Wanda

My husband Val (Valentine) was diagnosed with a hernia some time ago and we finally got around to seeing the specialist in Toowoomba who scheduled an operation.

This meant a few days stay in Toowoomba, so I booked myself into  the White Oaks Motel and we headed off to Toowoomba  where we  met up the grandkids, Ayla and Sebastian and hung out until it was time for Val to be admitted.

He is given a single room in the Saint Damien ward, complete with TV and phone – thank god for health insurance.  The op is scheduled for the morning. Val is nervous, having never been in hospital before. He is also needle shy which is a problem for him as he has to have a number of blood tests. 

The staff are friendly and his nurse, David, quickly helps to settle him in. This young man is the epitome of what I consider to be a great nurse, showing just the right amounts of empathy and humour, he is also excellent at giving needles and Val has nothing but praise for David’s needle skills.

Of course the kids have to play on the electronic bed and finally I get them off it before it breaks. By the way these ‘kids’ are 24 and 20 years of age.

We wait until Val is settled and then we  head off into Toowoomba where Sebastian buys an iPhone.  Ayla has one and Sebb has gotten hooked on the games she has on her iphone.

Back to the motel, the scene is surreal with all three of us gaming while I am talking on the phone to Paula who is playing with her iPod touchand Sebb is on another phone to his mother, telling her all about the game he is playing. She, unlike the rest of us, doesn’t play computer or electronic games.

All to soon the kids have to leave to get back to Brisbane. Sebb is heading back to Airlie Beach where he lives, in the morning. He is just passing through on his way back for two weeks in Western Australia.

The next day I am up early and head off to the hospital at 9am.  After having a bite to eat in the cafeteria I go up to the ward to see if Val has had his op. I am in luck as I run into David, Val’s nurse, who tells me he has just come back from theatre and everything has gone well.

Fortunately, at this stage he is not in any pain mind you he is probably on pain killers. There is a student nurse that is learning how to take stats and mark everything off the patients sheet and David is patiently showing him what to do. Another nurse brings Val some ice and iced water and they go throught the exercise procedures that he must do to get the blood flowing through the major arteries.

After a while I can see that Val is drowsy so I leave him to rest and will go back in the afternoon.

I spend my day being frustrated by not being able to get any reasonable internet connection.  I have purchased a pre paid wireless usb but the connection is sooooo slow and keeps dropping out.  Later I find out the the Motel has free wifi but it turns out to be equally as slow.   I have so much work to catch up on and frustration is setting in.

Suddenly a blustery  wind comes up followed by heavy rain and hailstones.  I am at a loss as to what to do. Trying to decide whether or not to move the car so the hail doesn’t damage it. Finall figure these hailstones aren’t big enough to cause any damage.  I am hoping it is raining out in Tara – but I find out later that ‘No’ we didn’t get any of the much needed rain.

Val is released the next morning, and he’s not quite so chipper now. The bruising is coming out and he is in a deal of pain. Fortunately the pharmacy is just at the back of the motel so I get him some pain killers so that he can rest.

I ring the Baillie Henderson Hospital to see if Anjasa can be released for a few hours to come and see her father and they agree.  We have Macca’s for lunch and then I take her back to the hospital, on the  way I pick up an iPod touchas Woolworths have them on special.  Now I can join in the fun with the other kids.

I decided to stay the night in Toowoomba and head off home this morning. Thought it might be better to give Val a day of rest before facing the ruts in the dirt road that leads to our home in Tara.

We are so grateful to the staff in St Vincents, Toowoomba and cannot thank them enough for the care and attention they gave Val.  His surgeon and anaethetist were brilliant and we have high praise for these wonderful people.