Keep Calm

Good advise for those who panic. Unfortunately it appears I have moved to the other extreme. It's not that I don't care but I suspect I've had enough real drama in my life so far to appreciate that panic is just not a helpful state - but perhaps I could, on occasion, try to ramp up the concern.

A message I don't need!

I know that there are plenty of people in the world who've done it much harder than my family - I'm fortunate to have that perspective. But compared to the average first world family (whatever that means), we've had more than our fair share of medical 'incidents'. I have had to call the ambulance more times that I can remember, administer drugs as serious as morphine and Valium (not to me, although it was very tempting at times), I've been summoned by the hospital day and night as 'medical emergencies' have been called on my children, I've stood by as they were intubated and transferred to ICU, rapidly declined and bounced back. I've learned to drive a ventilator, an oxygen extractor and a respiratory suction machine, I've dressed wounds, witnessed countless seizures, resuscitated non-breathers and performed CPR. And of course, I've seen death.

So perhaps it's not all that surprising that, as one of Geoff's friends says of me, 'She's battle worn'.

But last week, I excelled myself. Geoff called me just before 9am.

I've got the worst chest pains, it feels like someone's squeezing my heart. I'm just letting you know I'm going to the GP.

Good idea. I said, nonchalantly. Let me know how you go.

Geoff's brother had a cardiac arrest (ie no pulse, no breathing) on the basketball court a couple of years ago and was thankfully revived. At the time, Geoff had some tests and they appeared to be, well, passable. So there was reasonable cause for concern.

An hour later, Geoff phoned again.

They've called the ambulance. I've had an ECG and it's normal but I'm still in pain. They need to do some tests.

Righty-ho. 

I figure if he could talk on the phone, how bad could it be? I had a  moment of guilt and called back:

Do you want me to come to the hospital? 

He knew I didn't really mean it and said no, he'd be fine.

Lunch time. I'm at Di Stassio (a very fancy-pants restaurant for peeps not from these parts) with my business partner and a colleague. 

How's Geoff? enquires my well meaning colleague.

Shit! That reminds me.....I sent a text: "Are you still alive??! x"

He was.

He'd been admitted for more tests and given morphine for the pain, so I swung by with Sass and took a few essentials as requested - PJs, phone charger, book, glasses. We arrived to discover an old friend was his nurse! Oh, we nattered away and had a jolly good catch up - then I remembered why we were there -  Geoff! Sorry - you okay?? That's right - this is supposed to be about you!

Anyway, he spent 3 nights in hospital, had multiple tests to discover he doesn't need a stent, his ticker is just dandy and that it's either muscular or heart burn. So see, no need to panic.

Update on the lethal bag: Customs have refused to let it in. It's gone back to my friend in Thailand. I'm a little bit sad about that...