Mother had missed her last hair appointment due to my being away and her carer forgetting to take her. Consequently she felt her hair was scruffy and was impatient to have her overdue haircut. I rescheduled an appointment asap.
At 2am Mother had been up and vomited on the toilet floor. I resettled her into bed and cleaned up the mess, wondering that maybe she had a tummy bug that was going around. Lots of viruses seem to circulate at the change of seasons and we were just coming into spring. Mother slept in and rested most of the day. She seemed tired, so when it was time to go for her haircut (late afternoon), I suggested that maybe we reschedule if she didn't feel well. Mother, determined to go to her hair appointment, grabbed her walker and said "I'm going!" in no uncertain terms. So off we went.
On arrival at the salon, mother was welcomed by her hairdresser saying how much she had missed her. Mother's hair was styled back into it's usual smart shape, and as the hair-dresser was just finishing, Mother began to behave differently, pulling her drape up over her face. I rushed over thinking she wasn't feeling well, as the hairdresser bent down and asked Mother if she was OK?
Mother dropped her hands and turned toward the hairdresser then became unresponsive! By this time I was beside Mother and could see she had dilated pupils. I felt no pulse and saw she wasn't breathing! My RN training kicked in and I instructed the hairdresser to dial 111 and get an ambulance. As she ran to the phone I grabbed Mother under the arms & lifted her onto the floor, knowing she needed to be flat to perfuse her brain. Split second thoughts raced through my head, as I prepared to commence CPR. I assessed her, checking for breathing and lifted her jaw. Mother looked dead! I was aware of thoughts like "I've lost her" "it's not meant to happen this way!" As I lifted Mother's jaw and watched for signs or breathing, I noticed Mother's pupils constrict. I knew her heart must be beating again and then saw her take a breath and groan. To my relief Mother was alive! She had been unresponsive for at least a minute. I quickly turned her onto her side (recovery position) and then Mother vomited. Luckily I was able to catch and contain with the towels as I was aware of customers arriving. The ambulance arrived and Mother was taken to hospital. I checked with the hair-dresser, who was in shock, and gave her a hug as she burst into tears. After reassuring her, I followed the ambulance in my car. At the hospital Emergency Department, the ambulance officer showed me an ECG strip of mother's very slow heart-beat (extreme bradycardia) occurring just before Mother vomited again in the ambulance. Dr's assessed bloods and gave mother IV fluids. The final conclusion was a 'vasovagal' episode from what was most likely a tummy bug, combined with nausea and fluid deficit. After six hours and Mother had perked up with the extra fluids infused. She demonstrated ability to mobilize and I thankfully got to take mother home. Mother has gradually come right, but I have found her blood pressure low, requiring another medication review. The suddeness of this event reminded me that 87yrs old Mother could go any minute, and we do not get to a choose convenient time or place. That is a fact of life and death. I must add that Mother gleefully says "I'm glad I finished my hair cut!"
Mother dropped her hands and turned toward the hairdresser then became unresponsive! By this time I was beside Mother and could see she had dilated pupils. I felt no pulse and saw she wasn't breathing! My RN training kicked in and I instructed the hairdresser to dial 111 and get an ambulance. As she ran to the phone I grabbed Mother under the arms & lifted her onto the floor, knowing she needed to be flat to perfuse her brain. Split second thoughts raced through my head, as I prepared to commence CPR. I assessed her, checking for breathing and lifted her jaw. Mother looked dead! I was aware of thoughts like "I've lost her" "it's not meant to happen this way!" As I lifted Mother's jaw and watched for signs or breathing, I noticed Mother's pupils constrict. I knew her heart must be beating again and then saw her take a breath and groan. To my relief Mother was alive! She had been unresponsive for at least a minute. I quickly turned her onto her side (recovery position) and then Mother vomited. Luckily I was able to catch and contain with the towels as I was aware of customers arriving. The ambulance arrived and Mother was taken to hospital. I checked with the hair-dresser, who was in shock, and gave her a hug as she burst into tears. After reassuring her, I followed the ambulance in my car. At the hospital Emergency Department, the ambulance officer showed me an ECG strip of mother's very slow heart-beat (extreme bradycardia) occurring just before Mother vomited again in the ambulance. Dr's assessed bloods and gave mother IV fluids. The final conclusion was a 'vasovagal' episode from what was most likely a tummy bug, combined with nausea and fluid deficit. After six hours and Mother had perked up with the extra fluids infused. She demonstrated ability to mobilize and I thankfully got to take mother home. Mother has gradually come right, but I have found her blood pressure low, requiring another medication review. The suddeness of this event reminded me that 87yrs old Mother could go any minute, and we do not get to a choose convenient time or place. That is a fact of life and death. I must add that Mother gleefully says "I'm glad I finished my hair cut!"
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