My sleep was yet again rather spasmodic. I fell asleep just after midnight, but was woken up at around 2.30am by flashing yellow lights that were outside the window. This was accompanied by the sounds of heavy machinery being used. I have no idea what was going on, but it sounded like the sort of machinery that is used to repair the roads … and the one that runs next to the hospital certainly needed repairing!
This went on for over an hour and once it had stopped I was able to get back to sleep … only to be woken up at 5.30am for a bed bath and change of bedclothes. I then slept until 6.45am, when I was again woken up, this time for blood pressure, oxygen level, and temperature checks. After that I dozed until 7.30am, when the person who takes the lunch orders arrived in the room!
At this point I gave up the pretence of trying to sleep as I knew that breakfast, the distribution of morning medications, and further tests were going to take place.
By 10.00am everything seemed to calm down in the ward. I understood that the previous day - Tuesday 23rd April - had been a very bust day in the A&E Department and that as a result, the CDU (Clinical Decision Unit) was jammed full. I don’t know if hospitals have a term for when their capacity is pushed to the limit and beyond, but on the Indian railways this is referred to as being ‘super dense crush load’!
Lunch arrived just after midday, and once I had eaten I spent an hour sending and answering various WhatsApp messages. I then watched the lunchtime news on BBC One. One of the main items covered concerned five Household Cavalry mounts that had been spooked by the noise of building work, thrown their riders, and galloped away. They had all been recaptured, but two made it to Limehouse, which is five miles from the initial incident.
Something similar happened in our area of London back in January 2021 when some horses from the Royal Horse Artillery were spooked by what I remember as being an impatient car driver, and escaped. Luckily, they were also recaptured fairly quickly and suffered only minor injuries … unlike their riders, six of whom ended up in hospital.
After the news I read some more chapters from 1864 and listened to some music. Sue arrived at 3.50pm and stayed for a couple of hours. Thankfully she brought me in an iced cafe latter as I was getting a bit fed up drinking nothing but water and builder’s tea! We discussed how things were progressing - which was nowhere at present - and what we would do once I was back home. It looked increasingly likely this would not be until after the next weekend, which would have made my hospital stay nearly three weeks long!
Dinner was served soon after Sue left, and as I had done on the previous evenings, I then read, watched BBC TV programmes on iPlayer (including THE REPAIR SHOP), and YouTube videos on my iPad until about midnight.
I will never understand the logic of waking a patient up during the night to find out how they are and to take their blood pressure, oxygen level, and temperature. It happened to me twice last night (at 12.30am and 5.30am) and interrupted what would otherwise have been a six-hour-long sleep. I did manage to doze off again after I was given my morning bed bath at 6.30am, but by 7.20am I was fully awake and ready to order my breakfast.
This arrived at 8.30am, and was followed soon afterwards by a visit from a somewhat confused patient from another part of the ward. Besides asking what I thought of ‘this flea pit hotel’, he meandered somewhat unsteadily to the window and remarked that he could see the cemetery across the road. The staff gently persuaded him to return to his own room, although he was reluctant to do so. Excitement over, things returned to normal on the ward.
At 10.15am I was seen by the medical consultant, who was happy with my progress and that I’ve not picked up any secondary infections. (Apparently - according to the doctor - hospitals are often full of people with all sorts of illnesses that can be passed on to the unsuspecting. I think that this was by way of joking banter … or at least, I hoped that it was!) We had a chat about when I was likely to go home, and it looks as if Monday 30th April is the earliest day that this will happen.
One of the staff had brought in a pile of free daily papers, and I spent some of the time before lunch reading the news and doing the crossword puzzles. Funnily enough, I found the cryptic one easier than the quick one to complete, which no doubt says something about my mind.
Lunch arrived at 12.30pm, and when my tray was collected the senior nurse informed me that they were preparing the discharge package I would need in the expectation that I would be leaving either later that day or on Friday 26th April. This was news to me, but it appeared that the hospital had put pressure on the equipment supply contractor to get a hoist delivered to my home as soon as possible. I informed Sue of this conversation and she prepared a bag of clothes for me to change into should the need arise, (I’ve been in hospital gowns since I was admitted and they are not suitable wear for me to be transported home in.)
