Z is faint-hearted. But not for long.

I was able to walk steadily last night, using a frame, but spent most of the night awake.  At about 3 o’clock, I switched the light on to read and, soon after, a nurse put her head round the door to check I was all right and suggested making me a cup of hot chocolate. I don’t normally have milky drinks, but this was jolly nice, made from fresh milk not a packet.  I fell asleep eventually and managed two or three hours, I suppose.  But I suspect a lack of sleep was the reason I suddenly keeled over, when the nurse was taking my heart rate and blood pressure.  “I feel faint, I’d better lie down.” She couldn’t get a bp reading and was alarmed and, within seconds and rather to my embarrassment, three nurses were in the room putting an oxygen mask on me and setting up a saline drip.  “Speak to me, Zoë,” she said every few moments – actually, I’d have preferred to be quiet and shut my eyes for a minute, but I politely smiled and said I was all right.  And it didn’t last long, I soon got over it.  I said that it doesn’t take much to make me feel faint and made a funny story of the time I keeled over outside the bank and had to lie on the manager’s floor for an hour.

anyway, late, in the course of the day, I had three walks, the first on the frame and then they decided I could bypass the crutch stage and just use walking sticks.  The third time, they had me walking up and down steps.  Each time, when I got back into bed, I lay flat for a few minutes to make sure I was all right, and later, with a nurse standing by, I went to the bathroom by myself.

I’m due to go home on Monday but it’s all going so well that, assuming I don’t faint tomorrow, I may well be able to leave in the afternoon.  They’ll evaluate it and consult my surgeon in the morning.  They can see that I can be relied on to know how to walk and am sensible, having had the operation before.  So fingers crossed!

2 comments on “Z is faint-hearted. But not for long.

  1. Liz

    Fainting always feels embarassing, doesn’t it? I keeled over at a bus stop a couple of months ago. Mind you, the most embarassing was when I fainted in hospital – while I was visiting someone else! When I woke up my first thought was “Oh no, my shoe has come off.”

    Anyway, I hope you continue to recover well and that you’re home soon.

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      Yes, when I knew I was fainting in town a few years ago, I had to wait to get my card and money out of the cashpoint and it was mortifying, having to lie on the bank manager’s floor for the next hour or so before I could totter out again.
      I’m home now, thank you, all is fine.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Z Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.