Sunday morning came and we were given some news that I was dreading - we were going to moved out of our lovely room as it was needed and into a shared ward again. The news upset me. I phoned my friend and just sobbed down the phone. It was the first time I had really had a semi meltdown since it had all happened and it was all over moving rooms!
It sounds quite silly now and probably to anyone who has not spent anything more than a night in hospital with a child it is hard to understand. Billy was only 3 and was still struggling himself with where he was and what was happening to him so wanted his mum. He wanted to be able to cuddle up and be quiet when he wanted.
All of a sudden we were back seeing people, instead of being able to close the door when we wanted and shut out the world we wouldn't have that choice. The nurses completely understood but their hands were tied and there was nowhere else we could go. We didn't have a lot of stuff it was just that I really didn't want to have to be where people could see me and have to make conversation unless i wanted to.
The thought of sharing a toilet and shower again with quite a few others wasn't appealing either. The shared wards are noisy and there is no way of shutting the door! It seemed like everything was out of our control, all I wanted was a little bit of privacy for both myself and for Billy. He was still having odd accidents and at least in our own room I could just clear him up without anyone really seeing him and he had his dignity.
It wasn't even like we could go home, we were being kept in as Billy had his port in and they wanted to monitor it and they wanted to see how he was coping with treatment. I would have given anything to have been able to go home for one night, its the silly things like washing clothes, making a cup of tea, watching TV and sleeping in your own bed you miss.
I really think that the Government should provide much better facilities for children and parents on the wards of cancer units. The staff are all fabulous and they do the best job in the whole world and deserve nothing but the up most praise. Its the 'managment' of the hospitals who you can imagine have massive offices and expense accounts etc who should be considering how children who are going through an awful and traumatic time could be made more comfortable. I am not asking for silk sheets and Jacuzzis, just every patient having their own room with a bathroom so they have dignity and somewhere for their parents to rest to help them.
In this day and age you would have thought this would be the least that would happen. Unfortunately Piam Brown is an old old ward that is done up well in some bits but the rest is just getting through until the new ward is opened when funding comes but this is not a good enough excuse! Sort it government and NHS managers!!
Right rant over but you can see where I am coming from!! Well the first night we were moved out of our room we got put in to a 2 bed ward and the other patient didn't turn up so it wasn't to bad, it was just scary being taken away from our comfort zone and being made to feel uncomfortable, not an easy way to spend our sunday.......
But things could only get better, couldn't they???
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