The Virtual Pub

Come Inside... => The Medical Centre => Topic started by: Miss Creant Commander of the picklement and baking BAb(Hons) on May 21, 2010, 11:55:33 AM

Title: A humbling thought
Post by: Miss Creant Commander of the picklement and baking BAb(Hons) on May 21, 2010, 11:55:33 AM
I don't usually post really personal stuff on here but some of you know I have recently been in hospital.  I was admitted to a neurological ward. Hospitals are grim at the best of times.  In the bed next to me was a rather beautiful child/young woman who a is now 19, a year ago she was set to take 5 A levels or whatever they are called now and was hoping to get into Cambridge.  She suffered if that id the right word,encephalitis which was mis diagnosed and now suffers  from extreme epilepsy and has huge memory loss.  She is still bright and beautiful but she knows what she has lost and may never return despite that she could laugh chat and share a take away curry.  In one of the beds opposite me was another bright and beautiful young girl same age.  She was at uni here with her boyfriend felt ill one weekend and made an appointment to go and see her doctor at the same surgery that I go to.  Her boyfriend phoned to remind her of the appointment getting no reply returned back to their digs to find that she had suffered a brain hemorrhage. It was thought that she would not survive but she did and a year on most of the time she is in a vegetative state, when her boyfriend rocked up she became somewhat alert, was able to follow simple commands, open your mouth we need to clean your teeth, blink if you are saying yrs, and one one evening several friends, despite strict hospital rules stating only two visitors per bed from uni rocked up, she was able to smile, sort of throw a soft ball and interact with her eyes.  I have children their age and there but for the grace of something they are healthy and sometimes I feel sorry for myself but I have reached mid life have had so many experiences some good some bad but all part of life's rich taperstry, I am thankful for that and for those two girls well, my heart goes out to them and their families.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Snoopy on May 21, 2010, 12:27:32 PM
I have, in recent years, been admitted, usually via A&E with blue lights etc, to a number of hospitals. Once I have stopped feeling sorry for myself I am usually struck by how much worse than me most other patients seem to be. I am always ashamed to be there.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Uncle Mort on May 21, 2010, 12:42:25 PM
Thanks Miss C for sharing, it shows that not having full health makes all other problems and woes pale into insignificance. A stay in hospital, as I and Snoopy can vouch, will show that there are many worse off but that many also seem to overcome their problems and get on with life.

On a slightly different note, a couple of days ago I heard that an old friend had died. I've been told that she was diagnosed with bowel cancer just a couple of months back and just rapidly declined. She was 47 ~ no age at all.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Barman on May 21, 2010, 02:45:40 PM
Very humbling Miss C - thanks for sharing...
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Nick on May 21, 2010, 02:50:33 PM
Quite. LL's Black Bottom pales into insignificance  noooo:

See also: eclipse
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Nick on May 21, 2010, 03:27:35 PM
PS: You ae right Miss C. Whenever I go to hospital I seem to see folks who look like ghosts and cadavers wandering about. I usually get out after 1-3 days.

And why are hospitals always so depressingly close to cemeteries?  noooo:
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Darwins Selection on May 21, 2010, 03:54:12 PM
Grim places indeed, we should be grateful for what we have.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Just One More on May 21, 2010, 04:06:50 PM
As others have said, thanks for sharing Miss C  happy100 . It's at times like that that we are reminded how lucky we are and we put our own so-called problems into perspective
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Pirate on May 21, 2010, 09:31:22 PM
wot they all said.

On the other hand, I have recently started to work part time as an urgent care driver for the NHS out of hours service. Most of the patients are elderly (understandingly, to warrant a home call like) and some, quite honestly, would be better off in the next world...
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Barman on May 22, 2010, 09:00:25 AM
wot they all said.

On the other hand, I have recently started to work part time as an urgent care driver for the NHS out of hours service. Most of the patients are elderly (understandingly, to warrant a home call like) and some, quite honestly, would be better off in the next world...

An elderly relative died this morning...

He had Alzheimer's and finally lost the ability to swallow...

So a decision was made to remove his tubes and starve him to death while his family watched and waited....

For fucks sake, this is the 21st century and our so called civilised society starves an 80 y/o man to death?

If you treated your dog in the same way you'd be sent to prison!
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Darwins Selection on May 22, 2010, 10:36:30 AM
wot they all said.

On the other hand, I have recently started to work part time as an urgent care driver for the NHS out of hours service. Most of the patients are elderly (understandingly, to warrant a home call like) and some, quite honestly, would be better off in the next world...

An elderly relative died this morning...

He had Alzheimer's and finally lost the ability to swallow...

So a decision was made to remove his tubes and starve him to death while his family watched and waited....

For fucks sake, this is the 21st century and our so called civilised society starves an 80 y/o man to death?

If you treated your dog in the same way you'd be sent to prison!

I quite agree.

I have an 'arrangement' with my eldest daughter, who is in health care, to cover such eventualities.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Nick on May 22, 2010, 10:39:49 AM
YOu have lent her your shotgun?  eeek:

Is she in your will?
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Darwins Selection on May 22, 2010, 10:41:05 AM
YOu have lent her your shotgun?  eeek:

Is she in your will?

Ginger oaf.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Nick on May 22, 2010, 10:41:36 AM
I am not ginger  cussing: cussing: cussing: cussing: cussing: cussing:
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Snoopy on May 22, 2010, 10:46:09 AM
wot they all said.

On the other hand, I have recently started to work part time as an urgent care driver for the NHS out of hours service. Most of the patients are elderly (understandingly, to warrant a home call like) and some, quite honestly, would be better off in the next world...

An elderly relative died this morning...

He had Alzheimer's and finally lost the ability to swallow...

So a decision was made to remove his tubes and starve him to death while his family watched and waited....

For fucks sake, this is the 21st century and our so called civilised society starves an 80 y/o man to death?

If you treated your dog in the same way you'd be sent to prison!

I quite agree.

I have an 'arrangement' with my eldest daughter, who is in health care, to cover such eventualities.

I too have an "arrangement"" with my Brother ......

rubschin: Although he is a butcher so best avoid the pies after I'm gone.
Title: Re: A humbling thought
Post by: Miss Creant Commander of the picklement and baking BAb(Hons) on May 24, 2010, 09:59:23 AM
 lol:  The question of 'who ate all the pies'? will not be asked for a while after your demise Snoops, which btw I hope is a way off.

Thanks for all your messages chaps and chapesses, it was bought home to me again yesterday when I visited the local pub, staggered down there with the help of daughter number one sat in the garden with my family and watched a chap who was in his late twenties/ early thirties stagger in with a stick paralyzed down one side and with a huge hole in his head.

Was joined later by my son his partner and their two young children the youngest of whom, one year old  today, has Downs syndrome,  I just can't be grumpy right now it wouldn't be right.