"The Best Christmas Present Ever..."

I had been feeling unwell and breathless for a number of days which culminated in me almost collapsing at home on Christmas day afternoon.

I turned to my Mother and asked her without panicking to dial 999 and to request a paramedic.

After giving the call handler a description of the symptoms I was displaying an ambulance was dispatched to our address which promptly arrived within 5 minutes.

I can only describe the treatment I then received as first class and delivered in a caring and professional manner.

The two medics took my blood pressure my pulse rate and my general breathing and informed me that they were going to give me a Nebuliser to stabilise my irregular breathing pattern before informing myself and my mother that they would be taking me to the A&E Department at the RPH.

I was informed in my own time to make my way out of the house to the waiting ambulance outside the house a task I found completely exhausting but the encouragement I received from both paramedics was very reassuring and it wasn't long before I had managed to step up to the rear of the ambulance where I was asked to sit up straight on the stretcher a task that left me utterly breathless.

At this point the reassuring voice of the medic was informing me that she would be giving me oxygen therapy via a clear plastic hose with two nodules that were placed inside my nostrils.

After asking me if I was feeling comfortable the ambulance moved off and made considerable haste to the RPH where I was taken straight in on the stretcher to the treatment room.

I was somewhat surprised and reassured at how quiet the emergency department was at 2:40pm on Christmas day afternoon.

Within a couple of minutes two lovely doctors were attending to me with one taking my bloods and the other inserting a catheter into the top of my hand.

At this point my oxygen therapy was switched from the bottle I was given in the ambulance to the hospitals own which was via the equipment behind my bed.

After only a 40 minute wait one of the two doctors appeared at my bedside and informed me that I had a "very significant infection" and that he was going to be giving me a liquid antibiotic which was administered via the catheter in my left hand.

I was then reassured that I would be moved to one of the wards in just a short time.

After only a brief wait two lovely porters arrived and proceeded to unhook me from the hospitals oxygen supply and to hook me up to another portable oxygen bottle before wheeling me out of the A&E Department and to take me too Ward 25 where I was settled in and welcomed in a warm and pleasant manner by the duty nurse who again hooked me up to the hospitals supply.

During the next six or so days I can only describe my treatment as absolutely first class and reassuring and nothing was too much trouble.

I would like to thank all the caring staff who took great care of me including the lovely lady Consultant in the COPD Department the doctors nurses porters and kitchen staff God Bless You.