Aaaaarrrrrrgh! After a loooong break, I’m home again after four months in three different hospitals. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I’ve had eleven ambulance admissions to Joondalup Hospital. There’s too much to write in one post so I’ll have to summarise and abbreviate.

I was in the hospital for some reason (forgotten at the moment) in the weeks before Xmas. Came home for Xmas, then two day afterwards I got up on the Saturday morning 27 December, not hung over or anything, just the usual weakness. I went to the fridge and stood close, reaching in, when my legs just dissolved under me and down I went. I managed to get my left foot twisted and broke the two outer smallest toes. There was also a cut which was bleeding quite a lot. I lay there for 10-15mins then realised I had to call 000 again. They’re getting used to me by now.

So it was off to the hospital again, stitches needed on the underside of my foot, then up to a ward around midnight. It takes a long time to get through the ED process.

Long story, I was in that ward for about seven weeks, I think, mainly waiting for what they call a TCP placement, that’s Transitional Care Program. I was sent to Brightwater Birralee Innaloo, a group of buildings near rhe Karrinyup Rd/Freeway intersection and IKEA. But I arrived on a Thursday, felt OK that day and Friday, then Saturday morning couldn’t lift myself off the bed I was so weak.

So it was ambulance again, to Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) in the city this time. Another long story, blood tests showed very low haemoglobin, severe anaemia in other words. So it was blood transfusion time, the first I’ve ever had. It took five bags, five units of blood to top me up again. Then it was off to a private room, thank goodness, for the night.

BUT! Next day, without warning or explanation, they wheeled me out and off to a “Geriatric” ward, with three other elderly guys. More like a “Dementia” ward in my opinion. I felt I was the only one in there with a brain that was working. The other three could hardly speak, just grunting and yelling. All that separated us were thin nylon curtains. The food was awful, just basic boiled veges with some kind of meat, and a banana for dessert. Served by servers who said nothing and hardly looked at me. I hated it! It reached the stage where I emailed my state MP asking for help to get out of there. No answer, of course.

But in trying to find the source of the anaemia, ie loss of blood, they gave me a gastroscopy (down the throat) and colonoscopy (up the bum ;-)). First time gastroscopy, easier than I expected. Nothing found in either case. Mystery.

I was in RPH for 20 days, then they packed me off to St John of God Mount Lawley, Recuperative Ward. It’s meant to fix you up, but the food is so good that I just added a couple of kilos. I was there for another 20 days, then they sent me home on a Friday.

But I didn’t realise how weak I was, and I couldn’t cope. I didn’t even have the strength to unpack my bags or take my medications. I lasted until Sunday morning but had to call for help again, so it was back to Joondalup for the 11th time. The diagnosis is “acopia”, meaning inability to cope.

So I was sent off to a room for the night (thank goodness), but next day I was moved to an isolation room, which meant double doors and a airlock. That meant silence, no corridor traffic, only occasional nurses. The only consolation was a great view to the north.

Again, pressure to move to a nursing home. The reason being they didn’t think I could cope on my own.

But my great friend Natalie found a Filipino married couple to share my house with me and act as carers. I only got home yesterday (Monday 4 May) and it’s fine so far.

So overall, four months! 27 December to 4 May. I’m in two minds – I enjoyed the company of the nurses and staff, but as I said, I got tired of the silence, the isolation, the boredom. It’s good to be home at last, but I’m very nervous, worried about the next fall or weak spell. Ce’st la vie.