I thought I’d write and give you an update on Paul, my other half.
Paul recently spent 6 days in hospital fighting a lung infection. The hospital treated him with IV abs and discharged him as he felt a little better. Two weeks later, his condition worsened and he began to feel very poorly again.
On 15.10.19 I took him to A&E where the diagnoses sepsis and restated IV abs, steroids and further abs. The hospital admitted him and performed loads of scans, xrays and bloods but were unable to pin point the exact cause of his bug.
the first night, Paul became seriously ill and the team fought hard to stabilise his condition.
After a week (and mixed level of care-being under various consultants, critical care, nurses and the transplant team) he started to feel a little better.
Getting to that point has been very tough-he’s had a catalogue of errors from the nursing team: oxygen mask falling off during his sleep allowing his sats to drop to 60 (I had called him on the phone and noted that he sounded strange, the nurse was in at that moment and recorded his o2 level at 60 and didn’t replace his mask, thinking he’s taken it off to answer the phone! No, he was seriously confused and hadn’t even noticed the mask was on the floor!). Missed medications, and some nurses that just had no bedside manner, kindness or compassion!
Due to all the drugs and treatment, Paul swelled up with all the fluids and yet his symptoms continued. Doctors took more bloods to check for cancer.
On Thursday, I had gone to work. Despite texting Paul, he hadn’t been in touch. I received a text from him at 12pm saying ”you’d best come in so the drs and I can explain”. When I arrived, Paul looked terrible and seemed like he’d had morphine. He explained that he’d had a funny turn when using an o2 cylinder to go to the bathroom-staying that he was sure the it wasn’t o2 in the tank as it made a funny noise, smelt funny and he’s began to feel really nauseous/unwell. The nurses had helped him back into bed, yet his symptoms worsened.
The doctor came and sent him for an urgent CT scan-results normal.
He was far from ‘well’, his speech slurred, eyes couldn’t focus, double vision, headache, sickness, incoherent and drowsy. I complained to the nurses who fetched the dr-he recommended and MRI to be booked the next day!
24 hours later, it was confirmed that Paul had suffered a stroke. A rare type of stroke that effects the cerebral part of the base of the brain!
He has now been transferred to Heartlands hospital to their hyper acute stroke unit for further monitoring. I am delighted to say that most of his symptoms have improved, although he is still at high risk of further stroke. Paul is still in very high dose IV abs and steroids and is still fighting hard to rid his body of infection. Obviously he is suspended from the transplant list currently, but we have everything crossed that he’ll be able to beat this and get back to a good level of fitness to go ahead with an op in the future!
I don’t think much else can go wrong now! Xxxx
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Rachelmcc80
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Dear me Rachelmcc80, what a lot you and Paul have been through recently. Pete had sepsis last year and was hospitalised for almost 5 weeks. It takes some getting over I can tell you and I would advise you to contact UK sepsis trust if you feel the need.
I’m so sorry to read your post and can only hope that Paul will now get all the help and treatment he needs.
Thinking of you both and please let us know how things go.
Oh gosh what a dramatic time for you both. It's so awful when problems are made worse by a catalogue of errors and a lack of care because it leaves you feeling powerless. I'm glad things are starting to improve a bit, it sounds like Paul is in a much better hospital now. I too will keep everything crossed for him 🤞
I missed your previous posts so I have just read them and I can see that you’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions for a while.
Your poor husband has had such a lot to contend with and it must be so difficult for you to have to stand by and see him suffering especially when you don’t feel he has always had the best care, as well as managing your home and closing down his business.
I hope he recovers from his stroke and is well taken care of in the new hospital so he can get back on the transplant list in the future.
Take good care of yourself too,
Sending you both my very best wishes
Corin
X
What a nightmare ride you are having, I hope things improve from now on and Paul shortly regains his place on the list. 😐x
I think that a "Difficult two weeks" is rather an understatement. The o2 "smelling funny" should have been an indicator to the staff that he had suffered a stroke!
Being transferred to Heartlands hospital, to their hyper acute stroke unit is certainly better news for you both and I hope the distance is not so far that it makes visiting him a difficult affair. Better days to come hopefully, with a full recovery.
Very tough times for Paul and equally so for yourself,i hope he can make a full recovery from the stroke but in the meantime you will need to ensure that paul gets sufficient nourishment as often post stroke patients have some swallowing difficulties which hospitals tend to ignore or reduce in priority whilst dealing with other complications but at least he is in a specialised hospital to manage these things better.
Sounds like a nightmare! The transfer to the specialised hospital sounds like the best solution. Hope things pick up now for Paul, and for you, Rachel 💕 though might be a slow road to recovery yet. Take care, both 🌸🌹
It’s shameful that professionals make such mistakes, but the NHS seems to be loosing its way regarding quality of care. Uncaring nursing staff, often overworked and no joined up thinking re patient care. He’s lucky you’re there to keep an eye on things - good luck - keep a diary of errors, it can help bring about improvements for future care
My God, this sounds very difficult to cope with. I so sorry to hear that Paul had such difficult time in hospital 😞 this all sounds terrible, alone that no nurse was there to help him!
I really hope that he will get better again 🌹🌹🌹 bless him
What a shocking state of affairs when the hospital that is supposed to be CARING for your husband has been so neglectful, it makes my blood boil that people are just not doing their job properly and its no excuse saying they are busy. I do hope you will take this further. In the meantime I do hope that your otherhalf now makes good progress and improves by the week, he at least is in the right place, please keep us updated and look after yourself, it is a stressful time you are going through and that takes its toll. Hugs Irene x
Thank you for all your kind messages of support. I’ve just got back from the Hospital and I’m delighted to say Paul is doing incredibly well.
The consultant has looked at Paul’s CT Angiogram from yesterday and explained that he had dodged a bullet. He has had a rare incident where (perhaps due to coughing) he had managed to tear a blood vessel in the back of his neck which caused the stroke. The clot is still there although they can’t operate to remove it. He is on aspirin to thin his blood and has to take it steady so not to cause any further issues.
With regards to the transplant list, he will be suspended up to 6 months until the surgeons feel he is no longer at risk.
By rights he should be a quadruple paraplegic, but amazingly he has suffered minimal damage and his speech is improving already! I don’t know whether he is incredibly unlucky or lucky, but I’m so relieved he’s still here and in one piece.
Thanks again for sharing this experience, it’s great to have a sounding board with folks who understand. Xxx
They say if you threw everybody's problems up in the air you would be lucky to catch your own , I'm thinking yourself and paul are the exceptions to this rule , you both have my sympathy for what your going through
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