What a night

[T.C.]

At about 2-45am this morning I woke up coughing and choking. As I have a bad chest I always keep a handkerchief in my jama pocket. I put the hankie over my mouth and staggered to the bathroom, and was amazed when I noticed clots of dark brown liquid in my hankie. To be honest, I was more than amazed, I was worried, so I did the obvious, and called the paramedics. At about 3-00am the ambulance arrived, and into the house walked two lovely young lady paramedics. One called Heidi , and I cant for the life of me remember the name of the other. There was I , sitting in my jamas still coughing this horrible stuff up being assured that everything was alright. They gave me a check over, and advised me that in their opinion, I should go to A&E. By this time I had also had to call Margaret from her bed, and for those who don’t know us, she is not a very well lady, but she assured me she would be OK. It is now about 3-10 am, and these two gorgeous amazons got me into the ambulance and put me on a nebulizer to help me with my breathing, which was not very good by this time. We arrived at BRI at approx 3-30 am, and I am wheeled into a sideroom and given more oxygen, and placed on my finger was a small device that bleeped in time with my pulse. At 3-50 am the doctor arrived, and asked me a few questions concerning my asthma and what medication I was on. That was easily solved as I had a copy of my prescription. He decided he wanted some of my blood, and told me an X Ray of my chest would be required. He stuck a needle on the inside of my wrist and removed three phials of blood. Three I said, that’s more than an armful and left me with a protrusion out of my wrist in case he needed some more. It is now 4-00am and I seem to have been in this room for hours with this bl—dy bleep bleep bleep. At 4-05 am a nurse arrived to put some more liquid in the nebuliser, and when she left she closed the door behind her. It is now 4-25am and it seems like I had been their forever with that damned bleep bleep bleep. I got up and opened the door a bit. As a nurse was passing I asked how long it would be before I went for my X Ray. She said as soon as a porter could be summoned, and just like magic, there was a porter. I offered to walk to the X Ray dept, but no, I had to climb on a trolley. They took the device off my finger , and glory, at last I was escaping that blasted bleep bleep bleep. 4-45am , and am transported to X ray, and the radiographer is waiting. At 4-50 am I’m given the envelope containing the picture of my chest. I’m left outside X Ray dept, and I am back on the trolley, again waiting the porter. 5-00 am , I am back at A&E in the side room and bliss, no bleeper. 5-15 am doctor informs me that the X Ray is OK and all he is waiting for now is the results of the blood test. 5-30 am and the doctor informs me that the blood results are OK. He asks if I feel alright. I feel like hell, but I’m not telling him that, and assure that I am fine. He asks how I intend getting home, and tell him in the quickest possible way. He informs me that it could take some considerable time if I wait for an ambulance, but I inform him that I can afford a taxi. He then directs me to reception, where a very nice young lady rings a taxi for me, and there am I in my jamas, slippers and dressing gown, waiting at reception for Silverline Taxis to come home. When the taxi driver saw me he thought it was hilarious. The doctor at BRI gave me a prescription of anti biotics, and pendrisolone(steroids), and told to visit my GP asap. I went down to Myrtle House at 8-30 am and Dr Manuel saw me immediately. I am now diagnosed a chronic bronchitic. Ah Well, it’s all part of growing old I’m told. Before ending I would like to bring to every bodies notice that the care I received, from the moment paramedics arrived at our house until getting into the taxi to come home, was absolutely brilliant, and if I am unlucky enough to suffer any further trauma, I know I will be in safe an caring hands.

[Tealeaf]

Phew! looks like you had a hell of a night. I'm glad you're back home, anyway.

[accymel]

Awww TC you had a rather dramactic night, hope you are feeling better soon, im sure you'll be quite fine in the hands of the nurses hehehehe lucky bloke having 2 lady paramedics & you even got her name LOL

Take care TC

[jaysay]

I know the feeling T. C. I've been there on many occasions myself, actually ending up in ICU ones, the doctors and nurses do a great job and I owe my life to those dedicated people on more that one occasion. People do not put great store on asthma, putting it down with just breathing problems, but a full blown asthma attack is probably one of the most frightening things that can happen to any person, especially if you happen to be on your own at the time, its very scarry and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

[Mick]

I hope your ok terry i will be round to see you soon ,them paramedics are great.
The Bleep-Bleep m/c is for your pulse your lucky i had one on for 48 hours after my heart attack it drove me crackers too.
ALL THE BEST See you soon

[Basher]

That's one hell of a night however I'm delighted to hear that the service that you received throughout was good.

Hope everything is soon back to normal for you, or as normal as can be

[Tinkerbelle]

I'm glad to see every NHS story isn't a horror one

Take care T.C. hope your back on your feet and feeling well soon

[lettie]

Glad that you are home TC. Get some rest today and try to catch up on your lost sleep. Glad that you received a good service, it's always nice to hear that things have been done well when all we seem to receive these days are complaints.

[pendy]

Poor you - I know only too well what it is like, having been there more than a few times. The prednisolone will help a lot, I'm sure. We do complain a lot about the NHS but in an emergency I think they are probably amongst the world's best.

[Debbie J]

Glad your home and your experience was a good one in terms of the treatment you received hope your better soon. Asthma is a terrible debillitating illness especially when its a full blown attack

[Madhatter]

Glad your ok tc. Does it beep every time your heart beats. I can slow mine right down if I want to.

[T.C.]

Originally Posted by pendy

Poor you - I know only too well what it is like, having been there more than a few times. The prednisolone will help a lot, I'm sure. We do complain a lot about the NHS but in an emergency I think they are probably amongst the world's best.

There is no doubt about it Pendy. I've caught up with a bit of sleep now, and can look at it from a different aspect, and I think, God, what would happen if these wonderful people didn't work the unsociable hours to care for those of us who invariably fall sick at these times. It doesn't bear thinking about.

[Margaret Pilkington]

TC - Glad it all turned out Ok for you...but what a blooming night you had.
Take care of yourself...and get some rest.

[slinky]

Get well soon T.C. I think you would have been more worried if there was NO bleep bleeping!!

[garinda]

What a night!

Glad you're back home, safe and sound Terry.