When Things Go Wrong

 This post is an example of " everything went wrong that could have gone wrong".

Yesterday, at work , I recalled the story of Sue a patient who needed and received some excellent nursing care from a curly haired, potty mouthed and naturally funny staff nurse called Ruth, who I have been dear friends with for over 35 years.
The story, had a somewhat sad ending for after four months or so on the rehab ward, Sue suddenly suffered a major physical complication and died unexpectedly on intensive care . She was only 26 years old.
We had become very close with Sue during her admission, and so it was natural for us to want to attend her funeral, which was across the Pennines in her home city of Manchester, and so early on the morning of the service three spinal injury nurses and three spinal injury patients left Sheffield in two cars to show their support.
Now Ruth and I travelled in one car and with us was a young man called Nick who had been paralysed from the waist down in a car accident and Marie, a young woman injured from the neck down following a fall. Both were wheelchair bound and both had developed a special bond with Sue during their admission.
The other car was driven by a nurse called Paula and with her was another patient called Pete, who was able to walk very shakily on two sticks.
Things didn't bode well after we stopped at traffic lights in rural Derbyshire  for as Ruth muttered her signature oath of " Hell's Teeth!"  her car stalled and refused to start. It was only then when I realised that we were totally responsible for three patients, each one with their own individual care needs.
It was a sobering thought.
Anyhow we eventually arrived at Sue's family home in a back street of Manchester just as the hearse left for the Church, then everything went tits up.
  • Ruth's car finally died, leaving us stranded with no knowledge of where we were going
  • Ruth started to flag down passing cars in a desperate effort to elicit help as Paula and I managed to lift Nick and Marie into her car so that at least we could get them to the service
  • Ruth then incredibly stopped a cheerful plumber called Mick who agreed to transport me, her and the patients' wheelchairs across the city as a favour. Never was a stranger so helpful
  • After getting to the Church we unloaded both van and car, set the patients up in their chairs then bolted to the service which was just finishing. By this time Ruth was literally inconsolable 
  • The " wake" we were then told was located in a working men's club back across the city and Sue's family insisted that we all attend, so after organising more spaces in more stranger's cars we eventually arrived fraught, sweaty, and extremely stressed at one of the grottiest  council estate clubs I have ever seen.
  • Then everything REALLY took a turn for the worse. 
  • As we were setting up the wheelchairs ( brought for us by a couple of pensioners driving a nissan micra), Marie suddenly complained of a pounding headache. She looked flushed and unwell and couldn't quite focus  and we all suddenly knew that she was suffering from autonomic dysreflexia, a condition that is a medical emergency in high spinal cord injury patients. The condition can occur when a urinary catheter is blocked and if the cause is not rectified patients can have a pathological rise in blood pressure which can effectively kill them. The only treatment is to immediately change the patient's catheter.
  • " Get her into the club" Ruth yelled and between three of us , we lifted Marie out of the car and raced THROUGH the wake where a few hundred people were drinking beer  and eating sandwiches) 
  • Luckily a white faced club official saw us coming and pointed to the " ladies snug" which was deserted and on an unused billiard table  , Ruth and Paula managed to change the blocked catheter which immediately reversed Marie's symptoms. 
  • While we were busy, several red faced drinkers had helped Nick and Pete into the club and were plying them with bottles of beer. This was just after 1pm
  • By seven pm, the AA had got Ruth's car started and we were on our way home. Nick and Pete were much the worse for wear and Ruth was beside herself with the stress. " I'm going to get sooo drunk tonight " she promised as we eventually got back to the spinal injury unit and after having to explain ourselves to the matron for our late return, she did exactly that, after talking a bottle of rum from another friendly rehabing patient!
The last thing I remembered of the evening was when I opened the taxi door  outside Ruth's house in
the wee small hours and she fell out onto the road drunk as a skunk. " HELL's TEETH" she slurred cheerfully "'I think I've just broken me finger.........hey ho" ......and I am afraid to say that she indeed had...but it wasn't diagnosed until the following afternoon....
Now you all know where " hey ho" comes from!

