I’ve had many trips and sleep overs (hubby likes to say I abandon him) at Milton Keynes university hospital in many different wards but it was my first experience staying on the high dependency unit. Due to an operation i underwent in April of this year I call it my fanny MOT.
After my fanny MOT I was brought around in the recovery unit, I can remember being told I was ok and they where just pulling the breathing tube out of my mouth, not my favourite wake up call I can tell you! my sats where low so I was hooked up to a monitor set to automatically check heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, a towel was wrapped around my head as I was reading very cold then I was whisk away to the HDU.
HDU or also known as A high dependency unit works very differently to normal wards, like I said before this was my first experience on this ward so I just thought it would be the same as any other ward I’d been on, where having to explain over and over that I have muscular Dystrophy a muscle wasting disorder where I’m unable to do most things myself. Not really being fully with it after being put under I really wasn’t in any fit state to explain what my needs would be.
A high–dependency unit is an area in a hospital, usually located close to the intensive care unit, where patients can be cared for more extensively than on a normal ward, but not to the point of intensive care. It is appropriate for patients who have had major surgery and for those with single-organ failure.
I was wheeled into my little spot I shared with one other bed very cosy I can tell you, we both had our own nurses desk (fancy I own), i was introduced to my nurse who quickly made me feel at ease took my obs, explained everything that had happened even down to that I was already on an air mattress, it was pretty quick to see I had nothing to worry about I didn’t need to explain my muscular dystrophy or what I can and can’t do, She pretty much told me everything which was a huge relief. It can be a stressful experience going into Hospital for most disabled people so anything that makes the experience smother the better.
Having one nurse that deals with just two beds you can definitely tell the difference in the level of care you receive. There’s more time to concentrate on that one patient and what I mean by that is when I need the wee normally your having to wait a little while for the nurses to grab someone else to help or just finish off the already overload if work they already have.My night nurses Cecilia and Ann where totally amazballs I know it’s not meant to be fun and giggles but these two lovely nurses definitely made my over night stay so much better, I was so hungry come 9pm nurse Ann introduce me to the wonderful world Milton Keynes Hospital like to call a snack box yes a snack box you read correctly full of yummy goodies from a sandwich of your choosing, yogurt, fruit, cheese and crackers and a packet of crisps.
I even got my very own red buzzer very Xfactor who needs the normal call call bell when you have a red button!!
I’d like to finish by thanking all the nurses in the HDU, you where all truly amazing I couldn’t of ask for better care if all of my sleep overs where made as easy as you all made it then I’d book myself in more often (only joking!
Kerry Thompson - My Life, Kerry's Way. 
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