Wednesday, May 06, 2015

My husband seemed very much better yesterday, and my eyesight has been miraculously restored.

He has been moved to an ordinary ward where almost everyone has one of our names – Thomas, James, Alexander. There is also a “John”, I'm afraid, who rather spoils the pattern.

He had been shaved, and they have restored the madelinetosh sleeveless vest in which he was admitted which means he doesn't have to cower under the hospital cotton blanket for warmth – but he is also breathing and talking much more freely. He still has an oxygen tube up his nose, but, hey! one can bring oxygen home with one.

You are right – and thank you, thank you again for all the comments – that we need a good deal of help about the Business of Life before he comes back here. He seemed so much better yesterday that I was a bit afraid that they might suddenly discharge him into the void – but surely not. SisterHelen and our diabetic son James both think that he shouldn't be responsible in the future for his own blood-sugar-testing and insulin-injecting; I'll need someone (not him) to teach me about that as about much else.

He went in in hand-knit socks (of course). Yesterday he was wearing these:


My own appearance is due at least in part to the fact that rough winds were shaking the darling buds of May.

Our dear friend G magically found us in the new ward, spoke a few stern words to my husband about the need to vote for Mark Lazarovicz tomorrow (she holds his proxy), and whisked me off to the Eye Pavilion. The appt was for 4:45. The place was virtually deserted. But when we got to the appropriate corridor on the 4th floor, it was lined with a desolate queue of patients. It turned out that half of them were waiting for a consultant who hadn't arrived, the other half for laser treatment. The latter queue, fortunately including me, moved forward slowly but steadily.

None of them seemed to have heard of “pocket squares” any more than I had a few weeks ago, but they were polite about it. One of them said she used to knit but had given it up because no one seemed to appreciate hand-knitting these days. I said, they still like socks.

Dr Ali Miqdad AJ Al-Ani, when I finally met him, I liked a lot. Not a man to droop at the end of the day, nor to be diminished by Ramadan, if relevant. The treatment was brief and painless, the improvement astonishing. My “bad eye” has been carrying the load for months. One could almost hear the mental gears grinding, as we left the Eye Pavilion and the right eye took over again.


Greek Helen is coming tomorrow – EasyJet does the Edinburgh-Athens round-trip twice a week, on Thursday and Sunday. I've got to get her on to our car insurance today if I can, and also to sort out my RBS bank card which has suddenly stopped functioning. I have logged on and had a look – the money is still there. I think I'll walk up to the former bank headquarters in St Andrew's Square – before Goodwin's Folly was built at Gogarburn. Phoning the insurance people will be tedious enough. I don't like the telephone.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:23 AM

    Hi Jean, glad things are looking up for both you and your husband - that's a fine pair of socks and slippers he has there! I would advise that you are firm and assertive with the staff at the hospital and make it clear that things were difficult for you before your husband's current illness - as others have said, if additional help can be slipped in now it will be much more palatable for him in the longer term.......Best Wishes, Jan

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  2. So relieved to hear that things are better, Jean--and even a photo! Thank you for keeping us all apprised. I hope you will get any extra help that you can; I've seen the incredible difference it makes with my parents, in everyone's quality of life and happiness, even though they resisted it to begin with. Hope everything continues to improve!

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  3. Patience11:53 AM

    Would your husband's doctors consider giving him an insulin pump? They're getting more and more automatic these days. I understand the UK ones are more advanced that the US when it comes to integrating with continuous glucose monitoring.

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  4. I'm so glad things are looking up. Your husband is about the same age as as my father in law so I know that fear when something happens that ground will be lost that can not be recovered.

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  5. Anonymous12:35 PM

    Echoing again! So pleased to hear of the improvements. I also agree that this is the crucial time to make the situation clear to hospital staff and put additional help in place. Having your resourceful daughter there will be such a help to you.
    very best wishes
    Anonymous Helen

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  6. Another glad echo here! Your happy energy has resurfaced in today's post. Good luck with the home help. As other have noted, the benefits always seem to outweigh the resistance. Onward!

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  7. Good news on all fronts. The miraculously restored vision helping the brain makes sense. I think of the days I have spent with a clogged ear from flying, which leaves me feeling off kilter, and the vision would be more challenging. And glad you daughter is coming to lend a hand.

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  8. Anonymous2:08 PM

    Such good news! Delighted to hear of your vision improvement. Yes, sometimes a hospital stay and discharge is the ideal opportunity for consulting with the professionals to get some additional home help in place.
    - Beth in Ontario

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  9. Wonderful news all around! That's quite amazing that the treatment for your eye had such a fast and efficient result. And how nice to hear that your husband is well enough to be in a general ward. Now you just need to get things sorted out for when he returns home. How nice that Greek Helen will be there to help you out.

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  10. Good to hear that you are both in a better state than yesterday. Re discharge dates: we had experience of this last November when my husband's stepmother(86) fell and broke her thigh. As soon as she was able to use the walking frame - less than a week later - she was declared fit to return home. There should be a proposed discharge date on his documents by his bed. I would ask the ward staff specifically about this, and about access to interim care arrangements - ie a carer coming in to help with washing and dressing after the return home.
    Those socks have gripper patches and are used instead of slippers.

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  11. Anonymous3:29 PM

    Hi Jean, glad things are looking up for both you and your husband - that's a fine pair of socks and slippers he has there! I would advise that you are firm and assertive with the staff at the hospital and make it clear that things were difficult for you before your husband's current illness - as others have said, if additional help can be slipped in now it will be much more palatable for him in the longer term.......Best Wishes, Jan

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  12. =Tamar4:42 PM

    Relieved to hear the good news. I have noticed my mood shifting downward when there is dust on my glasses; a foggy internal lens would be disastrous for me.

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  13. Relief all round. Glad you're getting some familial help. Hopefully, the professionals will put a care package in place for you before your husband returns home. Best Wishes from me too.

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