Day 57 – Yippee !!!!

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Kermit arrived just before 8am and I fully intended to become the patient from Hell. No more ‘Mrs Nice Guy’. I was well and truly fed up….

“How are you today”, he asked.
Before I had the chance to become the patient from Hell, nurse Tracey who was accompanying him said, “she’s really fed up and wants to go home”.
Kermit had a look at my hip.
“Will you be ok to cope with things at home”, he asked.
“Yes”, I practically yelled at him.
“Ok, you can go home”, he said.
“What! Today”, I asked.
“Yes”, he smiled.
If he had been within touching distance I would have given him the biggest hug he had ever had.
“Thank you”, I beamed at him.

As soon as Kermit was out of the room I phoned John to tell him the good news.
“Yippee!!!” were his first words.

I then rang my mam who burst into tears…

News of my release spread like wild fire around the ward. Mel, one of the auxiliary nurses, ran down the ward and gave me a huge hug. I went to tell Mary but she already knew because of all the fuss the nurses were making over me. Mel had arranged it so I could have breakfast in Mary’s room. Even though I was over the moon at going home, I was also sad to be leaving Mary.

No sooner had I finished my breakfast, Tracey said “you’ve got 10 minutes to pack”.
“I’m still in my nightclothes and I haven’t been washed yet”, I said.
“There’s no time for you to get washed”, she said, “we need your room. If you’re not ready in 10 minutes time, the discharge nurse will go without you”.

Instead of going to my room to pack, I went to say goodbye to Michael.
“I hear you’re going home”, he smiled.
“News travels fast”, I said, “sorry I never got a chance to chat with you yesterday, but I didn’t want to disturb you, as I gather you were in a lot of pain after your trip to the woodshed”.
Tracey was hovering outside Michael’s room.
“I’ve got to go”, I said, “take care of yourself and remember what I told you”.
“Don’t let my leg win”, he repeated.

While I got dressed, Tracey began stuffing all my belongings into carrier bags. A few minutes later the discharge nurse arrived to take me down to the ‘discharge lounge’. Tracey gave me a big huge, “good luck”, she said.
Mary and Liz the domestic cleaner were waiting outside of Mary’s room. I asked the discharge nurse if she could stop for a few moments while I said goodbye to them. All three of us were in tears as I hugged each of them goodbye.

After filling in various bits of release paperwork in the discharge lounge, I waited for John to come and collect me.

It was an unbelievable feeling of joy when I finally left the grounds of the hospital. I was so looking forward to a decent shower, a larger glass of wine – and a pizza….