#2394 Friday 27th June

I slept well last night.... apart from the usual being woken up for readings. I can drift back to sleep fairly quickly.  I've just had the doctor's rounds.... the tubes are getting less. I'll probably be going to the ward today.

10am...... There're getting ready to move me out of the ICU and up to the ward.  I'm told that I have sit..... stay out of bed. 

This whole rigmarole tells me that I will be well advised to do a serous exercise program.  I'll use the benefits available from our health fund.  There's a gym not far along Guilford Rd.... it should be convenient.

10.15 am..... Sure as eggs if I get involved in something, they will give the order to move.

1pm .....  The transfer is a right shemozzle!  We got the ICU transfer all done correctly..... but the receiving ward is in a bit of a mess.  So I'm sitting in the ICU room..... just parked there till the ward is ready.

2pm..... I have been successfully transplanted from ICU to a normal ward. .... and boy have I been spoiled in ICU!  ICU is like a 5 star hotel..... personal attention 24/7.  Now I have a nice room, shared.... stale biscuits..... Phew!

The biggest issue at present is that the doctors say that after the acute pulmonary odema, they insist on me using a CPAP machine at home..... and the machine that I have is old and dirty! The nurses spent hours trying to resurrect my CPAP but they can't get the mould out. They say that I have to buy a new CPAP..... and I have no $$.  HBF can pay for one but I have to buy it first.....  then claim a refund.

The doctor's say that I can't go home till I have a CPAP.....  and I want to go home. 

I might explain to HBF and see if there is another way..... Except that I can't find any way to send a message to hbf!  Amazing.

4pm.... Showers and toilets are communal.  I kid you not!  The bathroom is 1950s style.  Only 2 showers and 2 toilets for the whole ward.

This time of sickness was easy to manage in ICU.... but this is pretty amazingly bad.  I feel sorry for the staff in these working conditions.

5pm......i had a urinary catheter during the surgery. It went bad last night and I asked for it to be removed.... Things got very bad and I was very upset. I had to ask 5 times before a doctor authorized the catheter removal. Its out now and I've been able to calm down

6.30pm..... After tea I went down to the cafeteria.... some yummy food. 

After return to base a physio came inspect my CPAP.... he made no comments...... so I guess that I'll set up my own machine for tonight. My logic is that it has been in a very sad state for many years and it hasn't killed me. Now that it's been thoroughly cleaned,  it will MUCH better.