Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 19 February 2017

Thank you also to ALL, for kind messages. My dear old brother will be on the road up from Plymouth. I've told him to stop for the night somewhere but he usually ignores me. I was telling my youngest daughter yesterday, what my brother said when I spoke about stopping somewhere. Her reply - ' he must be brave, none of your children would dare to speak like that to you!'. I told her that he is just paying me back for laughing at him when he cried as a toddler, when he got cold, playing outside in the Winter.

Sending a virtual hug to you Heather. I hope things get a bit easier for you over the coming months x

I've been chatting with OG. She still doesn't know when she will be transferred to local hospital. Yesterday, no transfer from bed to chair via hoist due in part to lack of staff. OG cannot mobilise independently at all because of the nature of her surgery. I'm quite appalled that the sitting out of bed for a few hours, which in my eyes is an essential part of recovery, can be neglected, due in part to staff shortages at the weekend. I do hope that things will be different for her, today. Sorry for rant. I know that the NHS is pushed to the limit, more in some places than others. No bed available for my OH, he died on a trolley after being in A and E for five hours. The staff could do nothing but apologise.

Heather, it's not a rant.  It's pointing out some shortcomings of the NHS at the moment - some fairly basic, others major and possibly life-changing.  It seems impossible to find a place to put the blame, which makes it even more difficult.  

I am so sorry you had that experience with your OH, but glad the staff were as supportive as they could be.  I'm sure many NHS staff feel completely helpless over so much of what's going on, and it's wonderful that in spite of everything they don't stint on care of both patients and relatives.

Hopefully OG will soon be moved to her local hospital which - again hopefully - will not be quite so frantic, and that basic care such as moving her into a chair will be available.  I'm sure that kind of care leads to a better and faster recovery.  My thoughts and prayers continue for her and her OH.

Not exactly a hive of industry, here: I've had a little Zzzzz to catch up on my sleep, instead of helping my OH catch up on things in the garden. Never mind, at least now I'll have some energy to tidy up the house a little.

I agree with Pat that getting out of bed, even if for only an hour, aids recovery and is a vital part of nursing someone back to health, if it's possible. I keep finding people who agree with me when asked, that would gladly pay more in tax in order to help our lovely  precious NHS to get back to being what it was in the past, rather than the overstretched version we have now.

Lindybird: The hive of industry is here!  I've just tackled the laundry and am blanching at all the bits and pieces that need to be vacuumed up around the house. I used to know a (very handsome) Sicilian guy - met him on the train from London to Rimini. He was on his way back home to Trapani after some time at Oxford (he was studying to be a doctor).  Was so romantic in that he changed his plans in Milan and was sitting in the hotel's patio in Rimini the next morning when I and my girlfriend got up!  We went dancing, drank Coca Cola with lemon - all so innocent. We corresponded for a few years then I met him again in Rome the year before I came to the States. Not such as successful reunion as, you can imagine, he was very macho Sicilian and there's nothing quite as uncomfortable as someone getting fresh with you in a tiny, tiny, tiny Fiat 500!  We didn't correspond after that, but years and years later, I was on a train going through Arizona of all places and found myself sitting next to a man who also came from Sicily. I mentioned I'd known someone from Trapani and gave him the guy's name - and he said "Oh yes, they're a family of doctors." Small world! I then went and Googled the name and it turns out he has a practice in Trapani.

Am having a Trump-free Sunday. It's hard to do these days. The Orange Menace looms large...

Thank you Diane for the lovely start to a new week, after so much sadness.  It is so difficult to those left behind with empty spaces and memories.  My thoughts are with both Heather and Joan too.

I loved your 'romantic' story, Annette.  Time has a lot to answer for, or perhaps it is a relief!

On a personal note things not going to plan here... seems infection introduced in hospital with the 3 extra procedures they did. It's got a long name beginning with "c". Not totally cleared after 7 days ABs. So a new AB but after 4 tablets I had some severe and not very nice adverse reactions so off them now feeling more human but tired and will chat with Doctor tomorrow .

My experience with NHS with all this has to be positive . Original " oscopy" done on a Saturday to get hospital back on track with targets.

I was in a day ward but half of it was long stayers as no room elsewhere so when I had to stay all was well as my continuity of care was good and all the nurses were amazing. I gather Elgin is one of the smallest general hospitals and it's lovely not to have that lost feeling you get in the enormous city ones.

Heather how sad you had that experience as I had assumed you and OH were still in the little hospital he went into originally . Enjoy brothers company.

I did make another personal decision... after meeting Margo and often going to the donkey sanctuary in Sidmouth with my girls.Best friend lives in Dartmouth and we passed it on our trip down.. I made a donation in her memory . It seems it will buy a water trough:-)

How kind of you Wendy, and what a wonderful idea.  I do so hope you will soon feel much better.

Thank you Sheila holiday in 4 weeks walking as no cars so all "must" be well.