My bank holiday weekend...

I may be taking a couple of days break from crafting and the internet as my mum was admitted into hospital last night.

4am - she wakes with a nosebleed. Gets it to stop after about 15 minutes of pinching the bridge of her nose.

6am - gets another one but this time it seemed reluctant to stop. One phone call later to the emergency doctor and the advice was a visit to A&E, so off dad took her. They got it stopped and prescribed her tablets for high blood pressure and sent her home.

8.30am - on her way home.

6pm - it starts all over again. Trip to the emergency walk in doctor this time because they're open, and they're again on their way to A&E. Mum and dad pick me up on the way.

7pm - arrive in A&E. We sent dad home to my house to be with Will and his grand-babies to try and prevent him stressing too much.

8pm - initial assessment by the nurse then back into the waiting room with mum sporting a very fetching sling looking bandage under her nose to catch the blood. (Sorry mum, but it really DID look hilarious - you know it did, that's why you let me take a photo of it on my phone!)

9pm - taken into a side room to await being seen by a doctor.

10.05pm - a really lovely Doctor assesses mum and tells her that as it's still bleeding (almost 4 hours after it started) that they're going to pack it to see if that stops the bleeding. (I can only describe the packing as looking like you've stuck a tampon up your nose!) As it's being packed, they'll be admitting her to hospital for the night. Kettering General (where we were) and Northampton General Hospitals share an on call ENT consultant in the evenings and weekends and this week the on call ENT consultant is in Northampton. Told she's being transferred to Northampton. So, off to ring dad and break the news to him. Mum's scared of hospitals and dad's really worried.

11.20pm - dad arrived with mum's overnight bits and bobs and they move to the A&E observation ward to wait transfer by ambulance to Northampton. It should be about an hour.

01.45am - mum is finally in an ambulance and on her way (2 hours and 25 minutes later). Dad and I leave the hospital for home, very tired.

03.55am - mum finally gets a bed and can try and get some sleep (she's been up since 4am - 24 hours!)

I rang the hospital this morning when I finally awoke at 9.45am. She had a comfortable night and has been seen by the doctor. They'll be leaving the packing in for at least 24 hours, so it's another night in hospital for her.

Dad and I go over this afternoon to see her with more clean undies etc. She looks so much better today than she did last night, although she's clearly very tired. They're both really glad to see each other.

Made a Sunday dinner for us all (put the beef in before I left and Will prepared all the veggies for me ready to put it all together when dad and I got back). Not much of an appetite by either dad or myself, but we ate something. Dad nodded off while I was cooking and, after taking him home at 6.30pm I went for a cat nap too.

My two sisters are off to see her this evening. Mum rang my brother in Wales to assure him that she's ok this afternoon.

The packing should come out about 10am tomorrow and if it's worked it's magic, she can come home. If the bleed starts again then, they'll have to cauterise it and it'll be a 3rd night in hospital.

My boss lit a candle at mass this morning for mum's speedy recovery. Send your thought and healing wishes to her too please. We want and need her home - no-one more than dad!

x