Catching Up

1. This is the latest photo of the boys. Nathan is now eight and Daniel seven.

 My hospital stay was an absolute nightmare.  I ad a letter telling me which ward I was in = when I got there I found there was no bed for me and I was taken upstairs to another ward where there were only two other people = a lady of ninety who was totally blind and one in her eighties who was totally deaf so not much conversation went on.

I had warned them that in the past I had reacted badly to whatever it is they give you to knock you out but was fine with the one I had for my bc operation five years ago. Obviously it fell on deaf ears as I have never felt so ill and could not stop vomiting for two days and in the end was bringing up blood.  Mad panic.  A doctor was sent for and I was put on huge pills for my stomach.  However I could not eat as my mouth was full of sores from where they put the tube down.  I got no treatment for this as I was told it "was natural".

The following day I had to get out of bed and attempt to walk.  I had never known pain like it but worse I had no energy. felt I could not breathe and the sweat was pouring off me.  I kept telling them but no notice was taken.  There I was attempting to walk to the toilet feeling like I was dying.  Talking of the toilet there was no disabled one on my ward the height was the same as most household toilets with no hand bars.  When I sat down my operated knee was bent back so far I actually screamed with the pain only to be told by the two nurses not to make a fuss.

I could not believe it was the same place where I had such wonderful treatment before.

Day four and my surgeon turned up - the only time I ever saw him.  He leaned on a nearbye cupboard, hands in pockets, looking totally dis-interested and said he wanted to see me walk.  By this time I could hardly stand and was shaking and sweating.  I managed a few steps then gasped out I could do no more.  I was helped back to bed by one decent nurse who told him I looked dreadful so he told her to take my temperature.  Another mad panic and an ordinary doctor was sent for.  He said I had a chest infection and I was put on very strong antibiotics.

It was only when I was discharged and given the paperwork that I was horrified to read I had "hospital induced pneumonia"!

I could go on and on - how there was rubbish under the beds where they were not swept, how the blind lady in the next bed was given her food and utensils and left to it - she had to ask me what was on her plate and she had to eat what she could with her fingers following my instructions, how you could ring for a bedpan and were told they would get you one. only to be left for more than an hour.  There was more than one accident believe me.

when I eventuaaly came home I was still very unwell and had bags of stomach tablets and antibiotics.  My own family doctort came in for two weeks trying to cure my sore mouth so that I could eat again and treating my stomach.  He was furious about it all.

The district nurses were wonderful when they came.  My dressing had not been changed during the nine days I was in hospital and they sorted all that and after fourteen days they took out the seventy staples I had in  the incision.

A couple of weeks later it was the turn of my pysiotherapist to arrive to try and get me walking on crutches.  She asked if I had been doing my hourly exercises.  I did not know what she was talking about.  Yes, I had been sent home with no exercises.  she too was angry.  No exercises so my leg and knee had stiffened up and it was agony when I had to begin.

Everything that happened to me put me back a long way so I am still on crutches instead of canes which I should be by now.

 I have to have the other knee done.  I have told my own doctor it as turned me completely off and if I do have it done I certainly would not consider that hospital.

One positive thing - my oncologist came to see my whilst I was in hospital as my appointment was due.  She has signed me off although I am still waiting for the results of the latest mammogram.

I would like to thank Linda in Washington and Guido for their birthday wishes for me this coming Sunday.  It is so nice to know I have not been forgotten.

God bless you all

Love Jeannette