The Blurred Line

Day 29 - Chinese takeout and exciting news!

I am not a morning person. We should probably establish this. After almost 4 weeks of 6 am/ 8am wake up times, you would have thought that it would be a lot easier to get up but no. I am still not a morning person.

I felt so sore and stiff from my excursion yesterday – like a stump hangover from too much sun rather than from alcohol.

I got to have another shower again but was very wary of keeping the PICC line dry. Alma came to the rescue with her "girl scout" skills! As well as the stump being in a clinical waste bag, my arm was in a clinical waste bag too! Unfortunately it didn't work as condensation got in – perhaps the bag wasn't tight enough?

As I came back from the shower, the young lady who has been here almost as long as I have was in a lot of pain so I asked mum to drive me over on my commode to her bedside. I tried to comfort her until the consultants came around on their ward rounds and massaged her really dry hands with Dave's lovely rose cream. I even got called "doctor" by one of the consultants.

One of the physiotherapists, Gareth, visited and said that I would be going to the rehab at Charing Cross tomorrow for my first session and then transported back here. It all sounded really exciting and my first proper outing outside!

Nina visited not that long after and was very impressed with my movement and agility and didn't really know any goals to give me except making a sandwich in her kitchen downstairs. Before the accident, this would never have been an issue but now it obviously isn't the sandwich making that's the issue. I have to think about how I'm going to open up the fridge whilst in the wheelchair then transfer into a higher chair and transfer back hopefully with my sandwich made. I never know what I fancy in my sandwich though so that could actually become the most problematic bit of the whole sequence.

Just ever so slightly more exciting than making a sandwich (joke), Nina told me I could go home as long as my blood cultures were fine!!! I cried with joy and relief – I'm always crying, I'm so sorry! This has been such an emotional journey and home is the ultimate goal at least at the moment. Home has always seen a long way off and everyone wants get there in the end – to cuddle up on the sofa with the dog and forget all this as a bad dream. I was so happy! Mum cried too and gave me and cuddle and Susanna cried too! The commode could be ordered for Friday and we could rent a wheelchair to get me home for Friday if my more permanent one wasn't ready (the wheelchair I had in hospital was just for the use within the walls of St Mary's). Mum went home to start getting my room ready as it was such short notice and there was still a lot to be done.

The mother of the young lady who was in pain before had promised to buy us Chinese take-away for lunch so I was not allowed to order lunch! She came in with the Chinese and us all in an emotional ball but we effectively had a party for lunch and I was complimented on my chopstick use. It was so yummy! Hospital food was fine and actually not too bad but was getting a bit samey so it was nice to get something completely different down me. We were all so happy now too. Even the nurses were happy when they saw us. The picture above is me, Susanna and my wonderful nurse Alma who was one of the nurses who looked after me most.

My sister left me in the wonderful hands of Pooja who I lived with for 3 years so knows me far too well – she brought me baklava, fantasy books, a scarf and best of all: one of those really sweet cold Starbucks coffees! Mmmmm!!! She was also very kind and patient when an elderly lady tried to get out of bed to go home even though her hip was broken and then kept trying to leave. We sat with her, chatting to her and a little amongst ourselves, until her husband turned up. She'd come all the way from Manchester and is doing fantastically.

I then got the pleasure of seeing a friend I had not seen in maybe 4 years, Andy, who is also doing fantastically. Though I was greatly pleased, my sister was the most pleased to see he'd brought Gulian chocolates – her favourite!

When we all were getting ready to go to bed, the elderly ladie tried to get out of bed again to go to toilet but I speedily managed to stop her in my wheelchair and call the nurse. I ended up chatting to another elderly lady for half an hour who was convinced the lady opposite her was her sister. She said it was lovely that someone so young should be so grateful for all my mum's help when I told her what had happened. It made me think that we need to look after and protect our elderly ladies and gentlemen because they are still human beings even they are confused and their minds need protecting as much as their bodies.