A couple of weeks ago my OH woke up with a pain in his lower leg. There was a small lump and a slightly reddened area. We thought it might be a bite and, as he has had a bad reaction to previous bites, we decided to go to our local hospital minor injuries unit.

The doctor thought it was swollen and prescribed strong antibiotics. Then overnight OH had bad stomach pains and troubles.

The long leaflet that came with the medication said to call a doctor if such a side effect occurred. He called 111 and when the doctor called back he recommended that we attend A&E, ten miles away. I drove him down there, thinking we would only be there a couple of hours. Ho hum. Six and a half hours later he had had a blood test and a scan, which appeared to show a small clot. Came off the antibiotics and onto blood thinners…

We were exhausted physically and mentally by the time we got home, but relieved that it was discovered and treated. We then had a pleasant few days in Dorset, following which my OH had another scan. This time no clot was found, but a diagnosis of phlebitis that was going away because of the one day of strong antibiotics. Now no blood thinners or other meds - back to normal.

Anyhow, during some of the time I was waiting with him in A&E, I wrote this short poem.

Sad day

Hospital A & E, not a place I want to be

Not an emergency as such

But the fear it brings just feels too much

Too many visits, one time or another

Difficult times for a wife and a mother

Grief, angst and loss whirl around in my head

Blue lights for my child, who was already dead

But I’m glad they found my man’s ok

He’ll live to see another day 

I have had two children who have had to spend time in hospital more than once and sitting in that environment brought back difficult memories. I find it curious the way the body reacts to memories like that. Thankfully I am now on an even keel.

Sorry if this is not the most uplifting of blogs, but I hope it will help some to see how we can experience bad reminders, but that they help us to understand where we are coming from and that recovery is possible.

Take good care of yourselves and those whom you love,

Another Sally  xx

A Moodscope member