[posted retrospectively]
I don't remember being taken up to the ward from the Recovery Room...no that's a lie, I *vaguely* remember being wheeled somewhere, and muttering about travel sickness.
Then I remember my mother and the Ward Sister working as a team to get me off the trolley and on to the hospital bed. More bright lights, more 'wake up and talk to us' torture.
Lots of unplugging and plugging in of various things attached to my body.
I tried to keep my eyes shut as much as I was allowed, those lights really were bright, and seemed to be directly in my line of sight!
The automatic blood pressure machine was permanently attached to my right arm and seemed to blow itself up every 5 minutes. I had a mask, feeding me lovely oxygen, strapped on my face and just lay there, allowing all these busy folks do all their busy things to me.
I don't know how long hubby and mum stayed with me, but I know they were there for a good while. I can't imagine I was very good company though.
And I do recall Jon going off downstairs to the smoking area for a cigarette, and contacting Mum because the Security Nazis wouldn't let him back up to the ward.
And even when the Ward Sister contacted them directly to allow him up they still refused, and made him sit in the Main Reception Area and wait until *official visiting hours*.
What a pair of utter, utter bastards...and I make absolutely NO apologies for my language.
His wife is up there, having just come up from the Recovery Room after a major op, where she was held longer than normal due to a complication (which hasn't been fully explained to me yet). He's worried sick, and even the dictat of the Ward Sister herself isn't enough for this pair of gob-shite jobsworths to let my husband *back* up to the ward, where he's been ALL DAY LONG! Rant over - but I remember at the time I was distressed because he wasn't there, and the more I think about it, now that I know the facts, the more angry it makes me! Totally unnecessary!
I woke up in the middle of the night, needing a pee, and not knowing how to go about it. I wasn't confident about getting out of bed, added to that all the wires, and tubes had me fixed to the bed in some weird cat's cradle set-up. I couldn't find a call-bell, and so I waited patiently until I spied some nurses, and proceeded to croak at them as best I could...more than a little confused that 'croaking' was the best I could muster. I did succeed in getting their attention and they found my call-bell (it had fallen off the side of the bed) and we formulated a plan to get me up and over to the bathroom. Once I was free(-er) from my tubes & wires, I sat up and swung my legs out....which caught them both by surprise, then I stood up and they both looked a little shocked. Then I sat back down again, fast, before I fell down.....major head swim! We went back to the well formulated plan, and I was soon shuffling towards the bathroom door for a well- earned pee.
Then I shuffled back again, but had a mini panic attack just as I got back to the bed, as I had literally run out of breath, and couldn't breathe....now that was scary. I remember looking at them wide-eyed, and they placed me back in bed, and soon had that lovely oxygen mask on my face again....aaaaah!
Once my breathing had settled and my oxygen levels had improved, they dragged me out of bed again. I was still in my theatre scrubs, and we all agreed that if I could possibly manage to get into my pyjamas than I would a hundred times more comfortable. We picked out what I would wear, and then I stood there feeling utterly helpless, whilst they removed the sexy back-less gown, the sex-kitten disposable knickers and replaced them with much less exotic cotton knickers and comfy pyjamas...I was allowed (told) to keep the sexy surgical stockings on.
Then back to bed, where I was not only *allowed* to go to sleep, it was positively encouraged this time!
At some point, later that night, a vampire came in and drained my right arm of blood..at least I think that's what happened. The vampire was good enough to put a plaster on it afterwards though.
I don't remember being taken up to the ward from the Recovery Room...no that's a lie, I *vaguely* remember being wheeled somewhere, and muttering about travel sickness.
Then I remember my mother and the Ward Sister working as a team to get me off the trolley and on to the hospital bed. More bright lights, more 'wake up and talk to us' torture.
Lots of unplugging and plugging in of various things attached to my body.
I tried to keep my eyes shut as much as I was allowed, those lights really were bright, and seemed to be directly in my line of sight!
The automatic blood pressure machine was permanently attached to my right arm and seemed to blow itself up every 5 minutes. I had a mask, feeding me lovely oxygen, strapped on my face and just lay there, allowing all these busy folks do all their busy things to me.
I don't know how long hubby and mum stayed with me, but I know they were there for a good while. I can't imagine I was very good company though.
And I do recall Jon going off downstairs to the smoking area for a cigarette, and contacting Mum because the Security Nazis wouldn't let him back up to the ward.
And even when the Ward Sister contacted them directly to allow him up they still refused, and made him sit in the Main Reception Area and wait until *official visiting hours*.
What a pair of utter, utter bastards...and I make absolutely NO apologies for my language.
His wife is up there, having just come up from the Recovery Room after a major op, where she was held longer than normal due to a complication (which hasn't been fully explained to me yet). He's worried sick, and even the dictat of the Ward Sister herself isn't enough for this pair of gob-shite jobsworths to let my husband *back* up to the ward, where he's been ALL DAY LONG! Rant over - but I remember at the time I was distressed because he wasn't there, and the more I think about it, now that I know the facts, the more angry it makes me! Totally unnecessary!
I woke up in the middle of the night, needing a pee, and not knowing how to go about it. I wasn't confident about getting out of bed, added to that all the wires, and tubes had me fixed to the bed in some weird cat's cradle set-up. I couldn't find a call-bell, and so I waited patiently until I spied some nurses, and proceeded to croak at them as best I could...more than a little confused that 'croaking' was the best I could muster. I did succeed in getting their attention and they found my call-bell (it had fallen off the side of the bed) and we formulated a plan to get me up and over to the bathroom. Once I was free(-er) from my tubes & wires, I sat up and swung my legs out....which caught them both by surprise, then I stood up and they both looked a little shocked. Then I sat back down again, fast, before I fell down.....major head swim! We went back to the well formulated plan, and I was soon shuffling towards the bathroom door for a well- earned pee.
Then I shuffled back again, but had a mini panic attack just as I got back to the bed, as I had literally run out of breath, and couldn't breathe....now that was scary. I remember looking at them wide-eyed, and they placed me back in bed, and soon had that lovely oxygen mask on my face again....aaaaah!
Once my breathing had settled and my oxygen levels had improved, they dragged me out of bed again. I was still in my theatre scrubs, and we all agreed that if I could possibly manage to get into my pyjamas than I would a hundred times more comfortable. We picked out what I would wear, and then I stood there feeling utterly helpless, whilst they removed the sexy back-less gown, the sex-kitten disposable knickers and replaced them with much less exotic cotton knickers and comfy pyjamas...I was allowed (told) to keep the sexy surgical stockings on.
Then back to bed, where I was not only *allowed* to go to sleep, it was positively encouraged this time!
At some point, later that night, a vampire came in and drained my right arm of blood..at least I think that's what happened. The vampire was good enough to put a plaster on it afterwards though.
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