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I love it when you see an ad that says last minute gifts – I write this on the 22nd and I am yet to start shopping. Last minute gifts are 5am at the Servo on the 25th.
Or it says stocking filler and it’s something that costs about $100 but it’s little.
If I’m spending $100 on a gift – it’s THE present – not a stocking filler.
Just made myself the best cup of tea – second best in my life. The nurse in emergency brought my ex husband and I a cup of tea and a packet of sandwiches on Monday at about midnight and that, well that was the best I have ever tasted.
Made me think about how people’s kindness can have such an impact.
My sons arrived unexpectedly last Sunday – one from Newcastle with his partner and one from Brissie.
I had been talking to J the youngest earlier and knew he was in Brissie and had stayed with him the previous two weekends as he had been unwell.
But I hadn’t seen H and A since he went into training for the Air Force in March in Victoria so it was a bit overwhelming.
Cried like a baby, just like the YouTube videos when the soldiers walk in and surprise the mother.
I was extremely grateful to have thought to put a bra and knickers on a few hours earlier which sometimes gets forgotten when you are on deadline.
It was Sunday and I was working on the next edition of the newspaper out on 31st December and was going hard to try to finish it before my the family arrived on the 23rd and I wanted to get it in early for the editor so he wouldn’t be stressed.
All plans changed at that moment and the priority was laughs and lots of food – at cafes as I only had 15 cans of tuna and baked beans and an old pumpkin – the fridges would have been full on the 23rd.
So I went for a swim with the boys in the sea early Monday morning before I hit the keyboard again and we all grabbed a coffee when J started feeling sick.
By the time we got home he was vomiting violently, high temp, clammy, heart resting at 149 when he is normally around 50.
I called my brother who is calm and capable and he didn’t hesitate to come straight over.
My first gratitude moment for the day as he was so dependable and didn’t hesitate and reassured us and it was a relief.
When these things happen you don’t know if you are over or under reacting.
I got H to go to the ambulance to come and check him because I didn’t feel right calling 000.
The ambulance came and took him to hospital. Second gratitude moment. These two dependable, kind, dedicated men were so incredible I can’t thank them enough.
I had to, during the mayhem, left him with H and headed into town for a quick meeting I had to attend and had been coordinating this all on the side of the road.
I had taken my sons car as my air conditioner had stopped working the day before and it was about 32 degrees and humid as hell.
So I was the little blue car stopping very ten minutes to talk on the phone and organise things while the troops on the ground at home got him to hospital.
I met the boys father at the hospital and we met the ambulance and these men honestly – next gratitude moment were so attentive and kind I had to cry again.
I will also add at this point I was due to see the doctor the next day for a repeat script as the pharmacist had filled my last one and so I had not had my anti depressant that day….I know.
We waited in the emergency waiting room while he was ‘ramped’ – and the ambulance officer Michael kept us in the loop.
After quite a while they called our sons name so we went in and were shown into an empty bed in a cuticle. We looked at the nurse, then she said J? We said no he is already in here and turned around and he was still with our ambo hero grinning at us – back we went outside.
I need to also say, twice this month I had taken my phone chargers out of my handbag – once just before we had to sit at the RBH most of a day a couple of weeks earlier and this day.
We went back into the waiting room and I said surely someone I here will have an Apple charger.
I looked around and spotted a familiar face, Eric, and said – this is a true story – you don’t have an Apple charger in you so you? He pulled an Apple Charger and charging pack out his pocket. I kid you not. Next gratitude moment.
Unfortunately he didn’t want to keep us company all night so we had to give it back.
There is a board of free chargers in the waiting room but I suspect someone had knicked the Apple one as there were only Samsung left.
We were taken into see J after our Ambo came to say goodbye and told us J was with the doctor now and to not be alarmed but he was in the resuscitation room as there was no other space.
He was not in a very good way but in such good hands with a wonderful team of doctors and nurses. Just brilliant. Next gratitude moment.
