Day 28: Are you happy to be alive?

Dad has settled into his new ward okay. Since he's been at the hospital, four fellow patients have been discharged on their road to recovery. Dad's bed is next to patient J - he's a quiet soul. He has trouble walking due to fluid in his legs. Every morning his daughter visits him and every evening his son.

There are three 'new' patients. One of them has only one leg (maybe lost through diabetes?) - he and his visitor wife are exceedingly aimiable. Another guy keeps his eyes closed all the time. In fact, he can't raise his eyelids. If they are opened, he gets dizzy. Poor guy. Strokes affect people in so many different ways. The last patient has some blotches on his face - he's very quiet too.

There is one other patient opposite dad whom I've not yet mentioned. Let's call him patient T. He's a youngish chap - well probably around forty. He doesn't say much at all, although he is probably 6 weeks into recovery now. As soon as his girlfriend arrives, she wheels him out of the bay. He watches telly a lot.

Today, the young Pakistani doctor came round, drew the curtains around T's bed and started talking. There really isn't much privacy on the bays so every word could be heard - and she was speaking very loudly. Maybe she's too used to speaking to my dad! "How do you feel?" she bellowed. "Are you happy to be alive? Do you ever get the feeling that life's not worth living?"

I relate this semi-comically, but of course it's not funny. He mumbled some answers and I think maybe he got counselling later. But depression is very common among stroke patients, including dad. I'm not sure how to handle it.