Sue came to see me at just after 4.00am and stayed until 5.40pm. Apparently, she had now spoken to the Head of Occupational Therapy so often that they were now first name terms! A hoist has been ordered for a second time and the hospital expected it to be delivered tomorrow.
Dinner was served at 6.00pm and soon afterwards my roommate had his numerous dressings replaced and he was discharged into the care of his niece. His bed space did not remain vacant for very long as a new roommate was installed just after 9.00pm.
During the course of the evening I watched a series of TV programmes by Lucy Worsley about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as a YouTube video by Professor Phil Sabin about his FIGHTER DUEL LIGHT wargame. By 10.45pm I was beginning to feel rather tired, and after reading a couple more chapters of 1864, I went to sleep … or at least tried to.
In fact, I fell asleep very quickly because at 11.25pm I was woken up and told that I was going to be moved to another ward! By 11.30pm everything had been cleared from my locker and ten minutes later I was in Ward 24, Side Room 1!
Bob,
ReplyDelete"I will never understand the logic of waking a patient up during the night to find out how they are and to take their blood pressure, oxygen level, and temperature."
That's because a doctor or more likely consultant has specified regular observations, probably to alert them to any early signs of an infection. Sadly such instructions take precedence over patients sleep! If a nurse failed to follow these instructions they would probably face disciplinary action, especially if anything went wrong. Even if a nurse decided that your sleep was more important, they would find it difficult to defend themselves. Far easier to "go with the flow".
If you want some amusement, ask the nurses if they make the beds with the open side of the pillow case facing away from the window. Then ask why. You may get all sorts of responses.
The actual reason is good old Florence Nightingale had that instruction in her writings. It has been adopted as traditional. The real reason for her instruction was because in Scutari the sand blew in through the door and windows and collected in the pillow case flap......☺
Neil
I hope you are well soon and back enjoying home cooking. Good opportunity to read some blogs being holed up in bed.
ReplyDeleteI've spent a fair bit of time in hospitals over the years but I've never been woken with a cup of tea as early as 5:50, that's astonishing. Being woken at 2am ish to take your BP, etc is pretty standard. My aged mother would be taken into hospital now and then when the care home were worried about her but never kept for more than a few days. A couple of doctors explained that this was because they were worried about her getting an infection while in hospital! Sadly, the best place to catch MRSA is a hospital. I suggest trying blogs Bob, I can spend hours going from one to another, much more interesting and thought provoking than the glossy wargame mags these days. Thank goodness for the internet if your stuck in hospital these days.
ReplyDeleteBob, here's hoping you get the earlier release date. Congratulations on keeping a positive attitude throughout this experience. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed you can actually get home for the weekend Bob and some much needed rest!
ReplyDeleteCrumbs! That’s a lot to deal with!
ReplyDeleteHere's to hoping you get home for the weekend. Get well soon!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Bob, let's hope you are home soon - as I write (Fri 26th) you may even be already there... fingers crossed for that. Wishing you a peaceful weekend, one way or another!
ReplyDeleteHi Bob, good to hear you are still active and keeping your sense of humour. As for the risk of infection from other patients, I'd say it's real. Back in February my mother-in-law was in hospital, and both my wife and I contracted Covid during the week or so we were visiting her there.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think the name for overload (at least in my local hospital) is "black alert", which triggers the cancellation of scheduled procedures, reallocation of bed space etc.
All the best for your recovery
A tiresome and trying slog, indeed. I'm struck, though, by your account, of how much worse it would be were it not for a bit of technology--a bit of connectivity and whatever platform you're using to watch YouTube videos (and other media) to pass the time (and to lift you out of your surroundings for a bit).
ReplyDeleteDear Bob I echo the sentiments which the others have expressed. It’s so hard to make the most of the situation…Hospitals are very boring and stale places when waiting a minute feels like an eternity. Hope you can go home soon.
ReplyDeleteQuinn