Saturday, August 20, 2005

Saturday 20th August

Ron wrote.
I saw Nigel today. He had asked me yesterday, if the Staff agreed, to take him home for a visit today. After checking that it was ok we drove to his home in Starcross taking a diversion to avoid the holiday traffic via Powderham. Saw the Deer in the Castle parklands but Nigel was not too aware of them. I dropped him, made sure he was alright and then went off to do some shopping watched a bit of the rugby and picked him up again at 5. He is a lot better than yesterday, still having trouble with his throat, but able to speak a little, still nodding off at times though. A fighter!!
He told me he hopes to be leaving the hospital on Monday afternoon, and this time he will get backing from the local hospicare nurses a daily visit to make sure he is able to cope with the pain etc.
I have the utmost respect for the medical team at the RD&E, which has been superb at all times but I do feel that there has not been the same support available for Nigel when he has been at home. If there had been then I am sure he would not have got into the state he found himself in last week. That is not the fault of the local hospicare, they would have helped I am sure if asked.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It pains me to have to agree with my husband but I totally agree with what he has said in the last paragraph. Nigel never had any home back up despite them knowing he lived alone. We were introduced to this woman who said she was there for him, etc etc - never saw her. Now the hospiscare nurses are on the job he will be well looked after.

Anonymous said...

Dont blame the nursing staff.Did Nigel ask for help? His blogs so far have ahown a man who thought he could do everything himself, (albeit a frightened man), who refused a feeding tube when advised by the medics, was scathing about members of the RDOC website, all throat cancer sufferers themselves, who knew what was ahead of him who tried to help him, not frighten him as he seemed to think, & refused to stay in hospital when advised.
He was ill served by the friend earlier who told him things were not going to be as bad as he had been told.
Although I wish him all the best in the coming weeks, he has a long way to go, & will need all the support you can give him.

Anonymous said...

Wife of tonsil cancer surviver:
Do you really think that at this moment in time your comment is at all necessary? Nigel has been and is extremely ill at the momment, and encouragement is whats needed now. In hindsight things would have been different. My encounter with cancer is entirely different than yours my close one died, im pleased yours didnt.