Over my second three day stint at Christies I discovered the joy of sleeping pills. They were on my medication list for my first cycle but I didn't use them (hind sight say probably not the best decision). This time I did. Now I am not one (ironically given what's happening to me) that likes taking pills of any sort, but sometimes they do help!
Last night was a case in point. 22:00 arrived and it was time for my saline to be removed, and no need for the additional eight hours of saline as I (still) haven't been sick (big result there). So I was looking forward to my cannula being removed and a good night's sleep. However, the nurse got distracted (wanted to do my obs but couldn't find a blood pressure cuff) so went hunting. Now she didn't come back for a while and whilst away I started hearing a really distressing/harrowing call from one of the other rooms. A repeated, quite agitated, "nurse... nurse... I need to know what that light means... nurse... oh somebody...". This went on for a few minutes. Initially I ignored it, because I thought somebody would go and see to him, but after a few minutes it was obvious that that wasn't the case.
So I took my empty drip trolley for a walk to go and see if I could find the chap a nurse. Passing his room was really quite distressing - he was old and frail and in a somewhat debilitated way, not nice to see really. Anyway I loitered around the nursing station, and it just so happened that all the nurses were busy (mine was one of two dealing with someone else at the time). I did finally find someone and they explained that he was basically delirious from his medication and his situation.
Eventually my nurse came back, sorted my cannula out and asked if I was okay (because she saw me by the nursing station). I explained why I was there and she understood (and I think appreciated the "neighbourly" concern). Finally I asked for the evening's sleeping pill, because I didn't want to listen to the poor chap through out the night. And that in some ways made me feel guilty, I don't class myself as self-centred, yet sometimes you just need to rest and ignore those you are in a worse situation than yourself. It doesn't feel comfortable, but I am glad that I went and checked on him, but more so (and this is the guilty bit) I am glad the sleeping pill worked!
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