What a week!!

it's been a bit of a marathon this week ... we started with another visit on Monday from the Ramp and Wetroom prevention officer. He came to do yet another assessment on Mark before he could put in any applications. Following the assessment we had another long diatribe on why we wouldn't get anything for at least 2 years. When he finally wound down we had our say. We explained to him very carefully that we have to move out of our current accommodation in 8 weeks. As it stands we can't get Mark into our new house, therefore we would need appropriate housing until such time as they put the ramps in. His answer .... we don't house people!! Especially people like you who have a house. But we can't get into that house without the ramps, doesn't that sound rather ridiculous to you??? Yes I understand what you're saying but we can't do anything else. OK. Well this is what we're going to do .... next week we will be contacting the newspapers and tell them our story and I'm sure Social Services really don't want themselves plastered all over the papers looking quite so stupid as to prevent a newly disabled person trying their best to be independent and get on with their lives and being prevented by something minimal like a set of ramps. His response .... well if that's how you feel that's what you'll have to do. He then watched Mark transfer from his chair to bed (what that's got to do with getting ramps we can't work out and he couldn't tell us) then got ready to leave. Just before he left the grey matter must have been working somewhere in there because he suddenly offered to see if he could get some temporary ramps for when we were ready to move in to put us on till our applications went through. Well. Maybe a little bad publicity isn't all that welcome after all!!

Next morning I get a phone call from said moron saying he could definitely get us some temporary ramps and would we be happy to accept them for the time being. Yes thankyou I say while thinking a little threat or two clearly can get something moving.

Wednesday ... we starve poor Mark from 7.30am ready for his supra pubic catheter op. No liquid after 10.30 apart from a few sips to take his handful of drugs due at mid day. We drive over to Pontefract Hospital (an hour and bit a way) and spend all afternoon waiting for assessments, doctors etc etc until time came to get on his operating trolley where I was supposed to get him undressed and into his flowery gown. Well the trolley was only 2 inches wider then Mark ... this should be interesting I'm going to have him on the floor getting him undressed for sure!! One of the nurses took pity on us and lent a hand, I think she was worried about the paperwork if I did throw him on the floor and perhaps broke another limb. He was away in surgery for about an hour and half then back to recovery room. Op went well, no problems, he's a bit dozy, now it's time to get him dressed again. Well on that skinny bed it was even harder than getting him undressed, man what a performance, just as well we've got a sense of humour or you'd just burst into tears. Time to go home and get some food into Mark. Had bought pizza cos we had no idea when we would be home and wanted something quick. Just as an aside, these days we hardly ever eat processed foods or takeaway. So pizza cooked and served, I had taken all the meat off and put it on Marks side and put anchovies on mine. We both enjoyed it.

Mark off to bed. 5am .... Maureen Maureen ... I leap out of bed half a sleep .. what's the matter ... I'm going to be sick .... oh great, I'm really bad dealing with people being sick. Ran for the bowl, towel and wipes, got him sitting up with bowl and had to stand outside the door or I would have been joining him. Well that was the end of our night, I was up then, swapping and washing our bowls while poor Mark was filling them. By 10ish I was getting worried cos he couldn't keep his drugs down and he really needs them. Rang the emergency doctor to ask for help. Mark slowing down with the throwing up by lunchtime, still no work from the doctor. Rang again, getting a little tense by now and asking why they had a doctor on duty for emergencies if I couldn't even get a phone call back. Doctor was out within the next half an hour. Poor Mark he was really in a bad way. He was blaming the pizza, I said it could have been the anesthetic, the doctor added that he could have caught something even that short time at the hospital, or it could have been the massive dose of antibiotics they gave him after the op. Whatever it was the most important thing was to stop him throwing up so his drugs would stay down. She also reviewed his pain meds and increased them yet again. He rattles now he's taking so much.

Thursday ... Mark in bed all day. Friday ... Mark in bed until 4pm. He got up, had a sandwich, lasted 3 hours in his chair and had to go back to bed due to massive pain. The pain he's suffering is getting worse and worse everyday, apart from the op, he's spending less and less time in his chair due to it ... it's not good at all. Over the two days in bed he's got more feeling back in his right hand and it's felt almost normal. As soon as he gets up in his chair it reverts back to tingling and pain. Something is definitely not right ... his doctor has written to the surgeon to try and speed up his next appointment and we're waiting to hear. Say a little prayer for Mark, he's really struggling now.