Woohoo Flying Doctors here we go.

This post is coming from my new bed, (bed 12) in the Cardiac Care Unit (ccu) in Fremantle hospital.  Mid morning yesterday after a shower, another injection in the stomach and a change into another fetching grey (this time) hospital pyjamas, I had caught up with various txts, finished my first book and was having a visit from friend Donna - debrief on work - all the usual stuff, lol when lunch was served.  Had finished lunch and listening to stories of Donna's Christmas when the nursing staff came in and said I was on my way to Perth, that the ambo's would be there at around 1am and I would be off to Perth with the Flying Doctors!!!  Right then.  Quick scurry into the cupboard to get handbag and laptop sorted and packed - stuff given to Donna to drop up to Gerard and not long after two paramedics arrived to load me up on their transportable stretcher.  This is not an elegant way to travel.  The stretcher is about as wide as a coffin so built for practicality not comfort, lol.  I had to lie down and was then promptly trussed like a turkey for Christmas with shoulder and waist safety harness/belt, and lifted in two stages to a comfortable walking level for the guys to push me.  Meanwhile Donna is taking photos of my plight, lol. 

I have now seen yards of hospital ceilings as I have been wheeled to and from E.D to the ward, ward back to E.D and out into the waiting ambulance.  A few jolts over the entrance doorway frame, a blast of hot air from the great out doors and I was shoved into the ambulance, oxygen, blood pressure etc taken and off we went.  Kingsley - the paramedic who sat in the back with me, was full of wisecracks and kept a good patter up on the way to the the Flying Doctor base near the airport.  We drove into what resembled a huge haybarn and parked beside an old helicopter that didnt look as though it had seen the light of day for some time and I met the crew who were taking me to Perth or Jandicot to be more precise.    I was transferred from one stretcher to the next, base boards shoved under me then four blokes lifting the sheet I was on, and on the count of 3,  they hefted me from one to the other (of similar width to the first one ). Again, lots more banter between the paramedics, and them all chipping me. It was like they had all read Keep the Patient distracted: 101 - build good rapport to allieviate nervousness etc(which I wasn't).   There was some wait for the plane to be ready or some other details to be sorted and then I was wheeled out on the tarmac and loaded onto the plane.  Do not ask me what sort it was - small, white, with wings is about all I remember from my prone position.  Once I was locked into place on the right side of the plane (three windows worth, lol),  once again  hooked up to bells and whistles,  we were off.  Had another paramedic sit by me the whole way down with a learner Dr on board (he was doing a work placement with RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service to give the whole correct name, for those playing at home).  I kept trying to remember what the plane looked like in the TV programme "The Flying Doctors" which we used to watch avidly and knew Mum would be thinking about the programme when she heard I would be travelling with them - sure enough - mentioned in her email and I laughed out loud at that - great minds thinking alike.  No Rebecca Gibney though but the guys were ok - and of course in uniform, which is never a bad thing, - and young enough to be my sons with the exception of the pilot and a couple of paramedics at Jandicot. lol.

The flight seemed to go for ages instead of the hour that it was.  Having so much oxygen in my system meant I wasn't overly sleepy but after being asked frequently if I was ok and YES, I was, I closed my eyes and semi-dozed a good amount of the way. There was several bouts of turbulence and a good drop before coming into land.  Again, lots of concern but I told them I was used to landing in crosswinds at Wellington airport and was all good.  The chief concern seemed to be that my blood pressure was low and this seemed to bother them.  I said what did you expect when I had done nothing but lie about for the last few days, any more rested and I would be dead (not sure whether you are meant to joke about the d word with paramedics, lol).  The paramedic who I think was called Andy, chatted about his recent trip to NZ as we were landing.  He had spent a month in the SI during the world cup and raved about the scenery, the friendliness of everyone (even though it was in the middle of the rugby WORLD CUP, lol), the devastation of Christchurch with the earthquakes, the scenery at Tekapo, Wanaka and Queenstown and Speights (beer, for those who do not recognise the name ). Unusually for a WAustralian, he loves rugby (most over here follow Aussi football madly and would not know rugby if it bit them).  I liked his comment that it was something to watch two teams go head to head,  looking each other in the eye.

