11th April - CCH - A Big Step Forward - Literally!

Having decided yesterday that I needed to be doing something more intellectually challenging than I have been over the last few days, I watched a really interesting Horizon programme about solar storms, flares, their effect on technology here and what is being done to minimise the effect. Then I pushed it a bit and watched The Sky at Night, which was a special with Prof. Stephen Hawking about Black Holes. I think the fact that it was gone 10 at night, I was in bed and tired didn’t help – I realised that I had fallen asleep!

A reasonably quiet night, and early morning sugars 6.8. Back to sleep until breakfast. I won’t give details of breakfast as same as always (although I have decided to go off piste and order cornflakes instead of All Bran for Wednesday!) There is a critical amount of milk necessary to make it enjoyable- too much and it gets too soggy, too little and it’s like cardboard. I don’t think cornflakes are so milk critical.

Lay in bed waiting for Stella the OT to get me up. We didn’t do any washing or dressing in bed (apart from putting my shoes on which are necessary for the cricket) and transferred into the bathroom. I washed all the front of my lower half either standing or sitting on the cricket, including my feet for the first time (by leaning forward a bit whilst sitting in the sling). I don’t think this is entirely approved of because of balance issues, but I promised I’d sit up if I started feeling dizzy or light headed. Pad, mesh knickers, socks and trousers put on. Transferred to wheelchair, wheeled myself into my room and did the rest of washing and getting dressed on my own. When I go home, I will need to make sure my toothbrush and toothpaste are by the basin and not in the bathroom cabinet, which I won’t be able to reach. Some more discussion about having a hospital bed at home so that if carers have to change or wash me in bed, it is height adjustable so that they don’t hurt their backs. I can’t believe that everyone who has a carer has a hospital bed, so we will need further discussion about this.

Finished just in time for my mid morning cup of tea. Did some of the usual stuff – emailing, googling, etc. Had an email from Cotton Traders about special offer for trousers, which as Juli had an incident with his yesterday, was good timing. Need to find out what size as he has been losing weight, unlike me that has been putting it on (despite thinking I’d lost some last week). There were also some nice women's trousers in the sale. So, shopping later! Nice cleaning lady came in to do my room and we had a nice chat about all sorts of things. I am hugely impressed with the cleaning here – it is so much better and thorough than at GWH. As it’s the same Trust, I can’t understand the difference in standards. The deep clean will be done on Thursday when I am on the home visit to avoid disruption.

Pre lunch sugars 9.6. Really nice lunch of a ploughman’s and a cox’s apple for dessert, so one of the best lunches for ages. Went to loo, but no result. Back to my room, and was a bit sleepy, but Stacey the physio came to get me. We did more transfers to and from chairs (including an “ordinary” arm chair so that I could see the result of pushing too far back and it moving), bench and back, then standing and balance. More transfers. We were going to do some walking, but instead went back to the room and did a transfer from chair onto bed using a Zimmer frame. Slightly more difficult as bed higher, but managed to sit on edge then we did the flinging (although I don’t think that’s an official technical physio term!) my legs up as I put my top half down. Ended up a bit squiffy, so did manoeuvring to get me in right position. Then we did getting me back up. I usually rely on the side bars for leverage, but as I won’t have these at home, we did without them. The knack is to reach over with your arm so that you are lying on your side, then “walk” your legs over the side, then use your elbows to push yourself up to a sitting position. Elegant it ain't!  Stacey pleased with me, and said I could do all my transfers by frame from now on, as long as the person with me closely supervises. This is because I’m supposed to keep my head up and not look down, so I don’t always know where my feet are. Also, when backing up to whatever I’m transferring to, I don’t know when I’ve got to it as I can’t feel it against the backs of my legs. They need to tell me when I’m going wrong.  She changed the info on my bed board so instead of a picture of a cricket, there is a picture of the walking frame. SUCCESS!!!  However, I can still use the cricket on off days or when I am tired. I feel so much better.

Rang bell to go to loo, using frame. I had congratulations from the nurse, who knew all about feet positioning. Back in room and left in peace, and I was absolutely shattered (although a couple of the staff popped their heads round to congratulate me on my progress in using frame, which was really nice. This is a nice unit, and there is clearly communication and teamwork!). Think I dozed off a bit. Nurse came to do blood pressure – 112/64, so all good. Diabetes nurse popped head round the door, said she’d looked at the results and that the increase in insulin seems to be working. Will review again on Friday.

Pre supper sugars 15.6. Supper a rather disappointing chicken pasta dish, followed by cheese and biscuits. Did I want to go to loo again? There does seem to be a lot of going to the loo today, but I am feeling very bloated and I still can’t be sure if the muscle contractions around my middle are core muscles or loo muscles. Also, it is an opportunity to stand and practise balance, so is a mini physio session. Decided I didn’t need to go to loo, and anyway, it was visiting time, which I didn’t want to waste.

Sian and Juli arrived at the same time, even though they had come from different places in different cars. Did the usual of waiting by the door to be let out, but didn’t need to go to Narnia as the drinks machine had been mended. Into the meeting room for work catch up, gossip and just sitting, another visitor came in, went out of the French Windows and through the gate and back in through the external door, thus bypassing the locked wad door. He reappeared a few minutes later with drinks. We shall do this in future! End of visiting was approaching, so back to room to sort out my clothes for tomorrow. It isn’t a physio day tomorrow, so I shall wear my long dress. Put it, and socks on top of my chest of drawers, and Sian took my dirty clothes home.

Started the update, and am now in “real time” watching tv – Dalziel and Pascoe, but I’ve lost the plot – can’t hear it very well. Mr Shoutey calling for his ambulance again, and there is a constant rattling of trolleys trundling up and down the corridor. I’m amazed at how many trolleys of various sorts there are! Shift changeover, and a few people put heads round door to say goodnight. As I said, a nice friendly unit.

So, that’s it for tonight.

No physio planned, so potentially a quiet day tomorrow, although you never know!

The lovely Ploughman's lunch

The disappointing chicken pasta supper!