Not going as planned - Wexford hospital wasn't the destination

3 June 2017 Saturday

The plan was to drive to Killaloe Monday and to fix up 3 Canal Bank sufficiently to 'camp' there. The car was loaded with airbeds, ordered online and picked up at Cheryl's, and immediate necessities brought from Spain. Drove from Emsworth where we had stayed for a couple of nights with Cheryl and Tony after arriving in Portsmouth on the ferry from Bilbao, to Pembroke. Stayed the night in the Cleddau Bridge Hotel. Short walk down to the shore. In retrospect Rodney seemed slower than usual walking back up the hill. Lousy dinner - inedible steak - but the hotel didn't seem bothered when I complained.

4 June 2017 Sunday

Ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare. Checked into Rosslare Port Lodge. Went out for dinner. Walking home Rodney had trouble breathing. He had severe pains in his chest on his right side (which in retrospect might have been coming on all day, he was very quiet on the boat and didn't come up on deck at all). By the time we reached the hotel room he was in agony.

The receptionist called the emergency nurse phone number who talked me through the symptoms and called an ambulance. She kept me on the line - heart racing, panicky - checking on Rodney from time to time until the ambulance arrived. Rodney took an ibuprufen which abated the pain a little. The paramedics checked his vital signs and thought he might have gall stones or a gall bladder infection. The ambulance took us to Wexford General Hospital where they did blood and urine tests. With the results of these a few hours later and a painful examination of his abdomen and chest the doctor decided to admit him. The nurse put him on a drip, gave him pain killers, antibiotic and a shot of insulin. When they took him to the ward they called a taxi for me and I returned to the hotel in driving rain in the early hours of Monday morning for a couple of hours sleep. The hotel receptionist, the ambulance crew, the nurse, the taxi driver just coming off shift at 5 am and taking me to Rosslare as his last fare all very kind.

5 June Monday

On Monday morning, a bank holiday here in Ireland, I checked out and drove to the hospital. Rodney was in the ward on a drip and had been told to ask for pain killers when he needed them. They scheduled an ultrasound scan for today, Tuesday, because of the bank holiday.

We decided I should drive to Killaloe where we were booked in 5-9 June while we sorted 3 Canal Bank. I drove to Killaloe, three hours, and checked into the accommodation - a lovely self-catering studio just outside Killaloe overlooking Lough Derg. I planned to unload the car full of stuff we had brought with us to camp in 3 Canal Bank while we chased up resubmission of the revised plans with the architect and awaited planning permission and have the electricity connected.

6 June Tuesday

Rodney was due to have an x-ray today. Spoke with Clare Tipp about the electricity and a cleaner. Marie spent ages on the phone to Electric Ireland. Had more keys cut for Canal Bank.

Long chat with Mary. The community garden has decided that people can have their own plots (aka allotments) and that I could have one. She walks guide dogs, something Rodney might be interested in.

Called the hospital in the evening. The ultrasound showed nothing amiss with the gall bladder but there is water on his right lung - a much more worrying diagnosis than gall bladder issues which people were telling me could be extremely painful but quickly fixed. I decided to return to Wexford in the morning. Mary was completely understanding.

7 June Wednesday

Left Mary's and unloaded the car into Canal Bank. Gathered a few things and drove back to Wexford Hospital. Stayed in Maldron Hotel nearby for the night. Rodney diagnosed with pneumonia and put on antibiotics. X-ray.  Camping in 3 Canal Bank did not seem a good idea even if I was successful in getting the electricity connected, arranging cleaning and someone to look at the central heating.

8 June Thursday

The tourist office helped me find accommodation in Wexford where I could walk to the hospital. Moved to St George's bed and breakfast (8-15 June). The consultant, Dr Harkins said Rodney has pneumonia and there is some fluid on the lung and arranged a lumbar puncture to drain fluid from the pleural cavity and treatment with antibiotics, pills and intravenous drips, with an oxygen feed to ease breathing. She said it would take a few days to see how he responded. If the antibiotics did not do the trick she said they would take him to Dublin for specialist tests aspirating fluid and bring him back to Wexford the same day. However it pans out, it seemed recovery was going to take a while.

