• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Help, emergency Levemir dose

Even though I know that's what happens, I've always been bemused at seeing the Fire Service attending to medical emergencies whilst in France, thinking If I thought I was having a heart attack and '999' (911) had been summoned and a fire appliance turned up, not an ambulance, would I instantly panic more rather than less?
 
Seemingly all depends on the Xray today Barbara. What I think is going on at the moment is the Drs and the Travel Insurance people covering their bums in case anything goes wrong in transit. I truly cannot imagine any English hospital keeping me in for one minute.

I've got a 12" scar on the left of my upper back and 2 stitches still to come out tomorrow but it's only a bit tender to touchline
Ip now and not painful. I'm up and about, walking and performing personal ablutions. I tire easier than I did, but I'm not getting enough sleep due to the environment. Anyway what do you expect at 79? I could do with getting the pump back and less anxiety due to D.
 
You can kind of understand them being a bit twitchy about authorising you to fly in such circumstances and as you say, age will play a part in that decision making, much as we might not feel it is relevant or we would prefer it not to be. Is train travel not an option to get home? It must be costing the insurance a fortune to keep you in hospital longer than you need.
I am amazed that you are able to do as much as you can so soon after such a serious illness and surgery. Wow! 12 inches is a whopper scar!
You are clearly doing incredibly well with your recovery!
 
Wishing you the best for your x-ray today and news of your repatriation. Pleased to hear you are improving in yourself. Sending you lots of love.

I suppose the insurance company/hospital are considering whether you can be repatriated by air or as @rebrascora suggested train, or a medical repatriation like I know someone who was brought home after being ill in France by ambulance, which took a while to be arranged.
 
Train? From Bordeaux to Penzance? she asked, gobsmacked at the suggestion. More direct to go by road/ferry I'd think, esp as you can get to Plymouth by ferry from Caen, if not road/air.
 
Train? From Bordeaux to Penzance? she asked, gobsmacked at the suggestion. More direct to go by road/ferry I'd think, esp as you can get to Plymouth by ferry from Caen, if not road/air.
Technically (not that it has any bearing on this) it's Caen - Portsmouth and Roscoff - Plymouth Jen. We do the latter all the time.
 
Even though I know that's what happens, I've always been bemused at seeing the Fire Service attending to medical emergencies whilst in France, thinking If I thought I was having a heart attack and '999' (911) had been summoned and a fire appliance turned up, not an ambulance, would I instantly panic more rather than less?
It might make things worse if you had a heart problem and les pompiers were young and muscular!
 
Even though I know that's what happens, I've always been bemused at seeing the Fire Service attending to medical emergencies whilst in France, thinking If I thought I was having a heart attack and '999' (911) had been summoned and a fire appliance turned up, not an ambulance, would I instantly panic more rather than less?
It's the same in the US.
[But just don't get ill there.
Ever.]
 
Seemingly all depends on the Xray today Barbara. What I think is going on at the moment is the Drs and the Travel Insurance people covering their bums in case anything goes wrong in transit. I truly cannot imagine any English hospital keeping me in for one minute.

I've got a 12" scar on the left of my upper back and 2 stitches still to come out tomorrow but it's only a bit tender to touchline
Ip now and not painful. I'm up and about, walking and performing personal ablutions. I tire easier than I did, but I'm not getting enough sleep due to the environment. Anyway what do you expect at 79? I could do with getting the pump back and less anxiety due to D.
It may depend on how you are going to be brought home, my daughter had her appendix out in Germany and wasn't allowed to fly for 10 days post surgery, I was a few years ago so rules may have changed. The insurance were very good organised for me to go there, and stay until she could travel, return flights business class, taxis, airport assist. She was on a trip with a venture scout group
 
I now have some concrete news. I am coming home Yippeee.... I got a phone call from a delightful Insurance co nurse this morning who confirmed it. The Dr subsequently did too. I am now awaiting advice from the Insurance people as to dates/timings of the journey. It's ambulance to the airport, assistance throughout and then comfortable chauffeur drive to the house. I don't yet know exact details.

A nurse took my stitches out earlier. This is how barking it is at times here. I was laying on my side on the bed having them out, T shirt round my neck and no underwear, when there's a knock on the door and the lunch lady walks in leaving the door wide open without a response from me. She waves the tray at me and delivers a stream of French. I decipher it eventually as "are you going to eat this?" I realise she's asking (although she appears quite cross) because I have been leaving a lot of food. As I've no idea what it is, I have no idea. Meantime another stitch tweaks uncomfortably. In the end I managed "laissez la", hopefully "leave it there". It transpired to be cold Lasagne. Julian brought me a tuna and salad baton
 
It might make things worse if you had a heart problem and les pompiers were young and muscular!
When I was doing cpr in the remote Yorkshire dales (not a building to be seen type area), I’d have taken cave rescue, mountain rescue, coastguard, fire brigade, police, anyone if they could get there quicker than the ambulance did and help share the cpr (it’s exhausting), fetch a defib, warn any passing traffic about to fly round the bend etc
 
I now have some concrete news. I am coming home Yippeee.... I got a phone call from a delightful Insurance co nurse this morning who confirmed it. The Dr subsequently did too. I am now awaiting advice from the Insurance people as to dates/timings of the journey. It's ambulance to the airport, assistance throughout and then comfortable chauffeur drive to the house. I don't yet know exact details.
Fingers crossed for you, Patti! The latest fly in the ointment, I gather, is a 2 day strike today and tomorrow by French air traffic controllers!
 
I now have some concrete news. I am coming home Yippeee.... I got a phone call from a delightful Insurance co nurse this morning who confirmed it. The Dr subsequently did too. I am now awaiting advice from the Insurance people as to dates/timings of the journey. It's ambulance to the airport, assistance throughout and then comfortable chauffeur drive to the house. I don't yet know exact details.

A nurse took my stitches out earlier. This is how barking it is at times here. I was laying on my side on the bed having them out, T shirt round my neck and no underwear, when there's a knock on the door and the lunch lady walks in leaving the door wide open without a response from me. She waves the tray at me and delivers a stream of French. I decipher it eventually as "are you going to eat this?" I realise she's asking (although she appears quite cross) because I have been leaving a lot of food. As I've no idea what it is, I have no idea. Meantime another stitch tweaks uncomfortably. In the end I managed "laissez la", hopefully "leave it there". It transpired to be cold Lasagne. Julian brought me a tuna and salad baton
Safe, and hopefully relaxed journey tomorrow. I have zero doubt you will be glad to see your own bed.

Do you have family, neighbours, or such like who will be able to ensure you have basics, like bread (haven't eaten any in over 10 years, but still comes to mind as a staple), milk and enough food for a couple of days in situ? I know supermarket home deliveries are marvelous these days, but it's a bit of a thing to face when you will likely both be shattered. It's been quite an ordeal for you both.
 
Last edited:
Great news that you are now fit enough to travel @PattiEvans Let's hope the travel arrangements are sorted out quickly.
Dignity goes out the window when you are in hospital. You must be looking forward to some privacy and some nice foodagain when you both get home.
 
Good to know your return journey has been arranged @PattiEvans

Hopefully it will be a smooth and low stress trip!

Lovely to hear you are getting chauffeured home.
 
I tell you what, John, the number of times our mum infuriated my sister and I, we'd have both still moved back in with her rather than have to go through the damned cruelty that Patti's had to the last couple of weeks. We complain about the NHS - I think I'm going to stop doing that right now.
 
Back
Top