My home alone Christmas Day was interrupted by the sound of an ambulance. The grandson of an elderly gentleman down the road was going to pick him up to take him to Christmas dinner but found him unconscious as the result of a collapse/fall. I heard nothing more until I saw said grandson yesterday evening ? he was picking up a few bits. The old man apparently regained consciousness fairly quickly but was slightly confused. However apart from initial checks nothing more is being done until today because of the Christmas break. His grandfather is more with it now as when he was told that he would have further tests on Wednesday quipped ?I should have said my name was Mr Edinburgh!?. The moral seems to be ? don?t get ill at Christmas. Sadly the grandson thinks he may not be able to return home as he has multiple medical problems and probably needs more support day to day.
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Don't Get Ill At Christmas
- Thread starter StephenM
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
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- Type 1
I hope he recovers well. Bank holidays are a pain when it comes to getting care as there is a tendency to put things off until normal service is resumed if at all possible. This led me to endure extra suffering when I was diagnosed as the extent of my illness became apparent over a Bank Holiday weekend and couldn't call my doctor. Having said that, I received very good care and attention when I finally called the ambulance on the Monday.
Whilst I have sympathy for the Duck of E, the coverage of his hospitalisation has been totally OTT as usual. When I was in hospital practically everyone in every ward had had the same procedure as he has had - including me, although they decided I didn't need a stent. 🙄
Whilst I have sympathy for the Duck of E, the coverage of his hospitalisation has been totally OTT as usual. When I was in hospital practically everyone in every ward had had the same procedure as he has had - including me, although they decided I didn't need a stent. 🙄
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
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- Type 1
Perhaps I have a different view of this, having worked several Christmases and New Years in NHS and British Military Hospitals over the years, and these days I usually work New Years Day at a country park.
I'm still waiting for "urgent" arthroscopy surgery after an accident on 25th July. Most recent person to say I need urgent arthroscopy was an orthopaedic registrar on 22nd Dec - and we parted with no knowledge of when (still saying "when", although it feels like "if") I'd get operation, but understanding that working on 1st Jan at a busy regional A&E and a country park will be manic - and it's not a bank holiday, "just" a Sunday. Then I'll spend 2nd Jan preparing papers for work on 3rd Jan.
By the way, I reckon that Duke of Edinburgh's 4 night stay may have been partly for security reasons, not just medical - security staff deserve time off with their families, too.
I'm still waiting for "urgent" arthroscopy surgery after an accident on 25th July. Most recent person to say I need urgent arthroscopy was an orthopaedic registrar on 22nd Dec - and we parted with no knowledge of when (still saying "when", although it feels like "if") I'd get operation, but understanding that working on 1st Jan at a busy regional A&E and a country park will be manic - and it's not a bank holiday, "just" a Sunday. Then I'll spend 2nd Jan preparing papers for work on 3rd Jan.
By the way, I reckon that Duke of Edinburgh's 4 night stay may have been partly for security reasons, not just medical - security staff deserve time off with their families, too.
My son was born on 1st Jan. I was taken into hospital on Boxing Day because of complications with the pregnancy and all they kept saying was that they wanted to get me to 38 weeks to avoid complications (another 8 or 9 days). Maybe so, but it became more and more apparent through the week I was kept in that they were on skeleton staff, certainly consultants etc, and would be back to full capacity on 3rd Jan (1st fell on a Sunday that year so the Monday was bank holiday too) but it just so happened he decided he was on the way a day or two earlier than planned by them! As it happened, they were so quiet having put off as many planned caesarians/inductions etc that I got fantastic support with early breast feeding (sorry lads) but within 24 hours the place was bulging at the seams with all the 'planned' admissions on 2nd/3rd Jan. Then it became utterly chaotic, but I was off home anyway so left them to it!
Last year my son went in on 29th Dec to be diagnosed with the T1, but the big hospital was on 'red alert' only so wouldn't take him (how serious do you have to be to go in on 'red alert' I wonder?) Luckily we have a much smaller hospital an equidistance in the other direction, covered by the same team of DSNs, so had actually a really positive experience there, a whole ward/bay to ourselves, it only seemed to have babies with horrendous cases of swine flu etc in individual rooms and a small 4 bedded area of younger children, then our bay down the other end which we had to ourselves. The only problem again though was that there were no specialist consultants on duty there. The DSN came and spent hours each day with us on a one to one which was fantastic, but we never saw the same doctor twice and most seemed very vague about diabetes. At least it wasn't too chaotic, which I guess it normally would be.
Last year my son went in on 29th Dec to be diagnosed with the T1, but the big hospital was on 'red alert' only so wouldn't take him (how serious do you have to be to go in on 'red alert' I wonder?) Luckily we have a much smaller hospital an equidistance in the other direction, covered by the same team of DSNs, so had actually a really positive experience there, a whole ward/bay to ourselves, it only seemed to have babies with horrendous cases of swine flu etc in individual rooms and a small 4 bedded area of younger children, then our bay down the other end which we had to ourselves. The only problem again though was that there were no specialist consultants on duty there. The DSN came and spent hours each day with us on a one to one which was fantastic, but we never saw the same doctor twice and most seemed very vague about diabetes. At least it wasn't too chaotic, which I guess it normally would be.
vince13
Well-Known Member
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- Type 1.5 LADA
Yes and we taxpayers paid for the extra police presence at the hospital I suppose. Bah humbug I know ! 😱
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I suspect that with the restrictions on driving on duty, plus numbers required for a convoy, it might have been cheaper and involved fewer security staff for him to stay at Papworth over Christmas period and move after bank holidays.
I knew an RAF driver who had driven several members of the royal family - she said they were always very concerned about the welfare of people meeting / driving them, especially if their flight or other commitments meant they were delayed in getting to the car meeting point. My friend felt this concern was genuine and enjoyed the conversations.
I knew an RAF driver who had driven several members of the royal family - she said they were always very concerned about the welfare of people meeting / driving them, especially if their flight or other commitments meant they were delayed in getting to the car meeting point. My friend felt this concern was genuine and enjoyed the conversations.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
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- Type 1
I believe that to be true Copepod - I met a chap in the drs waiting room years ago, just him and me and we got chatting. He participated in carriage driving competitions as did PP and he said when she was there, the Queen mixed and mingled with the wives and families as an ordinary middle-aged (at the time!) woman in a headscarf.
Two things you could be sure of he said. 1. She always remembered your name and those of your family members and 2. If you had ever said one of your family was ill, had broken a bone or was in hopsital - she would always remember and ask after them, even though you hadn't seen her for 18 months.
Plus Pete knew a chap who was a steward aboard Britannia. At the time no videos, all film and he was the projectionist. She'd often seek him out and say What have we got on board Alistair ? We could all do with a bit of livening up - let's have a bit of fun tonight!
Two things you could be sure of he said. 1. She always remembered your name and those of your family members and 2. If you had ever said one of your family was ill, had broken a bone or was in hopsital - she would always remember and ask after them, even though you hadn't seen her for 18 months.
Plus Pete knew a chap who was a steward aboard Britannia. At the time no videos, all film and he was the projectionist. She'd often seek him out and say What have we got on board Alistair ? We could all do with a bit of livening up - let's have a bit of fun tonight!
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