Sunday 4 June 2023

Today I was discharged and managed the short walk to the hotel. Poor Rayls is no better off than I am and we spent the day resting in the hotel.

Saturday 3 June 2023

Another day in hospital. At least they took out the nose plug.

Friday 2 June 2023

Signs were good that I would be discharged today. Good, but not good enough!

They gave me some blood thinners to take until I get home and see my cardiologist. Very special thinners to reduce the chance of stroke. Soon after the first dose my nose started to bleed. This was not just a minor bleed, this was a rush. They called an ear, throat and nose specialist in to cauterise the offending veins but too much blood so she stuck a plug up there which needs to stay in place for a day - another night in hospital. I could include a photo but you don’t want to see.

Rayls stayed resting at the hotel. In the afternoon she went out for supplies and then walked back to the hospital to drop off much needed power for my phone and computer. She walked back after a pleasant chat and got lost needing to catch a taxi to find her way back to the hotel.

It has been a depressing few days.

Thursday 1 June 2023

Today we were scheduled to head off on our road trip to Scotland. With assistance from Scott we cancelled other plans and were going to head for another hotel just an hour north of London. It was going to be a task getting our luggage to the Avis car rental place and then the short drive out.... we can do it.

Wrong! at around 10:30am I got up to have a shower, I knew something was wrong but I tried anyway. I remember standing in what is a very small shower and wondering how I was going to get my arms up to wash my hair. Next thing I knew I was down and on the floor. I called Rayls who was in a bad way herself. It took 20 minutes to get up and drag myself to the bed. Problem was that I was having the exact same symptoms as I did when I had a heart attack last year. So Rayls went to reception and an ambulance was called. Two lovely young paramedics, Holly and Katie somehow hauled me to the ambulance and although I was patient 1, Rayls wasn't too far behind me and she tagged along on the short ride, with siren - maybe lights, I couldn't see, to the University College London Hospital. Rayls and I always do things together!

We were both admitted and had tests. Turns out I had atrial fibrillation. My heart was out of kilter but was pretty much back to normal about an hour after I arrived at hospital. We were together the whole time but eventually Rayls was released and walked back to the hotel where Scott had arranged another nights stay - our luggage was still there.

I stayed over night in hospital. Finally after more than 12 hours on a bench bed I was moved to an isolation ward one floor up.

Wednesday 30 May 2023

Another day wasted. Just resting, resting and resting some more. I did wander out for more water but that's the day.

Tuesday 30 May 2023

After an average nights  sleep we were up around 9am looking for food, medication and supplies, mainly water.

We went to a Boots pharmacy and bought lozenges and even some RAT tests...... just in case! We ended up at a Burger King at 9:30am for breakfast, it was closed, weird. On to a Maccas a bit further up the road and across from St Pancras Station, I was too spent to stand so Rayls ordered and I sat down and tried one of the RAT tests. Positive! That explained a lot. We walked back to the hotel and Rayls tried a test and she is also positive. Turns out our son Ryan who drove us to the airport is positive also.

The rest of the day was spent in bed with each of us looking after the other depending on who was feeling the best at the time.

Monday 29 May 2023

We started out at 3:30am from our much loved home in Dawesville and Ryan drove us the hour and a bit to the airport.

Check in was about as easy as it gets as was immigration and security. Then the wait for the flight. I was keen for an on time departure because a 45 minute layover in Singapore. No worries there, we pulled from the dock right on time and away we went. Beautiful sunrise as we took off.

Flight to Singapore was OK, seats are very hard on the rear end. Then it was a brisk walk to the London flight and this also left on time, good start but all down hill from here. I started coughing on this flight, no mask - didn't think I needed one. Closer we go to London the worst I felt. It was a lonnng flight and I was most uncomfortable. The seats are so hard, same as a Transperth bus.

Landed in London just after 7:00pm, I was a mess. Had no clue how to catch a train to London and our hotel although I studied it many times at home. Rayls sorted it out and we ended up on the Heathrow Express and then a Circle line where our train was joined by many soccer 'hooligans'. We were off at St Pancras and then walked to the hotel. It was after 10pm by the time we arrived at the hotel. The hotel is small with no lift. We were exhausted by the time we fell into bed, my coughing continued and Rayls wasn't so good either.