My experience of hospital is badly tarnished by my experience of the final time that I took my mum to hospital on the evening of Sunday 4th May 2008. That was an experience that is, frankly, shameful and has left a deep seated antipathy toward a certain hospital on the outskirts of the county town of our westernmost county. I would still struggle to say anything good about the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.
However, this was not Treliske. When hovering twixt sleep and wonder in a twilight world where everything is looked at but nothing seen from the vantage point of a hospital bed you are conscious of the twilight world in which my cannulating friend and his young lady colleague undertake their roles with masterful competence.
Once my attendant was shown the way out past the security doors I was alone on a shared stage. The two in charge never stopped and my fellow patients never ceased to demand their attention. I watched but mostly I listened.
In the bed next to me a young man, 30ish maybe, was constantly getting up and making rapid movements in the general direction of the exit corridor. Each time either one or the other of the duty nurses would head him off only to be told that he needed the toilet. Patiently they would let him go and usher him back to his bed. When this is taking place every 10 minutes or so, but always when the nurses were in attendance at another bedside, patience becomes hard to come by. It did with me but not with them.
At about 0200 he was escorted back by a couple who were obviously not nurses. One placed him on his bed whilst the other stood at the end of it and explained the process of being sectioned under this act in compliance of this law and by the power invested and so on. The ramifications of such action being taken was emphatically expounded. He didn't sound at all medical. He had some words with my cannulator and returned for more words with my neighbour before leaving. It didn't stop my neighbour from continuing with his escape plans but he was far less determined failing to get out of the ward and only needed oral instruction in order to bring about a somewhat lethargic return to his bed.
As this was going on at about 2230 a lady arrived with her 89(?)year old father in a wheelchair. Both obviously distressed, her with a hint of annoyance if not anger. A diabetic, he had gone out shortly after lunch and taken to drinking. When found he had fallen and was unable to stop the bleeding from his leg. With little fuss he was cleaned, comforted, settled and sorted.
Within a pretty short time his daughter was able to let him know what she thought of him, how sorry she was for those who had to sort him out and so on. During a pause she was delicately removed to one side, sat down, given a mug of something I could have made good use of and calmed. Not long later she went to her Dad's bedside and then took her leave solemnly with head bowed. I hope in relief rather than embarrassment. All told less than an hour with only a few diversions to head off the serial escapee.
During the whole time the bed diagonally furthest from me was occupied .... unoccupied by an elderly man so obviously distressed. Frequently he would kick off his sheets and dramatically divest himself of his gown all in relative silence but once both feet hit the ground he became terribly overexcited but knew not where to go nor what to do next. The young lady of the ward dealt with this man with a wit and firm tenderness that was truly uplifting to witness.
The second amazing person I witnessed that first night.
The other three beds were occupied, one by a seemingly unconscious man, next to him was a man in some discomfort requiring frequent medication and one by me.
At 0230ish a patient was removed from the side ward room opposite me. Much ado, many apologies and the porters wheeled her away with an element of urgency.
Once they had gone a very quiet voice asked me how much I would like to be in that side ward. Turning to my left I saw our firmly tender ward lady writing numbers on grids. I explained that I thought they'd done enough for one night and I think I suggested that if I were her I'd get a coffee and leave me be. Oh, I'm going to she replied and then she called the cannulator and he wheeled me in, made sure the wires were wired and explained that it was going to get noisy as a "shouty" patient was on his way. Is it always like this, I asked. No, sometimes it gets really hectic, he said.
Before he went I must have been asleep.
Their stage is seen by few but their performances are matched by far fewer. But this is no act, these are not actors.
What amazing people such as these are.
I was awoken at 0515 by porters and at 0525 I was in the x-Ray room.
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