The long and winding road...

Got a message from Vickie at 7.00am to say Alan was awake, smiling and watching Fab Lab on her iPad.  The best news :-))  Not having diazepam has definitely made a difference to his demeanour.

We were at the hospital at 1pm and pleased to see Alan up and in his wheels, even though he was sound asleep.  We ate our sandwiches and caught up with Penny and what had been happening this morning.  When Alan woke it it was great to see his eyes were much brighter and there were smiles.  Proper smiles :-)))

Alan's pal Georgie DJs on hospital radio from 2-4pm on a Tuesday so she made a dedication and played a song for Alan (Busted's Meet you There) at 2.30pm. Unfortunately he was still asleep but David managed to record it on his phone. 

Andrew the physio popped in to see him.  He is fantastic and has a great rapport with Alan.  He did some chest physio with Alan in his wheels.  I sat outside the room as there's not much space in there with Alan's wheels and mine, and when he was finished he came to chat to me.  

He'd been a little while earlier and switched Alan's oxygen level down to 1 and was delighted to see he was coping really well with the lower amount.  Stats at 96 (Alan's stats rarely go above 96 even when he's well so the hospital are happy with a level of 92-96)  He said Alan had worked hard with him and he was going to give him some saline nebuliser to soften the gunk he'd loosened.  His lungs are clear and any gunk left is all in his throat.  He will continue to see Alan twice a day, the nebulisers will continue and he will come off the oxygen.  All being well, discharge is planned for Friday.  Yay!! 

After the physio had left Alan got back into bed.  He was exhausted but still smiling :-) We chatted about his plans when he comes home and into the summer.  So much to do :)  There was a bit of commotion outside his room.  A man (a visitor) was going round the nurses demanding deodorant. I'd had a very brief conversation with him earlier when I was waiting outside the ward while Alan had physio and although he was pleasant enough, it was clear he was on something.  

Not sure what transpired but he continued to rant and I heard a nurse tell him he had to leave the hospital.  Another nurse came and apologised about the disturbance and closed Alan's door (so glad he has his own side room!) and the man and his girlfriend (who was the patient and also looked high as a kite) left the ward.  She returned a while later but didn't see him again.  

I know every story of addiction is a sad one, but it never fails to amaze me how entitled addicts feel.  To hear him demanding things from the nurses that it's not their place to provide, as well as his aggressive behaviour demanding the attention of all the staff meaning Alan (and I am assuming the rest of the ward) was nearly two hours late in getting any pain medication or food.  Made me want to punch him!   Those poor nurses having to deal with that.  Hope that's the last we see of him! 

Ashleigh arrived at 5pm and Penny left.  She hasn't seen Alan for a few days and saw a huge difference in him.  That was good to hear.  We left just after 6pm, which meant we were home early enough to have a proper dinner.  

When we got home from the hospital yesterday there was a package waiting for me from Amazon.  It was set of watercolour pen brushes, a birthday gift from Alan's support worker Kirsten.  She is so lovely!  I couldn't resist a play with them and tonight completed a little whimsical landscape.  D thought it interesting that I'd chosen to depict a long and winding road over steep hills. Art imitating life perhaps? :-)