Simon was moved into a boy's ward today with three other chaps. This move was distressing for him, and set him back a little way. When we arrived he was sitting out in his chair, but was pleading to go back to bed he was so tired and uncomfortable. He was also very frightened of the man in the bed opposite him who was very ill, agitated, and using quite a lot of bad language. The man is a bikie, completely covered in tattoos. Biker gangs have a very bad reputation in Adelaide, but I know that they are not all bad people, and it might well be the case that he and Simon will hit it off in a few days. Just that today, Simon was scared of him. I did ask if Simon could be moved to a private hospital, but was told that the private hospitals would not have the standard of nursing care that he needs just now. We do have private medical insurance, but it seems to be of little use to us while he is in a public hospital. We had a bill for over $700 for the ambulance today, thankfully the insurance will cover this.
I made enough fuss to get Simon lifted back into bed, and then he slept peacefully for the rest of the afternoon. The other lads in the ward are OK, there is Paul who sleeps mostly, and Rick who is quite bright, chatty and could be a good source of inspiration for Simon. I am hoping they will get on well. He misses the familiarity of his old ward and is disoriented because his bed is facing in the opposite direction. They also failed to transfer his TV subscription that we pay a fortune for. We took a step backwards today. I am determined that he should be treated with dignity, and have made appointments with people tomorrow to discuss the situation. At the very least, if they intend to move him again I will insist on being there at the time so that he can tell me what he is thinking and feeling, and help him to feel safe.
I am going to go to work in the mornings from now on; it will feel strange. Quite a lot of my work involves listening to students who have problems. I'm only in the market for good news and progress stories just now, so this may be challenging.
We had a call from Asher, and he seems to be unscathed. We wondered what in the world could have brought down a man with such a cast-iron constitution. Fingers crossed for a full recovery, Asher and many thanks for ringing. I will have the phone by Simon's bed tomorrow at 3pm (Adelaide time) and will try to keep him awake for your call.
I took a short walk along the beach this evening and enjoyed a moody sunset. I thought I saw a shark.
Love Marian x
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Hi Marian,
ReplyDeleteHave been keeping up with your news. I hope that Simon settles down OK after the move to the new ward and fingers crossed for his sustained recovery. Jenny (the other one!), Michael, Daniel and Rachel all send their best wishes.
Take care
Jennyx
P.S. Good news about your vacuum cleaner!
Hi Marian and Simon
ReplyDeleteKeep the blog going, it's good to know how Simon is improving, despite the inevitable setbacks along the way. And it is hard to be an advocate who isn't always listened to. Tried to do this sometimes on behalf of my mum when she was being cared for - it's hard to be sure of yourself when you're not on home ground. But you clearly know most of the time what Simon needs - thank goodness he has you there.
Greeners now back in UK, enjoying return to sheep matters, not so enjoying virtual piles of email.
much love to both of you
sueg
So, has he started swapping fave f**cked up moments wit da tattooed biker yet?
ReplyDeleteI was so thrilled to hear his droll humour, and quick wit when we talked. At the start of our conversation "I'm bored already" and when I offered to ring again soon "how appalling!" He knows how to draw us in. No wonder he has the nurses round his finger.
Derek has found some other Roger Mcgough poems, that he thought Simon would like. I will post them for him.
Loads of love (and from Mitch) && Paul Oakly asked me to send his very best wishes..
xx