The challenge with C and K, the speech therapists, is to control the giggling. It's tricky to talk when you are laughing. Today Liz was to have a video fluroscopic swallowing examination (VFSE) to observe her swallow, and help the therapists decide how safe it might be for Liz to begin to drink water and eat. They went into the X-ray booth with Liz under strict instructions not to laugh. Liz was trying hard to keep a straight face, but then K appeared wearing a camouflaged lead lined jacket with Dr AHMED written across it. The absurdity was too overpowering. We mused that for the therapist, this situation is completely normal. For others it is a strange comic world.
Elizabeth was sent about 80 cards over four months. These wonderful offerings of love and affection where hung by Joanna on strings around her bed, like washing on a line. When Minal called in to see Liz, she saw the cards and said, "Oh, I should of brought a card." Liz replied "I wouldn't bother- look I've got loads."
In the evening Elizabeth's nurse came round the ward doing the observations. It is part of the ritual on every ward. The nurse asked Liz if it was a convenient time to take her blood pressure. Liz said "Sorry, not now, can't you see I'm busy." (She was playing Candie-Crush on her friends tablet.)
Liz was finally told she could move from pureed food to 'soft solids'. This meant rice, and and exploration of the Caribbean menu. Liz found that the Caribbean menu and Kosher menu were superior to other menus. The chicken came with (shock, horror) a bone. Behind Elizabeth's bed was a sign stating what Liz could eat. For some strange reason the sign said 'no soaked bread'. That sign didn't last long however.
When Elizabeth arrived in Leicester she had a number of fittings from Sheffield attached to her. A trachy, and her PEG feed. These were viewed with great caution by the Leicester staff. While on ICU in Leicester, Elizabeth's chest infection resulted in such a strong cough that she coughed out the trachy in the night. It was with a great sense of relief that the doctors removed the Sheffield trachy and fitted a good standard Leicester job. They had found fitting Leicester equipment to the Sheffield interface very stressful, and pipes regularly came adrift. The Peg too presented it's own challenge. Liz had to have an endoscope so that the doctors could see what had been fitted into her stomach. It was a fine day when she was at last free of all appendages.
Being one of the constants on Bay 2, the staff relied quite heavily on Liz's eagle eyes. Liz knew which of her elderly compatriots on the ward had had their medication. She challenged M when she tried to get out of bed without nursing help. Liz pointed out that she was now part of Baywatch.
Pooja came to visit Liz. She said to Liz that she couldn't wait to tell her some of her gross stories for working in Primark. Liz said 'I've got lots of gross stories too, there are mostly to do with poo. Pooja said "same! my stories are to do with poo too."
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