Tuesday March 08, 2005

Hospital visit

When I was in my early teens I spent four weeks in hospital in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital . After spraining my ankle bone and having a cut on that foot I developed Osteomyelitis . It is quite rare so the hypochondriacs among us need not be concerned. It was more of a problem before Penicillin was available. In the first world war when men were in filthy trenches, sprained their bones and got cuts it was very common.

So as my infection had got quite bad I had to have an operation to clean the leg up. In the morning after the operation I woke up with a 'drip' needle in my arm ( the biggest needle I have ever seen) and feeling very out of sorts.

I was then moved onto an orthopedic ward. There was a mixture of patients, boys who were broken into bits after falling off a motorcycle, old men having hip replacements. I was quite ok apart from my leg and I think I was a favourite with the nurses. I developed a crush for the sister called "Sister Sinclair" who was very attractive but smoked Consulate cigarettes. Her only vice as far as I was concerned.

I had my own TV by my bed which had been passed to me as a previous patient who had rented it but had left early. So after lights out I could watch what I liked. I also had the choice of three dishes for each meal so I could avoid anything I did not enjoy. I am amazed when I remember watching them clean up the wound on several occasions. It has left a four inch scar on my ankle and the wound was pretty deep. But I just watched them clean it up as if they were giving me a wash. I could not do that now.

As I got near the date for me to return home I had to start getting mobile. I remember standing up on crutches for the first time , fearing I would topple over. A few yards later the first steps left me exhausted.

Before I left the leg was encased in a plaster cast. All the nurses signed it. I kept it for years in the attic of our house. I waited to be picked up by my folks. They never turned up ! Turned out there was another Humphreys on the ward and the 'come and pick Paul up' message went to his wife instead of my parents. Eventually they came for me and I was home.