This is something I should have posted around my adventure!!

Isn’t it strange how things, (life) revolves?

Little TJ was recovering incredibly well. He was in the HDU (High Dependecy Unit) after spending so many weeks in ITU (Intensive Care Unit), the little chap was doing very well and the powers that be were now talking about care for ‘when he is home.’ Such good news!

But, for every positive there seems to have been a negative.

My dear mum was in hospital.

My brother went to see her on a Sunday morning as usual, and he found the door locked, milk, bread and potatoes in the porch. It was during the very cold weather in February. Mum had given him a key, it was the wrong one! He knocked on the neighbours door and gained access to mums house through the back garden and proceeded in breaking down the back door.

He found mum laying on the floor in her living room. Now, our mother, being an indomitable lady, said ‘hello’ when she saw her son. My brother was expecting the worse, and as you can imagine he was shocked, surprised and all those other emotions because he did not expect anything from the person he found lying on the floor, he was expecting the ‘worse’.

The ambulance service was called and they arrived within 20 mins. Mum had all the necessary checks done. She was cold but not hypothermic. She had soiled herself and the female paramedic helped clean her up. An e.c.g. etc. was done and cups of tea made. Mum seemed to be ok, but naughty woman, she was not wearing her alarm.
Later Sunday evening her alarm was tripped. My brother again went to mums house and found her in the hallway. Again the ambulance service was called and mum was taken to her local hospital.

Now this dear lady was 90 years old, she has been very well and has all her ‘marbles’, but her legs give her problems. She cannot get about as she used to and her weight has increased too much. She has cellulitis in one of her legs and that was the problem. Her leg gave away and she did not have the strength to get up!
So she was in hospital, being looked after by some wonderful nurses and on very high dosage of antibiotics for her leg. According to my older sister she was also not taking any nonsense from the nurses – good girl! “

Since this posting, my lovely mum has recovered and is now at home. She has had the usual agencies in helping her for a short while.

I gave her a call once I arrived home from my ‘trip’. (my sister was there)

Me “hello Mum, how are you?”

Mum “I’m fine, did you know I was in hospital for 10 days whilst you were away?”

Me “Er, mum, you were out of the hospital before I went away”

Mum “Was I? (she calls to my sister and asks ‘wasn’t she away when I was in hospital?’ – no mum!) Oh yes of course you were here”

Bless my darling mum, she is fine of course and has since made 91 years!

But our dear little TJ… there are still problems. He has in the last week had a tracheostomy to help with his breathing.

It seems that at the back of his throat, a place that we all take for granted, does not function properly. This is due to the fact that the back of his throat is so extremely relaxed that it just does not work. I suppose the only way to explain is that the swallowing and breathing can become ‘confused’ and fluid that is produced naturally will go into the lungs instead of the gullet which eventually causes congestion and infection.

His mum has raised this concern about his throat over the past few years and it has been ignored by the professionals, at last she has had confirmation of her suspicions.

For nourishment he is being tube fed through his bowel as his stomach is too sensitive.

This little chap has had a lot of invasive surgery over the past few months and is still in for a long haul at Kings. We are not sure when he will be home with his family but what we do know is that our daughter will be having to learn even more new procedures to look after her son and will have to find suitable accommodation for his needs once he is discharged from the hospital.

She is one strong woman.