Trumped!

So Husband saw the dentist yesterday and he said the tooth needed to come out. However, he wasn't the person who did extractions so it would probably be next week.

When the heart surgeon heard that he said, "Not good enough," and said he'd chase it up. Result: Husband is having his tooth out this afternoon. 

Cardiac trumps max fax! (Naturally I suppose as one is more likely life-threatening than the other.)

Chatty Crone asked why it was important. Because of the risk of infection apparently. Our mouths are ideal germ-breeding grounds so they won't operate for two weeks after a tooth extraction and dentists won't do anything to teeth for, I think, six months after a heart operation because of the risk of infection getting in the blood and into the heart.

That said the surgeon was keen for it to happen because he's off (again!) the week after next so if he fits Husband in next week it will be less than two weeks after extraction. I assume he'll only do it if he's happy there is absolutely no chance of infection.

So at least things are happening.

Visiting times are 2-4 and 4-6 and it takes about half an hour to get to the hospital from home, so I'm spending a lot of time on the road. Yesterday it was GrandSon2's birthday tea - he became a teenager. That's three teenagers we have now, and Younger Son, my baby will be forty next month! Years just pass, don't they? I wouldn't want to go back but I would like to visit to remind myself of some of the good times.

Finding life hard?

A wild windy walk with Daughter and dogs today. Just what I needed. I got up and thought, oh, I can't walk today, I have too much to do. The 'too much' was only putting away clothes and sorting out washing etc but it grew into a mountain in my head. So I was glad I went.

In the car on the way there I turned on the radio and it was the morning service. The woman leading it was saying, "If you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, and the weight you're carrying is heavy . . ." and I said, "Yes!"

"Commit the day to God, let Jesus carry your burdens." 

It was such perfect timing that I had to smile. So I prayed, "Help me to commit everything to you, help me to let go of my burdens." Like the man in the gospel who said, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." I know they'll sneak back in every now and again but for today I'm back on top.

Husband update: seeing the dentist at 12.30 today. What is said there will determine what happens next to a certain extent. The surgeon called in yesterday; said he's busy this week but will see when they can fit Husband in after that. The ward consultant advised him to stay away from people - and then he was moved from his own room into a ward with five others as they needed the single room for someone else. Such is the state of the NHS.

Husband had chest pains last night. Called the nurse who did an ecg and called the doctor who upped his medicine. Operation can't come soon enough.

* * * * *

Went to the charity shop to get a jigsaw. Came away with four jigsaws and four books, all for £14, which is less than the price of one new jigsaw. I'm saving so much money!

 

It's an enigma

If you're going to change lanes and jump in front of someone you'd be advised to make sure it's not a police car.

He must have seen the terror in my eyes as he just said, "Make sure you look in your mirror."

But I did look in my mirror and saw the police car, but he was a long way behind. I'm sure it wasn't as close as he claimed. "This close!" I had to resist the urge to say, "Yes, sir, sorry, sir, forgive me, sir."

The bit of road he wanted me to stop on was mostly double yellow lines. Fortunately there was a little pull-in place I could stop in, but if I'd stopped on the double yellow would I have got in trouble for that too?

* * * * *

Yesterday Husband woke up in a blood-soaked bed. It seems the injection he's been having in his stomach to stop clotting was working too well.

The coronary care consultant popped in when I was there in the evening. Said the echocardiogram would probably happen today (Monday) and they'd nag the max fax people to come and check his teeth, so hopefully by this evening we'll have a better idea of what's happening.

Husband's consultant surgeon's registrar also popped in. They are aware that Husband is in and are expecting him at some point so it's all looking positive. It just depends when they can find a slot for his operation. 

When Husband was in hospital for a week at a time having chemotherapy back in the 90s we played the travel version of a game called Enigma, where you have to work out riddles. I dug out the game and took it in yesterday. We must have been smarter thirty years ago because we struggled to do any of them!

Cwtching

When they built the cardiac ward they obviously weren't taking into consideration the fact that visitors of cardiac patients might also have heart problems. Or maybe it's to get them exercising. The ward is about as far away as you can get from the car park*.