I had wanted to go to the loo when I got to the RDFS base, in Geraldton - must have been the fresh fruit salad I bolted down before I left, but did not see anything resmembling conveniences in the barn/hanger so decided could last an hour, but by the time we had landed I was marginally uncomfortable and asked if I could go before being transferred to the hospital.  I was transferred from stretcher to stretcher with barge boards and hefting lift again ( I was perfectly ok to have hopped on and off myself so was very weird being treated like an invalid, hem hem).  One of the blokes said yes I could go, then there was some conferring and I was asked if I could wait till Freo and very assertively I said NO, after ascertaining that it was a 30 min trip to the hospital (and who knew how many bumps on the way, lol).  Immediate consternation to the four blokes present as by now they had hooked me up with another cannister of oyxgen AND a drip - still blathering on about my low blood pressure.  I was WHEELED on the stretcher to the door of the toilet/shower within the base building, helped off the stretcher and like a bridesmaid, one of the blokes came in with me carrying aforementioned paraphenalia, this is while he is telling me I should have been catheterized before the trip - arrrrgh, glad I missed that one, lol.  He asked me if I needed any help (I had leurs in both hands that were bandaged up for travel but said I thought I could manage, so after him lying the oxygen on the ground etc I waited for him to leave, not quite cross eyed but warming to that end, when he moved behind the curtain of the shower area adjacent to the toilet and said he would sit there to give me privacy. OMG talk about performance anxiety, lol, but there was not much else to do but go as he was not budging in case I pegged out, I guess.  Flipping heck, its up there with giving birth (but wait, it gets better, heh heh ....). 

Comfortable (at least on the inside)again, I was popped back on the stretcher, and loaded into my second ambulance for the day.  Up until that point the paramedic who had flown down with me was going to come on with me to the hospital but finally hearing from me that I was STILL ok, he handed me over and off to Freo hospital I went.  I have been to Freemantle - home of the famous Jail, where the America's cup was held and the Docker's football stadium resides, and the hospital is at the back of the old prison.  Could see lots of old buildings (the tops of them anyway) as I lay flat on my back yet again in the ambulance.  Checked in through E.D  and then what felt like miles of corridoors and a trip through the bowels of the hospital before arriving at "room" 12 in the cardiac care unit.  It is not a room but a curtained off space, though I do have the corner spot opposite the loo and nurses station yet again.  Dinner was served when I arrived - very cardiac care here - served on a small plate, no salt OR pepper this time and no coffee and biscuit for supper afterwards.  A piece of hard (Italian) kiwi fruit for dessert was on the tray, so I left that and ate an apple I had bought with me, which had been in my handbag prior inital admit back in Geraldton.  (Then I had two mini whittikers choc bars for supper that they knew nothing about later in the evening which was just enough to fill a gap).

No sooner than I had dinner, skyped home, than I had another blood nose, bleeding on my forehead where I must have knocked myself or scratched at some stage by my eyebrow and then later in the evening, the bandaged area where they had given a clexane injection yesterday, sprouted a leak and had blood seeping down my pyjama bottoms.  Go blood thinners - am feeling very princess and the pea or is that sleeping beauty, one prick and instead of sleep, gushing like an oil well ( slight exageration, but you get my drift).  Got an icepack and did the pressure thing for the nose, and had bandage replaced on stomach with new pressure bandage which seemed to do the trick.  The eyebrow bleed was sorted with a tissue and pressure applied.  It was a tiny bit  disconcerting a little later in the evening to cough up a large clot of blood that must have gone down the back of my throat from my nose (I know ick, but I was there, lol).  Also disconcerting was the woman next door who was coughing, throwing up, moaning in pain who had several episodes during the night but hey I am in hospital where there are sick people, lol.