81 comments:

  1. Traveller9:09 pm

    Bloody hell, you have lived quite a life and have so many stories. You can write, your stories are interesting…you should write a book

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    Replies
    1. I have a good memory which helps but also my fellow nurses, have such personalities, it’s lovely to remember such events

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  2. Anonymous9:14 pm

    Good grief John, I don’t know you managed to get through that. I’d have been an utter wreck. Margo

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  3. A day to remember indeed, but for all the wrong reasons. I like to think that Sue was watching and laughing at all the antics. PS well done to everyone for the "good" outcome of what could have been several disasters! As my Dad used to say, "We don't have much money, but we do see life!" xx

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    1. Sue was a delightful character and one patient easy to love. I remember the kindness of the intensive care nurses when we went in to see her, they asked us to lay her out as a last mark of respect

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  4. Anonymous9:26 pm

    I bet Sue was laughing uncontrollably from afar! Yes....everything that *could* go wrong, did....(and more)....but there were also many things that went *right*..... in hindsight, of course. I will forever think of this story when you write *hey ho*!
    Susan M/ Calif.

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    1. She came out to us as a lesbian shortly after her admission and that was so important. To her and to us

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  5. I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but you all made it back in one shape or another.

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    1. The young lads , in their wheelchairs in public for the first time had a wonderful acceptance and experience with the whole event
      A cracking rehab experience in a way

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  6. Love finally getting the back story on "hey ho" And like so many others over the years, and I know you're knee deep in the day to day, you really need to start working on that book John. X

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  7. Anonymous11:24 pm

    OMG I did laugh! Jean in Winnipeg.

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    1. The memory , read again made me cry but in a good way

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  8. I am smiling and die ing for you all at the same time. Yes, interesting story on the "hey ho"

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    1. I stole many phrases from Ruth “ hells teeth “ being one too…she always delivered them like Les dawson

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  9. Barbara Anne11:40 pm

    What a laugh - in hindsight, of course, but oh, how marvelous your group was helped in so many ways by so many strangers and that you had extra sterile catheter supplies with you. Indeed, one for the book.
    We'll all murmur knowingly when we read "hey ho" on future posts here!

    Hugs!

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    1. I miss Ruth ….i haven’t seen her for ages

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  10. Here in the USA we would call that a comedy of errors,John . You not only
    have had an interesting
    life, your writing takes a reader into the story with you . Hoping you and your
    delightful menagerie of
    animals have a peaceful night -Mary

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  11. Anonymous12:27 am

    That’s brightened the start to my day x

    Lee

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    1. Oh Lee you make me laugh , thanks for your email

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  12. OMG, things were touch and go there for awhile -- glad it all turned out well, except for Ruth's broken finger. Nice to know where "hey ho" comes from, though!

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    1. Anonymous3:09 pm

      Hey Ho is an old nautical saying, dating back to 1471. It was used rhythmically when sailors were heaving and hauling.

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    2. Anon is being concrete

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    3. Anonymous5:24 pm

      Anon is being CORRECT! Which can't be said of many of the things you write.

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  13. I LOVE that story! Hey ho!

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  14. OMG! What a day that was. Glad you all survived relatively unscathed. x0x0 N2

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  15. One of those events you can look back and laugh about, although at the time I doubt seriously if anyone was. Does show that there are still some good people out there though. Hey Ho!!

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    Replies
    1. I’m so blessed with the strength and humour of others

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  16. Too funny. Write in play format and take it to the stage. "The Funeral That Goes Wrong!"

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  17. You are such a talented storyteller! Thanks ever so much for sharing the back story of "hey ho".

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  18. Anonymous4:20 am

    Stuck in the past as usual Mr Gray

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    1. Anonymous8:47 am

      Stuck trolling instead of living a fruitful life anon !

      Keith

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    2. At least John has something interesting to say, that people want to read. Unlike some...

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    3. When a past is as interesting and memorable as John's it's brilliant to revisit it on occasion. Revisit ... not stuck!!

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  19. So, just another ordinary day in the life of...... Hells Bells!

