Tuesday began with another promise of doing everything that they could to get me back to Ballarat. By lunchtime, I had the news that there was a bed for me, but I had to wait for the transport to come and collect me. We had no idea about how this would look but I was excited to hear that I was heading home.
My mother had got her hands on my tablet at some stage so I had that to keep my hands and mind busy when I wasn’t checking in on social media. The waiting would have otherwise driven me insane. It took me several attempts but I actually leveled up in Peggle Blast while I waited. Otherwise I listened to the horror stories that one of the other patient’s visitors was telling my mother about things that they had experienced within the hospital.
At one stage, one of my manager’s called me for an update and I told her which ward I was headed to on my return.
At four, the transport arrived. It was only then that they told us that my mother could have traveled back with us then and there rather than catching a train back the next morning as she had planned. In the end, we decided to keep with the original plan so that I could get settled on to the ward.
They packed me up, hanging bags around me on the wheelchair. I went past the nurse’s station to collect my paperwork, including the medical certificate for work.
I saw more of the hospital as I was moved out to the loading zone. The driver pulled my chair up at the side of the van and opened the door for me. He asked me if I was okay to get myself up into my seat (it was more comfortable to be in the seat than the wheelchair for such a long duration). I agreed and stood up. I stepped towards the van. All good so far. Then I lifted my foot onto the step. Again, looking good so I lifted the second one, still holding on to the side rail. This time my legs crumpled beneath me an I slumped down. Thank whatever powers out there that I had strength in my hands to get a death grip on that rail so that I wouldn’t fall. I knew that if I fell out of the transport that I’d probably not be allowed to go back to Ballarat that night and who knows how long I’d have to wait for the next one?
I sat in that slump until the driver was able to assist me back to a standing position. Then I took tiny steps to the seat. As soon as I was sitting with the seatbelt on, both my mother and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was on the bus and I was ready to go home.
On the way out of Melbourne, I posted a message out to the world telling them that I was on my way back.
I figured it was the least that I could do given the fright that I had given them all the week before.
I don’t remember much of the drive back. I fell asleep before we hit the Westgate Bridge and didn’t wake up until we were almost at Kryal Castle. My body had been in its heightened state from the anxiety attack that, once I was truly on my way home, or close to it, it sent me straight to sleep.
Returning to the base, I was admitted to 4 South, usually reserved for patients receiving cancer treatment. There were three other patients in my room, but I seemed to be the only one who was local.
I was placed in the first bed when you enter the room, meaning that I had a good view of people coming and going along the hall. Bonus close proximity to bathroom.
The nurses completed the admission and found me something small to eat. It wasn’t much but, given that I had been so anxious the day before, I appreciated being settled enough to eat it. I think it might have been yogurt, but it was enough to settle me in for the night
My mother had got her hands on my tablet at some stage so I had that to keep my hands and mind busy when I wasn’t checking in on social media. The waiting would have otherwise driven me insane. It took me several attempts but I actually leveled up in Peggle Blast while I waited. Otherwise I listened to the horror stories that one of the other patient’s visitors was telling my mother about things that they had experienced within the hospital.
At one stage, one of my manager’s called me for an update and I told her which ward I was headed to on my return.
At four, the transport arrived. It was only then that they told us that my mother could have traveled back with us then and there rather than catching a train back the next morning as she had planned. In the end, we decided to keep with the original plan so that I could get settled on to the ward.
They packed me up, hanging bags around me on the wheelchair. I went past the nurse’s station to collect my paperwork, including the medical certificate for work.
I saw more of the hospital as I was moved out to the loading zone. The driver pulled my chair up at the side of the van and opened the door for me. He asked me if I was okay to get myself up into my seat (it was more comfortable to be in the seat than the wheelchair for such a long duration). I agreed and stood up. I stepped towards the van. All good so far. Then I lifted my foot onto the step. Again, looking good so I lifted the second one, still holding on to the side rail. This time my legs crumpled beneath me an I slumped down. Thank whatever powers out there that I had strength in my hands to get a death grip on that rail so that I wouldn’t fall. I knew that if I fell out of the transport that I’d probably not be allowed to go back to Ballarat that night and who knows how long I’d have to wait for the next one?
I sat in that slump until the driver was able to assist me back to a standing position. Then I took tiny steps to the seat. As soon as I was sitting with the seatbelt on, both my mother and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was on the bus and I was ready to go home.
On the way out of Melbourne, I posted a message out to the world telling them that I was on my way back.
I figured it was the least that I could do given the fright that I had given them all the week before.
I don’t remember much of the drive back. I fell asleep before we hit the Westgate Bridge and didn’t wake up until we were almost at Kryal Castle. My body had been in its heightened state from the anxiety attack that, once I was truly on my way home, or close to it, it sent me straight to sleep.
Returning to the base, I was admitted to 4 South, usually reserved for patients receiving cancer treatment. There were three other patients in my room, but I seemed to be the only one who was local.
I was placed in the first bed when you enter the room, meaning that I had a good view of people coming and going along the hall. Bonus close proximity to bathroom.
The nurses completed the admission and found me something small to eat. It wasn’t much but, given that I had been so anxious the day before, I appreciated being settled enough to eat it. I think it might have been yogurt, but it was enough to settle me in for the night