I'venot been feeling to great for the past few days at all and it turns out i have a chest infection - and i and the nurse thought it was a simple bad cold - easy mistake.
Last night i began to feel pretty tight chested, wheezy and was coughing but nothing i couldn't handle. I sorted myself out and decided to head for bed, around one am i woke up and felt awful, my chest really felt so tight like someone really did have a rope around me and just kept tightening it (has that happened to anyone before?) i was coughing like crazy, wheezing and even being sick, i let myself go on lie that for twenty mins or so but felt i was getting worse rather than better, i was in on my own and was really scared. I thought about calling NHS24 but really worried about how i'd talk so i dialed 999 for myself - i've never called an ambulance for myself before. I don't remember much about the phonecall other than the fact i really was struggling to speak at all, i don't even think i gave my address they must trace it from a landline. They sent a paramedic on his own first who got here quick but then i had the drama of going down the flight of stairs to unlock my door - (i live in a four in a block upper flat). Then two more paramedic people arrived. As well as m asthma being bad i was in a complete state of panic prob made worse by the fact i had three people i didn't know trying to help me (which i have to say i was so so grateful for and think they all done a wonderful job and really believe the ambulance service deserves praise for what they do - this is prob the worst i have been and i was so scared and they really tried to get me to relax and calm down, told me not to apologise in fact told me not to talk etc - lucky i have all my medications, allergies, health pobs written down so i can hand it to them rsther than speak)
They then took me to hospital and within about 6 hours i was back home, the main prob was i got myself in such a state i made myself worse etc, i have to rest for a few days, got anti-biotics etc and feel a bit sorry for myself but apart form that i'm okay.
Has anyone else had 999 drama's before? or been alone and had to call? i really did not want to call but knew it had got to the stage where i had to. I don't remember too much as i was hysterical and all over the place kind of thing but i do know that i really admire what the ambulance service do - though i was surprised i had three people in my house - is that normal?
xxxx
9 Replies
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Hey sorry to hear about your ordeal, hope you're feeling better now.
I always have 3 people...the first person by themselves is the rapid response vehicle. Don't worry.
I'm fortunate enough to have never been by myself as last year i lived in a student house and there was always someone around and i now live with my bf. Do you live by yourself?
Take it easy
Em x
I do a flat-share with a friend but she was away for the night - i am prob in on my own for one or two evenings/nights a week. It did get me thinking though as i really was struggling to talk so they must of dne well to understand me on that phone.Is it normal for a rapid response vehicle then? i've never heard about that before.xx
I do a flat-share with a friend but she was away for the night - i am prob in on my own for one or two evenings/nights a week. It did get me thinking though as i really was struggling to talk so they must of dne well to understand me on that phone.Is it normal for a rapid response vehicle then? i've never heard about that before.xx
The last time I had a mega attack (about 3 weeks ago) they sent a rapid response car first, the guy from the car checked me over and gave a me a nebuliser then the ambulance came and gave me some more meds and took me to hospital. not sure why they send the rapid response cars and an ambulance though!
anyway how are you feeling now? hope you are better x
Oh dear oh dear what a traumatic experience for you. I hope you're feeling better now. Don't take this the wrong way, cos I'm sure that would have upset anyone, but you do sound like quite an anxious person (I'm thinking of that post a few days ago too, when you said the nurse had told you not to worry but you were really worried!) Have you considered getting some help with relaxation and staying calm? I just wonder if you're not making yourself worse with all this anxiety. Also, is there a really good friend or relative who would be happy for you to call, 24/7, perhaps when you're starting to get in a state, to talk to you and help you stay calm? Then you could assess whether your chest is really as bad as you're thinking, or whether part of it is because you're so wound up
Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing your problems, but I've had panic attacks myself and know how terribly frightening they are. I've convinced myself I was on the way out before now! I got some help in dealing with them and cope much better now
I do take panic attacks as well but that is actually well under control i'm on medication for them and get alternative treatments form my local NHS - hypnotherapy, reiki etc have done for a long while - they are caused by events from my past that i do not wish to go into but sometimes i do take panic attacks with my asthma.
I do however know how to distinguish when my asthma is bad and when i am just panicing therefore i know when to call for help cause of my asthma or when i can phone a relative etc because i am panicing.
I do take panic attacks as well but that is actually well under control i'm on medication for them and get alternative treatments form my local NHS - hypnotherapy, reiki etc have done for a long while - they are caused by events from my past that i do not wish to go into but sometimes i do take panic attacks with my asthma.
I do however know how to distinguish when my asthma is bad and when i am just panicing therefore i know when to call for help cause of my asthma or when i can phone a relative etc because i am panicing.
oh that sounds great - I had no idea you could get reiki and hypnotherapy on the NHS (actually, what is reiki? I've heard of it but don't know what it means)
well you're obviously covering all the angles - I hope you don't have another scare like that one
take care
I didn't either but my GP has all different alternative therapists at the surgery or associated with so it is quite good.
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Emergency Medications
Recovering after hospital stay
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