August 13, 2015

Thursday - Cloudy with some rain

A very strange day!

It all started well today.  I reminded F that he promised to take out the garbage, so he did that.  He told me later that his doctor phoned him to ask about his plan for the day. I got up a bit before 9, but F had already left to go to the Emergency Room at the hospital.  He had a letter of introduction from his doctor, and wanted to get more drugs/antibiotics this morning.  

Around 11 I got a call from F.  He said, “I have bad news for you.” He proceeded to tell me that the hospital wanted him to have an operation on his hand at 1pm and to stay in the hospital for a week.  He was on his way home now to pack a few things. 

He threw a bunch of stuff in to a bag, I grabbed a few things to amuse myself and we drove off to the hospital. We parked and went in.  

They took F in fairly soon to prepare him for his surgery, but I had to stay in the lobby.  Good thing I brought some knitting to do!  It was the only easily portable thing I had on the go.  At 1pm they took him up to the surgical area and took me up to the floor he’d be staying on.  I was quite hungry but they wouldn’t let me go to the restaurant.  They would let me go to the shop on the ground floor however, so I picked up a few things to eat.  All the bento were gone already, so I got some cup soup, a yogurt/pudding thing and a couple of cereal bars.  Back on F’s floor, I was shown to the lounge and allowed to eat.

The view from the lounge.  Look at that sky!


The church spire in the middle belongs to Tsuruoka Catholic Church. 



When I was done, it was time for F to come up to the floor I was on, so I was escorted downstairs again to pick him up.  I’m not really sure why I had to go, but whatever!  I was glad to see him.

He was wheeled into the room in his bed.  He was conscious as he’d only had a local anaesthetic.  We spent the next few hours together.  

The care at the hospital seems very good, but a little strange to me, used to watching ER and Grey’s Anatomy! Lots of nurses, no doctors.  F is in a room with 3 other men, one of whom was a bit nosy!  Still, it’s better than being in a ward where the other patients hated having a foreign visitor in the same room as them.  

I spent a bit of time running to the shop downstairs for things that F forgot to bring…toothbrush & toothpaste, tissues, slippers. I also did a bit of running to the lounge to get more drinks for us.  

In the afternoon, F’s sister and her husband popped by for a visit.  That was nice of them. I took a quick break while they were there and visited the lounge to check Facebook and take more pictures!

I love the way the sky looks in these pictures.



I stayed with F until after his dinner.  I was really tired by then and I think he must have been too.  F told me that I had big dark circles around my eyes.  When I left the hospital I walked home. It felt good to finally do some moving.  I had a plan and stuck to it.

I went home for a few minutes to unwind and check my email, then I went out again.  I rode to Bikkuri Donkey!! and had dinner there.  On the way back, I picked up a few things at the grocery store, but not too much.  I’m not sure how late I’ll stay at the hospital tomorrow and I don’t want to stress myself out! It might be better to go out for dinner rather than push myself to cook.

I came home and watched a bit of TV to unwind.  I have to go back to the hospital tomorrow morning.  I’m aiming for 11:30 is, but I’m not sure how late I’ll stay tomorrow.  Today F was mostly bed-bound because of his hand and having an IV in the other arm.  Tomorrow he might be a little more mobile, or not.  In Japan, families are expected to do more of the patient’s care as far as I know.  

It’s a bit stressful, but I’m glad that they are taking care of his hand and as worried about it as I am.  I think he’s in good hands!

Hopefully I’ll be able to blog tomorrow night. That’s it for me, I’m so tired I have to get some sleep now!  Until tomorrow….


2 comments:

Rosa said...

Whoa! What a strange and stressful day for you and F. That cat must have really been a brute! I sure hope this hospital stay will be the end of it and it will be smooth sailing from here on out.

I'm interested in reading about your experience in the hospital. I had always heard that Japanese hospitals relied on family to do a lot of the care, some even going so far as to expect the family to bring in food for the patient. I always wondered, if I were hospitalized in Japan, what would have happened to me without family around.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, too, while you're taking care of F.

Helen said...

This is a big hospital so they have a kitchen...F's meals looked quite good, well balanced but a bit small! Also, quite Japanese. He'll probably be happy, except he isn't getting any ramen or beer!

What surprises me is all the stuff that he has to bring for himself. In a way it makes sense, but having to supply your own chopsticks seems a little over the top!

You are right, I do have to remember to take care of myself. I was so drained when I left the hospital last night, and still am actually, that I have to be careful not to get too tired.

Thanks for visiting...I have to get on with my morning!