A good night’s sleep. I was put to bed about 9:30 and didn’t need anyone to settle me as I managed to put myself on my side and pull my legs into position.
I woke up at 5ish and listened to the radio. A bit of a headache and sore throat, but I think that might be down to the atmosphere in hospitals.
Life is more relaxed here and obs were done at around 7. Sugars 9.3. Obs done and the swabs for MRSA and a urine sample taken. I didn’t know that one of the reasons you have to drink a lot of water when you have a catheter is because if you don’t, the urine can crystallise and block it. I have no problems with that, the amount I am drinking and the speed with which the bag fills up! It is nice that for the first time we have proper glasses to drink out of rather than the plastic cups or glasses before.
Had someone else’s breakfast (did I say yesterday that meals here are ordered 2 days in advance?) it was proper porridge and toast. I was even offered diabetic marmalade. I might have that tomorrow.
The Occupational Therapist came to get me up. This involved changing my nappy as well as washing my lower half and then finding some clothes for me to wear from the selection Julio brought in at short notice yesterday. Decided to keep the hospital socks on for the time being as they are non slip so good for physio. Tracky bottoms over my catheter bag. Getting them on involved a bit of rolling!
Then I got up and into the wheel chair where I was wheeled over to the sink so that I could wash my top half myself. My hair is horrible – needs another wash and my fringe cut. There is a hairdresser that comes in once a week. I had hoped that I could have a go today, but they only see 4 people a session. So the OT has booked me in for next Thursday.
OT asked what my goals were. I had ‘t really thought about it, apart from getting back home and back to “normal” . OT very tactfully suggested that we’d need to take it a step at a time. So, my first goal is to be able to get up and wash and dress myself.
There is going to be a home assessment by a community OT and my OT said that they would be measuring everything (door frames etc) and that OTs are obsessed with measurements! They will assess whether I need any aids and any carers (apparently you can be entitled to up to 4 carer visits a day for up to 6 weeks), but it depends on your needs and circumstances. She doesn’t think I’ll need that much. I can’t see budgets stretching that far, either.
Then the nurse came in to make my bed. She asked if I wanted a blanket as well as a counterpane. I’ve only ever had a blue blanket wherever I’ve been, but got a bit confused as the blanket is white and the counterpane blue. I’ve ended up with both and I can discard one if I get too hot.
Bloods taken for various tests. Joy, my nurse is very efficient and took it more or less painlessly form the back of my hand.
Then the serious stuff began. The physio came to get me and take me to the rehab room (it’s across the corridor, so not far to go). I had a bit of a wobble as I’d been feeling a bit light headed and I wasn’t able to stand up on the cricket (a version of the standing machine). You haul yourself up and then sit down on a sling so that they can move you around). Managed it on the third attempt and was on the bench. She did an assessment of my existing movement and strength. Then she got me to stand up against a table. It was really difficult – I couldn’t feel my feet or knees, so didn’t know what they were doing or whether they were doing what I was concentrating on telling them to do. I had to lean on my forearms on the table, and rise, sticking my bottom out and then straightening my knees. Once I had my bottom sticking in the air and off the bench, I had to straighten up so that I was standing. Then I had to put my palms on the table, then further in on the table then lift them up. It was very scary, but I had a physio either side of me. Getting back was the reverse, but I must admit it wasn’t the controlled sit down I’d hope for and thought I was doing! Did several of these, then back into the wheelchair and across the corridor and back into my room. Asked about goals again. This time I wasn’t so unprepared and although I wanted to say walking unaided, I was more reasonable and said being mobile enough to go home. This seemed to be acceptable.
Absolutely shattered, so had a snooze in my chair.
Pre lunch sugars 13.5. Someone else’s lunch – apple juice, pork meatballs in tomato sauce with mash and carrots, followed by a choice of ice cream or banana custard (I chose banana custard which was a pot of custard with lumps of very ripe banana in it). Cup of tea.
