Happy New Year

2013 proved to be a really good year for me and husband Bob.  It all began with his being awarded and MBE in HM Queen's New Year Honours (although we knew about it in late November 2012).  Early January saw us jetting off to the other side of the world to visit daughter and family in New Zealand as well as visiting some other Antipodean countries and returning via Fiji and the USA.  We were away for just over 6 weeks.  Then after a few weeks we had another holiday (this time with friends) in Goa thus spending the best part of winter in lovely warm sunshine whilst the UK was freezing in the ice and snow. 

All through the year we had some lovely weekends away, two more holidays (in Spain) and of course the highlight, in June, was Bob being presented with his MBE by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace - a very special day and many happy memories.

This year hasn't started so well.  We had a lovely Christmas with family and saw the New Year in with friends.  However on Wednesday 8 January, at around 6.30 am Bob woke saying that he felt unwell and that we needed to call someone.  After a brief conversation when he explained that he had been having burning pains in his chest whenever he walked upstairs and they were now much worse (after 7 hours sleep) and seemed also to be in his mouth and gums, I dialled 999.   The ambulance was with us with a few minutes and although Bob said the pain was now lessening they decided to take him to hospital in Weston Super Mare to be given the "once over".   Did I want to go with them?

I decided against it as I would need to get back home and would need transport for Bob anyway.  They told me to give it about an hour then ring the hospital to clarify the situation.  I went back inside and made another coffee!!  A few minutes later the phone rang and it was the medic to say that Bob was actually having a heart attack and they were now taking him to Taunton (in the oposite direction) and I should make my way there.  That was about 8 am.  I rushed around getting essentials to take to Bob, not really thinking straight, and drove to Musgrove hospital in Taunton (about 35 minute drive).  On arrival at the coronary care ward at 9.10 am I found husband sitting up in bed, quite chirpy and feeing much better.  The doctors and staff had been waiting for him in the car park, took him straight to the operating theatre and inserted a stent into his main artery, job done! Incredible.  I still haven't really taken it in.  He was back at home 3 days later. 

We cannot praise too highly the NHS doctors and staff and the ambulance crew (and the paramedic they also called to administer care on the way to the hospital) for the care and attention he was given.  His other 2 arteries aren't looking too good and he will have an MRI scan in a few weeks to determine whether or not to stent them also.  He is doing really well now and getting stronger each day.  No more pain!  He had had a bad cold over Christmas and he thought the burning pains were a chest infection and had resolved to see the doctor later in the week.  He hadn't mentioned anything about it to me!  Of course we now know it was angina pain.

We are in the second week of February and now all is well!