Crises, dramas and good things

 Apologies for the absence, we've had a crisis going on - I'm not giving any details, sorry.  It's not over yet but has eased a bit.

To temper that, there's been some good news - we've found and bought another car, it's being delivered to us on Friday.  It's a nice small SUV, much nicer than our old car and will perfectly suit our needs.  It's had just one owner from new and been regularly dealer-serviced.  We're very pleased.

Our housing application review has been done (miraculously, they advised us the day after I emailed asking when we could expect to hear, as they'd exceeded the time limit given 😉😒) so we can now carry on searching for a suitable property.  Not that we are expecting to be successful anytime soon, but at least we're now back on the ladder.

I haven't been feeling well for some time now, I'd put it down to stress, I hadn't gone to the doctor (my reasoning being it was indeed most likely to be stress, and I haven't got time to be ill).  However, last Thursday I felt very unwell all day and come the evening it got significantly worse, to the point where I felt like I was having a heart attack.  To cut a long story short, it wasn't a heart attack according to the paramedics' ECG, but the reading wasn't 'as normal as it should be' in their words!  They said there was something showing up and they needed to take me to hospital for further tests.  We arrived about 11 pm and I was whisked into a cubicle in the emergency ward straight away, bypassing the queue of other ambulances already there - they said they needed to have me in so they could monitor me and do further tests.  Throughout the night I had a further 3 ECGs, some chest x-rays and several tubes of bloods taken.  I had my BP and oxygen sats checked every hour, along with a few stethoscope chest checks.  I was there all night, seeing a doctor finally around 5 am.  He confirmed I hadn't had a heart attack but agreed with the paramedics that my ECGs were somewhat abnormal, although the chest x-ray seemed fine.  My bloods showed no infection, but a couple of results (for what, I don't know) wouldn't be back for a couple of days.  He said I could go home, but that I needed to go back for an echocardiogram (different to an ECG apparently, husband has had a couple) and some further checks, which would be arranged by my GP, I'm seeing him today.  The hospital doctor said he would be recommending to the GP that I have the echo within 2 weeks.

A large hospital emergency ward is not a nice place to be throughout the night - it was very busy indeed, and several of the incoming patients were drunks or obviously high on drugs - being very loud, falling over and causing no end of problems, both for the accompanying Police and the unfailingly patient, kind and cheerful hospital staff.  One patient, with mental problems, brought in by 3 carers, had apparently superhuman strength and was fighting with all his carers, 2 security guards and assorted medical staff - he was eventually taken away, I know not where.  The staff were all wonderful and I can't fault them at all, I don't know how they cope.  

Obviously I'm a bit concerned, but am not worrying until I know whether there's something to actually worry about.  I'm glad I've been checked out.  I think it's given husband a short, sharp shock (he didn't accompany me to hospital, I told him to stay home with Betty).  I certainly feel better than I did last week.

We're hoping to go to the caravan again at the weekend, for a few days, can't say for sure at the moment as we still have a few things going on, including the new car arriving and taking away of the courtesy car.

Incidentally, the insurance settlement offer for our written-off car was actually MORE than we paid for the car a year ago - so Mrs LH, you're right, prices of second-hand cars have risen dramatically.  We are lucky to have found the new car at a good price.