"The journey to recovery"

At the beginning of October 2021 my mother blacked out and fell head first, smashing her face onto the kitchen floor at home. 

My sister and I were with her in 10 seconds.

We thought my God has she just dropped dead! Surely not! Please God that cannot have happened to our beloved good natured mother who has never a cross word for anyone.

To be honest we were screaming for her to wake up as we tried to bring her round not knowing if she was dead or had just knocked herself out.

So after about 15 seconds she came round completely dazed. But all we could think was that she was still alive. Thank God above. 

We phoned the ambulance and our neighbour and retired family doctor came in to assess the situation to reassure us and mum. 

The ambulance arrived and I went with her to A&E in Antrim hospital. Once she was assessed there, her brutal injuries were revealed to me by the IC doctor Ceril. 

His absolute concern for her was overwhelming to me and I will never forget his kindness.

Mum had a deep cut in her forehead needing 7 stitches, a bleed on the brain, broken nose, shattered eye socket and disastrously a broken neck.

Ceril handed her over to Gary in IC to continue urgent care along with his staff and between them and colleagues in the Royal Victoria we took a second ambulance to Belfast in the early hours of the morning as her face and head turned black and blue with bruising.

Within less than 24 hours mum was admitted to Major Trauma. Her progress in the first week was surprising but maybe and who knows shock took a hold of her and she became very ill. By the following Tuesday before I had even written her surname in the visitors book a doctor was behind me to give me the update on her, which had no future.

But you see I nor my family could give up on her. Once I had gathered myself and spoke to my siblings , yes we agreed should her heart stop she should not be resuscitated, but I pleaded with the doctors that they did not know her as we did and her care should continue as if she would recover. I understand doctors are realists but we have an amazing prayer circle , the pain for us was how could mum leave this world with so many injuries , why could she not have just had peace which she deserves and slept away.

So the fight began from everywhere and everyone including her. Her phone call to me the first week continued to ring  in my ears.

From the intense care and kindnesses  of Major Trauma to the pressure madness of Ward4D, constant phone calls for updates from hierarchy in the system to nurses on the ground we never stopped.

This was a frantic time for us because we could see how frantic the workload is for the staff in that ward. We worried that a ninety year old would get lost.

Four weeks later mum was admitted to Whiteabbey Acute Fracture rehabilitation.

Five weeks later after a time of three very difficult conversations with doctors in each of these wards of care to their astonishment mum has pulled through. The medicine and treatments have worked , the ‘Care’ on its own , ‘ What can I say?’ It was and is the care she has received from nursing. The doctors , nurses , assistants. Dieticians, Ambulance drivers , X-ray, that brought her to this stage of recovery.

The staff I spoke to doctors Ceril , Gary , Antrim .

Royal Victoria Hospital 

Elise, Agor, Peter, Megan  Doctors, 

Colm consultant Major trauma, 

Nurses Megan , Rebecca 

Kay 

Dietitian Julie

Kathryn ; Mr Verzin’s secretary

Janet, registrar

Doctors 

Finnula

Paul

Nurse Claire

Whiteabbey 

Doctor Justin 

All the amazing nurses, Carers , nutritionists, dieticians and physiotherapists who have shown such kindness and positivity, professionalism and skill.

Thankyou from our family and mum and our devoted prayer circle who prayed for you all and will continue to do so.