How things can change so quickly. It was only a little while ago (25th February) that we had the very best of days celebrating our Diamond Wedding anniversary with all our family. It was so good in fact that his nibs has kept saying since that he wished we could do it all over again. A day full of love, laughter, and some wonderful surprises.
However, just three weeks later my Accrington bloke was suddenly taken seriously ill and for a while was on the critical list. Just like that. Unbelievable!
Saturday, the 18th March, started off like any other Saturday. Bright-eyed and bushytailed he decided to make some dill pickles and went off to the shop for the dill. When he arrived home I was cleaning out the fishpond, so when he had finished with the pickling he gave me a hand. It was quite a hot morning but he decided to mow the lawn. Sons and neighbours have offered to do this for him but he says the mower is easy to use and he likes to be independent as much as he can (and don’t we all!).
By then I had gone inside and soon after he came in looking absolutely shocking. He said he was ‘knackered’ and looked it, looked like he was about to collapse. However, after he had rested a while he had lunch, followed by a lie down on the settee to watch the T.V.
A short time later I went in and he was wearing a very thick shirt as he said he was cold, though as I said before it was a hot day. Had a hot water bottle and blanket but was unable to control his shivering. Vomited and was really very unwell. His temperature was frighteningly low. I sent for an ambulance and the outcome was that he ended up in Emergency with extremely low blood pressure, by then his temperature was very high, low oxygen count and was diagnosed with a very severe case of pneumonia.
The next few days he was in a critical condition. He was in Intensive Care for three days, ending up sedated and connected to a machine that was breathing with him, as on his own his breathing had become very laboured and he was tiring rapidly. We were told that when the connecting tube was eventually removed would be the time that they would know which way he was going to go as it was a life-threatening situation. It was the most dreadful of times.
I was still in shock at the speed that this had happened and I started to think of all the things I wanted to say to him – knowing that I might not have the chance to. I certainly wasn’t prepared to say goodbye. My children were all at the ready in case of the worst.
I know there are many people all over the world going through this at every minute of the day but this was me sitting there and that was him lying there, and that’s where all my thoughts were at that time.
Thankfully he has come through it successfully though still weak after the ordeal, which is to be expected. I brought him home two days ago, after a total of 10 days in hospital. There is a rehab team coming in to make sure he continues to improve and his aim is to get back on the golf course. That won’t be for some time yet but it is definitely something to try for. I’m sure he will make it. Even though he’s an old boy he does try to keep reasonably fit, uses an exercise bike and a bench press on a regular basis. He will never have a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger of course (for which I am truly thankful) but I do think that all this has helped him on the road to recovery.
It is at such times you realise how fortunate you are to have family and friends ready to help and give support, rallying around. Lots of people don’t have that. It’s also at times like this when it hits home how fragile life can be, how some things are beyond our control. I know how fortunate we are to have had 60 years together (plus the 7 months we knew each other before getting hitched) – so many people don’t have anywhere near that, but I’m greedy and I want more. Thankfully now it definitely looks like this will happen.
However, just three weeks later my Accrington bloke was suddenly taken seriously ill and for a while was on the critical list. Just like that. Unbelievable!
Saturday, the 18th March, started off like any other Saturday. Bright-eyed and bushytailed he decided to make some dill pickles and went off to the shop for the dill. When he arrived home I was cleaning out the fishpond, so when he had finished with the pickling he gave me a hand. It was quite a hot morning but he decided to mow the lawn. Sons and neighbours have offered to do this for him but he says the mower is easy to use and he likes to be independent as much as he can (and don’t we all!).
By then I had gone inside and soon after he came in looking absolutely shocking. He said he was ‘knackered’ and looked it, looked like he was about to collapse. However, after he had rested a while he had lunch, followed by a lie down on the settee to watch the T.V.
A short time later I went in and he was wearing a very thick shirt as he said he was cold, though as I said before it was a hot day. Had a hot water bottle and blanket but was unable to control his shivering. Vomited and was really very unwell. His temperature was frighteningly low. I sent for an ambulance and the outcome was that he ended up in Emergency with extremely low blood pressure, by then his temperature was very high, low oxygen count and was diagnosed with a very severe case of pneumonia.
The next few days he was in a critical condition. He was in Intensive Care for three days, ending up sedated and connected to a machine that was breathing with him, as on his own his breathing had become very laboured and he was tiring rapidly. We were told that when the connecting tube was eventually removed would be the time that they would know which way he was going to go as it was a life-threatening situation. It was the most dreadful of times.
I was still in shock at the speed that this had happened and I started to think of all the things I wanted to say to him – knowing that I might not have the chance to. I certainly wasn’t prepared to say goodbye. My children were all at the ready in case of the worst.
I know there are many people all over the world going through this at every minute of the day but this was me sitting there and that was him lying there, and that’s where all my thoughts were at that time.
Thankfully he has come through it successfully though still weak after the ordeal, which is to be expected. I brought him home two days ago, after a total of 10 days in hospital. There is a rehab team coming in to make sure he continues to improve and his aim is to get back on the golf course. That won’t be for some time yet but it is definitely something to try for. I’m sure he will make it. Even though he’s an old boy he does try to keep reasonably fit, uses an exercise bike and a bench press on a regular basis. He will never have a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger of course (for which I am truly thankful) but I do think that all this has helped him on the road to recovery.
It is at such times you realise how fortunate you are to have family and friends ready to help and give support, rallying around. Lots of people don’t have that. It’s also at times like this when it hits home how fragile life can be, how some things are beyond our control. I know how fortunate we are to have had 60 years together (plus the 7 months we knew each other before getting hitched) – so many people don’t have anywhere near that, but I’m greedy and I want more. Thankfully now it definitely looks like this will happen.
