And he said, “You’re ready to go out home it’s a weekend on the Friday”. They got some equipment like little table that I got and the, the thing to go over the toilet thing and they said, “We can get you home but we can’t get this”. I had two, two of me nephews, well a nephew and a niece came in at the same time and of course they brought me home and I wasn’t fit, I got, I got, I got home, got into this chair [laughs] and I was puffing and blowing like and got into the chair, the neighbour, one of the neighbours knew I was going, two doors away an elderly lady, she was banging on the door and I couldn’t get out of the chair [laughs]. I rang the nurse and I said, I said to Doctor [name], don’t worry I, I give you his same word that he gave me and I said, “I”. I said, “I had a hell of a job to get out”. I said, “I wasn’t fit to come out but I didn’t realise that you’re on your own, left on your own I got”.
And I couldn’t have, I don’t know how I struggled out and I got to the door because I guessed who it was and she’d got a malt loaf for me, you know, which was nice because I got no preparation, I hadn’t got no, when I went in I got nothing, me mate that still comes in, he got me address book and that sort of thing because I couldn’t let any of me relatives know, and he came in, got me address book and well he brought me some pyjamas and that sort of thing because I was, well, in the first instance on me bike you know.
And then as I said coming home, I got into this chair and, I’d only been up the hall twice on the hospital and then down the stairs with handrails and their help kind of thing, and he let me out like that and I rang the doctor and he said, “What do you want to go back?”. A senior doctor said that to me, “What do you want to go back in?” And I said, “No that I don’t”. You know? But I’ve got an elbow, what they give me an elbow, one of my elbow was up here, still there, I couldn’t use it you see until they give me a shorter stick and that was a big help. With a shorter stick you know you could, I couldn’t get up and on to it [laughs].
Did you have a nurse coming to see you at that time?
Came about doing a bit of therapy, but the weather was so bad they wouldn’t, I didn’t go out, I went out once I think because the weather was so bad and he said, “We can’t take a risk because of you slipping”. And, I, well I went up and down the garden path a bit then and, eventually I got to the bus stop, you know, with him when the weather was a bit better and to do the, yeah about to the bus stop and he said, “Well let’s see if you get on the bus alright”. I said, “Well I should be all right now” [Laughs].
Who was helping you around that time? Were you having meals on wheels?
Only what me mate got, they had no plans for me, no, no me mate used to get me prepared meals from Marks & Spencer.
Okay someone was coming to help you around the house, housework…?
Only a pal of mine, that was all yeah, a pal of mine and he still comes in, probably be in tomorrow and he’s been ill himself now since, so, I mean that’s a long time ago, he still comes in, he’s been poorly himself, in fact he had a fortnight in hospital, well I was in Tenerife you see? Because I go to Tenerife Christmas.
Were you put in touch with the Social Services?
The nurse came in a few times and powdered me backside and that, that was about all you know?
I slept in the chair for quite a time then because I could sleep better here, you know, getting in position, because it’s an old reclining, you know, and this is why, and it goes pretty well right down, you know, but I could sleep better in here because you could only sleep on one side, you know, for quite a long time before I went to bed. Although I could get upstairs but I went up and, and got into bed and I couldn’t get comfortable in bed, more in here, so I, quite the time I didn’t go to bed, you know, till, but I mean I had an electric blanket and all there because I was warm enough.
