Hospital Gowns and other ‘Accessories’

Unsurprisingly I hadn’t had time to pack an overnight bag…a stay in hospital wasn’t on my agenda for the day when I’d woken up that morning. Once I was admitted to the ward at Heartlands I was put in a hospital gown, kind of a back to front outsized wrap dress in washed out green and blue – didn’t do a lot for me. The pain was getting no easier and I was re-canulated (apparently the one the paramedic put in had to be changed) and a morphine drip set up. My other first for the day was to be fitted with a catheter, again not an accessory I had anticipated wearing ‘ever’! As accessories go let me tell you a catheter is no Luis Vuitton, its is uncomfortable to wear, unattractive to look at and unpleasant to carry around! However, this said it did solve the problem of the blood clots and help the pain somewhat so I shouldn’t complain. The fact that my admission was not completed though and I was temporarily ‘forgotten about’ was cause for complaint however. Apparently an ‘irrigation system’ (as attractive as it sounds…) was supposed to have been set up but wasn’t. This job was left to one of the night nurses who thankfully relieved the immense pain that had started to build up because this job hadn’t been done. Once this set to work ‘flushing out’ my kidney I started to get some relief. Until this day I would have boasted I had a very high pain threshold, a boast I no longer make! Night one and so far I know I have a ‘lump’ in my kidney and that it is bleeding which is in turn causing me pain. Another day another doctor and another revelation to follow.