Day 48 – It’s in the bag

Monday 26th October 2009

Susamma decided to put a drainage bag over my wound to see exactly how much fluid is coming out. It was stuck to the skin with adhesive which looked and felt like marzipan.

Had a shower this morning and it was lovely. My skin, which used to be really soft, was now very dry and flaky. It was making me quite itchy. One of the first things I wanted to do when I got home was smother myself in loads of moisturiser to put the life back into my skin.

Susamma took the line out of my hand, which was a big relief as it had been quite sore. She thought that some of the antibiotic liquid must have leaked onto my hand as it was flame red and incredibly itchy.

She put another line in my other hand, which I wasn’t very happy about as it was in my notes that this should only be done by an anaesthetist. It was on the side of my hand, which made moving my wrist agony. I did plead with her to take it straight out as it was quite painful but she wouldn’t. Apparently I was to have some more antibiotics. I knew that, but as of today, they were going to be taken orally. It made me wonder if nurses ever read patients notes…

The men in the bay opposite me were really getting on my nerves. I could have throttled ‘Big Mouth’ as he was moaning loudly about everything. He only had a hip replacement, yet you would think it was major surgery. I really hoped he would be moved further down the ward soon, which they do sometimes when patients are being a nuisance.

Kermit called to see me and he was a little disappointed that my wound was still leaking. He said there would be no point in taking me back to the woodshed for another washout as there wasn’t any infection in the wound. I was mightily relived.
“Unfortunately we can’t let you go home with it still oozing”, he said, “so we’ll leave things alone for a couple of weeks”.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think he must have realised that I wasn’t happy about this as he said, “these things take time so we will have to be patient”.
I really felt like saying to him, “it’s alright for you to say that as you’re not stuck in here”.

I could hear Big Mouth complaining to one of the nurses about how long he had been in hospital. He had been in for three days. Try six weeks and four days, Pal !!!!

That afternoon Louise, the auxiliary nurse, changed my drainage bag to a different one as the other one wasn’t sticking to my skin very well.
“This one is much better”, she announced, “with it having a tap at the bottom of the bag, so not only will we be able to measure how much is in there, it won’t need changing as much”.

Norma popped her head around the door.
“Can I have some blood from you”, she asked.
I let out a moan,
“Mary”, she yelled, across in the direction of Mary’s room, “I was right”.
“I’ve just come from Mary’s room”, she explained, “and I said you were next to have some blood taken and that you would complain…”.
“Thanks!”, I replied.
Louise turned to Norma, “I don’t mind doing it”, she volunteered.
“Ok”, replied Norma.

A little later Norma came to give me my tablets.
“Just thought I’d let you know”, I said, “that it only took Louise one go at taking some blood – and she didn’t hurt”.
Norma was not amused as it always took her at least two attempts, and she usually hurt.
“That’s for saying I would complain”, I said….

Doctor Zara popped into say hello as she had been working nightshift so hadn’t been around much. She explained that she was a little upset as she had just failed her driving test.
“What did you fail on”, I asked.
“A faulty clutch”, she replied, “I borrowed a friends car and I happened to mention that the clutch was faulty. He failed me because I was driving a defected car”.
“Was that all you failed on”, I asked.
“Yes, “she replied, “I can drive, it’s just that I don’t have a UK licence. I worked as a doctor in America for six months so have a US licence”.

The men in the bay opposite were having a conversation about women and what uses they were in society. Big Mouth replied that they were only fit to be chained to the kitchen and do what ever ‘their’ men tell them to do. He was getting very close to been punched in the face !!!

As there were only two night staff on duty due to one of the nurses phoning in sick, Mary and myself jokingly offered to go around and do the patients ob’s. They thanked us for the offer but said no. I thought we would have done a brilliant job…