Obviously walking down a long hospital corridor one has to imagine that one is a doctor, engaged in vital life-saving work. When I tell my children this they laugh. Elder Son looks me up and down, as we're walking out of hospital together, and says, "Have you looked at yourself?"

Honestly, how rude.

At least Daughter was sensitive enough to go along with it and suggest getting me a stethoscope to dangle around my neck. Trouble is, then, someone might actually ask me to do something.

Interesting question from Elder Son: it it actually illegal to dress like a doctor? As long as you don't start treating patients? Although I suppose that might be the first step towards a psychiatric ward. I tend to imagine myself as a psychiatrist as I can't cope with blood so I could pick up some tips on how to behave.

In AMU a man kept walking up and down the corridors. I didn't notice him going in any of the rooms. I was asking the nurse about what the different colour scrubs signified. She told me light blue for staff nurses, dark blue for sisters, and so on, and then I asked, "What about turquoise?"

She wasn't sure about that but suggested a doctor. On the other hand, it could have been a man off the street imagining he's a doctor.

* Which you've just driven around for forty minutes trying to find a parking space.

* * * * *

Stu asked what cwtch meant as his understanding was that it meant a hug. I'd used it to describe Husband's little den upstairs. It does mean hug but it's not just a hug, it's much more than that. It's encompassing, and refuge, and assurance, and warmth. It's a warm welshcake straight off the griddle. It's meeting a need.

So I used it to suggest a snug and cosy little area.

It's like hiraeth. In its most basic translation it means homesickness, but there isn't really a word in English for the depth of the feeling. Deep calls to deep, a longing, an absence, a yearning for something that maybe never was but that is longed for.

* * * * *

I am still having problems viewing Facebook. In desperation I decided to uninstall and reinstall the app. Uninstall successful - until I discover Facebook is still there! I return and check my apps. Yes, definitely gone. Go back and still there - and faulty. Shrugs wearily.

Valentines, corn flakes and coronary care

I am even more in awe of the NHS staff who had to wear masks all the time during lockdown after wearing one for one day in A&E. We didn't want to take any chances what with A&E being full of possibly infectious people. 

I was also wearing my hearing aids after the audiologist said I should wear them regularly to get used to them. Trying to make both stay on was hard enough but add my glasses to that every time I needed to read something and it was chaos.

In the end I gave up on my hearing aids. They went back in their bag. But just wearing a mask was uncomfortable enough. Heroes every one of the NHS.

Anyway, Husband update. He's been moved to his own room - did I say that before? I can't remember. And he finally saw a cardiac consultant at about 6 yesterday evening. He arranged for an x-ray  - done - and an echo cardiograph (or is it gram?), which will probably be early next week. He'll also ask for someone to come and look at the painful tooth and see if anything needs doing. I get the feeling Husband won't be out until he's had his surgery, although who knows?

The consultant listened to Husband's heart and said, "Oh, that's a good one. Is it alright if I bring some students in next week to listen to it?"

So doctors of the future will benefit from Husband's condition if nothing else!

Meanwhile, while visiting him yesterday, I became aware of something scratching my belly. I was wearing a sequinned jumper so vaguely thought it must be the sequins causing the itch. It wasn't until I got home and it struck me that a) the sequins were on the outside, and b) they were nowhere near the itch, that I checked.

I had some crunchy nut corn flakes stuck in between my vest and my skin.

* * * * *

Yesterday morning pottering around the house I thought, "Now if Husband were the romantic sort he'd arrange for flowers to be delivered to me, on account of it being Valentine's Day and him being in hospital and me at home." Then I chuckled to myself as I could hear him saying, "The price of flowers always goes up on Valentine's Day. You can buy yourself some later on in the week when they're going cheap."

* * * * *

There's a wonderful mural on the wall of the A&E department illustrating the history of Morriston Hospital.

Morriston took its name from Sir John Morris as it was a planned village built in the late eighteenth century for the workers in his copper smelting industry in Swansea Valley. 

The hospital was built in 1942 as an emergency hospital, and has since been expanded and modernised, and is now one of the largest hospitals in Wales.

