Very eventful day !

Karen decided to give our summer duvet a spin last night. It’s so thin, you can hardly call it a duvet. The idea being she is trying to resolve the night sweats situation.

Well, I had an awful night’s sleep because I was so cold, and I couldn’t snuggle up to kp as she doesn’t like me touching her left arm. kp also had a bad night’s sleep because of trips to the loo, so although she didn’t sweat at all, she didn’t really have a good run at sleep to be a good test.

Up at 8.15am this morning to get to the Sunderland Royal Hospital for 10am. It was the annual checkup of the pelvis/hip fractures. Here is kp on the x-ray bed….

The x-rays were very clear. Her right hip looks a bit rough (compared to the left), and the humerus ball that fits into the hip joint is well knacked. (that’s obviously my take on it). One of the pins that kept her pelvis together has broke, but apparently this doesn’t matter now as it has served its purpose in getting the pelvis to heal.

What was also very visible was all the loose bone she has around the hip. At least 2 big chunks, and lots of little bits too.

Karen asked Mr Cross (the top notch orthopod) why was she still in pain. Apparently, this is not down to all the bone issues, but rather because of all the scar tissue that is there as a result of her pelvis/hip being shattered. It won’t get any better, so she will be on the pain patches indefinately.

Karen had a list of questions written down, but Mr Cross did some very good explanations leaving kp only asking a couple of the 6 questions she had written down.

Will she need a hip replacement ? They will know next year (2008). If the hip dies (through lack of bloodflow), which happens in the first 3 years apparently, then “yes”.

Will she get back to normal ? Definately not.

We have to go back same time next year for another set of x-rays. Not the best news in the world, but kp took it very positively. Now, that could be a sign of her new positive mental attitude, or it could be a typical kp delayed reaction that could come over the next week or month ?! We’ll have to wait and see.

With that over, we went to Sainsburys on the way home and then went home for the visit from her employers.

kp’s direct boss and the lady from Personnel came. They were lovely. The Personnel lady started by telling kp that this is going to be a difficult conversation. To cut an hour’s conversation short……..

kp is being “dismissed” because of her inability to do the job for health reasons. I was looking at kp when the news broke, expecting floods of tears, but there were none ?! Now, we were both half expecting that news, but with kp, hearing it officially normally sparks reaction, but there was none. In fact, she even managed a joke…..

kp:- Eeeeee, I have never been “dismissed” before !

I think her attitude took us all aback. They went into the rigmarole of what happens next, namely, a dismissal meeting with Karen’s bosses boss, Karen’s boss and the lady from Personnel all present. She could then file a claim for ill health retirement and Permanent Injury benefit. It’s all going to take months. But if it all works out well, she may not be too financially worse off than before.

It took a few passes for all the info to sink into kp, but I think she got it all.

So, all in all, not the best day of information, but all REALLY well took by kp !!! Go KP Go !!!

I think kp may be thinking well at least I know the way forward for the future. It’s brought some hard facts to the table which she can now “get on with”. Time will tell….