I am the support person

Hi, You may not have noticed me. Or, if you have you may have seen me as that annoyance attached to the patient.

Yes, I am the patient's partner.

I’m the person who keeps trying to be there when the Dr makes their rounds.

I’m the person who asks questions when you are trying to talk to the patient

I’m the one who complains when things aren’t going well.

I’m the one who tries to be in the room when you are performing procedures

I’m the one who wants updates on what’s happening

But,

I’m the one who stayed beside my partner for 30 hours without sleeping and was left to sleep in a car park.

I’m the one who changed my partner's blood soaked gowns because you didn’t have time.

I’m the one who ensured my partner had her medication on time when you left it beside her bed and told her to dose herself.

I’m the one who held my terrified partner through the evening who was scheduled for surgery the next day and you put her beside a “sentinel event”.

I’m the one who patched my partners dressings because the smell was too bad for the nurses.

I’m the one you locked into the surgical waiting room alone while you operated on my wife on the weekend.

I’m the one who bought food to my partner because the kitchens thought jam and cereal don't contain sugar.

I’m the one who watched as my wife died before me, knowing it should not have happened

Please don’t write me off.