Sunday 28th – part 2
Sian and Julio arrived, then went down while I had supper –
Apple juice, a lovely roasted vegetable tart with mash and green beans and
cheese and biscuits. We had hoped that I’d be able to go downstairs for a trip,
but I didn’t feel up to it, so they were stuck here for the duration.
I’m feeling like a pincushion as they are doing blood sugar
tests every two hours, and quite often it’s difficult to get any blood. The
device they use is more complicated than the simple one I use at home as it is
also a bar code scanner (my id, nurse id, test strip) and it also tests for
various things. If the result is over 12 they have to test for ketones, but
because the tester takes time, I’ve stopped bleeding and if we can’t get it
bleeding again, I have to have another finger prick. So, just call me
pincushion!
Sugars high again so more insulin.
Tried watching tv. Luckily, no real interruption of Call the
Midwife, so watched it all the way through. However, when I tried watching The
Night Watchman, I completely lost the plot as there were lots of interruptions
– doctor, nurses doing obs and sugar tests etc, so I gave up in the end.
Had a set of texts from Beau, including love and prayers. I
now have loads of people remembering me in prayers – Mum and Dad’s Methodist chapel,
Beau and his church (and Wallsingham), Malmesbury Abbey and Nigel’s Baptist
chapel. Talk about hedging bets! It really does make a difference, and I’m sure
it is having a real effect in keeping me positive. Sian says I need to have a
Buddhist or something, but I think I’m ok.
I have realised how I am feeling – like a mermaid out of
water. Perhaps I need to have a tail costume made.
Nurses came to settle me, and I listened to the news etc for
a while (deliberately ignoring all Oscar coverage), but it’s a bit odd lying on
a pillow slightly to your side with headphones on.
Monday, 29th February
Woke up at around 5.30 and listened to farming today all
about lambing. Dozed until 6.30ish when the obs started again with a vengeance.
No meds as didn’t know when the PEX was going to be – clearly no point in
taking drugs if they are going to be flushed out!
Listened to Today and there was a lot about shortage of
nurses and doctors. It is obvious that if the Care Quality Commission say that
20,000 extra nurses are needed and it takes 3 years to train a nurse, then
there will be a shortage. I can’t remember if I’ve said this before, but one of
the pleasures of being here is the variety of names and accents and origins of
staff, all of whom are very professional (and the language skills match their
nursing ones).
My sugars were the best yet – 7.9 first thing, which is
normal range. They have been creeping up during the day, but they have been
below 20 all day – yes!!!
I spilt my cereal at breakfast – I was sort of folded up as
I’d slipped down the bed and it’s difficult to eat bran flakes and milk from a
bowl you are holding under your chin. It wasn’t much, so I didn’t say anything (especially
after the incident with the wheelchair arm yesterday).
I panicked as I realised I hadn’t finished the questionnaire
for the research project that I was supposed to have done over the weekend, so
rushed through it (which was OK as it is meant to be first thing that comes to
mind). Just as well, as the NMO lady arrived at 8.45 just after I’d finished it
to check how I was, and to go through what was going to happen next.
More obs. Sugars still good. Dr rounds. The high ups (Dr
Leitte and another consultant) not here for this week, so an Aussie lady doctor
called Jenny Taylor came and had a long chat about everything. I have been
impressed with the amount of information I am being given, and that my
understanding is being checked (in a very discreet way!)
The physio arrived to check what time the PEX was, and to do
a ward assessment of the movement and strength. Definite improvement! I can
even raise my left knee a bit. Physio happy that I am doing my exercises so
will see me each day, but will probably leave “getting my hands properly on
you” until after the end of the PEX.
Had a lot of compliments today, which is lovely. Katakana,
the very efficient and compassionate nursing assistant, said that when she was
having a difficult time with a patient or something she would come and walk
past my bed because I always smiled at her. Then later on I was referred to as
the perfect patient(!).
The diabetes nurse came to have a chat about the sugars; it
is the steroids. Today’s levels have been good – below 20 all day until now (21:30),
but that might have had something to do with the two mouthfuls of pain au
raisin I stole from Juli’s supper (but we’re not telling anyone, right?!). That
was a “how many punctuation marks can you get in one sentence” moment.
The PEX lady arrived (just one this time) and started
setting up and then lunch arrived – asparagus soup, salmon fish cakes with
potato wedges and swede and a banana. I couldn’t manage the soup, and the fish
cakes were very nice but a bit dry.
PEX started and then Dr Taylor came back with another Dr –
Dr Buckley who introduced herself as “another one of the NMO team that you
haven’t met yet’ but I think I’m the last one”.
PEX had some problems – the line played up a bit, but I
started having visual disruption – wobbly vision, lack of focus which was due
to the citrates taking the calcium (or something like that). So I had some Iv
calcium, as opposed to the tablet calcium before and I lay down and closed my
eyes and listened to the radio instead of doing the update and watching tv. All
perfectly normal in this procedure. Blood pressure very low -80 something over
45 at one point, so had to drink lots of water.
Took about an hour and a half – so halfway between the first
two sessions in length.
As PEX lady was packing away, the technician from Hospedia
(the TV service) came about my fault and gave me the usual
technician-talking-to-end-user rubbish. Apparently the reason the sound is iffy
on BBC2 is because my Sony headphones are too good for the unit (so why is the
sound on all the other channels are ok?). He will be coming on Wednesday to
change the unit.
While Sabrina was doing my obs we had a discussion as I had
used “got” in a sentence and she observed that “got” is used a lot in English.
As well as being an excellent nurse, and having really good English, she is
also taking English lessons to improve as she wants to know more idioms. I am
full of admiration and ashamed at my (and most of Britain’s) lack of linguistic
skills.
Julio arrived at around 5 – Sian was stuck working, so was
in need of a nice hot bath and an early night. The plan was that I was going
for my flight and landing in the wheelchair for supper.
****too much
information warning – look away now and don’t read next bit*****
Having not done a poo for a while, I’d done a lot so was
cleaned and changed. Glad that something had happened as there had been quite a
lot if talk about bowels today.
Ok- can start reading
again now!
The plan was that Julio would keep me company while I ate,
then we would go down to Pret while he ate. My supper was Apple juice, ham salad
with roll and butter and cheese and biscuits. When we got downstairs, there
wasn’t much selection so Juli had a chicken Caesar roll. It looked very nice. I
had an Earl Grey. And the aforementioned pain au chocolate.
I then had another treat and we went to the shop. I think it
must be a sign that I am getting old in that there wasn’t any magazine I wanted
to read. I suddenly realised how much chocolate and stuff there is in shops. I
have saved a fortune in chocolate spending since I have been in; so it can go
to the parking fund.
We did get a copy of the new newspaper - New Day. Not overly
impressed, and it is interesting that virtually all of the contributors, the
editor and deputy editor are all women (the not overly impressed and women contributors
not related). It was free today – see how much it us tomorrow.
So, we came back upstairs and after Juli left I was hoisted
back into bed. Obs – blood pressure back to normal, sugars 21 so have had
insulin.
So, that’s it for now. More tomorrow.
Love and hugs
Me
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