by Jo Meadows
Chapter 11
‘Well I think we’ve been quite fortunate,’ said the doctor. ‘The time between a person starting to have a stroke and getting to hospital can be very critical to their recovery and in some cases, even their survival. You did very well. Because you acted so quickly, David stands a very good chance of having an almost full recovery, although he has a long road ahead of him.’
‘Almost a full recovery? Does that mean he may be left with some problems?’ asked Georgina, concerned.
‘At this stage it’s very difficult to say, but usually most of the effects of a stroke can diminish over a period of time. David is going to need a lot of support for quite a while but with physical therapy he should regain a good level of mobility fairly quickly. It’s common for people who have suffered strokes to lose some mobility in parts of the left side of their bodies but, in a lot of cases, they recover most of this quite quickly. As I said, David is very fortunate that you were on hand and acted so quickly.’
‘What about his eyesight and hearing? They’re both affected quite badly aren’t they? Will they recover too?’
‘Once again, it’s the same as with mobility. Some patients recover surprisingly quickly but at this stage, it’s difficult to say. His loss of hearing is quite unusual, but I believe that will sort itself out as his body starts to get back to normal. Partial loss or even total loss of eyesight is very common in stroke victims but it’s quite rare for that condition to be permanent. Try not to worry too much, he’s in the best place right now and of course, he’ll get the best care we can provide.’
‘What happens now?’
‘Well, for now we continue to monitor him and keep an eye on his recovery. We should start to see some improvement in his condition over the next few days and then, when he’s more alert and starts to become mobile we’ll draw up a plan for the physiotherapist. I understand you have some adult children is that correct?’
‘Yes, I have a daughter who lives about five hours or so away, and a son who lives abroad. I’ve already called them both and they’re going to come as quickly as they can.’
‘That’s good. Although David seems a bit out of it right now, the more you talk to him and let him know he’s loved and being cared for the better. Having your son and daughter visiting him will do wonders for his recovery, believe me.’
‘How long is he likely to have to stay in hospital?’
‘Once again I’m afraid it’s difficult to say for sure. It will depend on his recovery, but I can tell you it will be several weeks before we can even start to consider allowing him to go home.’
‘Oh! Alright, thank you Doctor, you’ve been very kind.’
‘You’re welcome. Now, if you have any questions about how David’s recovery is progressing, please ask one of the nurses and if they can’t answer your questions, they’ll pass them on to me.’
‘I will. Thanks again.’
The doctor walked out of the room, leaving Georgina alone with David. Although he had monitors attached to him and a drip feeding into a cannula in the back of his hand, he looked as though he was sleeping peacefully. Georgina was both pleased and at the same time extremely concerned. She was very pleased that the doctor had praised her actions in getting the ambulance to David so quickly. He’d been very nice and had told her that if she hadn’t acted so promptly, David would possibly not be alive right now. So, you owe me your life, she thought. Thank your lucky stars I bothered to get up to see what all the noise was. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me, and, as soon as you know what’s what, I’ll make sure you know that.
However, she had become quite concerned when the doctor had started to discuss David’s health leading up to the stroke. He knew from his records that David’s cholesterol level had been very high a little while ago and he’d been concerned that they didn’t know how long it had been like that. He’d also asked her if David had been under any increased stress lately as both high cholesterol and stress were major risk factors when it came to strokes. She’d said that David was retired and, although he was fairly active, he led a relatively quiet life, and no, she couldn’t think of why he would have had increased stress. They were both quite happy and had a good relationship, and she told the doctor that this had all come as a complete surprise to her.
The main concern she felt was about David’s recovery and what would happen when the doctors decided that he could go home. What state would he be in? Would he be an invalid and would she have to become his carer? Oh God, I hope not, that doesn’t bear thinking about, she thought. I’ll have to worry about that when the time comes I suppose. In the meantime, let’s get ready for Lynnette’s and Michael’s visits; they’d both said they’d be here sometime tomorrow.
