General Chat

Yes Tec I am :-D Yesteday I tidied up some of my pots getting rid of old leaves and branches. I did this while OH cut the grass. Then we pruned most of our shrubs getting rid of unruly branches. After that we had a drink under the pergola and congratulated each other on a job well done.

I said to OH that you will be able to get back in your garden before too long and he said it will be a good time of year for you to be working in the garden.

My daughter will want to help me after the op, but there is her job to consider, and I wouldn't want to jeopardise that.
She took so much time off last year when I was ill in hospital, visiting for hours every day, and then coming here to stay with me afterwards.

I could go to stay at her house in Shropshire, but it isn't suitable for me now with my mobility problems, so I'm not quite sure what will happen.
I'll manage somehow I'm sure.

I feel much better that your daughter is staying with you :-) four hours of sleep is better than nothing but it will be good when you can get a good night's sleep in your own bed.

Will your daughter help you with aftercare when you come home after surgery?

Hello Sue,

Are you pottering? :-D

Goodnight Linda - sleep well <3

Hello Tec :-)

Goodnight Linda - sleep well, hope you find Esme better tomorrow.

Hello,

I am so sorry to see that little Esme is so unwell, poor little girl.
You would think that on a children's ward the staff would be hand picked for their care and professionalism.
I know that there are excellent hospitals, and excellent wards, but it varies depending on where you land.
When I was admitted to hospital last Wednesday I sat on a straight chair, in agony, for eight hours in a reception area.
Nobody offered me a drink, although there is a vending machine miles away along the corridors. Obviously I couldn't manage to get there.
Some of the nurses are very caring - some are bordering on hostile, never making eye contact when coming to do obs etc.
I think the current climate of austerity, cut backs, and no or little increase in salary in four years has resulted in general apathy among many.
It is good that where children are concerned, at least the parent can be there to keep a watchful eye on things.
It is wrong that at weekends nothing is done - people do not get time off from their illnesses from Friday night till Monday morning.
I hope that Esme responds to the anti-biotics soon. Thinking of her.

Sorry you had such a rotten journey Linda.

My daughter and SIL are here. I am being spoilt, not allowed to move, and being waited on - it's wonderful :-D.
It is just as well as I am struggling to get about right now. The increased medication is helping. I didn't bother going to bed last night, but remained in my adjustable armchair all night. I got about four hours sleep, which wasn't bad really.

Daughter and SIL are visiting the Duchess tomorrow, and daughter is taking me during the week.
She has decided to stay with me all next week, which is a blessing.

We are going to get ready for bed and put the bed up first.

I hope you are OK Tec if you look in tonight

It is exactly the same with Eve. I hate driving in London, so I think Eve has only been in the car a couple of times when I was driving, so she probably doesn't remember

A busy time for you.

It's funny - with Drew and the twins it's grandma's house and grandad's car :-D

Sh is going to grandmas house in just over a week, we just have to entertain her before that, plus fit in hospital visits of course

I guess Eve is getting used to this. How disappointing for her that she didn't go to Grandma's house.

Hello Sue, we only saw Esme for a few minutes as it was better to take Eve away

Eve just walked off without a backward glance. She thought we were taking us to our house and was cross when she realised we were taking her to her own home

It should indeed Persie. We only hope they can get the infection in hand as she has had so many antibiotics and nothing has worked.

I am shattered and all I have done is sit in the car all day. Eve is asleep, so I can see us having a very early night

Nursing isn't the "calling" it used to be. Alrhough I know some wonderful nurses they tend to be the older ones. In the ward I work in they have a small staff then when needed they get their staff through an agency. You can tell the agency nurses straight away :-(

Poor Esme isn't having a good time. Her poor little bottom must be so sore :-(. I hate when the little ones are ill. A gentle hug for Esme <3

I said the same about our Auckland Hospital, only with it the hospital is okay but the disparity was between wards. if one floor which is a ward can get it right, have a happy team of staff then why can't the other. (there were a few that were okay).. they were run completely differently. One was bright and cheerful and the other was gloomy... seemed to be reflected in their decorations as well the happy one had art work on all the corridor walls, some given by grateful patients.. it was a wonderful gallery.

Couldn't fault Waikato, yes the wards are old and the showers really need upgrading they were pathetic but the nurses were great.

It isn't a good look when the nursing staff are like you say Linda.. there is something wrong with their system and how their work is spread and the harmony amongst them.. they are there to make a difference and they all should have achievable goals. As you say and I agree if one lot can do it why can't another. Should be win win all round.

Just heard from my daughter, they are on the ward in the main hospital, but she hates it there as the staff are nothing short of disgraceful. Esme has spent time in there before and they actually made a written complaint about the dreadful standard of nursing. Anything you ask for, they will do in a minute, but no one ever comes back. It looks like nothing has changed as it took them an hour of hassling them to get someone to come back and set up the morphine pump.

It doesn't have to be like that, the local hospital has lovely well trained staff. It is a full sized hospital, not a little cottage one,so if they can do it why can't the other one.

I know everyone goes on about our wonderful NHS , but the more we have to do with them, the more waste and bad practice we see

Well we gave up on the plumber, so set off at ten

The journey was dreadful, it took six hours because of roadworks and an accident on the M1

We then had an extra forty minutes because they had sent Esme over to the main hospital to see a paediatric consultant when we got there, they were still in the children's A&e waiting for a bed on the ward

Poor Esme looked awful, she has one arm bandaged up because she has a canular into the vein. She was full of morphine for the pain. I didn't see it, but her bottom is a horrific mess of open infected sores, probably caused by the antibiotics, but they don't know until they get the results of the swabs, but of course thus is the weekend and the labs don't work

We brought Eve back home, she had been very good, but it is boring for her. She was quite happy to come with us.

How are you today Tec? Are you spaced out on morphine as well

Good Luck, you have possibly gone by now..

Love to Eve and Esme.

Have a safe trip Linda <3