"My mum had the very best care"

My mum was admitted to A&E with pneumonia and severe COPD struggling to breathe. I wasn't there when the ambulance came to house but my dad said they arrived really quick and were so so good with my mum trying to get her to calm down so she could catch a breath and they acted really fast in giving her treatment and getting her in the ambulance.

When I arrived at Aberdeen Hospital A&E I was taken straight through to see my mum who was still in distress and struggling to breathe. I was told by 2 doctors that night that my mum had caught pneumonia and because of her history of COPD may not survive the night and the family were advised to say their goodbyes to her.

Once I saw my mum for what I thought was the last time we were told she was being moved upstairs to a ward.

I came back in the morning to ward 107 at ARI where she had her own room, still struggling to breathe on oxygen and looking very very  uncomfortable and not with it at all. The nurse Rachel who was on that morning asked if my dad was at home - which she knew from records was in Stonehaven - and advised that I phoned him and get him to the hospital. The drive was roughly 30minutes and Rachel knew from the doctors notes and how my mum was that she was unfortunately on her way out and thought it was really important dad was with her.

From there onwards the nurses let us stay with her 24/7. They were very kind to my dad, me and my siblings and gave very good attention to mum. All the nurses were constantly asking us if we needed anything or if mum was to even look the slightest bit uncomfortable or struggled to breathe to give them a shout straight away. The nurse Rachel especially stood out as she showed us empathy and really seemed to care about her job and looked in on us frequently. My mum also had a stoma bag which unfortunately needed changing or emptied which isn't always the nicest job but they were always so quick to do it when it needed done. 

The first few days were difficult as her antibiotics didn't seem to be making a difference and she wasn't eating and the doctors said if she continued to be uncomfortable which she clearly was they would put her on morphine and a driver which would be the start of her downturn and they wouldn't expect her to live once they started that route. The nurse Rachel knew mum had a stoma, struggled with weight and eating. She ordered some soup for us, which my sister fed my mum and it seemed to perk her up a little and we managed to get some words out of her. This was a sign of improvement as the first 4 days in hospital she lay on the bed with a mask over her face struggling to breathe and couldn't speak. 

Over the following week, we managed to feed mum more and more and the antibiotics were proving to show signs of improvement. Mum started to become more lucid and was able to actually recognise us in hospital. With a lack of oxygen and all the meds she was on, the first 4-5 days I don't even know if she was aware we were there. She even thought at one point I was a nurse who worked there not recognising I was her daughter. 

Throughout the week, the nurses continued to be really hard working and checked on her continuously and even let us sleep in the family room. They gave us spare blankets and pillows for when we were in the room overnight with her.

I honestly don't think my mum would have survived if it wasn't for the nurses letting us be with her 24/7 and for their care. Especially the nurses Rachel and Bethany and a student nurse Amy. The whole ward 107 at ARI were amazing with her and without them I don't think she would have survived. When she had panic attacks and struggled to breathe they held her hand and calmed her down so she could find a breathing rhythm.

Honestly best care I could have asked for. Thank you ward 107 at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.