking very cheerful of course. The Addenbrookes ones look very colourful and I am a great Quenten Blake fan. Hope all goes well as I am sure it will.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Looks a beautiful Hospital/facility. I hope the transplant goes smoothly. I had,as I've mentioned before, the auto but an allo is a whole other thing. i remember the Hickman line, difficult to shower. sending positive thoughts to you both.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Our big hospital also has lots of art work on the corridors. Are there any in the lifts? That might help. I too hate lifts. My very best wishes to Col.And you of course.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sending my very best wishes to you both. You've been absolute troopers through all of this, and have my respect and admiration for how you have coped. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  22. It makes such a difference to have some good art on the walls in hospitals.

    Wishing Col all the very best for his treatment and thinking of you too. DW

    ReplyDelete
  23. I hope all goes well for Col and that your journey into the hospital to visit him goes more smoothly. The last thing you need is traffic holding you up! Meg Xx

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful murals. They make such a cheery change for usually a dreary place. I hope things go well. It must be a really big hospital but I know they'll take great care of Col.

    ReplyDelete
  25. What beautiful artwork. A small spot of beauty on your difficult trips. I hope the treatment goes well.
    Arilx

    ReplyDelete
  26. I remember being there an age ago ( I have an old friend who works for the trust) ...I remember the shop.....

    ReplyDelete
  27. Just a note to add to all the good wishes you no doubt have already had, Sue, to you and to Col. Thinking of you both.
    Margaret P

    ReplyDelete
  28. Just adding my best wishes for Col and praying the treatment is successful. The mosaics are beautiful. xx

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow, it looks and sounds like a huge place, but the main thing is it's the absolute best hospital, Col will be in THE best hands.

    Park and ride is definitely the way to go, I spent time driving in ever decreasing circles trying go park this week while taking my mum to hospital for an appointment, luckily I dropped her at the door before the merry go round began 😊

    ReplyDelete
  30. I like the artwork you shared of the hospital. It's nice to have color in the hallways to cheer people up. I've seen nice ones here in OR as well. Good idea to try the drive before you go many times for a visit. Have a good week and praying all goes well with Col! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Goodness, that hospital must be enormous.

    Wishing you both the very best.

    ReplyDelete