"Complex case with my mum"

My mum was rushed into A& E in January with increased confusion and reduced GCS on a Thursday. While in A& E the staff were brilliant. With the complexity of her presentation she was then moved to HDU for the night. When moving from HDU it was decided she needed 1: 1 care, (she had an interim bed on Portman while waiting for a bed on Cons). Up on moving to Conservators she was still very restless and not sleeping properly. Again with the complexities of her case we asked if there was anything to help her relax, on the one occasion it was granted.

On the Saturday I spent most of the day with her, on the early shift the nurse and HCA took it in turns sitting alongside the side room even when we were there as she still needed 1: 1 care. The afternoon came and there was no one to cover her 1: 1 care (I understand how hard this can be to provide) however mum had stopped verbalising anything, hadn’t eaten or drunk all day. We asked to speak to a doctor as she wasn’t verbalising anything other than pain. The doctors refused to write up a bag of fluids or anything stronger than paracetamol for pain. On the Sunday mum had a ‘seizure’, which since leaving hospital (and her reveal device being checked) turns out her heart had stopped for 7 seconds. There was no urgency for staff to see what was up with mum until my sister pointed out her breathing had changed.

Finally the outreach nurses were called and within a few hours mum was intubated on ITU, but still no indication on what could be wrong. She spent Monday - Wednesday intubated and the staff on the ward were brilliant with us, and with mum. We can not fault the care given. Our only problem being that her reveal device still hadn’t been checked.

She spent a further week or so in hospital (moved back to cons), as far as we know there were no other problems with her care as such (none that she can remember). Thankfully mum is recovering well and is awaiting a pacemaker. But a little disappointed her consultant follow up won’t be until next year - considering the complexity of her case!