schleep

Somehow the notion that a good nights sleep helps recovery is not part of the this wards' outlook. Every night I go to sleep in a bad mood because survey says "let's start your 3 hours of anti-biotics at 10pm". I understand the need for anti-biotics (however on this occasion it was debatable whether I needed them) and that they are run 12 hours apart. So why not 8 and 8, or 6 and 6 - they wake you up at 6 am anyway as part of their early bird catches the worm policy. Maybe the morning staff should inform the night staff of this policy because they seem to be adamant that the patients thrive at night.

Anyway, on this particular eve, and I was fine to go home that day I assure you, I was staying in one last night. So around 10pm I was hooked up to the drip. I managed to get some sleep, off and on. The problem is with this pipe running from your chest you have only 3 positions to sleep in, and they are soon exhausted. In addition to this to move to any of the 3 takes careful consideration. I have an immense fear of leaning on the pipe and hoisting myself up to move to position 2 of 3 as I feel the pipe start to slip out of my skin and bleed for a long time, so every move is preceded with waking up and careful planning. Sleep should be long and constant. On this particular night I didn't ask for a sleeping pill which had ensured a 6 hour stint just the very previous night. I woke around 2 to the sound of Gruntman - yes, the very same who was positioned next to all those weeks ago when I started chemo, only this time less hairy - vomiting. I had managed to deal with his sleep grunting which has reduced somewhat but his vomiting lasted for ages. Only a curtain separates us to my right. Then, as if by magic, The Jaundiced Avenger on my left starts moaning with pains in his chest. Trolleys are dashed around the ward, everyone raises their speaking volumes and I am laying there, with an empty anti-biotic bag connected to me, feeling rather pissed off. Now it's not their fault and I sympathise with them but at 2am, having gone to bed pissed off I only got more pissed off. I managed to attract the attention of a nurse by making my drip machine artificially make the 'ding, ding, dong' and I was finally disconnected for a good nights sleep. I rolled around for a bit, read for a bit and finally made it off to sleep. 6am soon rolled around for my daily blood and observations. Then to top it all off the Jaundiced Avenger to my left decides 6:10 is great time to start shaving his follicly challenged chin with an electric razor. Anyway, that was it. I was awake, tired, and unable to sleep. I am definitely going home today - just to get some rest because hospital is not the place to get it.