REHABILITATION

Returning home after being in the protective environment of the hospital ward, can, in itself, be a trauma re-visited. Personally, I found this aspect of the whole experience, to be one more hill to climb.

Without doubt, it is necessary and desirable, to return to the comforts and love of your family and/or friends. However, once I walked through the doors separating me from the ward and outside world, things did not seem as bright as they had done five minutes earlier.

A realisation that things had changed, hit me with a force. Gone was the cushion of knowing that any small pain or worry could be talked about with highly trained, sympathetic staff. This was now another planet I was landing on. And, even though it was only a short, seven weeks since I had last been in my own home, the feeling of panic could be felt almost instantly.

This, it must be said, will most probably be the same for anyone in this position.

Whilst knowing that these feelings are most likely to affect everyone in the same way, it is with comforting to recount that, the backup within Bradford and South West NHS (which I am fortunate to come under), is immediate.

I have tried, on the next couple of pages, to give a flavour of the most excellent Primary Care which is available and which I personally received during and after, my return to the outside world. Click to read: