My husband back in early 2020 came to me one afternoon holding his side and crying in pain. I called ambulance, though I was stressed because he was crying and a little angry at the questions the girl at control was asking, as they seemed irrelevant, but I guess it's just procedure. Then two paramedics arrived and spoke to him in his room about his complaints, before assisting him into an ambulance which I came in to.
When my husband suddenly said he couldn't breathe, then said I was ok before, the paramedic put a mask over his face, to which he tried shoving it away, as it wasn't helping. I took it to feel a tiny flow coming through. The paramedic forced him, holding it against his face, while I saw my husband's look contorted trying to breath with it until he must've been semi conscious. Reaching hospital, the ambulance person turned up oxygen as I heard a good flow, and saw vapor. That revived him.
In the emergency unit he was told he had a collapsed lung ,and not to drink in case of needing operation, though he was so asking me for a can of pop I gave in. He had a hole put into his chest side to drain and fully collapse the lung, then another scan found he had a leak in his abdomen that was inoperable because of his weakness. They said they were going to let him die in a ward there, as toxins was going to his body. We was told he had twenty four hours left. I hoped for a miracle. She believes in Jesus, he said to the doctor as he was wheeled away.
First evening and night were ok, except the nurse needed persuading that she could allow him water and drinks., He went mad at times without as I think he was prediabetic. He also asked for all the pain killers he could get. In and out he was drifting, waking for a wee, or drink.
The second morning, I thought of our cat on his own, and said to my husband I needed to home and check on it, for an hour, and be back. To which he seemed scared of me going.
Arriving back to the ward, I was told that they had needed to sedate him. He was staring with open eyes, I asked why, then a cleaner came in and said he was crying for something to drink while I was gone.
That night two people barging in started turning and tossing him to change the bedding. He was crying out painfully, as by then he had a catheter. A nurse and group had kindly explained he needed to, which he seemed unhappy about and doc said not to bother with earlier as well as chest tube. After my cries of protest, they went off, leaving him with one thin sheet and turned heating off.
That morning I tried to see if he wanted something to sip but he began coughing so much, like chesty sounding, that I had to call a nurse who was advised giving ibuprofen, which helped him settle. I lay hearing him breathing, contentful, then to my shock it suddenly stopped. I looked over and could see his life had gone. I think told nurse in the corridor who came with emergency to resuscitate but they advised this was not in his plan. He was left little sounds of gurgling as bodies do but as I went to see in his face I knew it was just his shell.
"My husband's last hospital visit"
About: Chesterfield Royal Hospital / Supportive and palliative care team Chesterfield Royal Hospital Supportive and palliative care team Chesterfield S44 5BL East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust / Emergency ambulance East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust Emergency ambulance Nottingham NG8 6PY
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