Newcastle Ward 41 Acute

After the friendliness of the staff on ITU  I was a little surprised at the atmosphere on the acute ward, although extremely efficient and nothing lacking with the care shown to Chris, I felt a little unhappy because no one spoke to me very much.  It wasn't until Chris had been on the ward for a few days that things began to change and the staff became more friendly, I later learnt it was because they didn't think Chris was actually going to survive!  But then they don't know Chris like I do and he is a fighter!

Whilst on the ward he had help from the physiotherapists and also the speech therapists, his speech was much worse than it had been prior to surgery, at first the only words he could say were Yes, No and a few swear words, much to my mothers surprise!  His memory was dreadful and he was unable to tell me if or who had visited, so I left a "visitor" book so people could leave their names.

Chris had no interest in newspapers or magazines, at first I thought it was because he was so sleepy but we learnt his aphasia meant he could not read as he had forgotten how to and did not even know the alphabet. We later found his sight had been affected by the stroke and he is now registered as partially sighted.

This was making him more and more frustrated and he was becoming increasingly unhappy, although John and I were visiting him daily it was always Ceri who got a beaming smile!

Sheer determination was keeping Chris going, his speech was improving and we made him ask for anything he wanted and let him take his time to get words out, he was also doing well in physio, I arrived one day to see him "walking" down the corridor, a therapist on either side but we were on the road to recovery!

Never a romantic person I was completely shocked one evening when Chris took my hand and kissed it!  If John had not been there to witness it I think I would have thought it a dream! Have to admit both John and I were a little misty eyed.

One of the highlights of his stay on ward 41 was when I brought him one of his favourite Costa coffee's, he drank it and then announced " that was the best cup of coffee ever". The man in the next bed cheered because Chris had said a full sentence

On the 26th February Chris was transferred to Bishop Auckland hospital for rehabilitation, only 14 days later than first planned but what seemed a whole life time later!