"Suffering a TIA, 1st and hopefully the only one !"

Around 1.00/1.30 one of my cousins rang me from Manchester, we had a bit of a chat and a laugh, after about 5 minutes I suddenly was unable to string a coherent sentence together, after about 3 attempts her eldest daughter who is self isolating with her mum and dad, she told her mum to end the call and get me an ambulance, at which point I collapsed unconscious.

She rang 999 and got answered by the emergency services in Manchester who transferred her to Lincoln ES when she spoke to them they told her that the ambulance was already on its way and I gather it was there within about 10 minutes. Unfortunately the front door was locked and I was still unconscious. The paramedics knocked next door to see if they had a key which they hadn't (they have now),so they were on the point of getting the police to break in when my neighbour said she would try phoning me , I didn't respond to my mobile so she tried my land line, which brought me round and although I was in a 'trance' I somehow managed to stagger to the front door and open it, not that I remember.

I think the 2 ambulance ladies may have given me some medication, as on returning home I found a strange empty tablet sachet. They got me into the ambulance and as they pulled out of my road they put the blues and twos on. after a minute or 2 I started to come round more and started to recognise the roads outside. We arrived at Lincoln County A & E in very quick time possibly just 5 minutes. I think I was rushed into the Stroke Unit where my assessment, treatment and scans etc commenced immediately. I won't go through the process as I assume you will know the routine.

After a while I was put into a small 4 bed ward and started to feel fairly normal. Shortly after my mobile rang and was my ex-wife, we are still friends despite being apart for the last 15 years and she was shocked as she had no idea what had happened, she lives at just outside  Lincoln, and she informed my daughter and her husband who also live  just out of Lincoln and my son who lives in Hampshire. From the Manchester and Lincoln Ambulance operators, the lovely Lincoln Paramedics everyone in the Stroke Unit, The Consultant, any other Doctors, all the nurses, the cleaning staff porters and any of those who brought the tea and meals round, I can't thank everyone enough, they were all wonderful, even the food was really good and I am a semi retired chef.

Over the last several years I have had a variety of appointments at different clinics at Lincoln County and have always had first class service, and a Inguinal Hernia operation at Gainsborough, again excellent service. I must also mention Nettleham G P Practice who have  for about the last years given me service which is second to none.