LTNS

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog. It should really have been my new years resolution that I would update more frequently. It could be the fact that nothing much has happened in my life but that isnt quite true.
About 4 weeks ago I started a new job, which is very significant in my life. I have been a nurse for 9 years now and I always saw myself as being a band 6 (old style sister post) by now. I also wanted to be a specialist nurse rather than a band 6 nurse on a ward as I was never the manager type. This got achieved by my new job. I am now a research nurse working mainly in respiratory.
What a learning curve I have had to go through, but I have loved every minute of it. I think research was made for me. I have always loved learning new things and having a variety of thing going on in my life and hey all my prayers have been answered.
Other things in my life isnt so great but hey we can't have it all can we? At least my work life if going somewhere. Before you read more into that sentence than is intended, I am still happily married to my husband. Ok there are times I could happily murder him but thats normal right?
Anyways, in my first week of my new job I had to travel to Prague. How exciting! I have never had a job before where it has meant me travelling to another city let alone country. Who would have thought nursing would have opened those doors? Strangely enough when I first graduated university I thought my ideal job would be as a sales rep travelling all over the country and to other countries too. Now I have that opportunity.
When I travelled to Prague I had a slight problem. It had been a long time since I had last flown anywhere so I was slighlty nervous. New job and also having to prove I kinda new what I was doing.
It was a stragne trip as we had to travel up to manchester, then fly down to London Heathrow and fly from there to Prague. The flight to Heathrow was a little nerve racking due to watching several tv programms about airplane disasters! never the less this passed without problem and I was starting to relax.
Then came the trip to prague. It just so happened that me and my work collegue happened to be sitting separatley which at the time didnt worry me at all. It would be easier to read my book and to relax. however this didnt go to plan.
Half way through the journey I started to feel a bit strange. It started off with my tongue tingling and I can remember thinking it was a bit strange. Then it was like the feeling started to magnify and move up my face til it felt really weird. It was just like being given am imjection at the dentist which numbs the face. It felt like my face was drooping on the one side and I started to panic. Then I discovered I couldnt close my left eye unless I really forced it shut.
By this time I was really panicking and I was on my own. Lots of things were going through my mind but forefront was me thinking how can I go to a meeting with half my face drooping?? Anyways I decided I should call the steward and check with them.
As soon as the steward appeared I said to him, 'Does my face look drooped?' He must have thought christ what the hell is happening here? He soon disapeared off to call the medics. By the time he came back everything had gone back to normal. I had all feeling back and everything so now I started to feel like a fraud. I started to think great everyone will think Ive made it up. Not that I wanted to continue with a droopy face but still.
Luckily because my symptoms dissapeared it meant that they didnt divert the plane to Frankfurt. Could you imagine if they had done that and explaining what had gone on? I was already cringing at the fact I had called the stewered. Not really a got start to a new job is it?
As everything had gone back to normal the steward said they would continue to Prague but would check me out when I got there. So has the plane is coming into land you can see this ambulance waiting at the docking bay. Already I have started to cringe and I said to my work collegue that I hoped there wasnt going to be a wheelchair waiting for me!
As the plane lands on come the medical staff, and they want me to go in for further tests! As I walk off the plane what is waiting for me? Yep thats right a ruddy wheelchair! I ended up with this man pushing me all the way from the docking station through passport checking to the medical bay. Never have I got through passport control so quickly before.
I ended up in a room with a couch in it. They started off taking my Blood pressue which was normal thank god. Then they decided they would check my blood sugar which turned out to be low at 3.2mmols. This then ended up with me having a cannula put in my arm and 10% dextrose given Intravenously! Obviously they have never heard of giving lucozade for low blood sugar.
What made it worse was that I hadn't realised that I should get european insurance cover so I had to pay about £30 for my treatment. It does make me realise how much we take the Nhs for granted. Eventually I did get to the hotel in Prague and everything else went fine. Even the trip back to the uk went ok so I have no idea what happened on that flight.
There probably isnt anything more exciting to tell you but I will try to update a bit more vigourously than I have been.
Until next time