Hi, you are “face to face with Shell”.
If you haven’t seen the first part of this series; please click on the link below:
BURN SURVIVOR AND HEALTH CARERS (PART 1)
If you have had any form of physiotherapy, I am sure the word “physio” strikes dread in you, even though they are there to help…lol.
As you can imagine, I required a LOT of physiotherapy, especially to my right hand, which received fourth degree burns.
Please watch this video and/or read on:
My surgeon advised me that the plan was to leave me with a hand that was as fully functional as possible after the burn injury.
The treatment to my right hand would last for years; I underwent skin grafts, re-positioning of my fingers (which required wires to be put into my fingers) amputation of a part of my little finger, and of course…PHYSIOTHERAPY!
While my cousin and I were in the Burns Unit, the physios would regularly come to treat us when it was afternoon visiting times. At first, our families and friends came to see us both in the afternoons and the evenings, we were severely ill, plus, it was great to see so much family and friends, who would spend their time between the two of us. It really rallied our spirits and helped our recovery.
This was one great thing about my cousin and I being treated in the same Burns Unit, all our family came to see us, people that we hadn’t seen in ages, it was brilliant. The explosion had brought our family closer together.
Obviously, our visitors were not happy that they were travelling quite a few miles to see us (their journey could take up to an hour) only to be told that the physio was in with one of us. Sometimes, the whole visiting time would be taken up by the physio; meaning that the people that had travelled to see us, had to go home, without getting a real chance to visit us; maybe only getting to say “hi and bye”.
I am not saying for one minute that any of our family or friends were against the treatment of our burn injuries, they all wanted us to get well as soon as possible but it was not fair that they would travel such a long way, only to be left waiting outside our rooms virtually the whole visiting time.
I remember my mum telling me that they [my parents] had a meeting with some of the healthcare team, as the situation needed to be resolved. Again, my parents were not opposed to my treatment but were opposed to visitors travelling to visit me and them not getting to see me because the physios were treating me.
One doctor asked for visitors not to come in the afternoons. My mum said that she would agree to this, if it could be guaranteed that the physios would be in the whole visiting time, every day. This they could not guarantee and therefore, my mum advised that visitors would still be coming. Again, keep remembering my age, I was only thirteen, a kid who was severely ill, and quite a few miles from home. It was a long day if I did not get any visitors until the evening.
My mum recalled to me that one of the senior nursing staff told her “well done” when she had heard what had gone on. She obviously seen where my family were coming from.
Was the situation resolved? Yes. It seemed that the physios were able to come at different times to carry out their treatments.
I remember the “head” physio was mostly assigned to my cousin and I, she was not the most friendliest of people. I can still hear her voice to this day, telling me to “push, push, push, push, push”, as she was trying to get me to straighten my fingers…lol.
Therefore, I was glad that my parents, mostly my mum spoke-up, as there was a solution to the situation…it just needed to be spoken about and I am glad that my mum stuck to her guns, as there was a solution.
Again, I will say, if you are not happy with something, speak-up, as with my situation here, there was a solution that was able to be reached.
Stay strong and we’ll chat soon.