SKI-er or Sk-ater. We know how to enjoy ourselves

Merrywidow

Hi margaretclare

Just reading all the comments about hospital care makes the hair on my neck stand up. My husband was admitted to hospital in his last weeks as gangrine had taken over in his feet. Before his op to remove one leg below the knee MRSA crept in and within two days of his amputation the wound on the stump was infected. As the other foot was in the same state, amputation was on the cards. As my husband was pumped full of morphine and in a semi comatose state he was spared the relization of what was going on.

Before the second op, second amputation and another chunk off the other stump his organs started to fail. The afternoon he died (the staff warned me it would be just hours) I arrived to find a nurse trying to stuff food down his neck. I meekly protested that you can't feed an unconcious man but she got shirty with me. I took her outside the curtained off bed and bellowed in her ear that he was dying and would NOT be requiring any food. Total lack of communication. He died less than a hour later.

Just last year my blind mother was admitted to hospital as she was displaying strange symtoms. She is 96. No - they didnt try to feed her, no they didnt know she was blind and couldnt reach any near her bed because she couldnt see them. Her food was taken away untouched and they even tackled me about the fact she wasnt eating - I asked for all sorts of checks which were never carried out. Did they wash her? If so they might have discovered her breast cancer which was a lump the size of a golf ball on her non existant breast. This was discovered when she returned to the care home after being discharged - urine infection was blamed.

I could go on and on. My husband was in and out of hospital for 4 years and I could write a book about the c*** ups I discovered. But that would take all night. To finish off - he also spent time in the local hospice - funded by the government to the tune of 10% and the rest by donations. The care, the food the attention the love from them was a wonder to behold - and way out of reach of the NHS. AMEN

ukmaggie45

Dear Merrywidow, so sorry to hear your sad stories. How awful for you. :mad: I'm glad that your husband was able to spend time at the Hospice.

My very best wishes.

donny-gal

I think we've got the threads a bit crossed, so will repond here as we all seem to follow both.

Yes MW, planned to the effect that there are only about 4 weekends planned in the UK house when we return until the middle of September, the 'van will be earning its keep this summer, both in the UK and France, including a planned "Bastille Day" in Paris with two other couples. I was in Paris a few years ago on Basille Day evening as we had arrived early for the work meeting the next day, and thoroughly enjoyed it and wish to repeat it before I am too old to consider it.

We finished work so we could SKI, and SKI-ing we are doing.

DG

Francophile

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

It's a momentous day for us. My husband has finished writing his book!

May not mean much to the rest of you, but he has been writing it for four years, ever since we came here to Spain.

It's a sensitive, humorous, quirky and sometimes tear-jerking look at life in our village, with a central theme running all through it.

He already has a professional literary agent who has great hopes for it.

There's a million-to-one chance that it will be our way out of the recession, the !!!!py exchange rate, and to a large dangerous motorcycle for my husband and and maybe even to a dream cottage in Pembrokeshire.

Don't know what else to say really, except that it's my birthday on Tuesday (59) and we are going down to the coast for a Chinese meal to celebrate both these things.

I'm a bit gobsmacked really....

Droopsnout, to put you out of your misery and save you searching here's the post you missed.

margaretclare

Merrywidow, I am so sorry to hear about your husband and your mother.

However, I am still not certain whether neglect, mismanagement, plain darned incompetence happen only with older people. I've heard of appalling examples also happening to much younger people. Mostly, since DH blew up that infection back in October, the care and attention he's received has been excellent.

At present I'm going to a weekly fitness course run in conjunction with the local football club - one of the fitness instructors for Southend United puts a few of us through a little bit of aerobics, resistance training, circuit training, those kind of things. She has emphasised how important it is to exercise every one of the muscle groups as you get older. Listening to her, I began to think about the physios/rehab people we met while DH was in hospital. All they were concerned about was getting people up, on their feet and walking with a Zimmer frame (in bare feet!!) - I didn't hear any of them mentioning any of the muscle groups. I could see that, with an older person who'd been lying in bed and losing muscle strength, an effort should be made at strengthening the leg muscles before getting them up walking. Tina has been teaching us simple things like toe-tapping while sitting in a chair, pulling in the belly-button towards the spine to strengthen the back muscles, a few simple exercises like that which anyone can do. Why don't hospital physios do that? How can you get someone up on to his feet and expect him to walk just like that, when, as his surgeon puts it, he'd been in Critical Care at death's door and flat on his back for a week after that having blood transfusions? One loses muscle tone and muscle strength very, very quickly.

I had less time for the physios/rehab people than for any of the other professional groups we met while DH was in there. They seemed to be more stereotyped in their approach than any of the others. At the other end of the scale are the people out in community - the paramedics, the District Nurses. I have the highest praise for them, their professionalism, their attention to details, and they do see us as individuals.

Merrywidow

Thanks Margaret, my husband was only 56 when he died, hardly old as we know it these days. I agree with you about the paramedics and the District Nurses - they deserve medals.

In contrast to my mother's treatment in hospital, her care home is second to none in my opinion. Wonderful men and women with a keen sense of humour and the patience of a saint. My mother glows when they tease her, cuddle her and treat her like a teenager. it is lovely to behold. They proably get paid a pittance too.

Francophile

Well I'm about to set off for my first bit of Ski-ing this year. Heading to Berlin early tomorrow but it's snowing heavily at the moment and due to freeze overnight. It's a 2 hour drive to the airport under normal conditions so I don't know how long it will take. Please keep your fingers and everything else croosed that we make it to the airport and more importantly still that the flight goes. A lot were cancelled last week. So much for my cheap flights. They're not much use if you're snowed in.

seven-day-weekend

Hope you get there Francophile - enjoy yourself anyway!

Safe journey.

donny-gal

Have a good time Francophile. Wrap up warm though. Seems you might just slip out befor the next storm breaks.
DG

Francophile

Well we made it there and back. The weather wasn't too bad, in fact Monday was lovely. Did the city tour yesterday where you can hop on hop off. Everytime we hopped off the skies opened and we got drenched but we had a great time. Plenty of lovely food and the odd glass of vino. I'm shattered now. Will have to have an early night as I'm back to work in the morning.
All good things must come to an end!!