Hogmanay goes in with a bang.

Jack was in respite Thursday night and I was due to pick him up at 5.45 on New Years Eve.

I was sitting writing a blog about the new year, new decade when I got a phone call from the unit telling me they'd to give Jack rescue meds and the ambulance was on it's way, at which point I could hear the siren  through the phone!

I went into such a flap cos once again I was really not expecting this as he has been well since his last episode before Christmas.

I arrived at A & E 10 minutes before the ambulance and was waiting outside when the respite unit staff arrived. Straight away I knew there was more to it than just seizures because it never takes this long for the ambulance to get to the hospital.  Yvonne, one of the carers was trying to reassure me that they were just trying to stabilise his breathing as he had a lot of mucus to cough up.

I heard the ambulance before I saw it and then they were here and the driver gave me a wave.   They know me well unfortunately but this particular guy knows me because his son and Holly used to be great friends.  As soon as he parked up, he came over to give me a hug and then we were into the ambulance and I could see how much Jack was struggling to breathe.

In A & E, they took him straight into a cubicle and then we'd to wait outside, which has never happened before cos usually I get to stay with him.

It was a long 10 minute wait before I was allowed in to see him and by this time Yvonne and I had been joined by Ann another carer from the unit.  The three of us sat huddled there, in a daze, reeling from this latest events which turned out to be a 23 minute seizure.

When I got into his cubicle, Jack was a funny colour, his skin all purple and blotchy and it wasn't until we got up to the ward and into his bed that his colour seemed to return to normal.

Very quickly the paediatrician was giving him the once over, taking blood and putting in a cannula.  Meanwhile Jack slept through it all, just as well cos it took three goes to get the damn cannula in!

Both Yvonne and Ann headed back to the unit to get Jack's stuff and Gill the unit manager arrived and stayed with me for quite some time and then Marion, Jack's carer arrived as she was supposed to be watching him for a few hours that night.

I left the ward around 6.45, got take away and went home to feed Holly.  After an hour, I headed back and Jack was a bit more awake but then had a seizure and slept again.

Emma came in and she grassed me up to the nursers about my sore hand, which is bloody agony still after falling down the stairs and they phoned down to A & E (that bloody place again!) and the doc there had a look but was reluctant to x-ray it as it was Hogmanay and not worth calling out the on-call guy just for that!!!

So back up to the ward and stayed with Jack til 10pm.  I got home, chilled and took in the New Year with Holly and then went back up to the hospital to wish my wee man a Happy New Year.  He was blissfully unaware but I couldn't not do it, as I have done it every year without fail and it has been known for there to be a heap of us trooping into his bedroom, queuing up to wish him all the best.

I also partook of some posh non alcoholic fizzy stuff with the nurses and then I was off round to see Emma.  I spent an hour there, chatting and laughing and then home to Holly and her mates who were having a picnic in the living room!  My neighbour's daughter, Helen had been in and had asked for me to go in and say hello, so I grabbed a bottle of wine and off I went.

I finally came out of there at 3.45 and spent another hour chatting to Holly.  I fell into bed at 5am and now I am getting ready to visit Jack at the hospital, while Holly and her friends lie blissfully sleeping! This is the first Christmas and New Year that I have not had one alcoholic drink, just too damn tired to bother!!

What a start to the year! But 2010 has been a year of firsts for Jack.  He spent his birthday in hospital for the first time, only lasted one week at the start of the school year before being hospitalised and now in hospital for Hogmanay.

At least he let us have Christmas at home and for that I am mega grateful.

H  A  P  P  Y    N  E  W    Y  E  A  R    E  V  E  R  Y  O  N  E. 


Hope it's a good one :)