This is a true story based on my home visits I receive three times daily from the Community Nurses . These visits have been happening three times daily for around two months now. This story is based on one of the visits a few weeks back.

Here , where I live we have something called " Hospital at Home " . Patients with long term conditions who are at high risk of catching further infections in hospital stay at home to be cared for . Nurses visit according to need. Each week I meet my consultant at the hospital where the plan is made for the next week.

I have Cystic Fibrosis , Asthma and Urinary Retention .

I was discharged from the hospital knowing that the nurses would be visiting three times daily . I'm single so as there was no one to learn to do my IVs or carry out my chest physio the nurses would come and do it for me. I had mixed feelings . I was nervous and embarrassed at first . Nervous because I had to let strangers into my home . Embarrassed because at 38 years old not only were nurses having to come and visit me three times a day , but I also had to undress to allow them to carry out my treatment . All of this was new to me and chest percussion x 3 daily and vibes were not my idea of fun .

Over the first few days I met the team of four nurses and welcomed them into my home . I named each one of them . Three females ( Plain Jane , Blondie and Hitler ) and one male ( Chris) . They were all lovely and I soon felt comfortable having them In my home so often. I was asked on the first day by one of the female nurses if I was comfortable with having a male nurse and if I had any objection to him caring for me and carrying out chest physio or giving IM injections. I have no objections whatsoever. He is simply doing his job.

I woke feeling pretty rough. I had a high fever yet again . It was 7am . My nurse was due to visit within the next hour . Waves of nausea kept passing over me each time I moved to make myself comfortable. Before long the doorbell rang . I dragged myself out of bed , crossed the landing and went downstairs to let the nurse in . It was Chris . We exchanged small talk as he followed me up the stairs back to my room .

Chris asked how my night had been and I told him " It was rough. Just after 2am I woke feeling very hot and nauseated .I took my temperature rectally and it was 39.3 . So as I had a very high fever I'd inserted 2 paracetomol suppositories at 2:15am after which I then fell asleep ".

He replied with " ok , let's see what it is now then "

Chris removed the equipment he needed from his bag , noted his arrival time on my records and then went into the bathroom to wash his hands. I sat on the edge of my dressing stool watching his every move . He came from the bathroom , picked up his ear thermometer and turned it on . Each time he got an error message. He tried to change the battery from a spare that he carried but still he got the same message . So Chris asked me if I had another thermometer he could use .

I thought quickly and before I knew it I said " I do , but the only one I use on myself is a glass rectal one "

Chris didn't hesitate in responding . He said " Nikki , if you are happy and comfortable with me taking it that way , then I'm happy to do so . It's the most accurate way and as you take it that way each time anyway it makes sense to continue with it " .

My heart skipped a beat !!! I couldn't believe that the words had rolled off my tongue and I was shocked at Chris's response .

Chris has seen my bum many , many times before so in no way was I embarrassed as I handed him the thermometer from the bathroom and some Vaseline . If anything I was a little excited . Chris opened a packet of gloves and put them on . He said to " lay on my left side and lower my pyjama shorts " as I do for my anti sickness injection and he'd do the temperature, suppositories if needed , followed by the injection . So I lay on my left side getting comfortable . I lowered my shorts whilst watching Chris in the mirror preparing the injection , the sterile wipe and two suppositories . He placed them on a white tray .Chris crossed the room to my bed . As he placed down a small green kidney bowl that held the thermometer I couldn't help but notice the big blob of Vaseline stuck to the side.

Chris asked me if I'd ever had my temperature taken rectally by a nurse. I said " well , not with a thermometer but by one of those continuous probes they use in ICU and they don't feel nothing like a thermometer "

So he explained that ' first he inserts a lubed finger , to grease the rectum and then he will remove the finger and insert the thermometer . The thermometer will need to stay in place for around three minutes '

He asked if I was ' ok with that ? '

So I said ' Yes '

Chris then told me to relax as I may feel some pressure and it feel a bit cool as he inserts his finger .

I was asked to bend my right leg up towards my chest . I watched in the mirror as Chris stuck his finger in the blob of Vaseline then using his other fingers coated his index finger . Chris then said he was ready as I felt His finger go inside my rectum . The coolness of the Vaseline took me by surprise. Before I knew it his finger had been removed and the thermometer had been inserted. I lay looking in the mirror whilst Chris sat on the edge of the bed looking at his watch.

