[Chirley]

Well, after a few months of trying to persuade my Mum to see a doctor, things finally came to a head in the middle of the night. She developed chest pain and breathing difficulties.

My Dad rang me in a panic so I called emergency services. The Ambulance officers told me she had some ECG changes consistent with having had a heart attack in the fairly recent past.

She is now in hospital and they have found that her one remaining kidney isn't functioning and that it caused severe anaemia and this led to her heart issues. She has been transfused with a couple of units of blood but this has caused increased breathing problems.

I don't know what the outcome is going to be but at least now she's where she should have been months ago.

I'm so frustrated with my Mums GP because we knew a few years ago that her right kidney had stopped working due to a blocked artery and that the left kidney wasn't that great but her GP has not ordered a blood test for her in almost two years. Dad sees the same GP and he says that the man is an incompetent idiot but at least Dad knows to ask for tests and referrals etc whereas Mum is happy to see a GP who just refills her prescriptions without even taking her blood pressure.

I feel like reporting him for negligence.

Dad and I are happy for Mum to stay at the local hospital until we know whether her condition is treatable but in the long term we would prefer her to be at the private hospital which treats our military and ex military people. They have an excellent reputation for care. It's further away but the travel will be worth it if it means she gets the best care.

I told Dad a month or so ago that I thought Mum had renal failure and anaemia and if she kept refusing medical care she would end up collapsing or having a heart attack and then she'd have to have treatment and I'm sorry to say this is exactly what happened.

My Dad is confused and vague this morning and he is miserable.

I love them both and it's horrible to see them both being so vulnerable.

Regards

Chirley