Its Saturday, its been 3 day since Kim move to Queen Elizabeth and I just found something out as I try to park up. That my vehicle wont fit under the hight barrier at the car park, and the Parking staff are really nice and helpful people. After they pointed me to a parking bay with a parking slip, I head in to try and find the ward.
I have been to small universities than this. I stand there looking at the map. 4 zones red,orange, purple and green. 6 floors on each. So with a rough idea of where I was going in mind, I headed off to the right colour zone. I found the ward. The colour and floor system works quite well.
“Have you found your internet dongle” I say with a smile, “yes, you know that” is the reply. She lost it a day or so before. We start chatting about the move.
“I wish it I was closer to home, I miss you visiting. Most of the other patients don't talk English” I looked around, and yes the ward she was on was multicultural. I look back at Kim “ They are probably secure in there first language, as you are in type communication” Kim nods in agreement.
We carry on chatting for a while, about all sorts of things. Before I pick up a a big bag of washing. And head off back to where I parked.
Now it is time to sit in my metal bubble, travel, think, worry.
What a lovely trip.
Kim is heading off to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham to be checked over by the consultant there, with a view to having a bone marrow transplant. Mandy was going too to be checked for compatibility.
We are sit with Kim as the transport turns up to take us to Birmingham, as I head to get on the vehicle, I wished the back door would have been a bit dirty, so I could write a last bit of a biscuit name in it as the last 3 letters of the number plate was hob.
The journey to Edgbaston was uneventful. We arrive to see the square clock tower of the brick built hospital that definitely has a Art Deco influence in it design, the utilitarian end of it.
We find the waiting area, and started chatting, about how the snow that fell the day before had not stop the trip. Coco the rescue lab we were babysitting at home, Kim was happy that Billy had a friend to play with for a bit. Oh and the joking about shell kissing her 2 days before.
This joking starts a conversation about shells inability to get over the mental block that stops her from visiting. This upset Kim a bit as she want to see her mum, she missed her mum. You could see it in her eyes, in her body language. Contact over phone and the internet was just not enough for Kim need for her mum.
A dark feeling started to cover my heart and soul at this turn of conversation. Ask I looked at Kim and my hands trying to think of something to say, we were called in.
The consultant, a lovely woman. Chatted about Kim, Looked at the notes, talked to Mandy. As she was under 16 she would have to be checked and processes by Birmingham Children's Hospital. The consultant wants to transfer Kim over to the QEH tomorrow, and start the prep work for a bone marrow transplant.
As we left I wondered how successful a bone marrow transplant would be in defeating the leukemia.
Fast Rhythm
Limit point, mirror, side wind, what's that car in front going to do. I don't pay attention to the fidgety and nervous Shell in the passenger seat. I don't know if it's the change from laid back driving to Focused driving to make the best progress to the hospital or the phone call we had that started this all off.
Maybe it's a mix of the two. As I park up I can start thinking about the call we had. Kim has been rushed to ITU for something, we don't know where that is so we head to the ward for directions.
As we get to the ward, Kim is wheeled out of the lift.
She is wearing a 100% non re-breather Oxygen mask, Looking tired in her bed. Kim eyes light up when she see her Mum standing there. It was the first time, Shell had been to see her in hospital. I leave Shell and Kim to have a quite mother daughter moment together as I went to speak to the Duty Doctor.
We talked about the Oxygen mask, It was only being used to keep the air going into Kims lungs clean. Then I asked what had happened, as like most Doctors she used the common lowest denominator medical talk. “well Kim heart when a little fast, and we had to take her down stairs to help her with it. We did not mean to scare you with the phone call” the Doctor smiles as she says this.
“So what was Kim heart rate?”
“Quick enough to have us worried”
“how quick is that??”
“fairly quick”
At this point I was getting a bit miffed that my question had not been answered.
“So how how many Beats per minute was her heart going at ??”
“198”
“198, damn a AED would shock that rhythm” I reply
The Doctor looks a bit interested that I know it above the read threshold of a Automated External Defibrillator.
She talks more free about the stats of the event, before I went back to Shell and Kim.
Shell look at me a bit worried as I asked Kim how she is feeling. “ Like I have run a bloody marathon” “ well your heart was going like you were doing one, but it all under control now” I reply. “well I wish it would just fucking behave” Kim says with a half smile.
