Mb wandered in once or twice, P, Shoutey man, kept shouting. Needed to go to the loo just after 9 as I was watching the Queen programme, so got put to bed then. Janet, the night staff nurse came in to discuss what had happened (in terms of catheter, etc) and when and where. I asked if all the dates of the various stays would be included in the discharge letter, and she said that it would depend on what info they had been given, but that at each stage there should have been a discharge letter sent to my GP, with a copy to me as I had been discharged from their care and handed over to someone else. She was going to trawl through my notes and see what info there was.
Slept quite well, again waking up at about 2 to turn radio off and have a drink. I am getting better at changing position, which is good.
Woken up by Janet at 6.30 for morning sugars – 4.9. She had found some info re dates and stuff, but we seem to be missing the first section of GWH – Oxford. Later got a bit panicky as nothing seemed to be happening in terms of getting breakfast, or up. I don’t want to be late for the transport. Had my meds at about 8.30. Allowed to do my own insulin.
Annie (I did know who she is - she is the OT lady that runs the breakfast club and does a lot of the home visits). came in at 8.40 and said that she was beginning to panic as she had someone else to get ready as well as me, and I should have had my breakfast by now. She got my breakfast and said she would be back in 15 minutes. Ate breakfast, then we did a quick wash and dress, keeping me on the bed for most of it for speed and because it is easier.
****too much info warning****
She was concerned about the state of my bottom, so called Sarah-Jane, the staff nurse to have a look. It’s not pressure sores, but just very sore – possibly partly to do with sitting down so long and not moving much, but a also possibly not being dried after washing, or heat rash type thing. Lots of different cream. The good news is that my groin is now fine. I must be careful when washing and drying, and move more.
***** ok again****
Finished getting top half washed and dressed and sat ready, waiting for transport which had been booked for 10. Then Sharon popped her head around the door and said transport had been delayed and were in Calne and on the way, but they needed to drop someone off in a different ward. She asked if I could ring or text Julio to let him know (clearly it has been noted that he wasn’t pleased about lack of communication before!).
Was loaded on to mini ambulance at around 10.30, with Annie and Sharon and my walking frame. There was a clipboard and coloured stickers! For some reason, the sat nav took us via the motorway, but we arrived to be greeted by Sian and Juli. Wheeled in through front door, and I got my first view of the stair lift. Not bad! We decided to do the upstairs first, so I transferred to the lift and up we went. Bathroom first. I hadn’t realised how enormous the shower chair is, so I think we’ve decided not to use that and see what, if anything is more suitable. The loo was ok, and we can get the upstairs wheelchair in front of the sink for washing.
Speaking of which, I am very impressed with the upstairs wheelchair and think it may become my normal one – it just needs a better cushion, so I can use the pressure cushion from the Medequip one. Got in and off the bed with no problems, and it is of a suitable height. I was gobsmacked by the bedroom – neat, tidy, cleaned and organised. Juli says I have to keep it like it now (so must he, but he seems to be so far!).
Then downstairs again. I am nervous transferring onto the stair lift as I felt I might fall down the stairs, but I will have someone with me, so I won’t be able to fall, and I think the more I do it, the better it will be as I get more confident. The living room had also been transformed. We decided that the office chair is a definite no-no as it swivels, and that the settee was a little too low. We solved this by using the cushions from the other settee on top, which brought it back up to the right height, and it was a lot easier to get on to and back up from than I had thought it would be.
Didn’t do the kitchen as not got that far in terms of mobility yet - someone is going to have to make me my cups of tea for the time being, and Juli and/or Sian are going to come in from the office at lunch time. We talked about emergencies, and I said I’d have my phone with me all the time, or we could use the CB radios. Sharon and Annie happy that we’d got that covered.
So, all in all, a very successful home visit. They are going to look at whether there is anything else that I could use in the shower, and we will leave the perching stool (which is what people use either for washing or in the kitchen) until later – that will be down to the community OT to sort out after I’m home.
Theet came to say hello, which was nice, as did the dogs (we’d established that Sharon and Annie were dog people beforehand).
This is where the issue is: no carer availability at the moment, but they are chasing.
We came back via Malmesbury, and got back just in time for me to go to the loo.
When I came out of the bathroom, my lunch had been delivered. I had been very organised two days ago and ordered a salad and a banana in case we were late back, which we were.
Just about to ask for some supervision to have another lay down on the bed (S&A had said I would be very tired after all the work of the home visit, which I was), when Stacey arrived for my physio session. She knew I’d had my home visit, but wanted to do an assessment in case by some miracle they found carers and I disappeared before we could do it.
I walked to the rehab room, and sat on bench. Had to lie down, bringing feet up, which I managed. Very pleased with myself, as not able to do this before, but shine somewhat dimmed by fact that the bench is lower than bed, and much firmer, so easier. Then sat up on bench, and moved to sitting on edge with feet on floor. Then timed stand. Within 3 seconds! Then timed 8 metre walk (45 seconds) and walk back. Bit of a rest, then stand up and stretch. 22cm. Hadn’t been able to stretch at all before. So, when Stacey added up my scores I got 16/20 – a huge improvement from my last assessment which was 5/20.
So, all in all, I am feeling very pleased with myself. This carer thing is a pain – Ali has given me my physio timetable for next week although she has said that she hopes we won’t need it because I won’t be here!
Felt a bit tired (!) so after a while of doing this update so that I don’t have too much to do later, I went to lie on the bed for a while. Again, multi purpose lying as my feet have swollen again, and I lay on my side. Tried watching Pie in the Sky (usually my 9am viewing, but I’ve given up watching then as a) I get interrupted by all sorts of things including getting up and b) the ward is very noisy in the morning with all sorts of trollies trundling up and down. Saw most of it (enough to follow the plot, anyway). Sharon came to give an update on the carer situation. She has now left three messages with the care agency and is really cross that they haven’t got back to her, even if it’s to say that there is no one available.
Got up just in time for supper. Pre supper sugars 15.7. Soup, then I must have used up all my planning for lunch as I had an overdose of carbs – shepherds pie (topped with mash pots) with mash and green beans, then cheese and biscuits. Needed the loo fairly urgently afterwards, and was just on my way out of the bathroom when J&S arrived. My after supper cup of tea had also arrived while I was in the loo, and someone had kindly left it on my table with the saucer on top to keep it warm, so I drank that before we went through the wardrobe to Narnia again.
Chatted to Dot the cleaner’s husband as he waited for her at the end of her shift. Then chatted about work, the home visit and Sunday before returning to my room where Sian tried to sort out why I can’t send my @lde emails again, and I looked through the post that has accumulated. Most can just be filed (paper copies of bank statements etc) or thrown. Some needed something done to it, so wrote notes on the envelopes. Refilled my biscuit tub. Hid the new chocolate button packets.
After they’d gone, I sorted out my clothes for tomorrow and put my handbag away. In the cupboard. Just started watching an itv programme with John Sargent about canals, before Masterchef and Have I Got News For You. That’s my evening sorted, then!
So, summary of the day – lots of positives, but they have been a bit negated by the fact that I can’t come home yet because of lack of carers. That is now 3 of us on the ward in the same situation. It’s a ridiculous waste of resources.
Talk to you tomorrow!
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| Being loaded back onto the ambulance - I wish I could stay! |
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