After three minutes Chris said to " relax " as he was going to remove the thermometer . I felt it slide out as Chris removed it . I watched in the mirror as he held it up to read it .

" Nikki , you have a temperature of 39.1 . I need to give you some suppositories to lower it "

" I'm not surprised " I said .

I stayed in position on my left side as Chris placed the thermometer in the kidney dish . He stood and went to the tray picking up the two suppositories . He came back to the side of the bed as he removed the first suppo from the packet .

Chris told me to relax again as I felt the first suppository against my rectum . It went in easily as I was still well lubed from the thermometer , closely followed by the second one . Chris removed his gloves and placed them in the blue kidney dish . He picked up the dish and took it into my bathroom . I again lay watching his every move in my mirror . I was starting to feel a bit nervous as I knew what was coming next . Chris came across to the bed carrying the white tray . I noted the contents as he placed it down . One packet of Large sterile gloves, one alcohol wipe , and one Ondansetron IM anti sickness injection.

Just looking at that injection makes me feel sick . I've been having these three times a day now for some weeks . My bum is sore . I can barely sit in a comfortable position . Walking or sudden movement is starting to get very uncomfortable . Chris opened his gloves and put them on . He asked me " if I was ready ?"

I replied with " I'm never ready for this part , just get it over with "

Chris just smiled .

My skin tingled as he wiped the alcohol wipe across my already sore , marked skin. I watched as he picked up the injection , double checked the contents and then held it up . Then I felt the sharp pinch as it plunged deep into my skin. I winced as the medicine was administered . Chris removed the needle then the stinging started . It lasts for about 10-15 minutes and then it subsides . He placed the empty syringe on the tray , picked it up and went into my bathroom . I composed myself , pulled up my shorts and lay on my tummy for 10 minutes whilst Chris cleaned up and set up my IVs .

I lay on my tummy relaxing for 10 mins or so whilst the sting subsides and Chris prepps the IVs . At the minute I have a long line in each arm . I have two IV antibiotics Cephalexin and Co - Amoxiclav x three daily , IV Methylprednisilone x two daily and one bag of IV fluids over the three visits . The sting subsides and I sit up against the pillows watching Chris . He prepared all four meds and placed them on another tray before carrying it across to the bed .

He already had gloves on . So he hung the IV fluids and the methylprednisilone and before he connected me up asked me to remove my pyjama top ready for his auscultation , physio and vibes. Whilst they were both running through I'm also connected to the SATS monitor to measure my oxygen levels . I remove my pj top , so I'm now naked on my top half . Again I've done this many times already so I no longer find it awkward or embarrassing . Chris was trained at a world recognised chest clinic and that shows in his work and his knowledge. He only auscultates and carries out physio on bare skin. So I sit up off the pillows , whilst Chris removes his gloves and gets his stethoscope .

Chris has two stethoscopes a Littmann cardiology lll in black and a Tycos Elite In burgundy . He doesn't know this but I love the Tycos because it's always cold . Even more so because I'm usually the first visit each morning , so that makes it even colder . He starts off with a long thorough auscultation of the front and back of the chest whilst I'm sitting . He listens for areas that are very congested and with poor air entry so he knows which areas require tougher Physio. This usually takes around 10 minutes . He then has a listen to the heart whilst I lie down and then he begins the physio .

I'm not going to lie . I absolutely hate chest physio . But it helps keep me alive so I'm not going to complain too much . Chris is extremely thorough and doesn't miss a single area. First he usually gets me to lie on my left side , he then cups , claps and pummels the back right area for around 15 mins . This is then repeated on the back left area , whilst I'm laying on my right side . I then lay on my back whilst he does 10 mins on the chest at the front , along with vibes so the secretions are loosened so I can expel them . This is extremely tiring .

Half way through the physio I get a rest whilst Chris puts on his gloves and connects the IV antibiotics. These have to be given separately so they run one after the other . Once the IVs have ran through I lay there whilst Chris carries out another thorough auscultation , making sure his physio has done its job . Whilst he clears away I'm then left to rest after I've put my pyjama top back on ready to do the whole thing again in five hours time .

Things are definitely improving and hopefully this time next week I will be off IVs and back to work in my cake shop. It's been a tough few months . But I want to thank all of you on here who have sent me messages or spoke in chat and wished me well . It is appreciated .

Nikki