"My wife's care"

Friends today I want to share my experiences of my wife and my journey,  as my wife had myeloma cancer.

In April 2021 she started her treatment in our local hospital.  As the weeks went by her local consultant talked about meds and treatment. One of the meds was for constipation.  This medicine was supposed to be changed. It was supplied by our local hospital by our local consultant.  When we arrived home the meds for constipation was the same.  I realised that our local consultant hadn't checked her medical notes?

There was a few times my wife was taken to our local hospital for treatment and scans. One particular night my wife phoned me and said she needed to go to the toilet. I said to press the assistant button by the side of your bed. She said she couldn't as she was locked in a store room.

Friends, we were personally disgusted at some of our so-called local hospital care and after home palliative care.  As she was going through all the different cycles of treatment we kept our medical system up to date with her sickness, pains etc each day and week.

In August her local consultant phoned to have a conversation about her illness.  She was assured treatment was working and going well. Three nights later she went to go to bathroom the power of her legs left her.  She was brought in to hospital and by Sunday morning she was paralysed.  Her consultant said that they could not understand why her treatment stopped working.

Friends, I am no doctor but full blood counts show a lot of TL Cells etc. Full blood tests were done. One minute the treatment was going to continue and then the next it was withdrawn. So sadly, we got the bad news nothing more can be done.

I had my wife home for 13 weeks in the living room.  I had to explain to nurses and carers that she had two fractures, one on each shoulder, and was paralysed. It came across to me that no one read her medical notes. If they had of, they would have known.  The local nurse asked me could  my wife do without a Catheter.  I was informed that they don't have time to read her medical notes. How can anyone care for a person if they don't know what wrong? I even requested extra-large bed pads, but I was informed they only get what's available. That’s unreal and unbelievable.

I requested a urine test because the strong smell of the urine and its colour indicated an infection. I was informed by our local nurse that our local GP said he didn't want to do one so basically he refused a urine test.

A week later she becomes very unwell and had to go into our local hospital for treatment of Urosepsis.  Seven hours later I received a medical phone call saying they are stopping the special drug. I said that she wasn't getting much of a chance just seven hours? Of course, I was advised that she had got cancer. I said my wife is in for the treatment of Urosepsis. At that time her cancer levels were normal.

I have had a poor experience of the medical system from day one.  We requested a simple hair wash. Three weeks later she asked when is her hair going to get washed? I said love I will do it myself she smiled and said thank you.

Friends has anyone went through a similar experience of being let down by the system as we were? Hopefully your will have had a much-needed hair wash and  simple things like dry hygiene wipes. We didn’t get those basic but essential things.