Thursday 16th June, 2011 (I think!)
I'm so tired I don't even know what day it is. John came home on Wednesday evening, after hanging around the hospital waiting for his drugs to be issued to him (ones we'd taken in and some prescribed drugs). When they eventually arrived, we grabbed the bag and headed off home only to find that they hadn't included the most important ones - the slow release Oxycontin pain killers! So followed a few frantic phone calls and John's daughter had to dash off to the out of hours GP to get a prescription, then to an all night chemist (who didn't stock them) and then to a chemist who did stock them! Happy days!
The hospital eventually phoned, having tracked down the drugs and I told them to hang on to them because we had managed to acquire a further supply. Their reaction? Well, they'll have to be collected soon! So I told them I would collect them when I was good and ready as they should have been included in John's bag when he was discharged.
That hospital (Royal Bournemouth) is the pits! I could write a list of complaints, and I think John's daughter intends to do so and send it to the hospital and to her MP, but I'm too tired to think about it now.
Any way, he's home and that's the main thing.
I thought yesterday would be a lot easier not having to run backwards and forwards to the hospital, etc, but it was absolutely draining. The phone never stopped ringing, people never stopped coming and by the evening I was worn out. John slept a lot and our little dog watched over him most of the day, only leaving him to go outside when she needed to or to grab a moutful of food. That little baby knows what's going on and she's a real comfort to John.
I sat down in the evening and sent a text message to everyone saying I wouldn't be answering the phone because I was so tired. Made sure John was up to date with his pain and anti-sickness meds and settled down to watch Miss Marple. I woke up ten minutes before it finished! Oh well.
Got John up at 10.30 to watch a documentary about The Fishermen's Friends and it warmed my heart to see him tapping his feet to the music. Told his daughter and she turned up with a CD today - an early Father's Day present.
Any way, we're not out of the woods yet. District nurses are visiting and I can call the Twilight shift if I need them at night. Palliative Care are calling tomorrow morning so we'll sort out things with them. He's still wiped out and suffering from pain and nausea but I'm managing to get him to drink plenty of fluids. He's not eating very much and won't touch any of the Fortisip the hospital sent us away with.
Sorry if this is a saga but I feel I need to get it all off my chest. I know many of you are going through similar experiences and will understand.
Love to you all,
Madge x x x x x x
