Bea I am so very sorry you are going through all this stress. I was incredibly lucky as I had a DH to come home to plus local DDs so I can’t help you with your referral problem. What is making me cross in all this is the different approaches taken in different hospitals - in this case compression stockings. My hospital didn’t use them at all, deeming the electrically operated compression boots for the first 24 hours, followed by four weeks of anti-coagulant injections sufficient. Plus, of course, getting you out of bed at the first opportunity and doing your exercises. The stairs probably seem like Mount Everest at the moment but you will conquer them. Big hugs, my lovely, this won’t last for ever, every day is a tiny, tiny step forward.