Day 54 – I can’t believe it’s November

Sunday 1st November 2009

When I first arrived in hospital I made out a calendar for September and October as it was so easy to forget what day of the week it was, as all days were exactly the same. I never thought I would be doing one for November…

My mam was her usual cheery self today (I was being sarcastic !!). I was in Mary’s room when she arrived.
“Let’s have a look at your hip”, she asked, “oh, it’s much redder than Friday”.
“Of course it’s not”, said Mary, “can’t you see it’s gone down”.
Then later she asked to see it again, “it’s spreading past the line”, she said.
I looked but it seemed the same to me. However I became very paranoid so kept asking John and Mary all night what they thought. “It’s fine”, they both kept repeating over and over again….

Then to finish the morale boosting my mam said ‘Denise rang last night and asked if you were in a better mood than you were on Tuesday”. Thanks !!!!!!

Nurse Anna came into my room and mentioned that Kermit had telephoned the ward to say he was popping in to see some of his patients today, even though he was still on holiday. She said she would ask if he could come and see me.

Shortly after my mam had left, I saw Kermit go into the man’s bay opposite my room. Anna, who was accompanying him, practically grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into my room. She explained about the redness on my hip.
He took a look at my hip, “that’s nothing to worry about”, he said, “I know for a fact it’s not infection as there wasn’t any in the wound when we did the last washout”.
Anna mentioned about the allergy theory and he was happy with that.
“I’ll prescribe some cortisone cream”, he said, “that should clear it up”.
He asked if there had been any more leaking. I replied that it had been dry since Friday afternoon. He was really pleased with that.
“Fingers crossed”, he said, “as long as it remains dry for another three or four days and the physio’s are happy, then you can go home”.
As Kermit left the room, Anna raised her thumbs and smiled.

I should have been jumping up and down for joy at the news that I could go home, but I wasn’t. I had been here before so wasn’t building up my hopes.

I went to see Mary and told her what Kermit had said. She got a little upset as she said she wanted to go home too.
“Hey! I’m not there yet”, I said, “Luck isn’t on my side so anything can happen”.

When nurse Tracey did the nightshift handover she said, “No one in bay 1. Side room two – Marie. Nothing to report. Side room three – Mary. Poor Mary, bless her. She’s really fed up and wants to go home”.

Excuse me !!!! I had been in hospital two weeks longer than Mary. If anyone was fed up, it was me as I had seniority….