Ann in hospital

Ann with a brave face

 Ann has had a tough time since my last blog, with severe bouts of recurrent atrial fibrilation causing palpitations and leaving her breathless. It started over a week ago, causing me to state "If you're no better by Monday, I'm phoning the doctor!" It wasn't, so I did, but without success. After holding for a long time, I finally got through to a receptionist, who needless to say wanted a full description and diagnosis, but seemed to cut me off half way through. I told Ann I was going to drive her to A&E, and her willing cooperation was a measure of how ill she was. But not to West Suffolk, after the torrid time before when she was left in a chair all night without so much as a cup of tea. This time we went to Addenbrookes. 

We got to A&E early Monday morning. Ann was quickly seen and given an ECG, then the doctor came through and said she was going into the resuscitation unit. I followed, to see her strapped to monitors, with a drip in place, and subjected to various blood lets. Much later, she was taken up to a short-stay ward for continuing observations and intensive treatment to try to control the heart rate, which at one time had reached 180 very erratic beats per minute.

On Tuesday, they let her home with an O/P appointment for Thursday, but then they readmitted her for another night to try and stabilise her. All this time, Edwin and Andre had come over to share the visiting and look after us, doing some shopping and cooking meals. They even brought over their super-powerful vacuum cleaner to hoover up all round the house! And on Thursday evening they took me for a meal at a fine old pub they like in Cambridge. Ann has now been home over the long weekend, and is thus far feeling a little better, thankfully. The nurses are now on strike for a couple of days, so hopefully she will not require more attention! She has a further appointment on Friday, so must rest quietly till then - not something Ann is easily capable of. We are now taking bets on which of us might die first! Anyone care to set the odds and make a wager? Survivor to settle up all debts.

Let the dice decide