Tuesday 30 August 2011

First day back =)

A quick post, but a happy one!

I hadn't realised just how terrified I'd been about starting this placement until I got home today and noticed that the sick feeling I've been carrying around for weeks had gone. So far the placement seems well-organised, the building is new and pretty easy to navigate (although the doors are on the heavy side) and there's a room I can leave my wheelchair overnight which also has air-conditioning, which will be a godsend (I get really overheated on the wards, and it makes me sound and feel like I'm drunk). Simple things make such a difference.

[I have a big brute of an NHS bog standard manual which I can self-propel on polished, flat, indoor surfaces for short periods of time (think browsing in a shop, or moving between beds on a ward round). I can take it in and leave it in the hospital (I can't manage it outside on my own and I can't afford to get a taxi every day until I get my DSA) so that I will have the option for parts of the day that normally involve a lot of standing around, such as ward rounds and bedside teaching. When my lightweight chair arrives I will hopefully be able to use it for the whole working day and I'll be able to manage short distances outside on the flat as well.]

I'm a bit nervous about how people will react, but I'm in a small unit with only a few other students, so I'll be a bit sheltered until I get used to it. It's totally worth it if it makes placement easier to manage.

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