Thank goodness for Wimbledon and The Olympics! These events really helped keep me entertained following a sudden medical crisis which struck in early June. In a televised match this crisis would be described as a medical time-out. I was already waiting for prosthesis surgery date when an unexpected development landed me in hospital. The hip surgery was immediately brought forward, but a complication was found requiring longer surgery followed by 4-weeks complete bedrest before I could put my weight on both feet on the floor just two weeks ago. Thanks to the wonderful physios’ help, I can now walk with the aid of a stick, get up and down the stairs and shower, so life has almost returned to normal, and I continue to work on fine tuning it all. I’m grateful to everyone around me, not least of whom is my dearly beloved Mike, carer Lian, close friends who visited, phoned or turned up to be present when needed, and the visiting professionals from the hospital staff who made it possible for me to be cared for at home – always a much safer place for anyone during the prime coughs and colds season! Of course the distant offsprings and siblings were very supportive as ever with phone calls etc.
As I see the surgeon tomorrow for what I’d expect is the final consultation, I’m now declaring this time-out officially over! … and I’m looking forward to returning to some of the ideas I was working on before I was so rudely interrupted!
When I posted of my experience on facebook in early June, some people’s reactions were interesting – for example, several textile artist friends saw the enforced 4 weeks’ bedrest as an ideal opportunity to start on a new art quilt 🙂 I really had to laugh, because while you’re in hospital there are only short periods of totally free time. Every day is punctuated frequently by people who need your attention requiring a response or access to some part of your body. Your surgeon visits daily, ditto the duty internist and physiotherapist. You’re asked for menu choices; medications arrrive at regular intervals (pills to be swallowed under supervision or IV liquids to be connected/disconnected) Someone needs to take blood or give a total bed bath and linen change, and there are questions about your bodily functions, how you feel and whether you’re eating or sleeping ok. (in hopsital? you’re joking!). Blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels are recorded several times a day. Do you want ice? Would you like the newspaper? You don’t have an accompaniante today? Breakfast, lunch, merienda/afternoon tea and dinner all arrive at their appointed times, and sometimes inconveniently. Some of these happen several times per day, mostly individually and rarely concurrently. The very idea that I could focus on creating a new work in that environment was mindblowing – a hospital is not a spa resort! People who saw my situation that way, though, are probably the same people who with determination doggedly stitch on some project while crammed into a poorly lit economy class plane seat 🙂