Gallus Alice...

Backblip

So, girly weekend at mine.  Dot, Jo, Alice and Eileen arriving Friday.  Jo leaving Saturday to head to a 40th birthday party, and Marie arriving Saturday as she couldn't make Friday.  

So far, so straightforward.   

Jo and Dot arrived around 3.30pm and we had coffee and cake, all very civilised.  Alice arrived around 5.30pm and by 6pm we had a table full of nibbles, crips, dip, a G&T for me and Jo and prossecco for Dot and Alice.

We had a lovely time catching with up what's been happening in each of our lives.  Alice has a new job, Dot's daughter got married, Jo (recently widowed) has been having major bust ups with utility companies trying to get accounts transferred from her late husband's name to her name (and despite the sad subject, her telling of the tales is screamingly funny.) 

Eileen arrived around 8pm and we set about getting organised for dinner.  I had a curry in the slow cooker so we moved to the kitchen and carried on the blethers and laughter as we dished up and got stuck into that with loads of delicious accompaniments contributed by the ladies.  

The conversation had just turned to a subject not really for delicate ears (David wisely had filled his plate and chosen to go eat in the living "leaving you ladies to it"  :-)) when I noticed Dot had stopped eating.  Given that she's a skinny minny I just assumed she'd had enough as she was chatting away quite animated, having us all in stitches as she regaled us with a funny story told in her inimitable style.  Then she suddenly paused mid sentence, turned they greyest shade of grey, said "I don't feel very well" and fainted!   (Well it was more of a slow slip into unconciousness!!)  


We all jumped into action.  Jo and Alice holding her upright in the chair and trying to get a response from her, me and Eileen moving the table to give her some space, me soaking a tea towel to wipe her face and Eileen grabbing the basin incase she came round and felt sick.   (I should point out this was definitely not alcohol related as Dot isn't a drinker and since she arrived in the afternoon, had only had two small glasses of prossecco) 

After what seemed like an eternity she started to come round and was very disoriented and just as we heaved a sigh of relief that she was back in the room, she went and fainted again!!!

Eileen and I moved the kitchen table completely out the way as Jo and Alice carried her tot the living room to lie her on the floor in the recovery position.  David got the shock of his life.  One minute he's sitting relaxing on the couch, feet up eating his curry and watching the diving at the Olympics, the next minute the living room door gets battered open and Dot is bundled onto the floor.

He jumped up, got the phone and dialled 999.  By the time he got through and gave our contact details, Dot was starting to come round.  Alice is a midwife so all the while Dot was in the recovery position she was checking her breathing, colour, temperature and pulse rate.   David passed the phone to her so she could talk to the nurse advisor on the line.  

Dot continued to come round and was eventually able to take to the nurse advisor herself.  Alice remembered she had her BP kit in her car so she went and got that and was able to take Dot's BP , which was on the lower side of normal but normal for Dot.

By now poor Dot was sitting up, feeling better but weak and insisting she didn't need to go to hospital.  It was agreed with the nurse advisor that she was fine to stay put but if her condition changed, we'd to call straight back and an ambulance would be despatched.

Well thankfully she continued to recover and after a cup of tea, felt more like her usual self and certainly looked much better.  We all relaxed a bit ad went on to enjoy the rest of the night, Dot included although she felt very tired.

She was sharing the twin guest room with Jo and I don't think either of them got much sleep; Jo from waking up to prod Dot to make sure she was still alive, and Dot from being prodded awake by Jo!  

It's always a pretty unforgettable night when us lot get together but man alive, we weren't expecting that kind of unforgettable!  

Could whoever is in charge of the drama levels in my life, please tone it down now please.  Thank you.  


This photo of Alice was taken earlier in the day before we had any inkling of the turn of events to come, and given her excellent work in knowing what to do for Dot and her unflappable manner that kept us all calm and focussed, I thought it only right she be my blip.    Thank you Alice, you're a star!  xx


PPS Thank you so much for all your comments, stars and hearts on my 2000th blip yesterday.  Your thoughtfulness and humour and blip friendship is valued by me more than you can know <3  xx