Another trying day with Della as she is very difficult to console but she takes her first steps in her plaster with her crutches. I was struggling to find a suitable agency nurse to work at home with Della.
Diana had managed to get to sleep all right last night and had taken some cough mixture to help with the cold and sore throat that she had been suffering from. I was shattered and also slept well, but woke up after 6.30am and came down for breakfast with Debbie. I stayed at home for a while, first feeding the doves, fish etc and attending to the chores. Then the clearing up of the kitchen after which I topped up the water softener up with salt and sorted out the tumble drier. It had been failing with a clogged outlet for the moist air and I removed the fine grill that had been causing the trouble. I also tidied up the cupboards in the utility room before getting on with some telephone enquiries to organise Daniella's return home early next week.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
I had a call from the District Nurse who was not a great deal of help but at least she was then in touch with what was planned for Della. Diana was supposed to come back this morning and leave Della in the hands of Linda, the play-lady, but first she was inconsolable and then asked to stay and help the Physiotherapist to get Della walking on her crutches. On my way back to the hospital, I called in at the Red Cross HQ and took out a "slipper" bed-pan and a female urinal on loan and then tried to find the telephone number of a nursing agency. I returned to find Della taking a walk on her new crutches under supervision and was duly impressed to give her encouragement. I was able to find two nurses willing to care for Della under the British Nursing Association agency.
The first, a young French lady from Sawtry, came to see us in hospital and proved a bit difficult to communicate with as she had only been in England eight weeks. We are seeing another tomorrow - an orthopaedic nurse from Eaton Socon - but her problem is that she has not been nursing children and has none of her own and so I doubt her ability to get on with them. Diana and Della relieved me at tea time and I came home quite tired to grill some trout for my tea and then relax before updating this last days' journal. Then once more unto the breach in order to get Della to sleep.
I found Della quite difficult to calm down for her sleep and, in the end, it was a night nurse that got her off with me outside the ward drinking a coffee. This was a bit galling after I made the effort to be there but, as I am getting more and more tired, this means that I shall probably allow the nurses to care for Della tomorrow night and get some sleep.