Yesterday my DM sounded either very drunk or having just had a jab at the dentist, just when it was worrying it got better. I Face Timed her just after 6 in the evening and it was bad and I thought the side of her mouth was drooping so I rushed up to see her and decided to ring 111, they answered within 5 minutes, assessed her and sent an ambulance, she had scans and was ready to come home by midnight. Unfortunately it’s a lesion on her brain but her treatment has already started with steroids, anti fitting drugs, further scans and referrals to two different oncology departments, all of this within 24 hours. Her speech is already almost back to normal.
All the staff have been marvellous, treated an 86 year old with respect, kindness and honesty which didn’t inspire fear but hope despite having lost her DDIL last year five weeks after a brain tumour diagnosis.
I fully expected to spend hours just getting in contact with the different services, getting to A & E and for my DM to spend hours in corridors especially as our only hospital is regularly in the local press for their terrible waiting times and I know that this is the experience of many but I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who works for the NHS and their dedication in the face of a government determined to run it into the ground so they can sell it off to the private sector.