I broke three ribs at the weekend going over the bars (again!) due to incompetence and a lackadaisical approach (quite literally). I have the episode on video. I haven’t watched it yet. Maybe when my ribs are healed…
Anyway, today’s post (most surprisngly) isn’t about me, it’s about my fellow patients and their stories.
The retired civil servant.
The old grey retired civil servant in the bay opposite me broke his leg badly after passing out and had unsuccessful (aborted due to blood pressure issues) surgery to fix it.
And now is immobile because he’s hugely overweight and heading back to a nursing home for another 6 weeks of peeing in a bottle.
Mid to late 50’s I reckon; a bit younger than me.
But he has a great pension!
Be careful what you wish for folks.
And don’t eat too many cream cakes…
Probably jabbed to the max too.
I found it hard to feel sorry for him. Some people can’t help themselves.
Is that mean?
I’ll be thinking of him in Spain next month when I’m paragliding as free as a bird.
Totally different lives.
Different because I create my own future (it takes discipline and effort). He’s going with the flow….
In heart failure
Whereas the older fellow, 78, directly opposite me had come in because he has congestive heart failure; news brokered to him as a death sentence by his GP who doesn’t sound like a βpeople personβ.
And he was upbeat because he’s found out recently that he doesn’t have to die immediately if he manages his fluids and has some new medication.
My ex-nursing wife says people can live for years with his condition.
But he’s not greedy.
He’d be happy with just a couple more.
Chalk and cheese, him and fatty.
He’s also creating his own future.
[He was also an exceptional farter – i don’t know whether it was his meds or what but my daughter found it very difficult to control her fit of laughter whilst visiting during one episode]
We’ll call him Bill
And finally, poor old chap in the bed next to me, 81, I’ll call him Bill, keeps having falls, was bought in with a stomach problem and so was doubly incontinent and had to be cleaned up in the morning by the health staff (there are not many nurses around these days).
He was emotionally blackmailing his poor wife (βso you don’t want me to come homeβ he says on the phone) who needs help because she is obviously struggling with lifting him etc., at home.
He is not being entirely honest about his mobility as he tries to escape on his Zimmer.
Bill’s trying to create his own future too, bless him, but I don’t think he’ll succeed.
As I say, it requires discipline and effort.
And some honesty.
With himself and others.
