Our Blog Sis Ritu at But I smile anyway has come up with another challenge for us this month Musicalmarch.
Ritu said : “Nothing too serious or tedious.Just a chance to share some songs! If you fancy posting a song for any reason this March, tag it #musicalmarch
and link back to one of my posts so I can listen to your special songs too!
Today is day 4 of Musicalmarch and I never made a secret of the fact that I love Imogen Heap! When I think back to the time I was in hospital after breaking my back ( the second time ) and all I can say is Immie saved my life. Her music and talking books : Alex Cross books written by James Patterson, were the two things that kept me sane. I could only lay flat, I could not move, I was in a body brace.
Also when I was learning to walk again Immie’s music was always there for me. I did email Imogen and tell her and thank her and she wrote me back a beautiful and kind email back.
I have put in a few excerpts from when I wrote about some experiences and feeling I had whilst in hospital with tracks I listen too a lot at that time. The last track Life Line was written later but it fits the way the male nurse I talk about helped me and the others on one of the ward I was on.
8.30am ” Hello willow time to wash dress you and change your bed”. I just smile I hate this , I understand it has to be done and they do it well but they talk over me about their lives, have they have mistaken me for one of the old ladies in here that cannot or will not comunicate . Shall I interupt their chatter or shall I…… there you go all clean and comfy now. They walk away and I am alone again time for Imogen I think !
12midday dinner arrives, Oh! I am in luck today the young girl is here to help me. She is African and so pretty she has a pretty nature too. She smiles and talks to me as she feeds me , she listens to me , she really does. I ask her is she going to be a nurse , no she is going to be a pharmacist , shame she would be a great nurse.
1pm the cleaner is here she is nice always smiling but she does not speak a word of English. She has the most lovely eyes.
I ring for a bedpan the nurse says ” surely you have a catheter” “yes” I said ” I do not need to pee”. It is almost impossible to use a bed pan when you are laying flat. This nurse leaves me on the bedpan for over 20mins then longer after I have rung for her to help me. I ask her have I been , no she says walking away. ………. Why can’t I tell if I have been, why can’t I go, why can’t I feel . My stomach really hurts, so does my back hurt so much, I start to cry then the cloak of sleep surrounds me again.
“Hello” , a new voice, foreign , gentle sing song , what nice eyes. “Are you awake willow” I am tempted to not answer but politeness gets the best of me. “I am here to help you, would you mind if I gave you a bed bath” I hesitate because it does not seem right, a young man asking me if I would like a bed bath. However I have not had a good wash let alone a bed bath since I was admitted, he is also offering to change my pyjamas and the bed. So far I have had a lick and a promise and I am longing to feel fresh again.
What a change from the usual begrudging treatment I had received so far. I was bathed put in clean pyjamas and in a freshly changed bed I was exhausted but comfortable. The young nurse told me he had been at the hospital for about a year. His kindness and respect made me feel safe and at no time threatened.
Over the next week I learnt a lot about him, he had been in the French Foreign Legion, a Gendarme and now a Nurse. He used to come into our ward and chat when he had the time and sometimes if he was not too busy he would have a cup of tea with us. More than once when I was feeling really low he would make me a bird or a flower with paper. He was an extremely talented and kind young man who lived life to the full and who was not afraid to put himself out to help others. He made my life bearable I missed him when I was moved to yet another ward!
So where ever you are, dear young french male nurse, I want to let you know you helpped me through a terrifying lonely time. Your large and small acts of kindness helped me through. So thank you nurse you made a difference.
