Don't Let It Get Any Worse........ Please!!

Yesterday afternoon was one of the worse moments of my life without a doubt. Roger was sitting in a chair when I visited, and said he was feeling a little better. He told me that it was imperitive that he drinks plenty, as there has been some kidney damage through dehydration.

One of the doctors arrived to set up a drip with fluids, so Roger got onto the bed. The doctor wanted to find a vein ( almost impossible with Roger) to take bloods. He had a couple of tries, but couldn't manage to find one. Roger got a little shivery after that, so I suggested he got under the covers and he dosed off. I scanned the newspaper until the consultant arrived. Roger then woke up to hear Mr F say he would like Roger to have an urgent ct scan to see if there is something they are missing, as he isn't exactly thriving.

After Mr F had gone Roger said "Who was that?" I said "That's your consultant. He did your op." He said "I don't know him" I said "You probably don't recognise him with his haircut." Roger then looked at me intently, and I asked him if he knew who I was. He said that he thought so. I said "What's my name" he said "Sally." I reassured him that I had to leave him for seconds, but I'd be right back. I then rushed out, grabbed the sister and said "Please come quickly, my husband doesn't know who I am." After that all hell broke loose! Roger was talking complete gobbledygook. He had four doctors around his bed doing all sorts of tests. I was told that they must take blood from the femoral artery in the leg, and they advised me to leave the room as it would be distressing to watch.

I rang Rob at that point and said "Please get here fast!" Sitting along the corridor with the sister, I became aware that everybody was running, doctors & nurses (like when you see a crash call on the tv hospital soaps) and I knew that Roger was the cause of it. Surreal!

Rob turned up then, and eventually we were told that Roger was calmer, and we could go in and be with him. He looked calmer, sitting up with an oxygen mask on. The registrar came in and expained that Roger had an infection that has gone to the blood. They had just given him an intravenous dose of a broad spectrum antibiotic, which he will stay on until such time as tests reveal what exactly it is, and they can then target it specifically.

Rob & I left the hospital feeling absolutely drained. By that time Roger was happy to be left, and was waiting to go down and be scanned. At least now we know why he kept vomiting.

To finish on an optimistic note..... a nurse from his ward has just this minute phoned to asked me to bring something in for him when I go. She said " He's back to his old self, It's amazing, and he remembers nothing of yesterday afternoon."

I'm sure It will be imprinted on my memory forever!