Sunday 8 April 2012

Happy Easter! - a sock & a ride in ambulance!

First of all : Happy Easter!
Although my lads are "grown up" they still require chocolate easter eggs.
This year we have a younger generation of "children" in our family with my sil's two grands and we're hopeful of visiting them very soon and looking forward to seeing their progress which includes walking their first unaided steps but this will be after Easter/London Marathon now.
dh's niece, Claire, is progressing very well with her "robot walking suit" and is nervously gearing up for the challenge of the London Marathon

ribbed socks
Progress as you can see is coming along nicely for my second ribbed sock from the lovely pattern in my Vogue sock book and I've tried to make them as close to identical as I possibly can mainly because they are for my no.2.son and he WILL notice if they are not the same!
I've knit down to the point where I start the heel flap and will switch now from my 9" sock needle to a set of DPN's until I complete turning the heel and decreasing the gusset back to commence the foot section.
Having another twoxballs of this lovely sock yarn I shall have got my money's worth out of this needle, but I shan't buy any more in different sizes!  its fiddly to knit with such TINY needle tips.

On Thursday just gone, I woke feeling unwell with a bad stomach and feeling sick, managed to get to the bathroom, didn't manage to get into the shower - nor did I make it back to bed!  instead I hung on to the towel rail and waited for the waves of unwellness and faint feeling to wash over me before ending up flat on my back on the floor still clutching the towel rail which I'd apparently pulled out of the wall!
My Husband "found" me.  Thought I was dead! panicked! phoned 999 and next thing I remember was a sharp "toe" to the small of my back - I yelped! HE said "oh! yes! its ok! she's def. breathing!" down the line to whomever it was that had obviously instructed him to confirm I WAS breathing .. or not .. we can't decide IF he was told to administer a sharp kick - I suspect not and on the quiet I think he agrees! still least it meant I was awake if a bit groggy!
Weird feeling - "fainting" - I tried to get up - couldn't - and the quick response from Paramedics confirmed that I had very low BP and best off not trying!!  Essentially I was advised to go to Hospital for check ups due to abnormal ECG (which proved "normal for me" due to my co-existing Atrial Fibrillation and A-Flutter).
My husband followed in our car with our sons despite my insisting that there would be a lot of waiting around in a dull waiting room for hours and they were best off left home, my eldest son was to accompany me in the ambulance but I suggested he didn't - of course he took no notice and simply got in the car with his dad and brother!!
On the way my BP dropped further and the ambulance man in the back decided we needed to get there FAST and instructed the driver to put her foot down!  Poor dh was confused at the route the ambulance had chosen and wondered if they were taking me to another local Hospital and then found himself on the road by himself as we took off with all lights going and huge sirens!
Anyone who has gone by ambulance in a fast ride will know that its very very bumpy and I was clinging onto the edges of the trolley, had my head dropped down and tried to lift it! my feet raised, trying to lower them! and being told "not to WORRY!" ..
Some several mins later we arrived and - yes! you've guessed it! the MINUTE the Dr came to me my BP returned to normal! bah!
I knew - gut instinct! ha! - that it was nothing to do with my heart and that it was just a "faint" but even so had to have several blood tests a go on the ecg and a ct scan (because of bump to head/warfarin) and ANNOYINGLY my results came through at the same time as an emergency so I was shuffled off to the dreaded CDU which is the Department from which there is NO HOPE of an early release whether ones behaviour is good or otherwise!
Truly this is the WORST department you could ever find yourself!  We've had two or three experiences of it and I think that next time it happens I shall leap off the trolley and flee before they get me there!!
NINE HOURS LATER .. they released me!  TWO HOURS were taken just to write my GP discharge letter and find some iron tablets!  And even then I still had a needle in my arm!   I was told I'd have to wait for possibly a further hour for a Nurse to remove it - I said I'd remove it MYSELF if they didn't do it themselves NOW! grr! so they decided perhaps on balance best doing it for me and shoving me out of the door!
Well the bottom line is, I am "anaemic".  hmm.  we'll see.  I have iron tablets.  And have to await results of blood tests to see if its for any reason.

I managed to get some knitting done in the last few hours when I'd recovered enough to be fit to sit up and do something and I'm grateful to my family for thinking of flinging in my sock to knit! they know me well!?
Although it wasn't their fault - I ended up being in the Hospital for several HOURS without anything to eat and only one small cup of water which made its way to me after I'd politely asked for a drink - I did explain to the Nurses as the day went on that I had only just "got up" and had not had either a drink, breakfast, nor, even, my am tablets!
Funny system for meds in the Hospital.  Apparently you can't take meds even if are supposed to without "permission".  I had my own meds with me which included "warfarin".  I wasn't supposed to take this - they said - unless a Dr authorised it.  I tried without much success, to SAY that it was THEIR DR originally that put me ON the wretched tablets!  In the end a Dr was fetched and he looked at the meds I take including the warfarin and pondered a while before suggesting I a/ wait till I get home and taken them? or b/ wait until no one is "looking" and then take them (in hospital/now) .. truly I didn't know what to say!  I think I snatched the bag off him and probably said something rude but I can't recall accurately .. I then asked "ok, am I to take the iron tablet now then?" (which they'd just fetched for me - no. apparently. not even this one even WITH permission! how MAD is that? this can't be "right"? I thought the whole point of having medicines is that you take them whether IN hospital or at home (unless they are changed to suit the circumstances)?

I had had enough of the nonsence and along with feeling tired due to all day lying about doing nothing but feeling "unwell" not to mention still dehydrated and hungry I decided to get myself HOME and phoned for dh to drive up to meet me!  Its such a shame! though? that the whole experience of being in the Hospital is "spoiled" by the peculiar system and rules of this one Dept?

Anyway, apart from another nose bleed on Sat following a trip to the local town to suss out "phones" for no.1.son I've been mostly "well" and just pottered about mainly in the kitchen!  Super classic Victoria Sponge and a less than perfect batch of chocolate cookies and a leg of lamb completes our Easter!
I managed to pick up a copy of the latest "Knit" magazine which is to be renamed "Yarnwise" in a couple of issues time, so that will be my Easter reading.
Wishing everyone a peaceful Easter weekend and bank holiday ..

4 comments:

marysews said...

You know that "fone natural" marysews would reply to THIS.

Coumadin is rat poison.

http://www.masterjules.net/bloodthinnersbad.htm

marysews said...

Meanwhile, Happy Easter! and I'm glad you're alive.

Val said...

Hope you are having a wonderful Easter. It is raining here but we do need the rain! Malvern is from 17th May to 20th May. It would be great to see you and thank you for kind comments re stand! There is never enough space! Val x

SewIknit2 said...

Mary, I know what you mean about the warfarin - rat poison! but I've been told I have to take this medication for life so I have to trust the Dr's in this respect but thanks! x

Val, I'm hoping to get to the show as we've no commitments so far! would be FAB to meet you and see your lovely stall in "person"! x