Notes from a hospital bed…

No writing done today, I’m writing this from a ward in the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, fortunately I’m still able to write and am on the road to recovery… (touch wood) Still it’s always an experience, one I may be able to attribute to a character in one of my books… So what happened?
I got out of bed this morning, or tried to… then I realised something wasn’t right with me, definitely something I knew was needing a doctor… The time 7.30am.
The moment my foot touched the ground I was all over the place, my vision, my balance and my thought processes. I appeared to be moving through still photographs, a slowed down film where I was stumbling but a little faster than the rest of the room, which happily was still stationary… As I stumbled I hit the bed which wakened Hilda, who has been a tower of strength all through this difficult day.
An ambulance was called and I was assessed to see if I needed hospitalisation, which was another event that proved diffficult for me. They could see I couln’t mainain any sort of balance, and started asking questions with me forming the answer in my head but unable to transfer it to coherent speech, with the result I appeared tongue-tied at times. The on-the-spot diagnoses leaned towards one of two outcomes. I had a TIA, a Transient Ischemic Attack (a stroke) or an inner ear problem (which I fervently hoped for) being the lesser of two evils. As I was led to the ambulance, the medic walking backwards, I had to keep gazing into her eyes in order to keep my head as still as possible.
Happily the outcome, as can be seen by my writing, leans towards the second diagnosis…
The symptoms have now died down, still slightly there, and I’m being kept in overnight for continuing assessment. I expect to go home tomorrow after a few more tests…
I must pay tribute to everyody concerned with helping me through this traumatic day. From the 999 operator who took the call, the wonderful paramedics in the ambulance, and all the great doctors, nurses, porters and ancillary staff of the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. You are all a credit to your profession and the wonderful NHS! Thank you all!!!