My nights and days are in the hands of my own body and those I share my ward with. Currently we are in the Gastrointestinal unit and 4 of the 5 beds are taken by gastro patients, and we have remained the same since I came in.
One 85 year old deaf lady who really sleeps unless she is woken for meds and seems cared for by her two children and is poorly.
One 65 year old Coptic Christian with a huge family, she is settled here from Sudan. Every visiting time there are at least 7 people there which pisses me off as there is a visiting policy of 2 per person and from 3-8 and I have been trying to stick to it. So I did not get to see Isabelle who could not do the visiting hours and she has people in all day!
A middle aged lady who has already been on this ward for 31 days and seen everything. She, like me can get out of bed unaided and is not too much bother.
However, currently, the fifth bed is filled with a 96 year old who is garrulous, she should be on another ward as she has broken a wrist, and is convinced everyone is trying to assault her. This has gone on for 24 hours and she is constantly shouting for help, trying to rip out catheters, cannulas, climb out of bed. But it is the shouting that went on all night is the worst.
I waited all day yesterday to get the results of the tests on my tumour, they are doing a further set of tests to determine so I will get an answer soon. However I will not have the resolution of a multi disciplinary meeting on Wednesday and then I will share the findings with you. It was not a good 24 hours for stress, lack of sleep and coming to terms with what life is going to be like for at least a week more if not more. I need to pee every hour so this disturbs my sleep too!
The staff are amazing and patient, they cannot do anything about shouty aggressive patients, who try to bend fingers back as they go about their jobs.
It has snowed overnight and the busses have stopped running. The nurses have set off by foot from Hove already for the hand over.
Fiona Hutchinson’s cancer updates 
So sorry to hear that the delay in your results has added to your stress not to mention your other inmates. The snow is beautiful but has caused wide stread disruption. Andrew didn’t get home from a mamouth debate in the Lords until 2.00am this morning and is Mr Gruffalow this morning as a result, he has another session tonight and is very despondent about the state of the present Government (the worst for many years) Once you have read the magazines that he bought you, you will will probably be better informed than the lot of them, they need some fresh blood if you fancy a new career! We are off for a few days skiing on Thursday, might have to get my cross county skis out to get to the airport at this rate, it’s going to be freezing in Chamonix but the hotel has a swimming pool so I might just swim! We get back on Monday so hopefully pop in to see you the following Thursday as I’m working Tuesday and Wednesday. I shall read your blog while I’m away and be thinking of you, keep smiling and try to keep your spirits up. Lots of love Lxxx
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Snowing here too but not too bad on roads.Being with other people in wards when you are ill can be a trial -also not following rules is a pain too.Complain loud and clear!!
A funny incident when I was in Weston Park(our specialist cancer hospital) will make you smile.A lady asked me why I’d lost my hair-words failed me and I buried myself in a Jodi Picoult book which the nurses found amusing.Fiction is often better than real life !!!
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Hi Fiona. So sorry it has taken so long to write, but been knocked over by the news and honestly, it’s taken me until now to summon up a hundredth of the courage you have shown. I have learned so much from your writing. The positivity that you have had to the ordeals of dealing with the modern NHS, shouty patients, bullying nurses, and, above all, the calm way you have dealt with all the poking, prodding, chinstroking and general hospital-ness of everything. It’s a lesson for us all. I have particularly loved your plans for escape. It’s hard to look out of a window and not yearn for freedom. Also, I have woken up with the ghastly squeeze leg-boot sock things. Just as you’re drop off to sleep, the blasted motor starts up and you know you’re going to get the horrible S-Q-U-E-E-Z-E around your lower legs. I managed to bribe a porter to take the damn things off. Blissful. Anyway, thinking of you daily….
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