My Mum was unwell on Christmas Eve, they said it was a virus. Boxing day I dialled 999 as the agony she was in her left side of chest and back.
She was on a ward with a chest infection, and costochronditis. They doubled her morphine, added tramadol and way too many other meds. She was away with the fairies. They discharged her last friday afternoon.
Saturday morning I rang stepfather to see how whe was. He said she was sleeping and he couldn’t wake her. I went round and hope noone ever has to find a relative like that. Paramedics and ambulance came.
Called my family and told them all to come. We spent all day in Accident and emergency ressucitation unit. Then she deterioated, Consultants were brought down from Intensive care.
We were told to say goodbye as they needed a cat scan to help diagnose pancreatitis and they needed to intubate her and give hear a general anaesthetic and she may not make it through the scan. We were also told she had multi organ failure, kidneys, hearts and lungs and they put a do not resusscitate on my Mum.
She made it throught the scan which was inconclusive so they decided to try her in intensive care. She has support for many of her vital organs.
New Years Day we spent in intensive care. New Years Day afternoon she had improved slightly so Dr’s removed the Do Not resusscitate.
She is still extremely poorly. I’ve exhausted myself crying and now I’m feeling so angry. The agonising pain she had from christmas day has probably been pancreatitis. She was in hospital and they sent her home and a day later the Consultant anaethetist told us she was dying.
The nurses and Dr’s on ITU have been wonderful and one nurse in particular has helped us cope with it all. I’m now trying to rest as they are wanting my Mum to rest as much as possible before trying to remove life support systems slowly.
I’m so sorry that your mum and therefore you and the rest of your family are going through this - it always seems worse at this time of year. Unfortunately I have spent more Christmas/New Year’s Days than I’d like (incl this year) visiting somebody in hospital with conditions varying wildly in seriousness. I hope your mum is on the mend, and can come home soon.
Jacqui I am so sorry to hear about your Mum. It sounds like she has really suffered. It sounds like she is slowly improving - hope she comes home soon and feels better asap. Teresa xx
Hi Jacqui, what an awfull time for you and your family, I do feel for you, its dreadfull to see someone you love going through such hell. I lost my dad a few years ago,and had to deal with some dreadfull incompetence from some hospital staff, and my lovely husband suffered a massive heart attack, age 46, just before christmas and it brought it all back to me, the terror and dread, and the frustration of trying to deal with a zillion different ‘experts’ and beaurocracy. He is now home and recovering, but the horror is still lurking. My love to you at this horrible time xxxx