As I had my snooze on the plane I was still wide awake at midnight but after nurses coming in a couple of times, thought I should try and get some sleep and managed despite everything to drop off.
Earlier in the evening had a Dr come in and explain procedure today which I pretty much knew already from my previous life as  social worker on the cardiac care ward at Waikato Hospital. They have to go through all the risks and I had to sign a consent for the angiogram, for stents or balloons if I need them, for open heart surgery if I have a heart attack and something goes wrong and for a blood transfusion, again, self explanatory.  I said I preferred option one to the latter options please and she laughed.  I could suffer bruising around entry site in the groin, they could nick lungs or other organs, could instigate a heart attack, lalalalalalala and of course worst scenario is the D word.  Have had to put this conversation from consultants to patients many a time so was pretty aufait with what she had to say.   Part of the procedure is fasting - so after being given breakfast this morning about an hour ago, AND being offered seconds - had an extra wholemeal  roll slathered in margerine (gotta grab the fats fix where I can now, lol, - and it was heart tick margerine at that) after porridge, peaches and a drink of oj followed by a coffe, that is me done for the day until dinner tonight.  They have promised me a drip to keep my hydrated.  (Pause for shower)

Before breakfast, just to keep the by now illusions of all modesty shattered -( given gown last night pretty much open to the four winds which necessitated the wearing of underware to provide a smidgen of decency), a nurse came in brandishing a razor - yup a close shave of the nether regions was requried for the groin entry of the angiogram.  GREAT - haven't had this much fun in 38 yrs since No 1 son was born.  Was tempted to ask for a  heart shape, (laughing to myself here) but thought better off it so have a mohawk now as they did left groin for good measure in case the right groin was no good for angiogram.  And wouldn't you just know it, it the ultimate comedy routine that my life seems to be, whilst lying on my back, razor buzzing, me lying still, heh he, everything displayed to the four winds again (lots of it about on this ward, lol) whoosh goes the curtain as one of the women orderlies (thankfully, I suppose)vmade her entrance, realised in a nano second what was happening,  did a John Cleese spin and about face,  before whooshing the curtain behind her again.  Hmmm and all the nurse could say was "it happens"!!!!!!  All dignity by now out the window.  (Knew it would make a good story though, lol).

This was followed by a blood test that hurt this morning.  Am bruised black and blue on inside right elbow, right hand is puffy from leur that was turning red when it was taken out last night,  so the blood bitch (resuming term from Waikato Hosp days for this nurse) JABBED me on the left side of my right wrist - enough to bring tears to my eyes - not happy.  Had also had mild chest pain this morning so probably some reaction from that too - the nurse thought I might be anxious about procedure but I said it was just the pain from blood test.  Will not be happy if the some one comes again for anything as everyone else taking bloods, giving injections have been great. 

The Dr has now been and after all that prep, I am to have a dye put in my arm!!!! to see if there is any blockages and then maybe the groin if they find something to put a stent or balloon in - so the new trim may not be wasted yet, lol - except that would mean two procedures instead of one.  Hey, ho. Am on the roller coaster now and will just have to take what comes.  Have had some tightening of the chest a couple of times this morning - on the 1 - 3 scale and dissipated with a tablet and oxygen so all good. 

Just a quick message here to all those who have txted, emailed, rung, skyped - thank you for all your well wishes, they are much appreciated.  Bless sister Kay who asked if I needed someone to come over - there are people about here and would rather have folks over to visit when I am hale and hearty to make it worthwhile but again, it is the thought that counts.  Bronwyn and Gerard rang from my place yesterday - were doing my dishes, and finishing the job of cleaning my fridge I was halfway through and were going to take the worm farm home with them so they do not die while I am away (if they haven't perished already).  My friend Shelly from Rotorua days, who went to university with me when we moved to Hamilton 16 yrs ago, is now nursing and living in Rockingham which is further down from Freo again by about 30 mins from memory or maybe closer - she is coming to visit this evening so we will have a good catch up.  Jude is circling in Perth too as she is bringing her Mum home from spending Christmas with her and will stay the night resettling her back into the resthome she lives in.  My phone is going red hot from txts and Donna is keeping me in the loop workwise so am feeling very supported. 

Am going to see if I can catch someone on skype now so will give you the unexpurgated update of the procedure/s  next post.  :):):):)