It had been a very long day for Georgina and she was desperate to get out of the hospital and go home. Before she left she checked on visiting times with the nurses and was told that until David was well on the road to recovery, she could visit as often and for as long as she liked. In fact, they said that they encouraged as many visits as possible as it helped the patients immensely.
Marvellous, she thought, that’s all I need. She’d only been to this hospital once before and that time she’d been brought by neighbours in their car. The journey had taken almost an hour; god knows how long it would take on a bus. Once again she decided it was no use worrying about all that for now, she’d get a taxi home today and to hell with the cost; Lynnette or Michael could bring her for the next few days.
***
Georgina sat down with coffee and sandwiches. Lynnette and Michael had both left messages to say when they expected to arrive. Lynnette would be there late in the afternoon but Michael wouldn’t arrive until late the next day, some problem to do with an important meeting at work and also the timing of his flight.
As she sat there, she thought about David and the lead-up to his stroke. She had been putting him under a bit of pressure lately but surely that had been nothing unusual. She remembered what the doctor had said about his cholesterol and his question about stress and became slightly worried. No, I’ve got nothing to worry about; David had probably been at risk of having a stroke anyway because of his family history, after all, his Dad had died as a result of a major one, hadn’t he? Besides, it’s not like I’ve got a couple of years’ worth of his cholesterol pills lying around; I got rid of all of those straight away. Stop it, stop being stupid, she said to herself. Everything that’s happened to him is explainable and not even remotely suspicious. She didn’t feel guilty; it was more about the shame of anyone knowing what she’d done. That was why all this was worrying her; she’d die if she was found out.
Other more pressing thoughts passed through her mind; thoughts that were really worrying - thoughts that frightened her. What if everything that David was going through was because of her and what she’d been doing over the years. That wasn’t her main concern however; she remembered her thoughts in the hospital. What if David became dependent upon her for everything; became some kind of invalid? It was one thing having control over him and what he did but it was quite another having to become his carer. God help me, she thought. How the hell would I cope with that? My life wouldn’t be my own. I’d have no freedom; I may not be able to leave him for even a few minutes. I’d have to feed him, dress him and of course wash him and see to his toilet. Oh Jesus! I can’t do that, I wonder if I can get help? What am I going to do?
Once again, her common sense prevailed; she’d worry about all of that when the time came. The doctor had said it would be several weeks before they would even start to think about sending David home. With a bit of luck he’ll be able to take care of himself by then. I’m not going to worry about something I can’t do anything about.
Later that afternoon she had a call from Lynnette. She was at the hospital with Leo and Emily and she told her that they’d all been in to see David. Georgina had asked why they hadn’t come straight to her and Lynnette had said that if they had, they wouldn’t have bee
n able to see her Dad until the next day. Although she didn’t say anything, Georgina was infuriated. Typical, all the attention was focused on David. Yes he was ill, but he was safe; his life wasn’t in danger. What about her? No thought given to how she felt or how upset she was all alone at home. What if they have had to wait until tomorrow? He’s not going anywhere is he? He won’t even know they’re there for god’s sake!
***
By the time Leo’s car turned into the drive Georgina was ready for them and, as soon as they came into the house she burst into tears and almost collapsed into Lynnette’s arms. They stood there, all hugging her until she was able to compose herself. Both Lynnette and Emily were clearly upset she noticed, and as she wiped away the tears from Emily’s cheeks with a handkerchief she said, ‘There, there Emily, your Grandpa will be alright, there’s no need to worry.’
‘Oh Nana! He looked so poorly in the hospital, are you sure he’ll be alright?’
‘Yes, I’m sure. The doctor said it will just take time.’
‘How are you Mum?’ asked Lynnette.
‘I’m very tired and I’m worried sick of course. It’s been such a long day. I found your Dad on the kitchen floor and I was so scared. The doctor said that if I hadn’t acted so quickly he may have died; I suppose that’s one good thing. I called the ambulance as soon as I found him.’
