There he was, still bed bound, but happy as Larry. With John, the head physio at his side, he was attached to a machine, smile all over his face. I knew that Colin would benefit greatly from exercise, but the endorphins had obviously kicked in and his work out ethic had surfaces. John was gushing. Colin was performing well and there were movements that John had not expected. Before we all get too excited, marathons were not mentioned, but his performance was “good and good can be worked on”. No matter what Colin needed, that gym and two hours of exercise put a big smile on his face and that to me was priceless.
His new ward is great, but scary. Great because his bed is beside Mike. Mike has the same level injury as Colin. He is up in his chair, no bed sore, so not as hindered. A great guy, teacher from Dalkeith. So between him and his wife Bev there is much chat. It keeps both Colin and I going. Also Richard, our young diver friend and his marvellous Mum Jane are back from a Christmas break and he is in the bed opposite. They bring youth and life and laughter.
Yes this new phase of Rehab is scary but Colin’s adjacent bed fellows are just the right medicine. Bev and Jane have already been my crutch in the last few months but Colin had never met them. He was in his “bubble” of high dependency and knew nothing of the network in the day room. But it is the people who keep you going. Thank goodness, as it would be a longer journey alone.
Work
I also had a good day. I reconnected with a good friend. Someone I have seen every working day for ages, but our friendship had waned of late. Louise McColl, my boss. You should never mix business with pleasure, how those “old wives” chose their words well. Suffice to say we have had our moments. Anyone that knows me understands that I don’t do authority.
But a chat brought all the emotions to the surface yesterday and our core friendship was well and truly surfaced.The same two people were there below the “hat” and the badges and it evoked memories. I hadn’t thought of it for ages. The young think they invented all the funny and adventurous. I have not yet seen “the hangover” but from what I gleam, it’s about a lost weekend in Vegas.
Well, Louise and I had this years before the Hollywood blockbuster.
“Lets go to Chicago” one of us muttered a few years back as we lounged about one shift. “great idea!”. So off Louise and I went, leaving the long suffering husbands, Colin and Jim agog. We filled the fridge with food and said “bye we are off to Chicago tomorrow!”
There we were, standing in Chicago O’hare, two camel coat clad, “nearly” middle aged women, carrying REAL Louis Vuitton hand bags with no hotel reservations.
We looked out the terminal window, it was raining, and we do not do rain. We looked at each other, smiled and said “Lets go to Vegas!”
Now, “what happens on tour stays on tour”, so I will just run a few phrases past you. Polo lounge. Belagio, who knew it had fountains? ‘Mud things’, bar tenders who don’t explain alcohol contents, and I don’t drink. I am sure that there was a news flash about two camel coated females dragging their suitcases through vegas on route to the pyramids, not a scene usually displayed in this city. Credit cards maxed out as the airline that we were to fly with went bust the day we were meant to fly back, but hey, what the hell, your only young once!
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