As you were…..

Hospitals and paramedics – wonderful aren’t they? I love them mostly because they have looked after John so well over the years and because he’s in hospital now, being conscientiously cared for, but also, because we had occasion to use them twice in the last 24 hours with other members of the family too. What patience and compassion they show. Amazing.

And so it was, that little Thomas spent a few hours screaming the house down and raged a temperature for a few hours. No amount of soothing worked, so after dialling 111 for advice, the paramedics turned up and whisked him off to hospital. In the middle of the night. Danielle went in the nee-naw, while Michael stayed at home with William. Thomas was better enough to come home at three in the morning, so Michael winkled William out of bed and set off to collect them. The Sutton Sleath household didn’t have a great deal of sleep by the sounds of it. It turns out it ‘was probably a viral infection’. Heavens. Don’t know what to make of that, but there you are.

Then, this morning, I had just started my ‘Ragdale at home’ with a little gentle meditation and prayer routine before beginning a chapter of my book, when the phone rang. Mother was unwell. “Phone the doctor,” I said to the carer, and waited. Fifteen minutes later, the carer rang back in a bit of a panic, “She’s vomiting now. The doctor doesn’t have her on their books. The paramedics are on their way.” So, what else could I do but hot-foot it round there?

The paramedics were already ministering to Mum when I arrived, but I was able to give them a bit of a low-down on Mum’s health and told them that it looked to me like she was suffering from one of her ‘turns’ i.e. a dizzy spell brought on by Meunieres disease. I hunted for her tablets and found two packets – one of which was out of date, and the other that had just one tablet in it.

I phoned the doctor, who found they did have Mum on their books after all, to see if more tablets could be dispensed. Well, yes, of course, they can. Phone the pharmacy and they’ll send a prescription request…… oh… come on! It’s a Friday and do you really think tablets are going to arrive here in the next half an hour? No……they won’t…. well, the paramedics are there, best let them take her to the hospital. So I waved her on her way.

I spent a little while chatting to the warden and tidying up at Mum’s after she left, before making my way home at lunchtime. Grabbed a bite to eat and spent half an hour or so chatting to John and unfolding the saga of the morning to him. Had another chat, too, to Michael to hear all about their disturbed night. Afterwards, I thought I might watch a programme on TV I’d recorded. However, I had just loaded it up when the phone rang. It was the hospital wanting a bit of history on Mum.

The upshot was that they were satisfied that her illness was related to her Meunieres disease and they were happy to discharge her. “Can you come and pick her up?” the doctor asked, tentatively. Yes, of course, I can. Nothing else to do today, might as well have a run out in the car in the sunshine.

Although Mum was well enough to be discharged, I must confess that I think she is not recovered. She is rather confused and has started going to bed in her day clothes this week. Hmmmm…..we’ll see if the tablets help. Had to pop round this evening to make sure she had this evening’s dose and she was fast asleep on her bed fully clothed. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

All in all, I didn’t do ‘Ragdale at home’ today after all. Maybe tomorrow?

• 8,523 people tested positive for COVID today
• 345 people died in the community with the virus in the last 24 hours
• 131 people died in hospitals with the virus on 24 & 25 February

We’ve hurtled our way through Day 51 of Lockdown 3; Day 339 of Lockdown 1; and Day 347 of our own, self-imposed lockdown.

John is feeling exceedingly fed up as he is pumped full of fluids in an attempt to re-hydrate his kidneys. I am ever hopeful and am keeping my fingers crossed they will see fit to discharge him shortly but he’s looking on the black side. The trouble is that he’s on his own in a room, alone with his thoughts – and they can’t half mess with your mind, can’t they? Positive vibes, please, everyone.

Spring is on its way; there are frogs in ponds, daffodils blooming; crocuses positively littering the greens alongside the roads; and the birds are a-twittering like mad – so we’ve got to be hopeful, haven’t we?

Take care everyone. God bless.