Calm after the storm .....

~

It was so wonderful to sit peacefully in the tranquility of our garden this evening

having a leisurely supper with a glass of wine after the traumas of the

last 24 hours!

~

Last night, in the middle of our bowls practice my lovely Other Half had a

medical emergency which involved calling for an ambulance.

~

I used to be in St John Ambulance, but when the 'patient' is your own loved one

it is not so easy to be calm and collected and deal with it.

Luckily another of our members often has to deal with visitors' emergencies

on the beach, although he is not a lifeguard, and his calm presence settled myself and

OH until the welcome sound of the ambulance announced two lovely medics

to sort him out.

~

After lots of questions about what happened, previous medical history etc, OH

was trollied to the ambulance, I was sent off to gather myself together and get a list

of his medications (just a ruse to keep me occupied and calm me down - which worked)

while they took him off to A & E in Haverfordwest.

~

By the time I arrived with overnight things (just in case) OH was looking much

better, hooked up to all monitors known to man! and had 2, 3 or even 4 young nurses

rushing around and tending to his every need.  Bloods, blood pressure, ECG traces,

reams of paper notes being written out, label on his wrist - in case he got lost, or

forgot who he was!!

~

How they make any sense out of all those wiggly lines and flashing lights on those

screens, I will never know.  The cardiac sheets they printed out, were just a mass of

lines.  He even had the probes stuck to his ankles as well!

~

In the end, after much waiting about for blood to be tested and a further ECG reading

they let us out and we got home about 2.15 am. - Phew!

~

The enormity of it did not really hit home until this evening when we could sit

and chat about it.  OH said the ambulance medics were wonderful - calm and

patient and explaining everything to him.

~

Our experience of the NHS last night could not be faulted.  Although there was,

of necessity, a lot of waiting about, we were kept informed of what was

going on at all times, and also felt that we could have asked about anything if

we were uncertain, without being a trouble.  Thank you Withybyush Hospital,

Haverfordwest for looking after my beloved OH.

~

Ann x