I got up and with very little energy went for a 20 min walk to my local park and back. It was fairly humid and although I was gonna walk for longer, my best mate called and offered to look after my sister's dog so we could go Xmas shopping with the girls. Previous to that we were gonna cancel our shopping plans as we had no dog-minder as Mum and dad had a doctors appointment and werent free to dogsit...long story. Anyway, I shortened my walk and got ready and went over to my sister's.
We fed the girls, loaded them into the car, dropped off the dog and were heading to the shops when my sister received a horrible call. It was from my brother and my sister started saying no and crying and I pulled over to the side of the road. My first thought was that something had happened to my brother's kids or my sister in law and I was very worried. She said it's Mum, she's had another stroke and she burst into tears. I quickly realised that it would be no use for the two of us to get upset, so I held it together and said it's ok, it's ok, where is she? She said the Austin, so I did a u-turn and tried to remember which way Heidelberg was in my confused brain.
We started heading to Heidelberg before remembering that we better pick up her dog and drop the kids at home with my sister's mum-in-law. It seemed like forever waiting for her and my BIL to arrive home so we could leave. We did odd jobs around the house and my sister was struggling not to cry. She was so tired and sleep deprived anyway, so this news was too much for her. We finally left the house and drove to the Austin.
It was all too weird arriving at the Austin and going to emergency. My Dad and my brothers were already there when we arrived and they were able to tell us that the doctors weren't sure whether it was a stroke or a seizure. If it was a seizure that was better because it wouldn't leave any brain damage. Dad described what had happened. Luckily Mum and Dad were home when it happened. They were both getting ready to go to Mum's doctor's appointment and then Mum was having trouble getting dressed. Dad was helping her and then before he knew it, she wasn't responding and her eyes were rolling back in her head. He freaked out of course as she started to convulse and he called the ambulance. They were fantastic, telling him what to do as he laid her on the floor in the coma position. Before too long they arrived and put her in the ambulance. What he described sounded like a seizure.
We waited for a while then some doctors came to talk to us. They said it looked more like a seizure at this stage. They said that when Mum arrived at the hospital she wasn't responding too well and she wasn't breathing properly, so they incubated her and put her in an induced coma. They were now moving her to ICU, where they would monitor her vital signs and slowly bring her out of the coma as she started to initiate more breaths on her own. They let us quickly see her in the emergency room. She was hooked up to lots of wires and the breathing tube and looked a little bit distressed as she tried to pull the tube out, so they had lightly strapped one of her arms down.
Whilst they were waiting for a bed for her in ICU, we went to have some lunch. I was still on my stupid diet, so while my family got stuck into hot chips and other greasy comfort food delicacies, I went the healthy sandwich option. But in a strange way, I was glad to have my routine making the day slightly more normal.
We then went to wait in ICU to see Mum. It was so freaky being back in that waiting room. It was only around 18 months ago we were all in there when she had alot of health complications last year and it was very touch and go for a while. We couldn't believe we were back here again. Strangely, I felt like it was more bearable because it was something I'd already been through. I had hope. I knew that this story could end in a positive way.
Looking round the waiting room was difficult as it was last time. You start to work out who the other families are and hear snippets of their conversation. Last time we where here we made friends with a family who were so dedicated that they had a rice cooker and sleeping bags with them. They were literally camping there. They only went home in the arvo for a shower...
And this all reminded me again how wonderful the Austin Intensive Care Unit is. The people in there are amazing. They give life every day. They are so patient and kindhearted and don't mind explaining things over and over because when you are that stressed and concerned about your loved one your mind becomes like a sieve that cannot retain any information.
Anyway, back to Mum. Finally, we went in to see her and she was heavily sedated, still not responding and still with the breathing tube down her throat. Each time she started to rouse, she would gag uncomfortably and try to retch the tube out. She seemed to hear the voices in the room, but they still weren't comfortable enough with her breathing to take the tube out and decided to leave it in overnight. I became quite upset watching her gag on the tube but the doctor reassured me that it was a great sign that Mum was doing that. It meant she had brain activity. Someone who was braindead would not feel uncomfortable with the tube at all.
I stayed at the hospital with my sis until around 9pm, when we left so she could do the 10pm feed. I dropped her home and went home to collapse into bed. It had been a horribly hard day.
Food:
Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with milk
Meal 2 - water
apple
Meal 3 - multi grain sandwich with chicken, avocado, tomato, asparagus and tabouli
Meal 4 -waternuts
Meal 5 - water
Meal 6 - water
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