Thursday 11 March 2010

Update Friday -Thursday part one

Where was I? Ah yes. I took my temperature at about teatime on Friday and it was above 38 again. Having been told off by the staff at the Centenary Wing for not telling them about my temperature on Tuesday (but we did) I decided to ring the hospital.
They told me to go to A & E and be seen there. So at about 8.00 on Friday night we arrived at A & E. I was assessed quite quickly and my BP and temperature taken. I was examined by a doctor and blood taken for testing. Soon after that I had a chest x-ray, was fitted with a canula and was admitted to an assessment ward by about midnight.
I was given some antibiotics by injection. The room had four beds and it was hard to get off to sleep.
The next morning I was seen by the doctors again and they told me that a bed was available on the haemotology ward. I was transferred to my new bed during the afternoon visiting time.

The man in the bed next to mine was about six months older than me. He had dementia and just stared into the distance. The staff had to almost shout to get his attention. He was connected to a glucose drip and was incontinent. His wife stayed with him, and helped feed him. A young man in his twenties called in for a while. It could have been our family.
It brought home to me how short and precious our lives are. One minute I was out and about and making plans, the next I was in a hospital ward being pumped full of antibiotics.

It made me stop and think.

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