Husband is in the Coronary Care Unit, in Dan Danino ward, named after one of the founders of the cardiothoracic surgery department. At least he was yesterday. The day before he was in the Cyril Evans ward, co-founder of the department. Who knows where he'll be tomorrow?

Valentine's Eve

"Take your socks off as well, please."

As Husband did that he gave a mighty groan. And that persuaded the doctor he needed to see someone from Cardiology soon.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday morning Husband said he'd had pains in his chest in the night and that he would phone the hospital again. I got ready to go in to help out at Zac's and then he said, "Change of plan. You can take me to A&E."

I began rushing about and he said, "It's not an urgent emergency but I've got toothache as well."

You do not want to have any problems with your teeth if you're having heart surgery because "your mouth is germ-ridden" and any infection will get in the blood-stream and into the heart. It takes weeks to get a dentist appointment - even emergencies take a few days - and two weeks after having anything done to your teeth have to pass before heart surgery can be considered. So between chest and tooth pains A&E sounded like a good option. This was at about ten o'clock. 

This was on the front of our local newspaper yesterday.

There were lots of people in A&E but it wasn't overly crowded. Husband was seen for triage quickly and then had an ecg and blood tests. Soon after that we were told to go to AMU (Acute Medical Unit I think?) for further investigation. This was where Husband spent five days in a chair when he had pneumonia last June.

And the rest of the day was mostly waiting. 

First to see a doctor, then to have an ecg, then to see a consultant - which is where my story began. 

Everyone is very thorough; they seem to check for everything, which is reassuring. The consultant requested that someone come from the Maxilla facial department to see his tooth - "We didn't do teeth in school," he said, or words to that effect - and that someone come from Cardio too. Then we waited for another blood test and an x-ray.

A lad of about fifteen turned up and said he was the cardiology registrar. He'd read up on Husband's case and didn't hesitate to say he'd admit him - once he'd found a bed.

Back to waiting. 

Finally, at about six o'clock, got taken to a cardiology ward and hooked up to a monitor - oh and had another ecg too. Husband's heart rate is normally quite low, between 50 and 52, but each time it went below 51 the alarm beeped. I expected to see everyone come running in, paddles in hand, saying, "Stand back," but I've been watching too much Grey's Anatomy, and nobody came to check. 

We both slept moderately well though I did keep waking and expect to see Husband next to me.

This morning he's still waiting. Been moved to his own room but hasn't yet seen a doctor of any speciality. But he has a bed so, you know, well done NHS. And the staff are all very good. So not quite a war zone for us. 

Nearly forgot, while Husband was being seen by the AMU consultant his phone rang. It was a lady from Hospital Appointments giving him a new date for his surgery, 12th March, four weeks away. So at least we have that.

 

What I know about Denise's puppy

I get home from Zac's this afternoon, stop the car, and a motherly Welsh voice I don't recognise comes out of the speakers*. "Bless his cotton socks. Well, phone me if you need to."

I go into the house and ask Husband, "Were you just on the phone?"
"Yes."
"Who were you talking to?"
"Denise."
"Denise? Who's Denise?"
"She was telling me she's taking her puppy to the vet to have his (male bits) removed."
"Who's Denise?"
"You could hear us in the car, could you?"
"Who's Denise?!"

Turns out Denise is the secretary to some other heart surgeons. Husband's surgeon's secretary is off so calls are going through to her. And apparently she was lovely and chatty, hence the conversation about puppies. 

Unfortunately she wasn't able to give Husband any good news. Not only are there lots of emergencies, many staff are off ill as well, and the real clincher: some of the operating theatres are out of action because of something to do with the anaesthetics not working. It is chaos there. So it goes from bad to worse.

But Denise has given Husband her direct number, and, as I mentioned at the start, an invitation to phone her any time.

* When the car is on and outside the house it seems to pick up Husband's phone calls - not that he has many but recently a couple have coincided with me being in the car either coming or going. Technology and life continue to prove to be a mystery to me.

* * * * *

Have you ever looked closely at a storm trooper? They are very strange as I have discovered doing my latest jigsaw, Storm Troopers on Tour.

And this is a bit late as it's a Christmas postbox but I only saw it recently.