There was a sense of coming home when we landed and I headed back to the hospital. This really was my home now. I felt at home walking back into the hospital but at the same time there was a sense of tension. Did I still have my room?
I walked down the corridor and everyone was busy, some patients had arrived and some patients had left. A few nurses looked up and said hi. I got down to my room and to my relief there was Cameron in his cot, sound asleep of course because the sun was shining. Everything was as I had left it. I was so relieved.
Grannie and Nanna were sitting there and we spent a while catching up on news of my trip and their time looking after Cameron. The Grandmother's had kept their word and done a wonderful job of looking after Cameron while I had been gone, life could now go back to the way it was and it did.
Within the week the Nurse Manager was back in my room telling me that it was time to move. They had a baby coming in that needed our room more than us. I was only moving next door to room three but it was a big upheaval. Everything felt really strange and backwards but it gave me something to do for a day, packing and moving and re-establishing our home. Cameron slept blissfully through the whole thing.
I no longer looked out on the ward desk and I could only see the two rooms either side of me. I now looked out at a wall and saw whoever walked down the corridor. I should have enjoyed the peace and quiet but instead I felt really isolated and lonely.
Moving didn't change my routines. I was still up at 6am to get a warm shower. I had another routine that I'd forgotten about. I kept a supply of linen in my room because quite often the ward would run out and you learnt really early to keep a backlog. Each morning I would check what I needed and restock before the ward woke up and beat me to it. There's nothing worse than being in hospital and not being able to find a clean towel or bed linen when you need it. Every hospital visit since, linen is one of my first priorities after a bed for me.
I walked down the corridor and everyone was busy, some patients had arrived and some patients had left. A few nurses looked up and said hi. I got down to my room and to my relief there was Cameron in his cot, sound asleep of course because the sun was shining. Everything was as I had left it. I was so relieved.
Grannie and Nanna were sitting there and we spent a while catching up on news of my trip and their time looking after Cameron. The Grandmother's had kept their word and done a wonderful job of looking after Cameron while I had been gone, life could now go back to the way it was and it did.
Within the week the Nurse Manager was back in my room telling me that it was time to move. They had a baby coming in that needed our room more than us. I was only moving next door to room three but it was a big upheaval. Everything felt really strange and backwards but it gave me something to do for a day, packing and moving and re-establishing our home. Cameron slept blissfully through the whole thing.
I no longer looked out on the ward desk and I could only see the two rooms either side of me. I now looked out at a wall and saw whoever walked down the corridor. I should have enjoyed the peace and quiet but instead I felt really isolated and lonely.
Moving didn't change my routines. I was still up at 6am to get a warm shower. I had another routine that I'd forgotten about. I kept a supply of linen in my room because quite often the ward would run out and you learnt really early to keep a backlog. Each morning I would check what I needed and restock before the ward woke up and beat me to it. There's nothing worse than being in hospital and not being able to find a clean towel or bed linen when you need it. Every hospital visit since, linen is one of my first priorities after a bed for me.
Its amazing how we adapt to situations when at the time we think of it as a massive upheaval
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Wendy. I am an incredibly flexible and adaptive person now. I cope with change really well. Yet another thing Cameron has developed in me.
ReplyDelete