Transverse Myelitis & Me, With A New Addition!

I am an incredibly lucky person to live in the country I do as it has a health service that is accessible to all.

So many people slag of the NHS and it’s waiting times, delayed operations and queues in Accident & Emergency but me, I cannot find fault with a service that has been dedicated to my son and also myself.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve spoken to an #NHS ambulance call operator when I’ve needed urgent assistance with Lewis, they are calm, collected and reassuring when you feel your world is crumbling around you, filled with fear.

I cannot tell you how many #Paramedics and #ECAs we’ve had in our house. Proud in their uniforms as they helped not just Lewis over the past 10yrs but myself as well.

Their attention to detail, methodical working and caring natures have always shone through and made the scary times more bearable. Holding your hand when at your most vulnerable can see such a simple gesture but has the biggest affect.

From arrival at our local hospital we have never been treated with anything other than courtesy and respect. Yes Accident and Emergency is busy, yes you have to wait your turn but everyone is treated equally.

#Nurses work their socks off running from patient to patient making sure each one has the medication, equipment that has been prescribed by a #doctor, comforting patients and relatives, being by families sides when times are at their toughest. Doctors treating patients from minor ailments to life changing injuries alongside the nurses. Making critical decisions based on examinations, scans, verbal & physical information. Trying to make all they see better which isn’t always possible. #HCAs standing side by side with nurses and doctors carrying out observations and assisting with procedures.

#everypatientmatters there is no discrimination, everyone is as equal as the next person to be seen.

You can see how hard the staff work to cover shortages in each role, everyone pulling together, even the grabbing of a biscuit as they run between patients, or a quick swig on a water bottle to give them a little extra boost when they’ve worked through their breaks.

They get screamed and shouted at, verbal and physical abuse but they are there for us, you and I and my little boy.

It isn’t acceptable at any level for #NHSstaff to be subjected to the torrent of abuse they receive daily. From the call handlers to the ward staff no-one should get hurt, physically or emotionally for helping you.

Yes there are times I’ve shouted at my son’s doctors but never in malice or intending to be nasty. I’ve shouted to get help, to ask for answers to sometimes unanswerable questions, in frustration when I’ve felt something more could be done but I have always apologised, cried in embarrassment at my lack of control and in sadness that I had to rely so much on people I may never see again.

With Lewis we’ve spent months and months on the hospital wards. We’ve seen Doctors, nurses, HCAs, ward clerks all dashing about, not stopping to ‘catch a break because there just weren’t enough of them for the number of patients. I’ve watched them cry when told sad news about a patient and I’ve watched them celebrate birthdays and ends of treatment and laugh with families. I really have had a lot of laughs through very difficult situations and emotional times, I’ve given many a soggy shoulder from constant tears.

When sick myself, staff sat with me whilst I came to terms / absorbed the information that I had a spinal injury caused by my own body attacking itself.

They gave me time, even though another patient may have needed to be seen, sometimes asking someone else to sit with me whilst they saw someone else.

Their support was invaluable to me. It meant I could ask questions, digest everything and prepare myself to talk to my family members.

The #NHS is in my eyes the most important part of my families life – they have given and continue to give us time together with Lewis whilst helping us manage his extremely complex conditions, they got me home to my family by getting me into an NHS Neuro Rehab Unit for support and treatment .

Next time you see blue lights flashing on an ambulance that’s parked blocking your way, remember that someone just like you is being cared for by someone who has probably not had a break, is an hour over their shift and is ultimately giving their all at the starting chain of NHS treatment.

An incident in my own home area really upset me this past week. 2 teenagers took it upon themselves and dial 999 and report that a young girl was in cardiac arrest. As expected an ambulance was sent with a paramedic and an ECA to go and help this sick young lady.

On arrival they were hit by a barrage of objects from an upstairs window and had to take refuge in the Ambulance. A HOAX CALL! That is one ambulance that could have been assisting someone who was genuinely sick.

This disgusted me and I feel for the crew and for the call handlers that took that call. The concern for a young girl was all that was on their minds when they received that call yet it was for no reason.

I will never be able to come up with enough words to say #THANKYOU to each and every member of #NHSHEROES that have crossed our path. Every single person has played their part.

#THANKYOU #SouthamptonChildrensHospital #UniversityHospitalSouthamptonFT #SolentNHSTrust #PaediatricMedicalUnit #SouthCoastAmbulanceServiceNHSTrust #nevertakeforgranted #luckytohavetheNHS #HappyBirthdayNHS70