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The Spinal Injuries Unit
Aug. 13th, 2004 12:28 pmMy work experience this week has just about finished; today's my last day, and I brought in some Cadbury's Roses for the nurses, who were delighted with them. Pedar's suggestion, but I was happy to comply. One thing this week has taught me - I don't want to be a nurse. They work so hard, they have such dedication, and absolutely no recognition for it. No wonder Pedar is always taking cream cakes for them. Actually, Pedar seems to have a lot of influence here without actually being present. Mr Sett, who is the director of the unit and an old family friend, introduced me to the other consultants and junior doctors on my first day. The moment he mentioned Pedar's name, their expressions changed. In a good way, I think.
The Spinal Injuries Unit is something unique, I think. There are very few in the country, and this one is particularly well-equipped, no thanks to the NHS but to the people in the area who donate. It's built as a circle you can sometimes feel yourself trapped in - it goes from intensive care to high dependency to low dependency to out-patients back to intensive care again. The only way out is through the lift, as there are no stairs, which frightens me a little. I've had to bite the bullet and get used to that lift, which is scary.
The patients are an unusual bunch. They're obviously long-termn - one man has been on the ward for two years - and are all different levels of paralysed, though paraplegic and tetraplegic are the most common. It's generally trauma-based injuries - there's one patient, about my age, who only came in last week, who dived into too-shallow water. Ouch. I think the most tragic story is that of a man whose mind has as many problems as his body. He tried to kill himself by leaping off a balcony - and it didn't work, and he's now tetraplegic.
Some people I have met this week amaze me. All the nurses, for one thing, and lots of the patients. I met a man this morning who was a computer geek in his former life, and is now using a really nifty piece of software that allows you to use a computer mouse and keyboard with just the movements of your head. He's planning to set up a small internet business when he gets out of here. I was very impressed by it all.
So, although the week has generally been box-ticking exercise, some good stuff did come out of it. I'm finishing this afternoon, hopefully early, and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
purplerainbow, lilka and I are having a Buffy fest. Should be fun.
Now, back to the unit, I think. I'm terribly sleep-deprived and have a headache to end all headaches.
The Spinal Injuries Unit is something unique, I think. There are very few in the country, and this one is particularly well-equipped, no thanks to the NHS but to the people in the area who donate. It's built as a circle you can sometimes feel yourself trapped in - it goes from intensive care to high dependency to low dependency to out-patients back to intensive care again. The only way out is through the lift, as there are no stairs, which frightens me a little. I've had to bite the bullet and get used to that lift, which is scary.
The patients are an unusual bunch. They're obviously long-termn - one man has been on the ward for two years - and are all different levels of paralysed, though paraplegic and tetraplegic are the most common. It's generally trauma-based injuries - there's one patient, about my age, who only came in last week, who dived into too-shallow water. Ouch. I think the most tragic story is that of a man whose mind has as many problems as his body. He tried to kill himself by leaping off a balcony - and it didn't work, and he's now tetraplegic.
Some people I have met this week amaze me. All the nurses, for one thing, and lots of the patients. I met a man this morning who was a computer geek in his former life, and is now using a really nifty piece of software that allows you to use a computer mouse and keyboard with just the movements of your head. He's planning to set up a small internet business when he gets out of here. I was very impressed by it all.
So, although the week has generally been box-ticking exercise, some good stuff did come out of it. I'm finishing this afternoon, hopefully early, and
purplerainbow, lilka and I are having a Buffy fest. Should be fun. Now, back to the unit, I think. I'm terribly sleep-deprived and have a headache to end all headaches.
