16th July - Accident & Emergency

Today has been a shocker from start to finish, to be honest. It's 1.23am when I type this, in the early hours of Sunday morning, and we've just got home after what should have been an amazing day. But a fun family adventure soon transcended into chaos when - as we marvelled at the steam train on the platform - and even had one foot inside the carriage, ready to board, our Nanny took an almighty fall which seemed to happen in slow-mo, and left such a stain of sadness in the mind of all of us. 

As she tumbled forward, tripping over an uneven ledge on the platform, her walking stick clattered to the ground and within seconds, she was down there too, groaning in terror at the pain of it all. She bravely held back the tears but it was a truly frightening experience, as she's a somewhat frail woman, and also with such incredibly thin skin and blood, that we knew this fall could really injure her somewhat severely. Thrust into action, we rallied round, as I ran to seek help from a first aider, only to then be told there was no first-aid trained staff on site.

We rapped bandages and dressing around the blood which was now pouring out of her, and after I filled in an accident report form, we headed for the nearest hospital in Glastonbury which - upon arrival - informed us they were too short staffed to be able to treat her. My feelings at this stage transported into emotions of rage, as she grew more pale by the minute, dipping out of consciousness with her fingers now turning a worrying shade of deep blue/purple. I'm not gonna bore you by explaining how just one of the many reasons why I thoroughly despise the Conservative party, and those who vote for them, is due to their grossly disgusting funding cuts of the NHS, I'll let you do your own research.

But eventually, after waiting outside Bath Hospital's A&E department on a wooden bench for 8 hours, the lady we all care so much about, was discharged, full of morpheme, and sent home with a few bandages around her hands. It was an especially sad day for Grandad David, who had been beyond excited to try out the steam train experience, but in the end, he - like all of us - was just relieved that his darling Wife was still in one piece, with no lasting damage or broken bones. We helped her into bed at around 1am, with our bellies full of Deliveroo KFC which my Father-in-law and his Wife very generously purchased to nourish us all during our wait outside A&E, and made out way home. It wasn't the day we had envisaged, but ultimately, she's safe now, and as her road to recovery begins, we all wish for the same...

... Get well soon, Nanny!