‘Oh Mum, you must have been terrified.’
‘Yes Darling I was. I still am. I’m scared for your Dad, they said he should make a good recovery but it may take a long time. I do hope he’s going to be alright. I’d be lost without him; I love him so much.’
‘We know you do Mum. Please, try not to worry. We spoke to the doctor and he said the same things to us as he told you. Yes, it will take time, but they expect Dad to start to recover very soon. And, thanks to you, he stands a very good chance of getting back to normal pretty quickly.’
‘You should be proud of yourself Georgina,’ said Leo. ‘If you hadn’t been there and acted so quickly, god knows what might have happened. You saved his life.’
‘Thank you Leon, you’re very kind but anyone else would have done the same.’
‘Not everyone would have realised how serious the situation was, you should be proud of yourself for recognizing that and acting so quickly. You’re amazing.’
‘Have you got an update on Michael and when he might arrive?’ asked Lynnette.
‘Well, he had a bit of a delay getting away but he should be here tomorrow sometime.’
‘Okay, that’s good. We won’t wait for him to come before we go to visit Dad tomorrow, we’ll just go and I’ll send him a text to let him know what we’re doing. What time do you want to go tomorrow? The nurses said you can go anytime and for as long as you like. Obviously we can go anytime that suits you.’
‘Let’s worry about that tomorrow morning; we could all do with some rest. I for one am bushed, I think I’ll go to bed pretty soon.’
‘Alright, we’ll go and check in to our rooms. Will you be okay on your own or would you rather I stay with you?’
‘No, thank you I’ll be fine. You go and get a good night’s sleep.’
‘Okay if you’re sure. What time shall we come over in the morning?’
‘Oh, there’s no rush, we’ll have all day to get across and see your Dad. Just come over when you’re ready.’
‘How do you think she is?’ asked Leo as they drove away.
‘I don’t know it’s hard to tell isn’t it? She seemed really upset when we first arrived but she wasn’t overly excited about what time we’re going to visit Dad was she? It didn’t feel as though she was in any big rush to get back to the hospital.’
‘No, I suppose not, but remember she’s had a big shock and she was on her own when she found him. She must have been really frightened. She’s probably just relieved that we’re here now and she knows that we can’t do anything more tonight. Let’s get over there bright and early and see where we go from there.’
‘Yes you’re right. Things will be different in the morning. I’d like to go to the hospital as soon as we can, after all we’ve only got a couple of days and we’ve got to go home. I’d like to spend as much time with Dad as we can if that’s alright.’
‘Of course, it will allow your Mum to spend plenty of time with him as well. Transport’s going to be difficult for her when we’ve gone.’
Chapter 12
The next morning they arrived at Georgina and David’s house at half-past eight to find Georgina only just up and about and still in her dressing gown. ‘My, you are early; I’ve only just got up.’
‘Did you sleep well Mum?’
‘Not really. I couldn’t stop thinking about your Dad. I took something to help me sleep and that seemed to do the trick eventually.’
‘What time shall we go to the hospital? You know we’ve only got a couple of days and I’d like to see him as much as we can.’
‘As I said last night, there’s no rush, we have all day. Let’s have a cup of tea, have you had breakfast?’
‘Yes Mum, we’re fine thanks. We’re just really keen to get over to see Dad. You must be too.’
‘I am of course but I must have a cup of tea and some breakfast and then a shower. We’ve got plenty of time. There’s no hurry.’
When Georgina was in the shower later, Lynnette asked Leo if he thought her Mum was trying to put off going to the hospital. ‘I don’t know, she does seem a bit reluctant. She’s probably scared and worried about seeing your Dad, being the way he is. It is a little unnerving with all the monitors and tubes attached to him.’
‘Yes, you’re right. It’s just that it’s as though she’s talking about going to the garden centre rather than rushing to see her seriously ill husband. If it was you in there I would have stayed all last night.’
‘Let’s play it her way, we’ll still have quite a lot of time with your Dad. We’ll just stay longer.’
