Almost a year to the day since my last post!
So time to stop the procrastnation and restart my blog!!
Enough of the exclamation marks.
A series of ill health events stopped the blog in it's tracks last year.
First of all I had kidney stones. The pain was dreadful and not knowing the reason made it so much worse. So Mike drove me down to our local medical centre where I was ushered straight through to be seen by a doctor who was able to quickly diagnose my problem and give me a pain killing injection. Problem sorted, more or less.
The next day I drove Mike to the same medical centre. Unbeknowns to me as I lay recovering the previous day, Mike was experiencing black floating dots in his vision. He carried on as normal, washing cars and motor bikes until later in the day he came to check on me and said he was experiencing light across his vision.
On the advice of the doctor I drove him to a hospital 40 minutes away. Where following an examination of his eye he was told to lie down immediately. He had a detatched retina. A serious one requiring immediate surgery. An ambulance then took him 100 miles to another hospital where he had the surgery. The outcome of all this is that it has left him partially sighted in his left eye. His main concern was whether he could ride motor bikes again. Fortunately he can and although he has days when his sight is quite poor, he manages very well. But it did mean a review of what we were doing and a period of readjustment.
The third (they say things come in three's) ill health event happened when my sister and family came over to Sweden for their first visit. Two days into their holiday and her partner had a mild heart attack. A trip to the local hospital at Ludvika resulted in him being taken by ambulance to the hospital at Falun 40 minutes away (the one I had taken Mike to) where he spent the next 10 days. It was a very worrying time particularly for my sister and their two children aged 13 and 7. Their time in Sweden was extended, I won't refer to it as a holiday in light of the events, and they ended up staying over Easter and for her daughters 8th birthday. The good news is that he came out of hospital on his daughters birthday and has made a good recovery.
What I will say is , the Swedish health system is excellent from all of our experiences, clean, friendly, efficient. Doctors and medical staff would routinely shake hands and introduce themselves by their first name with us all, and I mean all including 7 year olds. Food was available in both hospitals in the day room so that patients could help themselves to snacks and drinks. My brother-in-law was a bit perturbed to find on his cardiology ward, butter and cheese freely available. The Swedes philosophy being a little of what you enjoy. What a contrast from the English hospitals that Mike and I were unfortunate to experience when it came to caring for our parents.
These events took place between 21st March and 21st April when we came back to the UK. We were without internet connection for a few months so I somehow got out of the habit of blogging. Lets see what happens now.
So time to stop the procrastnation and restart my blog!!
Enough of the exclamation marks.
A series of ill health events stopped the blog in it's tracks last year.
First of all I had kidney stones. The pain was dreadful and not knowing the reason made it so much worse. So Mike drove me down to our local medical centre where I was ushered straight through to be seen by a doctor who was able to quickly diagnose my problem and give me a pain killing injection. Problem sorted, more or less.
The next day I drove Mike to the same medical centre. Unbeknowns to me as I lay recovering the previous day, Mike was experiencing black floating dots in his vision. He carried on as normal, washing cars and motor bikes until later in the day he came to check on me and said he was experiencing light across his vision.
On the advice of the doctor I drove him to a hospital 40 minutes away. Where following an examination of his eye he was told to lie down immediately. He had a detatched retina. A serious one requiring immediate surgery. An ambulance then took him 100 miles to another hospital where he had the surgery. The outcome of all this is that it has left him partially sighted in his left eye. His main concern was whether he could ride motor bikes again. Fortunately he can and although he has days when his sight is quite poor, he manages very well. But it did mean a review of what we were doing and a period of readjustment.
The third (they say things come in three's) ill health event happened when my sister and family came over to Sweden for their first visit. Two days into their holiday and her partner had a mild heart attack. A trip to the local hospital at Ludvika resulted in him being taken by ambulance to the hospital at Falun 40 minutes away (the one I had taken Mike to) where he spent the next 10 days. It was a very worrying time particularly for my sister and their two children aged 13 and 7. Their time in Sweden was extended, I won't refer to it as a holiday in light of the events, and they ended up staying over Easter and for her daughters 8th birthday. The good news is that he came out of hospital on his daughters birthday and has made a good recovery.
What I will say is , the Swedish health system is excellent from all of our experiences, clean, friendly, efficient. Doctors and medical staff would routinely shake hands and introduce themselves by their first name with us all, and I mean all including 7 year olds. Food was available in both hospitals in the day room so that patients could help themselves to snacks and drinks. My brother-in-law was a bit perturbed to find on his cardiology ward, butter and cheese freely available. The Swedes philosophy being a little of what you enjoy. What a contrast from the English hospitals that Mike and I were unfortunate to experience when it came to caring for our parents.
These events took place between 21st March and 21st April when we came back to the UK. We were without internet connection for a few months so I somehow got out of the habit of blogging. Lets see what happens now.
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