Whilst I was eating my lunch, the OT came back with the written care plan for getting up, washing and dressing and went through it with me. It is for use by whoever is helping me – staff here, or carers at home (or family I suspect). She explained the use of the word “supervise” which actually means “keep an eye on and help if necessary”. It is quite detailed.
Then Joy the nurse and someone else wheeled me outside my room into the corridor to be weighed. Didn’t use the cricket but the hand rails that line the corridor. Hauled myself up, they quickly replaced the wheelchair with the weighing chair and I sat down again. I have put on weight (mix of eating, no exercise and steroids) but not as much as I had feared. Mostly bloating, then.
I was the given the meal choice sheet for Saturday. Considering that there are “diabetic” stickers all over it, there aren’t all that many low calorie low sugar options – or I may be mistaken. The dessert options for lunch were chocolate sponge, custard, strawberry trifle, ice cream, banana or cheese and biscuits (I’ve opted for cheese and biscuits). Supper choices semolina, butterscotch dessert, Arctic roll (blast from the past!), Apple or cheese and biscuits (Apple). I will have forgotten what I ordered by then, so it will come as a nice surprise (I hope!).
Interesting to note that there were two deaths reported today – Paul Daniels and Cliff Michelmore. All the talk and comments were about Paul Daniels and nobody remembered Cliff Michelmore. I do. He was a hugely professional, natural broadcaster that invented the casual but professional presenting style in the early evening Tonight programme as well as serious and emotional coverage of Aberfan and Apollo. If you don’t remember him, or are too young, I suggest you google or YouTube him. “ the next Tonight will be tomorrow night. Goodnight”.
Sian and Julio arrived and we went to the Grapevine (the café) no hot food left as it was too late, but the nice ladies made them each a toasted sandwich and I had a coffee. Then another one! We talked about work while we were there, and then came back to my room and carried on working.
During this time, I had my B 12 injection that should have been done at the GP surgery but I missed it (not the actual appointment, I hadn’t made it). They were very efficient here, thought that I was likely to need one as I am on folic acid and rang the surgery to check when the 3 month injection was due.
They left at about 4.30.
******too much info alert*******
Although my sense of feeling is gone, my sense of smell hasn’t and so I buzzed for a nappy change. This was interesting. Usually, this is done lying down on the bed and the nappy is relatively easy to access because I just have a nightie on. Today, I have trousers. The two nice nurses got the cricket and stood me up on it. They then proceeded to take down my trousers, remove the nappy, clean me up, put cream on and pull trousers back up as I was standing (well, hanging on for dear life and getting a bit of a wobbly knee at one point). But it served two purposes – a) giving me an extra physio workout and b) getting me all sorted.
OK now!
Sian and Julio came back with some more clothes for the rest of the week, and we went for a walk/ride to the drink vending machine, where we all had a drink and sat around. We met a gentleman who was early collecting his wife at the end of her shift, and it turns out she was the lady who had been cleaning the fittings in my room and had been chatting to me while she did it. The husband and we put the world to rights, then came back to my room (not the husband as his wife had finished!) where we went through some work stuff, and Sian tried to sort out a problem I was having with my emails (which was why the updates have been a bit late lately (!)).
They were late leaving but I don’t think anyone minded, and a little later the care assistant (we have those here as well as nursing auxs) came to check my nappy and catheter bag. We decided it would be easier if we did this in bed, so she put me to bed and changed me out of my day clothes into my nightie.
Watched a bit of tv and fell asleep but was woken by my night nurse and my meds. Sugars 23.5, virtually the same as pre supper and seemingly not affected by the non diabetic supper choices (or the sneaky biscuit while watching tv!). I had been watching a programme with Guy Martin and David Coulthard and comparisons between motorbike and F1 car. It turns out she is a massive Guy Martin fan, so we talked about him and the programmes he’d done.
Another member of staff arrived to do the final night time checks, turned the big light off, and said goodnight.
I don't think I'll be able to stay awake for Question tome – again!
So, just ready to email this. Goodnight!
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| Trousers! I have got dressed for the first time in a month! |
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