Daffodils and Hospital.

Hi Folks.

We have had a difficult few days yet again.

Last Friday (12th February) morning, I took Paddy out for his morning stroll, only to come back to Keith wedged in the galley against the worktop. Keith’s back had decided to go into a major spasm, which meant he could not move and if he did he was in excrutiating pain. I gave him his Diazepam which did not touch the pain he was going through. Having tried everything, I had to call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Whilst I was on the phone to them, Keith went down in the galley and was screaming in pain. The ambulance people were fantastic with Keith, after quite sometime they managed to move him off the floor by using Entonox and to his chair, but because he still could not move without being in extreme pain, the decision was taken to take him into hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 10.10 am and were seen within an hour. The A&E doctor examined Keith and deicded he needed to see the orthopedic registrar who eventually arrived. He reckoned Keith could go home on crutches, but the nursing staff and charge nurse were not convinced and so got the registrar back, who then said he would give Keith some Oral Morphine and get the Physios to get him mobile, so he could go home. Half an hour after having the Oral Morphine, the Physios arrived, but they were unable to even sit him on the edge of the bed without causing him extreme pain, so they said he would have to be admitted. He was found a bed at 6.30 pm in a brand new ward, which was very swish. He had a reasonable night on Oral Morphine, but he was still in pain. I arrived at the hospital for midday and he was feeling much more comfortable and waiting for the Physios to come and assess him. I stayed with him until 3 pm, but then had to leave because we needed some shopping and the animals needed feeding. I had been and got the groceries and was just unlocking the boat, when I got a text from Keith saying he was being allowed home. So I dumped the shopping and set off back to the hospital, where I found him dressed and waiting for a letter. The Physios had managed to get him walking and doing stairs and so they were happy for him to come home.

We got a taxi back to the boat, were Paddy and Marmite were only to pleased to see their Dad.

We are now almost a week on and it has been a struggle for Keith. His back is very unpredictable at the moment, so he is walking a bit and then having bed rest. Today he spent most of the day in bed, only getting up for a while during the afternoon. Hopefully his back will settle down, as we are hoping to go out boating soon.

In the meantime Marmite has been enjoying the Daffodils given to us by a dear friend. Marmite loves sitting and lying down by them. Spring is just around the corner.