annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So far Things are looking good, but we're not all clear just yet. The operation to remove ED's kidney stones was successful, there was no deleterious effect from the anaesthetic, all those bits were good, but it's still too early to say whether breaking the stones into tiny pieces has caused massive infection to rage through her body. So that's where we are. She looked OK when I left her this evening in the ESCU (Enhanced Surgical Care Unit, like Intensive Care, but not quite as much) and one of the nurses who'd been there back in September, when ED had been rushed in as an emergency, remembered us and said that ED looked orders of magnitude better when she arrived after the op today than she had when she left back then. So that's good, though I can't relax into it just yet. Tonight I suddenly remembered that when Obama was trying to bring in some kind of health care, a section of the US press started going on about how with 'socialist' medicine like we have here in the UK, there are what they called, I think, 'death panels' to decide who would be allowed to be treated and who wouldn't. Well, you probably all know this is bollocks, but let the case of my ED illustrate how untrue it is. She has late stage MS, cannot speak and has virtually no mobility, but at no point has anyone ever suggested that this operation is anything other than desirable, to make her more comfortable. I can't imagine how much it would cost because I've never paid for health care (apart from 11% National Insurance Tax), but she had a general anaesthetic, a two hour operation, an hour in Recovery with one to one monitoring (a nurse stationed at her bedside) and is now in ESCU where there seemed to be four staff and four patients. She's getting stuff intravenously - antibiotics, pain relief, fuck knows what else. If no infection develops she can come home at some point tomorrow, if not then she'll stay until it's under control, but at no point will there be any discussion of money. The NHS is funded by taxation, the staff are all paid by the NHS as are all the bills for supplies and whatever. I also have to say that everything was clean and bright, the staff were keen and bright, all was as good as can be, which was such a fucking relief and a massive surprise to be honest as the news is all about the NHS being on its knees - if it is they put on such a good face that you'd never know it. I had more to write but it's getting late so I'm offski. Eastenders - Jeeeeeez! Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes and kept us in mind. I am grateful for: the NHS; the manager of the care home who came with us this morning - I love her, honestly I do; discovering those pussyhats are so easy to make - nearly finshed one today; sleeping pills; warm beds on cold nights laters xxx 1:25 a.m. - 25.01.17 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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