bath day 2010! st lukes hospice thursday 15 april 2010

rae reports
first bath in uk !
10 days since sandy has been out of bed. i have several times asked that he might have a bath – today it happened!

told it was no problem to wheel bed to bathroom and hoist straight into the bath.. but a lesson was learnt, alteration work was done a few months ago and now bed no longer fits through doorway!
so hoist to chair to bath to chair to bed – whole event took two staff and myself one and a half hours!!

clean but tired sandy then dozed sound, missing lunch and i ask myself was it my need or sandys need that was met???

it is incredibly frustrating for each of us that our communication is limited to yes/no question type converstion about food, drink, bodily functions, medication that sandy often manages but half a sentence “i’d really really like…” “help, help, help..” sometimes when i repeat something i think sandy has not grasped he’ll frustratedly say “i,i,i,i,i,i…….know”

there is a garden outside the window with yellow and purple primulas, untidy roses and daffodils that came out easter weekend. the many cards sent by friends decorate our room – we are fortunate indeed to be given shelter and care here.

maragret and grandson peter visited on tuesday and i took them to nearby ringinglow moors. peter and i ran and chased and climbed over the rocks and crossed the brook – but it hurt so much that i would not do this with sandy…..
that i could leave but sandy could not

five weeks ago today a thinking, talking, walking with assistance man went for an ambulance ride for a few days respite ….