I Think It Might Be Sorted...

It was my four monthly appointment with the Consultant this afternoon but when I woke up my chest was rattling like a bag of nails...so after a bit of a think...sitting in the waiting area surrounded by people coughing and gagging and spreading their germs didn't much appeal...I 'phoned and cancelled. By lunch time I was breathing as normally as is possible and the rattling had disappeared...

I think I might have got to the root of Himself's problem...when I collapsed two years ago I was suffering from respiratory acidosis...had to practically drag that information out of the chief nurse in ICU...it's a nasty sort of thing and it can have the affect of making the sufferer act out of character...which I was doing for a good three days before finally turning my toes up...refusing to go to the Doctor for one thing...staying up most of the night was another.

Now I can't remember anything...absolutely nothing whatsoever...the last clear recollection was the man from the furniture shop delivering a new settee...the next was six days later sitting up in bed with tubes in every orifice and my hands encased in what looked like boxer gloves...to stop me from yanking the tubes out apparently.

I couldn't speak...that was weird. Didn't have my teeth...feel like a bit of a prat without teeth...when a nurse took the boxing gloves off someone had cut my fingernails incredibly short...then my entire face was covered with a horrendous mask...it was really tight. Wasn't allowed to have anything to drink...just little chips of ice to melt in my mouth. The mask stayed on for the longest twenty-four hours of my life...

Machines were bleeping and pinging and Doctors kept coming into my little corner where they'd stand and look at me...

Then there were the ginger kittens of course and the pots of dancing flowers and the helicopter landing in the middle of the ward...

But...I remember absolutely nothing whatsoever of the lead-up to all this drama...didn't then and still don't now.

What has transpired is that Himself thought I was deliberately not going to the Doctor's when I first felt unwell...he thought I was staying up all night on purpose...then when I came round on the ward I was demanding to be transferred to another hospital because I said all the nurses on the ICU were bx*ches who were being deliberately horrible to me...except I couldn't make my voice work properly so it came out quite strangely...and he thought I was being bloody-minded whereas I thought I was being perfectly reasonable...

It took a long time to convince him that I have no memory whatsoever of feeling below par...certainly can't recall refusing to go to the surgery...or staying up all night...he is still slightly puzzled...suppose it was all too clear to him at the time and he can't quite understand why that isn't so for me as well.

We've reached an agreement...if it looks as though a reoccurrence is about to happen, he is to call for an ambulance...the chances are slim that'll it'll happen again, especially with the regime of oxygen and the nebuliser...but if he's in the least bit worried call 999 and the nice ambulance men will sort it.

In the meantime we can't sort of sit about waiting until I get better 'cos that isn't going to happen...we need to go out and about while keeping within limitations...

So, I think it might be alright in the end...

[Jolyn]

Good for you Vashti, nothing beats a good chat about things so you know what's what.

[Hidden]

Its good when a plan comes together and yes you do need to get out and about when you can

[redted]

So pleased you have managed to have a chat,it really does help to get a clearer picture,and to arrange a management plan that you are both happy with, good for you now go and enjoy yourselves,whilst we wait for more stories of your outings.

[holly17]

Vashti I read right through and by the end understood where you were coming from as when I was informed that I had an aneurysm and the first lot of lung cancer my mind closed down and later when I was told the things I had said and done or refused to do was news to me, but after a long family talk it was all sorted, mind you it had to be the family is one wife, 2 daughters and one granddaughter even the 2 dogs in the family are bitches. Keep smiling you are helping keep some of us sane with your writings xx

[Hidden]

In fairness Vashti, that whole incident must have been terrifying for him and the thought of it happening again is obviously a fear he's got in his mind. Men are no good at expressing their feelings never mind articulating their fears.. It's good that this incidenr forced things out in the open and hopefully the medics can set his mind at rest. Sounds like you had fun today buying the purple kettle. Here's to lots more getting out and about.

[Hidden]

Can relate very well to your experience vashti. Seven years ago I was admitted to hospital with my second severe asthma attack. Remember vaguely being on a ward for a time until my breathing went suddenly downhill and they brought the crash team in. The next two weeks were spent in the ICU on life support where I had to be resuscitated twice and had an eventual tracheostomy. I'd apparently gone on to develop pneumonia, followed by septicemia.

I too 'saw' some mighty strange things such as an ambulance driving up to the next bed, parking and leaving the engine running while they got the patient on board! Being wheeled to a different part of the ward was another one, where I was allowed to drink orange juice while waiting for a ride in a small aeroplane. And I'm sure we must have had the same nurses...

You enjoy whatever you're able to now, however small it may seem xxx

[butter-fly]

Funny how they cover their fears by being stroppy. Mine sounds like a bully when he's scared and gets a stern talking to which of course makes him worse so the sparks fly! There's sure no need for flint in our house.

Anyway should you be collapsing and scaring the poor man!?? You're not going to get out if you behave like that!

Thought of getting yourself a scooter? Ten times easier than riding a bike and so liberating.

and you could hang things like your purple kettle on it to bring home. I do it all the time. Most people look at me like I'm mad what with my cannula and all but I don't mind at all. They're right!

Sara xx

[Nanaeal in reply to butter-fly]

Wonderful news. Go have a ball. Hope you still have time to wrote though

[Hidden]

I am so pleased you and himself have had a chance to understand each other. I hope you can both have more adventures, hoping too that you will tell us about them! Xris xx

[RibvanRey]

Wow that explains a couple of things. I knew he was worried about you. Now don't go over doing it by going out to a different craft shop every day ☺

[Towse1950]

One day at a time........enjoy each moment from the birds singing to the whistle of a purple kettle. I gave a red one in my kitchen....lve it!....Audrey Jersey. X

[Hidden]

I think you will definitely be alright in the end. Take care lovely xxx

[Dragonmum]

So glad you've got to the root of it Vashti - can you honestly blame him for wanting to avoid a repeat??? Must have scared him stiff. So now it's sorted hope you can both enjoy these brilliant excursions - we do!