He was very, very down emotionally because he feels all his efforts with diet and exercise to reverse diabetes have been futile. I think the emotional distress had been building for a while. He was finding the hospital diet difficult to cope with and didn't like having to have insulin. Until the afternoon and talking to the doctor it wasn't at all clear what the treatment strategy was, which he found frustrating.

9 June Friday-13 June Tuesday

Rodney had a lumbar puncture. The two young interns withdrew about half a litre of liquid. Rodney said the procedure was not painful at the time and declined the painkillers the nurses checking on him offered from time to time afterwards. While I was there he was wheeled off for an x-ray. He said he felt removing some of the liquid had relieved some of the pressure on his breathing. The medical consultant, Dr Harkins,  said the liquid looked good, which was a good sign but that the results of the cultures wouldn't be known until Monday for some bugs and that others take longer to identify. She also said he looked well (in the face, colour etc), another good sign. He was sitting up dressed and we went for a short stroll along the corridors - he's to keep moving. The consultant put him on a stronger antibiotic over the weekend as there aren't the usual doctors rounds. Intravenous antibiotic Tarozen, plus antibiotic pills, prostrate med and insulin. Blood sugar all over the place. Took in yoghurt, plums, kiwis, green, jasmine and mint tea bags.

On phone to Electric Ireland for hours trying to get the electricity connected. Eventually did thanks to the cleaner who entered a 60 digit then a 20 digit code EI gave me. Then the sockets didn't work. Who did I know who could help. Emailed Pam and Liam for help.

13 June viewed two house in Duncormick, both very nice but there's nothing in the village except a church, pub and garage with a little shop. We need somewhere with more facilities.

It is all rather a mess. When in doubt do nothing.

14 June Wednesday - 15 June Thursday

Spent ages on the internet looking for somewhere to rent for two to three months when Rodney is discharged from hospital. In the holiday season, now, places are available for only a week or few days at a time, It would mean constantly shifting. The only place I could find willing to rent for three months was an executive 2-bed apartment on Wexford Quay. It has all facilities and will be a base near the hospital where Rodney can be comfortable, get his strength back and eat appropriately.

An American, Richard, occupying the bed diagonally opposite in the ward, was taken ill flying over for a week in Ireland and a week in Paris. Pamela, his wife, discharged him today. They're driving to Dublin to fly back tomorrow. What a holiday!

Another Pam, our Killaloe architect, came to the rescue with the electricity in Canal Bank. She arranged for an electrician who fixed the electric sockets. Caroline was able to finish the cleaning she started on Wednesday.

14 June, Grenfell Tower fire.

Called in at Citizen's Advice about registering with a doctor. First you need a medical card. Form needs supporting documents which I don't have at the moment.

16 June Friday - 17 June Saturday

Moved to another B&B as St George's fully booked but no internet. Rodney made progress, no longer on oxygen. The xray showed that the fluid on his lungs is diminishing after the lumbar puncture. Yesterday evening visiting time, the doctor said he was unlikely to be discharged this week but hopefully early next week. His blood sugar not surprisingly is all over the place, which is distressing for us, but the focus at the moment is dealing with the pneumonia.

18 June Sunday

Moved into the apartment. Relief to have a place of our own for a while.

19 June Monday

Rodney may be taken to the specialist unit in St Vincent's Dublin for the day on Wednesday to withdraw fluid from the lung - apparently the particular procedure can't be done here.

Went for a short walk yesterday as Rodney wanted some fresh air and sun. He is very weak and a few minutes out and very short stroll was more than enough. He was exhausted and emotional. Andrew may come at the beginning of July and Stephanie at the end of July. There are two double bedrooms here and we have the Kangoo. It's lovely when the weather is fine.

