Exploring the Art of Occupation

Its Wednesday 10th February 2021, I have just finished my 14 days of isolation due to a false positive Covid swob and subsequently being exposed.

It’s not been all that bad, I have done a lot of colouring in, watched all episodes of Hustle and I’m half way though Dexter. So when I get out I’m either going to con people or murder them, only people that deserve it of course, you have to follow the code or it all goes a bit wrong.

I’ve had daily FaceTimes with Lyra (niece) who currently loved Friends, her favourite character is Joey, and she loves to get Alexa to play the theme song and dance around in circles wiggling her bum.

Because I’m so close to home, I get regular deliveries of crisps, chocolate, drinks and even a few takeaways. Sunday Anthony brought me in a Sunday dinner from the Chairman and Bedford Street, it was delicious.

One of the nurses told me about a blog written by a Dr that works in critical care, I have spent some time reading these, they are informative and worth a read. https://www.nomoresurgeons.com

I also had a visit from one of the hospital, chaplains.  It was honestly one of the most interesting conversations I have had in a long while, when you met someone new for the first time you find lots to talk about.  She has lead a very interring life,  its her story to tell not mine, but the highlights include entering a nunnery at 19 and leaving as she fell in love with a priest, they married as soon as they left, he converted to church of England, she got a job as a hospital chaplain, and is in training to become a church of England priest.  We also talked about everything she missed whilst in the nunnery, basically most of the 90’s and 00’s, she didn’t know who the spice girls were.  I said mind you I doubt my mother could name them all, and when I texted her she could not.  

I was also sent a dairy that nursers kept whilst I was in ICU, which sparked the idea for this blog, It only has a few entry’s from 20th April – 2nd May.  Some from James Cook hospital and the rest at the Freeman.  It’s pretty mundane, a little upsetting but in a way comforting to.  Each day the nurse would write who they were, and what I had done that day, some days I was out of it, others, Physio’s visited  and I sat on the edge of the bed. In the last entry a nurse wrote ‘you are doing all the breathing yourself I can hear your beautiful voice’. Another nurse wrote about things that were happing in the news like the day Boris had a baby boy. I liked hearing about things I missed.  

Yesterday I went through my partners instagram,  it was nice to see him keeping well and engaging in some of he’s favourite occupations. Some of my #Otalk* friends sent him some lego to build, he appeared to do some cycling in the garage, and photos for daily exercise walks. I love his photos,  but that is he job after all. 

During my time is isolation physio and OT did come to see me, we mainly practised standing with the walking frame, sometimes this felt easy, somethings it felt like the hardest thing in the world.  Today in-order to transfer to the rehab ward so I can finely start my rehab, to learn how to walk again, get home and back to work. I was able to stand with a rota stand, so no more scrapes tiring me in to things instead I have to support myself as the stand aid in turn for me. It’s a great step forward,  I’m proud of myself.  

I’m now in a bay with 5 other women,  this a first for me,  well in the early days I was moved around wards a lot, and was in some bays then,  but I was very unwell and have little memory of this.  Other than one lady that spend the whole day on her phone,  she relay the same information over and over again ,  it was a little irritating to say the least.  All the ladies in this bay seem friendly,  two are a little confused but don’t mind that, I’m used to working with people like that,  and the lady next to me is over 100 years old.  

I’m egger to get started with some intense rehab,  so follow my twitter feed for regular updates o how’s it going.  

Hopefully by the time I write the next blog we will have skipped to the end and seen if it was all worth going through with. 

Thanks again for reading and do comment below, it nice to hear from people and have something new to look at.

*’Skip to the end’ is a song suggested by my sister in law as a title for these blog it is by my favourite band the Futureheads. 

**OTalk is a weekly twitter chat about everything occupational therapy related that myself and 6 other occupational therapist organise. https://otalk.co.uk/about-2/