I got up just before 8.00 but Jon didn't get up till 9.00 as he had had a bad night and hadn't been able to sleep.
Jon had breakfast and I did some cleaning before he got settled in to watch the Grand Prix. I did some washing and general cleaning and the district nurse came about 11.00. Jon told her he had not been able to sleep and that his bottom was very, very sore. We wondered if maybe the walk yesterday had been too much.
Gill changed the dressing and by the end of it Jon could hardly stand, it is usually easier to do it standing up, and he was a very odd colour and looked awful. The nurse said she would ring the stoma nurse at the hospital for advice and also the doctor to get a stronger painkiller. Jon went to lie down in the spare room and he had a sleep.
Gill phoned me to say the stoma nurse thought Jon ought to be seen by the GP and that I would need to take him as they don't do house calls. She kindly rang them back and told them that Jon would need to be taken in straight away as he could not sit or stand and they said that would be fine. We didn't have an appointment and were just going to be seen in the walk in clinic and from past experience I know you can wait for up to a couple of hours and I knew Jon would not be able to do that.
I managed to get Totty out for a quick walk round the block and it was so lovely and warm.
We set off and every bump in the road was painful for him and although it is only 3km it seemed to take forever and he was in a lot of pain by the time we arrived.
True to their word when I told them about Jon they took us through to a treatment room and he was able to lie on a couch. A nurse came in and took all the particulars and said that Dr Matsom, Jon's GP, and the one who didn't refer him as urgent way back in March, was at lunch and we would be seen by another doctor and I was quite pleased about that. Unfortunately, he came back and said he would like to see Jon as he knew him - he has only seen him once!!!!!!
He came in and we explained what was happening and he asked to have a look at the wound on Jon's bottom and was really quite rough with him and pulled the dressing off that the DN had put on and Jon nearly shot off the bed. He wore no gloves and didn't use alcohol on his hands!!! He said it looked OK but maybe a bit pink. He gave us a prescription for antibiotics and liquid morphine for more pain relief.
I really didn't like him at all. He closes his eyes when he speaks to you which I found most off putting. I asked him did the wound not need another dressing and he said no then decided to have another look and decided to put one on!
We went back to reception to pay the bill and then into the pharmacy for the prescription. The pharmacist asked if we had used morphine before and we said no so she told us it was better to measure it through a syringe to get the dose right so we bought one of those, too. Jon can start with just 2mls and work up to 10mls. Hopefully, the antibiotics will kick in and that will sort it out, too.
We drove home and he was just about done in when we got back. I had wanted to stop off for some stamps but he didn't want me to so we came home.
It was by now 2.00 and we were both hungry so I made the lunch and Jon took the antibiotics and the morphine which tastes horrible he said. I wonder how people get hooked on something that doesn't taste good? I'll stick with wine and chocolate!!
The occupational therapist called this afternoon with a blow up cushion for him to sit on and a special mattress that blows up and stays blown up all the time and different parts sort of go harder and softer. It is mainly used to avoid bedsores but they hope it will help him sleep. The only problem is it is the size of a single bed and if we put it on our bed there wouldn't be much room for me so we have decided to put it on the bed in the spare bedroom and Jon can sleep there till he is more comfortable.
I am very impressed with DN, Gill, as she arranged all of that this morning. I think she was concerned about Jon as he had been doing so well but she saw a big change in him today. Hopefully, things will now improve.
Jon had a sleep and then woke and watched the Grand Prix. I think it was the longest race ever as it seemed to be on all day and we kept having to pause it for different people coming in and also going to the doctors. I was completely fed up with it by the time it finished. I knew the result anyway as I had read it online!
I made the dinner and for the first time, with the aid of his cushion, Jon sat at the table to eat his dinner instead of on the settee.
We watched some TV and then Jon went to bed for which he needs a ladder to climb into as it is so high. I hope it works and he manages to get a good night, nothing worse than not being able to sleep.
WEATHER
Cloudy start then sunny spells and warm 19 degrees
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