The doctor is hanging around outside the Room as we leave. I am talking to shell about it, trying to set her mind a ease a little. I think it worked.
Maybe it's a mix of the two. As I park up I can start thinking about the call we had. Kim has been rushed to ITU for something, we don't know where that is so we head to the ward for directions.
As we get to the ward, Kim is wheeled out of the lift.
She is wearing a 100% non re-breather Oxygen mask, Looking tired in her bed. Kim eyes light up when she see her Mum standing there. It was the first time, Shell had been to see her in hospital. I leave Shell and Kim to have a quite mother daughter moment together as I went to speak to the Duty Doctor.
We talked about the Oxygen mask, It was only being used to keep the air going into Kims lungs clean. Then I asked what had happened, as like most Doctors she used the common lowest denominator medical talk. “well Kim heart when a little fast, and we had to take her down stairs to help her with it. We did not mean to scare you with the phone call” the Doctor smiles as she says this.
“So what was Kim heart rate?”
“Quick enough to have us worried”
“how quick is that??”
“fairly quick”
At this point I was getting a bit miffed that my question had not been answered.
“So how how many Beats per minute was her heart going at ??”
“198”
“198, damn a AED would shock that rhythm” I reply
The Doctor looks a bit interested that I know it above the read threshold of a Automated External Defibrillator.
She talks more free about the stats of the event, before I went back to Shell and Kim.
Shell look at me a bit worried as I asked Kim how she is feeling. “ Like I have run a bloody marathon” “ well your heart was going like you were doing one, but it all under control now” I reply. “well I wish it would just fucking behave” Kim says with a half smile.
The doctor is hanging around outside the Room as we leave. I am talking to shell about it, trying to set her mind a ease a little. I think it worked.
The Green Man
I have just finished a duty with the Voluntary Ambulance Society I am a member of, and only a few miles away from the hospital. So I decide to pop in and see how Kim is.
It's funny the looks you get walking on to a ward wearing the Ambulance greens and hi vis bomber jacket of a well know First Aid charity. I do wonder if the nurses heart missed a beat when she saw me. But was nice and polite when she asked if she could help, she laughed when I said I was Kim stepdad. Commenting that she did not recognise me without my Blue & Black work jacket.
As usual before I head in to see Kim I look at the obs sheet, but today I have the feeling I am being watched. I have a couple of the patient on the ward, a nurse and the ocupent of another cell, sorry Isolation room looking at me. Oh well, mental note. Don't turn up in uniform again.
As I carry on with the obs sheet, I hear the voice of a friendly male nurse** “So you can actually read them or are you just trying to scare the patients” he jokes, I laugh as he carries on “ It only the 31th Jan, It not Halloween yet” “ yes, very funny” I laugh “hows she been today” “well, its she is still not eating much.” In a split second I have gone from joking to extremely worried and a wave of down hearted feeling washed over me.
Its a bit weird putting just a apron on in uniform, usually barrier nursing with the VAS is Gloves, apron, arm cover and if need mask. So I felt a bit under dressed this time, as I entered the cell.
I took a deep breath and started a hard conversion with her over food.
*VAS
**I think he was a Staff Nurse.
It's funny the looks you get walking on to a ward wearing the Ambulance greens and hi vis bomber jacket of a well know First Aid charity. I do wonder if the nurses heart missed a beat when she saw me. But was nice and polite when she asked if she could help, she laughed when I said I was Kim stepdad. Commenting that she did not recognise me without my Blue & Black work jacket.
As usual before I head in to see Kim I look at the obs sheet, but today I have the feeling I am being watched. I have a couple of the patient on the ward, a nurse and the ocupent of another cell, sorry Isolation room looking at me. Oh well, mental note. Don't turn up in uniform again.
As I carry on with the obs sheet, I hear the voice of a friendly male nurse** “So you can actually read them or are you just trying to scare the patients” he jokes, I laugh as he carries on “ It only the 31th Jan, It not Halloween yet” “ yes, very funny” I laugh “hows she been today” “well, its she is still not eating much.” In a split second I have gone from joking to extremely worried and a wave of down hearted feeling washed over me.
Its a bit weird putting just a apron on in uniform, usually barrier nursing with the VAS is Gloves, apron, arm cover and if need mask. So I felt a bit under dressed this time, as I entered the cell.
I took a deep breath and started a hard conversion with her over food.
*VAS
**I think he was a Staff Nurse.
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