"My 9 day stay in Antrim Area Hospital"

In January my rather worried husband drove me to the A & E department of Antrim Area Hospital. I must admit in rather a lot of pain. I was swiftly seen by the triage nurses and later by a lovely doctor who i startled and made jump when i yelped out in pain when she examined my right hand side. A ct scan x ray  and  blood test all revealed i had gallstones with rather a stubborn infection too. needless to say i would not be going home that night.

By 7pm the wonderful staff of Antrim Hospital had found me an 'extra bed' on ward C3.  what followed was an amazing journey which involved just under 10 days on C3. I met some very inspiring patients on my ward their stories will stay with me. i rediscovered my christian faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and my whole life and outlook has been totally changed forever.

My little ward was filled with patients dealing with medical issues with humour and humility. we shared our stories and helped each other out. All of this experience would not have been possible however without the sheer hard work and dedication of All the staff I encountered during my stay.

From the 'cheeky ' young chappie who sourced brown toast for me a simple task but ( white bread aggravated these pesky stones) very much appreciated. the banter we shared brought a smile  took our minds off our pain and sickness. the catering staff bringing much welcomed cups of tea in the afternoons and evenings always a smile and friendly word. little things all add up. the HA's who took our meal requests not an easy task when you trying to find very low fat gallstone friendly food. one had a lovely waff of perfume when she passed most welcome indeed. to the assistants who listened your worries and fears. the nurses who administered much needed pain relief as and when required the regular antibiotics of which i needed 4 times a day..it really was a pesky wee infection. the injections every  night in the stomach to prevent blood clots.. the list of duties was endless. the nurses who smiled when i paced the corridor unable to sleep in the dead of night. the consultants who carried out their rounds with such knowledge and expertise.

Some people give criticism for Antrim Hospital. I speak from experience and my care was exceptional. I'm not a politician but i witnessed very hard working staff who need our support. In my opinion they need a cash injection into the Hospital. They need more resources. I wont name any staff as i would not wish to offend those countless names i cant remember. I know they will remember me the grey haired women who talked way too much and mentioned her precious flock of wee sheep on countless occassions.

I never thought i would need the services of Antrim Hospital..my last stay was having my 3rd child over 25 years ago. But i know this each of us here on earth will someday need the service and care of their local hospital. we all need to support and be proud of the amazing staff we have working in Antrim Area Hospital. Thank you so much especially ward C3.

God Bless x