Day 53 (5)

I had a wee think in the midnight watches about something I had noticed when coming back from the Boat Inn yesterday and confirmed when I went to bed and again this morning.  I am at the moment  the only person in all of the four cottages.  That's not unusual in itself being that No3 and No4 are holiday lets and probably less unusual over Christmas / New Year.  I then thought what would I do if, perish the thought, I managed to fall over or if something did go wrong with the hip repair.  It's amazing how the mind wanders around during the night!

I have come up with a list of things I think I should have been provided information about; I would be interested if anyone reading this would care to comment - I was allowed to go home under what I believe is a 'Discharge to Assessment':

• I was advised I should not contact my GP - no reason was given - I wonder why this is? Am I, I wonder, still in the care of NGH?
• I have no contact details for anyone should anything not go according to plan to the extent that I need help, other than an emergency doctor (who of course will have no knowledge of my broken hip) or perhaps 999 - I am painfully aware of the work load that the NHS is subject to at the moment and especially over Christmas / New Year. 
• I have no medication of any kind - I don't expect to need painkillers but the Vitamin D supplement, is I believe, important. I have actually bought my own now.
• I have not been advised that anyone will call (phone or visit) to see if I am coping with being at home. I would have thought that would have been organised before I was allowed home. I would also have thought it critical to my continued recovery that my progress was monitored in a formal way. Too much to expect?
• I have no paperwork of any kind which explains Discharge to Assessment - I feel I ought to have had Discharge to Assessment explained to me.

In reality what happened was that I waited in my room and just after 13:00 I was told the car was waiting and to 'get my skates on'; no one came to see me during the morning.  I was desperately keen to get home so grabbed the opportunity.  Things are going very well and I am becoming more mobile but I would hate to find that I may have been doing things that are not conducive to my long term fully recovery.

A lovely lunch and afternoon with my friend Emma in Brackley today - thank you so much Em.