01 Jan Happy Healthy 2023
My Christmas wasn’t quite what I had in mind. In fact, after the last two years of Lockdown Christmasses, I was really looking forward to this year. I don’t think it could have gone much worse!
Thursday 22nd December
It’s the 22nd of December. My hubbies last day in the office and my last day working too. We’re both feeling slightly drained and a touch under the weather. I decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a super early night. Catch up on some rest and be ready for the festivities ahead.
My husband on the other hand decided to completely trump my fatigue and ended up in the hospital!
At about 1 am my husband burst into our bedroom and woke me up. He was struggling to barely crawl across the floor and beg for help. In a bleary-eyed panic, he told me that he had rung 111 after violently being sick and had been advised if it got worse to ring 999 as it might be a suspected appendicitis.
Ringing 999 we were answered immediately, which was a surprise given all the media coverage that no one answers. Then I described the symptoms and was told that yes, hubby did need to get to A&E urgently but there were no available ambulances and that was it, they were gone.
“There were no available ambulances”
My husband was pacing, crawling, and wincing in pain. This is the same guy who broke his ankle earlier this year and drove home with it broken! He has a ridiculously high pain threshold. We racked our brains for how we could get him to the hospital without waking our 3-year-old blissfully unaware son in the bedroom next door.
Most of our friends have children and would have the same situation of not being able to leave a child in the early hours. Many of our friends have had colds and flu too and we didn’t want to wake them. Our own family would be a good 30 – 40 minutes away.
We only had one option and that was to wake up our son and take him to A&E with us. As any 3-year-old being woken up at 1am, he did not want to get up. Throwing on a dressing gown and slippers I strapped him in and with a sick bowl to hand started our journey to the hospital.
It was quite possibly the worst night weather-wise in weeks. Granted it wasn’t icy, so perhaps a blessing but the weather was torrential. The rain was so heavy I had to drive so slowly, slowly through the roadworks on the new stretch of A30. I aquaplaned even at 30mph. Once we arrived I literally threw my husband out of the car at the entrance to A&E. Trying to ignore the rows of Ambulances waiting outside and feeling for all staff and patients.
“Rows of Ambulances waiting outside and feeling for all staff and patients”
I parked in the main car park and chucked on my Dryrobe that just happened to be in my car. I wrapped my son up under my DryRobe and ran to the main reception. We were told it was no access and that we would have to walk around to A&E. It was torrential, my son weighs over 3 stone and my arms were burning. We arrived, soaked and wide awake. Checked that my husband made it through the front door and had checked himself in. Then left him there!
It felt really wrong. Leaving him there alone in pain. But it was now 2 am, my son was wide awake and I really didn’t want to traumatise him anymore seeing Daddy in pain or other people with limbs hanging off… etc.
Once my son is awake, he doesn’t get back to sleep easily and no chance of him falling asleep in the car. Once home I said he could come to bed with Me. He then asked if his play fighting with Daddy hurt his tummy. It broke my heart.
He finally fell asleep at about 3.30 am and I lay there wide awake texting hubby for updates until 7 am on the dot when my son woke up.
Friday 23rd December
My son had slightly forgotten about the middle of the night ordeal and when I suggested we go up to the hospital to see Daddy, he wasn’t that bothered and more interested in getting some breakfast and watching some paw patrol. Typical.
We arrived at the hospital and my hubby was thankfully on the mend and being discharged. Thankfully it turned out to be an inflamed gall bladder and not appendicitis. Thankfully isn’t as serious but has some pretty similar effects.
With a night on Morphine, violent vomiting and no sleep. my superstar husband wouldn’t let our son down and ruin his planned trip with his cousins to see Santa. So we went straight from the hospital to Lappa Valley. My sons’ favourite place in the world!
Although absolutely exhausted, we couldn’t let it ruin our Christmas and with a very early night for all, we were hopefully through the worst and ready to enjoy Christmas.
Then it was my turn to pull the sick note! On the 24th, Christmas Eve we had family over for a few nibbles and a chance for the kids to play together. My Sister lives in Essex so we don’t get much time together. I felt a bit funky. Hot, sweaty, tired, teasey, a bit of a headache and a sore throat. I went through the day dosed up on paracetamol and ibuprofen and put it down to a disrupted night and perhaps another early night I would be fine for Christmas day.
Once the family were gone I crashed! I felt dreadful! I sent my husband and my son off to his parents and I went to bed at about 8 pm on my own!
Saturday 25th December
I woke up Christmas morning and couldn’t even sit up in bed, I couldn’t find the energy to move. After about an hour I managed to get up and get my phone. I knew the feeling, it felt 100% like Tonsillitis. The horrid bug I get several times a year! I checked my throat and yup, white pussy spots all over! I knew I needed antibiotics. So Christmas morning, alone, I rang 111 and waited to be triaged. I was told the service was much busier than expected and I waited for what I thought was going to be a nightmare. Thankfully I was offered an appointment at 2 pm at Bodmin Hospital. I was upset about missing my son opening his presents from Santa. But I knew I needed to stay away and get treatment.
My husband left our son with the family to have his own little Christmas day and he came back home to get me and take me to the hospital. We then had to drive around half of Cornwall to the only open Pharmacy to collect the antibiotics and were finally able to get treatment.
It wasn’t quite the Christmas we had planned AT ALL. However, speaking to so many friends, family and colleagues it seems that most people had a pretty rubbish Christmas too.
So although the photos and the memories look like we had a wonderful Christmas. We were both feeling shocking and pushed through to give our son the magical Christmas he deserves.
How was your Christmas?
Did you manage to avoid the dreaded lurgy?
Thankfully we are starting the year in slightly better health. Have managed a few trips to the beach for some fresh air and are looking forward to a healthier 2023 and maybe a better Christmas in 351 days!!!!
