Heart Attack?

Today, my dad had was suspected to be a heart-attack. It happened 4 days before mum was to go into care so that he could get respite.

I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing that it happened now and not when he would have been alone. Mum doesn't know how to use the telephone to dial 999 but was able to get help from a neighbour.

I was alerted to the problem after my wife had called me, and sounded quite hysterical on the phone. My dad managed to call home and speak to her as he knew the number by heart. By the time I got to their place, the paramedics had arrived and were checking him over. He was in a lot of pain and barely managing to speak, but settled down over the course of being reviewed.

He was taken to Hammersmith Hospital. Mum didn't quite understand what was going on. She kept asking who it was in the driveway, and I kept telling her it was the ambulance. She remained in her usual spot on the settee - at the end nearest the window, with her hands in her lap, looking to and fro and wondering what was happening. It was truly heartbreaking.

The only course of action was to have her stay at our place with my wife and son. After taking her there, I made my way to Hammersmith Hospital - and what a pain that is. My wife and I made numerous visits to Queen Charlotte's in years gone by and it wasn't a place that evoked nice memories. The parking charges are horrendous - the last thing you want to think about is having enough coins and checking the time for the parking when you're in the hospital for other more important reasons.

It also made me think back to that time when dad was in intensive care, but I was much younger - possibly nearly 30 years ago now. It was awful, I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. I didn't realise at the time of course how worried my mum would have been. Now, she doesn't even realise he's in hospital.

She is in fact in the care home she intended to stay at starting at the weekend. It was such good fortune that my Aunt managed to speak to them and they agreed to take her today. So, after staying with dad for a while and leaving him in good hands, I got home and my Aunt and I took mum to the care home, which thankfully is local.

Leaving her there wasn't as hard as I expected. Dad had already prepared things in advance so we had collected clothes and toiletries for her, and in another stroke of good fortune the pharmacy had her advance supply of medication ready, so I picked that up and they were good to go. After staying with her in her room - which was very nice indeed - the Manager introduced her to the other ladies in the common room. And it was simply a matter of telling her we'd see her later, and off she went.

To be honest, I think I worry more about whether mum will be OK in unfamiliar surroundings and whether she'll be looked after properly than my dad who is responding well to the treatment he's been given (as I was told when I phoned up this evening to check on him) and is in safe hands.

Let's see what tomorrow brings...