"If I was royalty, I couldn't have been cared for better"

I had a really bad cough so I went to the doctors for antibiotics. The doctor asked me if I was allergic to anything - as far as I knew I wasn't. She gave me Amoxycillin and I took one when I got home. Within seconds my body reacted to it. I was itching and struggling to breathe and my tongue began to swell. I got in my car and drove to my GP practice. I was there within minutes. I immediately put the practice into panic. I lost my memory of what happened and by now I was struggling to swallow and felt immensely tired. I just wanted to lie down and say goodbye to the world.

The doctors and nurses and Blackrod surgery were great. By all accounts they saved me. I went from the GP's to hospital by ambulance and have to say that the ambulance crew were superb. In admittance in hospital my hips went blue and my wife thinks I had a heart attack. I don't agree but I'm fighting against about 2,000 people, including cardiologists, who think I did!

I was admitted to the coronary care ward and cannot speak highly enough of everyone who cared for me, from student nurses to cardiologists. There are four nursing teams and every single nurse, on every single team, was superb. There was a chap on the ward who had dementia and was quite difficult but the staff were amazing with him - so patient and kind.

Everyone had time for me. Everyone cared. I told them in hospital before I left how superb they were. Apparently there have been reports in the paper that the Royal Bolton is the 2nd worst hospital in the country - I couldn't disagree more. It's superb. I really didn't want to come home. If there weren't so many good staff I'd buy them all a present. I recently went to Manchester Royal Infirmary by ambulance, too, and again everyone was superb. The ambulance crew chatted all the way there and were so caring - they truly had an interest in me!

Thank you to everyone - I am recovering and am so grateful for the fantastic care.