We all clicked into that light headed ‘it’s going to be okay, someone capable is looking after him’ mindset and H had quite a lot of pills rattling in his belly including anti nausea and pain killers so he felt better, his temp was coming down and he had a saline drip so was getting some liquids back into him.
As the mood lightened I said okay you are better now. Don’t think this will get Mummy and Daddy back together.
It was light and we were in good hands. I contacted my beautiful friend at about 5pm and she brought us up a charger – she didn’t have one but asked around at work and brought us one so we could keep family in the loop. That was another gratitude moment, so lucky.
We were in emergency for 12 hours until J was taken up to the ward at about midnight Monday night.
Just before that the cup of tea moment happened when the nurse said let’s organise some tea and sandwiches for you all.
This was when I had the best cup of tea in my life. I drink my tea black no sugar. This was white with one and it was absolutely beautiful. She also brought the best curried egg sandwiches I have ever had.
As well as the lovely drugs, J was given long ice block in plastic when he arrived. They gave him a hand knitted two inch long cylinder to hold it with because it was cold…I believe he kept it.
I got home to Rainbow at about 2am because I had to find fuel and chocolate for the one hour trip home.
The next morning I couldn’t see J till 10 so I jumped back on the computer and tidied up all my stories and photos, sent a note to the Editor telling him what was happening and asked him to check how close I was to finishing. Next gratitude moment – I had been taking pics and writing all weekend and if I hadn’t it would have added so much stress.
I grabbed my mail, and headed back to town to hospital with a laptop, chargers, knickers and scarf plus some supplies for J.
I drove my own car because I had a quick google and saw that there’s a slim chance a fuse could be the reason your air conditioner stops working. Next gratitude moment – I’m the eternal optimist ….
Spent the day with J and he was going okay. Hadn’t slept but his temp was a bit better, his heart was a bit better and he had a delicious cup of tea which he said was pretty good.
The third doctor he’d seen since arriving came by and he was so so nice and thorough and kind and professional and we were SO grateful. He said he would get to the bottom of the problem, and we believed him.
I realised I wouldn’t get to the doctor for my script so rang to apologise. She said no problem, would you like a phone consult. I said Omg yes please! More momentous gratitude. He asked some questions, filled the scripts and said, would you like me to send to your pharmacy? Wow.
At about 3pm another friend texted and asked if I needed a bed for the night. So grateful.
Editor texted and said papers done, Merry Christmas. Yep
Grateful.
Left hospital about 5.30pm Tuesday 21st and had a bloody beautiful curry – yep grateful – a long cold shower and crashed. Good friends are gold.
This morning I headed up at 10 with some carrot cake and coffee from the Wishlist coffee shop and it was delicious and the patient was pretty grateful – he got the cake.
J’s girlfriend arrived from Brisbane so his father and I felt quite superfluous so I headed to the air conditioner man called Gympie Auto Air at 4 Tozer Lane who I had rung earlier and he had said, doubtful it’s a fuse but he could have a quick look but couldn’t fit me in till January.
Dropped in, he checked it out, did some stuff, took about 5 minutes, and said, it will hold you over to the New Year. I cried. I had air con. How can you not be grateful hey? Yes I did give him beer money because it was Xmas and I couldn’t believe how kind he was.
Came home, made a cuppa which was second only in perfection to the one at midnight in emergency.
My son is in good hands. My other son is back in Queensland safe and sound. The boys father and I had a united front and a lot of laughs which was great for everyone and healed some old wounds for me.
I’m home for the night and will sleep like a log before I go back tomorrow.
We are so so grateful for all the people who have made the last few days much easier to get through.
We are so grateful to the Ambulance Officers and The Gympie Hospital who have been so incredibly kind, professional, caring and knowledgeable.
I said to our first doctor. I know we seem over the top, but this is not right. He said. No, you are advocating for your son. Gratitude.
Anyhow. It’s the 22nd December. Time to buy some food for Christmas and some ‘last minute stocking fillers’ .
J is still in hospital and is having more tests tomorrow. We think he’ll be home tomorrow night with some answers and we have learnt some very important lessons