‘Okay, that’s a good idea. We can take a break for lunch somewhere and go back after.’
When Georgina reappeared, she’d been crying and was clearly very upset. Lynnette and Emily sat with her and tried to comfort her. After what seemed like forever, she finally seemed to get a hold of herself and said that they should probably make a move to go to the hospital. By this time it was ten forty-five and Lynnette, although worried for her Mum, was angry at the delay. As they set of on the fifty-minute journey, almost half the day had gone.
***
Later that afternoon after lunch in the hospital restaurant; they were all sitting by David’s bedside with Emily playing quietly in the corner.
‘Well hello there,’ said a voice from the doorway. They looked up as one, surprised to see Michael standing there.
‘Oh Michael, you’re here at last. And you’re earlier than you said, did you get an earlier flight?’ asked Georgina as she rushed across to hug him.
‘Yes, I managed to get away from work sooner than I thought. How’s Dad? Has there been any change since we last spoke?’ he said kissing Georgina and gently returning her hug.
‘No, there’s no change yet, but the doctor says that everything is going the way they expect it to for now, so we can just hope that he’s right and your Dad starts to recover soon.’
‘And how are you Mum?’
Oh I’m alright. I’ve been very worried. It’s really good of you all to come, especially you Michael, all the way from Spain.’
‘It’s my Dad Mum, of course I’ve come.’
‘Couldn’t Susan and the kids come too? It would have been lovely to see them all.’
‘No, sorry, it was just too short-notice to arrange anything, and I thought I’d better get here as fast as I could. Perhaps they’ll be able to come later.’ After they’d all said their hellos, Lynnette, Leo and Emily all went to the cafeteria to allow Michael some time alone with his Mum and Dad.
Later, after they’d returned to Calthorpe, Lynnette asked Michael where he was staying. He said his Mum had asked hi
m to stay with her as she was on her own and still quite frightened by what had happened. Lynnette agreed it was probably a good idea but remembered her Mum refusing her offer of company the day before; the day her Dad had taken ill, and thought it a little odd that she should now want Michael there. She quietly asked Michael if he’d be able to meet with her later to catch up while they were on their own and also said she’d like a chat with him about their Mum and Dad, now that Dad was ill. Michael agreed and they met that evening in a local pub.
‘How are you then Sis? We haven’t seen each other in ages.’
‘I’m fine thanks, but as you’d expect, I’m worried about Dad. It’s good that you could make it over so quickly.’
‘It’s not too bad these days with the flights being relatively cheap. My boss is pretty good as well. I’ve only got a couple of days like you guys though, and then I’ve got to get back. How do you think Mum is coping with all this?’
‘I don’t know, one minute she’s going around as though everything’s normal and then all of a sudden she’s all upset. I thought she’d be more upset for more of the time if you know what I mean.’
‘Yes I think I do. She’s been fine all the time since I arrived but she got really upset just before I left to come and see you. She asked me not to leave her alone.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, she calmed down after a while and I managed to get away. She’ll be alright, she cheered up in no time when I said I wouldn’t be very long. What did you want to talk about? Was it anything specific?’ Lynnette told him about their last visit and what happened with Emily and asked if anything similar had ever happened with his kids. She also told him about their Mum’s behaviour around their Dad and some of the things their Dad had said that had caused her concern.
Michael said he wasn’t sure what she was getting at but said that it was probably that they were getting older and perhaps a bit less tolerant of each other. Lynnette said it was more than that and that Dad had seemed quite unhappy, especially when they came to leave. She then asked Michael why he hardly ever came to visit and when he did, why Susan and the kids rarely came at all. Michael said to be honest, although he’d never liked to say anything, Susan had always felt uncomfortable around their Mum and although he wasn’t sure why, the kids never wanted to visit. ‘I would never have said anything if you hadn’t asked,’ he said. ‘I feel terrible talking like this when she’s at home alone and Dad’s in hospital.’