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  20. MarisAna5:53 am

    Wow! What a catalogue of chaos, comedy and kindness. I admire how well Ruth coped too. "Hey Ho" is a perfect reaction I think.

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    1. Ruth is a star, I miss her, she is a woman of complexity , but of a natural humour which I am envious of

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  21. That’s a day that should never be repeated. Now, every time I see hey ho, I’m going to add I’ve broken my finger.

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  22. Anonymous7:46 am

    A great story of trauma turning into hilarity with hindsight. Hey ho!
    weavinfool

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  23. What a day! Does show the kindness of strangers though. Thank you for the back story on Hey Ho!

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    1. Those boys almost men , in their wheelchairs learned so much that day

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  24. Bloody hell.....

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  25. OMG, John! That day would make for a wonderful, moving and comical movie short, wouldn't it? The bigger thing is, all of you and your lovely, warm hearts wanting to honor Sue at her services, and wanting your dear patients to be there, too. Good lord, you beautiful people. "Hey Ho, I've broken my finger", is like Clark Griswold's, "Holy shit where's the Tylenol?!" Classic!

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  26. Oh my gosh. What a day! My stress level would have been through the roof!

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    1. Mike, mine was, but we just got on with it,
      Ruth attracted disasters
      Her camper van caught fire outside Sheffield once and she rang me to pick her, her husband and dog up
      Nothing else survived

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  27. sillygirl12:54 pm

    No good deed goes unpunished.

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  28. Oh goodness, what a wild day when so much went wrong but ended up all right (almost). Hey ho!

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  29. Oh gawd!! Now all your blogging buddies know where you 'hey ho' comes from we'll be quoting you even more than usual. What a day, but the main thing is you all got back alive and 'virtually' unscathed. :-)

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  30. What a horrible and wonderful story. The part about changing out the catheter on the billiards table is pure gold. But oh, how scary it must have been. Hey ho! indeed.

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    1. Marie dealt with her disability and became a mother and wife and a force of nature , I am proud we were a part of that transition

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  31. Did anyone say, "someday you will look back at this and laugh?" When you write the book of your life, there is a whole chapter of these experiences.

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    1. I think we all did, but as nurses , situations like these make for hilarity ( after the fact)

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  32. Anonymous3:07 pm

    I'm afraid you're wrong and Ruth did not invent the saying Hey Ho. It first appeared in print in 1471 and has nautical origins, marking the rhythmical moveent in heaving and hauling.

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    1. She invented it for me

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    2. Anonymous6:05 pm

      It was "invented" many years ago. My grandfather used it often.

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    3. Anon , can you ever think of things in an abstract way?

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  33. I must try to use "hey ho" during stressful moments in the future... it might help.

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  34. Wow, it wasn't funny at the time but it certainly gave me a laugh today...Off to do the laundry, hey ho! Have a good day!

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  35. It was a lovely memory to revisit because Ruth is a natural comedian

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  36. Anonymous9:43 pm

    Keith here
    I come here for a reason
    And it’s this kind of blog
    Unlike most blogs
    Going gently usually has a warmth and a humor
    And it’s nice that is back

    John ….love you

    Keith

    Xx

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  37. Thank u Keith
    Sometimes I miss my humour which has been squashed by real life ..most of the time , my friend it’s still there

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  38. Anonymous11:51 pm

    Nursing friends are the best ! My lovely Community team have been broken this week when 10 out of 16 of us have been made redundant . Likely to be replaced with a call hub and crisis team . The love and support in that team has been amazing through the tears . Not enough Gov funding . Xx Bernie

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  39. Anonymous11:53 pm

    Ps hope your hospice fares better than ours

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  40. What a wonderful story John, but bits of it must've been ghastly as they unfolded. Getting blind drunk afterwards was perfectly reasonable! And your friend DID indeed "invent it for you" - it became part of your personal 'shorthand'. I get that. Totally.

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  41. I'm 81 down the list of comments but John, what a story. Had to make one. Love reading your blog posts. Keep safe.

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I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes