Sunday 31 October 2010

Halloween - whooooooo, hoooooooo

We went out for a meal today with the grandparents for Michael's birthday, it was a bit odd because Dad wasn't there (more about him later) and Philly wasn't there because she was on her first day a Debenhams. I made some Halloween cupcakes instead of a big birthday cake.


Dad is improving but it's been a difficult week. He was moved Tuesday to another ward as he was doing well, the new ward was an overflow ward with mainly agency nurses. They were terrible, hardly ever came when Dad pressed his buzzer. We visited on Weds afternoon before driving 3 hours to the caravan because we need to close it down for winter. A friend visited Dad and rang to say he was shocked how poorly he was, poor breathing and didn't seem with it. We rang the hospital and were told Dad was not co-operating and they had struggled to get him to stand out the car so had not changed him since afternoon visiting. I was fuming but we couldn't drive back.

We packed the caravan up Thurs morning and drove 3 hours home in time for afternoon visiting. Dad was definately unwell, and was being kept in bed because he wouldn't get out he chair the nght before. They said he was being unco-operative, but the chair was so low he couldn't stand to get out as he has poor strength in his legs anyway. He had big black eyes, very poor breathing and not really aware of much. I asked the nurse for some oxygen, the look said it all but I insisted and eventually she fitted him a new mask.We complained to the Patient Service and that evening requested Dad move wards.

Friday morning he was moved back to a ward he'd been in before, was on full oxygen and the nurses were bustling around saying 'fancy seeing you back here Ron'. By evening visiting Dad was so much better, they had found a chest infection and put him on anti-biotics .Our friend visited again and was amazed at how much better he looked, he said he was quite worried Weds and I dread to think how Dad would have been if we'd have stayed in Wales until Fri.

Two days on Dad is back to his old chatty self, still on the drip but in the chair, being regularly changed and eating all his dinners. He said he felt like a bag of potatoes on the other ward but feels like a person now :) He's been in three weeks now and it is nice to seehim finally improving but it's very tiring all the rushing around. I'm back at school tomorrow too.

Stitching wise I have finished the summer basket on my Round Robin peice and have now started the lettering.


I have also started knitting again - I bought some wool at the bargain price of 40p a ball and the pattern is a freebie from Prima. It will be a short sleeved jacket when it's done, fingers crossed. It's not quite the right wool and there are a few large stitches which I might have to move along later.


Happy Halloween everyone, thanks for flying by :)

7 comments:

  1. Glad you moved your dad to a different ward. Sounds like it was the right thing to do. Hugs from me to you and him! x

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  2. Trick or Treat!

    Happy Halloween, Clare!

    It is amazing the differences in nursing care. I'm so glad your dad is improving now. *hugs*

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  3. Glad you've got your dad back on the "good" ward. I honestly don't understand why anyone with the kind of "everything is too much bother" mindset you describe would ever go into nursing in the first place.
    Your RR square is really pretty.
    I got my knitting out last night too, I think the dark evenings are just made for knitting.

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  4. So pleased to read Dad is improving, i hope he is soon well enough to come home.

    Lovely knitting, your RR piece is going to be so lovely when all done

    Nice cakes, YUMMY!!!

    Hope school went ok today xx

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  5. So glad to hear your dad is improving. It's such a shame that agency nurses mistreat patients (we get that here in the States too). I have a feeling it was the nurses being uncooperative and not your dad!

    Those cakes look delicious!!!

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  6. So glad they moved your Dad back to a better ward... it's so worrying when you know they're not being cared for properly (((((((((hugs))))))))). Hope he's soon 100% & back home.
    The cupcakes look great (bet they tasted great too).
    The RR is coming on well - I did enjoy watching them all develop. Love the colours in the wool, it'll make a cosy jacket. :0)

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  7. Glad that your dad is doing better and hope that the other ward gets into trouble for not doing their jobs.

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