Yesterday morning I drove out to Kilmore Quay to check out a thatched cottage for sale that I'd seen on the internet - there are other properties for sale there too. I chatted with a couple who saw me pick up a leaflet about the annual gardening club show in September. They said there is lots going on.

I looked at two nice houses in Duncormick last week but there is nothing there except a church, pub and petrol pump with a small shop.

Wit's end email to Pam about Canal Bank.

21 June Wednesday

Rodney taken to St Vincent's Hospital Dublin.

22 June Thursday

Bus from Wexford to St Vincent's hospital St Joseph's ward acute cardiothoracic unit Dublin. The 10 am bus leaves from Wexford station and stops right outside the hospital before going on the the airport. The last pickup from outside the hospital is at 15.43. Companion from Ferns to the hospital was a retired nurse who had worked in Milton Keynes, family in Australia who 'treated her like a queen' when she visited. Nearly everyone getting on the bus has a free pass.

The tests Rodney had yesterday indicated that keyhole procedure was not an option and they operated.  St Vincent's is probably the best hospital in Ireland. Rodney had two drains from his lung on his back, a catheter for urine, was wired up to the ECU, oxygen and tubes in each arm. Intravenous antibiotics and other medications so not very comfortable and very weak. Daily x-rays to check how the lung is draining. Breathing exercises and a vapouriser to free up the lungs and help the fluid drain off. Surgeon pleased with the surgery. He may be in St Vincent-s for a week or more. We don't know from day to day.

When he comes out of hospital he will need to convalesce for the rest of the summer to build up strength and resistance before the winter. He won't be doing anything much for a good while.

On a positive note, we had about half an hour with the diabetic doctor. Rodney had been fretting about his blood sugar readings which were unsurprisingly all over the place and the hospital food. The doctor said they're monitoring and dealing with the blood sugar to allow the body to clear the infection. He said to look at the high levels in terms of nutrients that the body isn't using but that Rodney needs to get the nutrients into himself in order to recover. When he's discharged it will stabilise. I think that conversation was reassuring for Rodney and hopefully he'll worry less.

Travelling back on the bus, the fields shorn for silage and scattered with huge polythene sausages, Ireland seems like a well kept secret.

23 June Friday

Pam submitted revised plans to Clare CC planning. Hooray.

25 June Sunday

Daily x-rays since Wednesday's surgery. Progress today. One drain removed. Yesterday, Saturday when I visited, Rodney seemed disoriented. He asked to be taken off the paracetamol and ibuprufen - he will ask if he needs them - and seems much more with it today. He's looking forward to the removal of the other drain and catheter, perhaps tomorrow, and having a shower. He had a short walk in the ward this morning and is doing the breathing exercises every hour.

Took the Wexford Bus rather than BusEirean. It runs more frequently but it stops about half an hour's walk from the hospital. Journey rather more tiring.

26 June Monday

Progress report and action plan for the week 26-30 June from Pam.

27 June Tuesday

When I left St Vincent's yesterday afternoon to catch the bus back to Wexford the surgeon was removing the second drain from Rodney's back. Having been taken off the analgesics he was much more alert during my visit - great progress and wonderful to see - though when they put him on the intravenous antibiotic drip he flagged a bit.

This morning the catheter was taken out. Now free of all tubes he enjoyed a shower. Blood sugar reading pretty good. The surgeon said the procedure was successful and the issue now is the lung infection. They need to make sure that has cleared up before letting him out of hospital. Should it still be a problem he may be transferred back to Wexford hospital for a while. Waiting to see what news today brings on that.

Found the INTREO centre on Anne Street to SAFE register. Friendly reception and response to our unusual situation. We have PPS numbers and an address in Spain but are temporarily living in the Talbot Suites in Wexford because of Rodney's hospitalisation en route to Killaloe. I'll be given an appointment.