"Gallbladder Surgery"

My experience from start to finish.  I went in for day surgery to get my gallbladder removed after waiting for 10 years.  I am deaf therefore I had my interpreter with me. Most of the staff were lovely and had great patience and understood how to use an interpreter by looking at me as it is our conversation.  The interpreter is there to relay from me to them and them to me.  The nurses couldn't have been more helpful to me and I really appreciated it.

After surgery was completed I was in so much more pain than expected so they kept me in to keep an eye on things as couldn't get my blood pressure up.  The nurse on the ward was the most friendly person and she couldn't have done enough for me.  She was annoyed because I had been in surgery and normally offered toast to the patients but it was 4:00 pm when I asked her via my interpreter if I was getting something to eat, she apologised. 

Come evening around 6:00 pm, I asked her when will dinner be around. I didn't want much but a little something to help me through the night, she was shocked as again I wasn't given food or checked on to see if I wanted food.  She went to raid the kitchen as she said the other main kitchen would probably be clearing up, she asked them to send up sausages and she would make me toast.  When she returned with the toast, no food had been sent up.  This was upsetting, I was feeling emotional as just been through surgery.

The real nightmare started with the night staff, some of whom I found to be nasty, abrupt and had no time for me.  When the interpreter is not there I need to try and lipread and if that is not successful then I write things down.  I got my paper out as I couldn't understand a staff member but they snatched the paper and wrote two words down.  I lay there not wanting to move in case I needed help through the night.  Other staff were very nice and made me feel at ease.  I explained that I can't lipread everyone if they are not from Northern Ireland as the pattern of their mouth is totally different. 

Morning came and I said to the person who came into my room that I didn't know what they were saying.  They appeared angry with me, which annoyed me -  after all it is not my fault I am deaf.  I said "I don't know what your saying" and they made hand gestures which were still not clear.  Another member of staff came in and I breathed a sigh of relief as they could see I was annoyed.  They asked me to go into the bathroom and get a wash which wasn't a problem.  I find it upsetting when others become aggressive with me because I can't understand them.  Not a nice experience.

Video of story in BSL 

This is a translation by a BSL translator 

https://vimeo.com/835695768

Video of story in ISL

This is a translation by an ISL translator

https://vimeo.com/835695805