On infections. We got a bit worried with an infection Pip had. It started with a cut from a ring pull tomato tin. She washed the cut but by the next day, we were thinking it didn’t look right. I can’t remember whether it was the same day or the day after but Peter had a local hospital appointment and Pip went with him. The consultant spotted Pip’s hand and told her to go to casualty. Casualty consulted with the Norfolk and Norwich. She was given antibiotic tablets and told that if it got worse, she might need to go the N&N.

Pip was feeling tired when she got home and had a sleep. When she woke up, it was worse and she called 911. After agreeing that Pip couldn’t drive in (and no one else here drives) they said they would arrange an ambulance. It turned out that later needed further approval from the Ambulance authority but that’s by the by. This was about 8pm and the ambulance arrived at 5am. By this time, the swelling had gone 3/4 the way up her upper arm and she had gone to bed.

The ambulance took her straight in and the N&N saw her straight away, putting her on drips. She was in for 4 or 5 days and I know her blood pressure had dropped and that some notes she read also mentioned stage something or other kidney failure. She was pretty exhausted for a week after getting home too.