What an eventful day Friday turned out to be! Had to be at hospital for 7.30 a.m., so was up at crack of dawn, and desperately missing that first cup of tea... but was in taxi for 7 a.m. and at hospital for 7.20. Got in lift and pressed for 1st floor, got out.... saw a chap waiting, so must be at right place... we waited, and waited, pressed bell, nothing. At 7.40 I went off in search of info, found porter, he confirmed that i had been in 'right' place, so got back in lift, well one next to the one I'd used first, pressed 1st floor and arrived at first floor, but it wasn't like first 1st floor I'd got out at! Seems the first lift was playing up and was decanting people out at 2nd floor! So waited to get booked in, only computers were now playing up, secretary eventually thumped hers... went in to office to get booked in and... I was in the wrong place! Not my fault, staff very apologetic, so off I went to ward 16. Had to troop to other side of hospital. Arrived to find another patient waiting, sister was with her, sister then took my details and then it was a waiting game. Staff admitted that they had no beds for us, and wouldn't have till at least 11, and that they kept on telling the surgeons this but they just didn't listen. I was thinking of the cup of tea I could have had at 4 a.m... Eventually I got shown to my room at noon, and hour later I was on my way to theatre, well I would have been had staff nurse had got her act together, she was being unusually dippy... then off we went. Then had to spend 45 minutes in pre op, me and two other people, it wasn't busy, staff admitted that they'd not been busy at all. And then into theatre, and a flurry of action, nurse sticking things to me, doc finding vein for that stuff that Jackson liked so much... got first bit of drug, went all lovely and woozy, then I was told I'd feel some pressure and zonk... out cold... whatever happened to count to ten backwards? Came too an hour or so later, with a crowd around me.... never knew I was so popular, but they were concerned faces, I was way too cold... so got tucked up in warm blankets. Sort of remembered that bit, this nice nurse making sure I was well tucked up. But they weren't happy with me, seems my low BP was even lower... saw the drip going thru, but was still woozy then my knee decided to make its presence known.... jeeez, not felt so much pain since I fell over! Now had new nurse, she pumped in 1mg of morphine, no effect, so gave me another 1mg, still nothing, so she gave me the rest in one go... bliss... I floated off. They kept me in post op for an hour, they couldn't get me warm. Eventually I managed to stay alert for ten minutes, so I could go back to ward. Good, wanted to be home in a couple of hours.
On ward Nurse happily filled my request for tea and a butty, I was starving. That first cuppa was bliss. I was happily dozing, thinking I'd be home at around 8 pm, far later than I thought. Then sister came in with the bad news, I wasn't going anywhere, they weren't happy with my BP, it was low, well it has always been low. But she wasn't budging, did tell her about mum and that I didn't want her left on her own. She understood but wasn't happy with me leaving the ward. So phoned mum, she told me not to worry, she was fine, did I believe her, sort of... cursed myself for not getting in touch with the carers unit! But was in far too much pain and still too drowsy to think straight. Next thing dinner arrived, first offering was pork, I hate pork. Nurse went to see what else they had and came back with: fish, mushy peas and... rice! What a choice, who'd picked that combo? I don't much like fish either, not that there was a lot of it, managed a bit of it, fortunately there was a piece of sticky toffee cake, which went down a treat. Still wasn't happy about being stuck in hospital. But then night staff appeared and they were lovely, they came round and introduced themselves, made sure all us patients were all right. Then they brought round a cup of tea, or whatever drink you wanted, well not a glass of red... joking! At ten they tucked us all up, literally, they went to each patient and made sure we were all comfy in our beds, straightening sheets, pillows, switching off lights, drawing curtains. Nothing was too much trouble for them, I was okayish, aside from the pain, but lady in room opposite to me was having problems going to the loo, they were very patient with her, in the end they catheterised her, for her own sake, she felt much better and was able to get some sleep. It was the lady who'd been waiting with me in the day room, she'd had a full knee replacement. Something I have to look forward to in a year or so. But she was in a lot of pain, it was sad to see her so down, she had been so full of life in the day room. But she was on a morphine pump, not sure she was using it properly, heard the nurse explaining it all to her. Hope she is okay now.
Spent a fitful night, half dozing, but they kept on checking my BP every two hours... finally it was dawn. Was hoping for an early morning cuppa, but nope, none was forthcoming. Not blaming night staff, they'd worked hard during the night, but the new shift could have gone and got the tea trolley! But no, we had to wait till 8.30 for our first cup of tea. I was by then going stir crazy to get out. Had breakfast, and still no sign of promised visit from phsyio, then madness descended, I'd had enough, I wanted out of there. So got coat and started to hobble down ward... got stopped by nurse who asked me where I was going.... for a ciggie I said, I'll come back in ten minutes for discharge stuff. Then sister appeared, she wasn't keen on me going, but perhaps mad 'I need nicotine' look persuaded her. I agreed to wait for ten more minutes in day room while she got paperwork ready, she asked if I'd seen physios.. so I lied, so sue me, all they needed to do was to see if I could manage crutches, since I was upright I figured I could. Sister appeared with paperwork, but then said she was off to speak to physios, oh crumbs I was about to be rumbled.... fortunately she couldn't find any... so I could escape. I was out of there as fast as I could hobble.
No complaints about NHS, just don't like hospitals, they're noisy, you can't get a good night's sleep, and the food is still rubbish. Staff are lovely. But was happy to be home, and to get a goodish nights sleep in own bed.
Have made quite a few cards today, but can't reach plug for scanner! All are Xmas cards, I was using my new Xmas stamp set, just kept it all very simple. Will show results shortly. But even I was pleased.
Hope you all had a good weekend, and some decent weather, unlike here which as been awful.
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