We Forgot And Now We Remember
When my Mum went to hospital a couple of weeks ago, we were unprepared. There was a time when my Mum was in and out of hospital and the ridiculous parking fees, stale sandwiches and stupidly small windows of visiting times were just another part of my day, we were used to the jokes that she was trying to get out of family events as I mentioned over on Pippa World, but it has been a couple of years since we have had to deal with it all and in that time we forgot.
One of the big things we forgot though was what a patient needs from home when in Hospital.
And that isn't even the full list.
The staff really were lovely, one of the nurses took a shine to Tops and would come and have a chat with her when he was on shift and Tops was visiting my Mum. One of the Nurses waited until after I left and then told my Mum how pretty I was (I like her) and how she hadn't wanted to say it in front of me in case I was embarrassed.
We struggled through and my Mum survived what was a really hard time for her. She hates being in hospital and hates having to add yet another illness to add to her very long list, but she is home now and getting on with life as you have to in these situations. For me it's another medication to add to her already miles long prescription, one more thing to learn about, one more thing to remember when giving her medical history, one more thing in the medical books to tick off as my Mum having and one more thing that we can say my Mum has beaten.
It was also a reminder of how much our lives have changed in the last few years. Hospital visits and stays are further apart, devastating news has stopped being given on a daily basis, we are able to pretend that we are just an ordinary family. We know now though that this can change in a heart beat and although my Mum was eventually discharged from the hospital, we have to be ready in the future in case she has to go in again.
We have a list, we are checking it twice.
- We forgot that the parking fees in Hospital Car Parks are stupidly high and if you weren't in debt before you went to visit someone you were after.
- We forgot that if you want to buy food in the Hospital shop that you need a small fortune and even then all you would be able to afford is a Mars Bar because you need to save your change for the car park.
- We forgot that visiting times are designed to be an inconvenience to as many people as possible, with a stupidly small window at letting out of school time and during the evening when most people are eating an evening meal.
- We forgot that in order to watch Television for more than an hour in the morning you need to pay huge amounts of money for your own personal screen. What else are you going to do when you can't have visitors for huge parts of the day and there isn't a day room?
- We forgot that being in Hospital and visiting people in hospital takes a lot out of you, and for some brings back memories of events rather left to the recesses of their minds.
One of the big things we forgot though was what a patient needs from home when in Hospital.
A couple of pairs of Pyjamas, Bed Socks, Dressing Gown, Slippers, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Dental Floss, Soap, Deodorant, Hairbrush, Hairbands, Basic Make Up, Lip Balm, Moisturiser, Shampoo, Conditioner, Other Hair Products, Shower Gel, Towels, Wash Cloths, Underwear, Money, Bank Cards, Squash, Snacks, Something to write with, Something to Write on, Glasses, Something to read, Mobile Phone Charger, Mobile Phone, Phone Numbers, Lists of Medications, Tissues, Wet Wipes, plastic bag for dirty washing...
And that isn't even the full list.
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| This is a totally random picture because nobody likes pictures of hospitals. |
The staff really were lovely, one of the nurses took a shine to Tops and would come and have a chat with her when he was on shift and Tops was visiting my Mum. One of the Nurses waited until after I left and then told my Mum how pretty I was (I like her) and how she hadn't wanted to say it in front of me in case I was embarrassed.
We struggled through and my Mum survived what was a really hard time for her. She hates being in hospital and hates having to add yet another illness to add to her very long list, but she is home now and getting on with life as you have to in these situations. For me it's another medication to add to her already miles long prescription, one more thing to learn about, one more thing to remember when giving her medical history, one more thing in the medical books to tick off as my Mum having and one more thing that we can say my Mum has beaten.
It was also a reminder of how much our lives have changed in the last few years. Hospital visits and stays are further apart, devastating news has stopped being given on a daily basis, we are able to pretend that we are just an ordinary family. We know now though that this can change in a heart beat and although my Mum was eventually discharged from the hospital, we have to be ready in the future in case she has to go in again.
We have a list, we are checking it twice.