What a Holiday!

Sean had some visitors from Canada this weekend.  One of the guests was a lady called Margaret.  I didn't think she looked well, and indeed, she said she wasn't feeling well.  A table had been booked at a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, and Margaret came along too.  She couldn't eat anything and she looked greyer by the minute.  I remember thinking that she was taking courtesy to the extreme.  It was the first time Sean or I had met her, and she was sitting opposite her boyfriend so I assumed that as she wasn't causing him concern, she was probably tired from the long transatlantic flight.

When she took longer than I thought she should in the Ladies, I went to look for her.  She was vomiting copious amounts of fresh blood, so I insisted on her going to hospital immediately, even though she didn't want to.  The men were prepared to go along with it, but Sean knew I meant it when I said she had to go.  They kept her in and as she had lost so much blood, they gave her blood transfusions during the night, and tomorrow they will do a gastroscopy.

Before she came, she had had a golfing accident and has lots of bruising and a cracked pelvis.  She is on a blood thinning drug called Warfarin, and on medical advice in Canada took an extra dose to protect her on the long flight.  But she had also been given a strong pain tablet by her doctor, also to help with sitting on a cracked pelvis during the flight.  The Tunbridge Wells doctors say that that particular pain medication should not be given with Warfarin as it causes a bad reaction.  I think it is the most likely explanation for the haemorrhage, but they are planning a gastroscopy for tomorrow, probably to make sure there isn't a local lesion in the upper digestive tract, such as a stomach ulcer.

They were supposed to have been going to France tomorrow, but I very much doubt that will happen.  She will feel wiped out for weeks.  What a holiday!  She comes on a visit with all sorts of exciting plans, and spends it looking at hospital walls, with tubes and monitors all over her.  Better luck next time, Margaret.

And those men!!  Sean had said earlier he thought she was rather "odd".  Talking to him later, what Sean meant by "odd" was that she was quiet and not very chatty.  She was sitting opposite her boyfriend and next to his brother.  The brother said afterwards he thought she was very quiet.  I had caught Sean's eye to  draw attention to how she looked, but those three men all have degrees in History and they were yattering on about things of yore and not noticing their guest getting greyer by the minute!  She was having an internal bleed and was politely not complaining.  I can't believe that they were surprised when I said that she was very ill and had to go to hospital NOW!  She wasn't eating, wasn't drinking, wasn't talking and they kept on about events that happened centuries ago while in the present she was haemorrhaging right in front of them as they enjoyed their food and wine.  Men!!! I told them off very firmly when she was in the cubicle in A and E. Doubt if it went in though.

Give Sean his due though, he tried to draw Margaret into the conversation, and asked her about her career and her job.  But he gave up when she wasn't very responsive. Someone as sick as that is very seldom chatty.  Still, he tried, which is more than her boyfriend did.  No wonder that man has never married.  He just doesn't notice anyone else and their needs.  Its OK for a friend to have a health crisis in front of you, as long as you have your food and wine and are enjoying yarns of yore.  The mind boggles!