So I thought I had over two weeks break did I? I had not taken my mother and the weather into account!
I did, however, have a break over Xmas but not the New Year. My mother decided to fall and break her arm on New Year's Eve, not due to the icy conditions but to her own stubbornness, insisting she could walk OK on her own within her flat. Of course being New Year's Eve, the A&E was extremely busy, so she was sent home after a few hours with a cast on her arm but no investigation into the cause of the fall. Needless to say she fell again a few days later, and my daughter was once again called upon to travel in the ambulance and wait in the busy A&E. This tine they have kept her and, hopefully, moving her to a home when she is released but they seem to listen to her when she says 'I'll manage' to everything when she obviously cannot.
We were, as a family, dealing with this emotionally when I received a letter to be an in-patient in the Urology department, As usual, transport was a problem, after many telephone calls it was decided that one ambulance could be used, I would be collected for my MS clinic appointment and after that taken straight to the Urology ward. So I did have a short Xmas break and logic was used with regard to the transport. But does anything in my life ever go smoothly? About as smooth as sea during a storm.
This time it was the weather, A heavy fall of snow the day before my appointments prompted me to ring and check about the next day's transport, and, yes, as I had thought, there would be emergency ambulances only due to the snow and many side roads being impassable. So I didn't know when I would get to the MS clinic for the results of the many scans and tests, or when I would be having my operation in Urology.
The next day, the day I should have gone as an in-patient, I received a telephone call from the ward asking where I was. I explained about the transport situation and was told that they would still pick me up as I was going to be an in-patient but she would check. She rang me back and told me I would be collected within the hour, of course this meant panic packing. I had been told that it would only be for one night so I didn't need much. Silly girl believing everything you are told.
The ambulance arrived at Out-patients at about 12.15 pm. Just as the MS clinic had closed but did I expect to be able to fit two departments into one visit? No, I had learned by now that I'm not that lucky!
I was left sitting all day in the day room and nobody going past to remind them I was there, of course the wheelchair was not one that I could wheel so I was dependant totally on other people. Eventually, at after 5 pm, a sister walked past and I managed to attract her attention which set all the wheels in motion. About 10 minutes later the consultant came to see me and told me I was first on the list the next morning. I was then taken to the ward and given a bed, settled into it then given loads of tests - blood pressure, blood, and temperature. I was given the first of daily injections into my stomach that prevents the danger of clotting. Surprisingly there was no pain from this injection probably because of the amount of fat!
It was explained to me that the ward staff had not known I was there despite telling the desk upon arrival, but unfortunately in a different part on the ward. I blame the porter!
The anaesthetist came to see me and told me that she intended to use an epidural anaesthetic rather than a general because the recovery time was quicker and would not cause MS problems like a general would. Obviously she didn't know my track record. Would this be as simple as was made out?
We shall find out next time.
That takes me and you up to the operation time, the next report will tell you all about the operation and the after effects plus what is now happening with my MS.
