Wake up call.

I havn't written or been able to read any blogs for a while because I have just gone through one of the worst times of my life. It was a gorgeous sunny day on saturday, an ideal day for a cruise but John was helping a mate to put in new gas lockers on his boat. Sunday was equally sunny so we went out. We needed to pick up a gas bottle from the Red Lion Caravan Centre, so rather than go in the car we took the preferred mode of transport. We had a great day, we picked up the gas and then had a nose around the new Scarisbrick Marina that's just opened. The Marina was really nice with a nice. Coffee shop on site. I popped into the coffee shop to ask if you could moor your boat outside if you wanted lunch or coffee. The nice man I spoke to asked what type of boat we had and was it a nice boat, because they didn't want scruffy boats in the Marina!! I laughed and assured him our boat was indeed not scruffy. Now I don't know if I want to sail Tickety Boo into the Marina because of this comment. In a way I can understand to a certain extent because the Marina is gorgeous but with that policy in force will it put ordinary boaters like us off because we don't have a top of the range narrowboats, I think that would be such ashame. In my experience of boating it doesn't matter how old or new your boat is or how much money you have in the bank. We all share the love of boating and in my mind boaters should remain classless, we all love our boats whether its a new boat, old boar or whatever. I wonder how well the burger company with the big M would have got on if they didn't allow less than perfect cars through their drive through..................... Anyway we turned back and decided just to take a nice easy cruise back. Halfway home we bumped into mates from the mooring having a BBQ on the bank, we moored up and had a drink with them, John had a burger and we just had a really fun afternoon with so much laughter and micky taking as is the norm with these boaty get togethers. We got back just as the sun was going to bed. We had a bite to eat and settled to watch a bit of TV before showers and bed as we were both in work the next day. John wasn't looking forward to going back after being off for twe weeks. I went to bed first and John followed about half an hour later. No sooner had he got in bed he started to complain of feeling unwell, I just put it down to the day we had and the fact he had eaten a burger and had a few drinks. I was half asleep and just thought John was overreacting, oh how wrong was I . He steadily got worse and when he asked me to phone an Ambulance I knew this wasn't just a reaction to what he had eaten. We had always planned that incase of emergency we would sail the boat to the nearest available point where an Ambulance could get to. While I am in a total panic not knowing what to do first John had managed to pull on his clothes and headed out the door and down the tow path. By this time I was panic stricken, I couldn't chase him I was practically nude, I was trying to ring the Ambulance and dress at the same time, I was hopeless, I am usually great in a crisis cool, calm and collected but here I was losing the plot, badly and at the worst possible time . I finally caught up with John as he reached the mooring gate, He was not good, not good at all. I was still in denial convincing myself he had food poisoning or a bad case of indegestion, I didn't want to believe that anything was going to happen to this man who I loved to bits, who was my soulmate and partner in crime, my captain, my pain in the arse, the very reason I was so happy with my life afloat was because I was sharing it with John., he was part of the Tickety Boo team, without him this team wouldn't function at all. So in my mind he just had an upset tummy and I could wind him up about it the next day. Thankfully the Ambulance was quick. They checked him out and then said they would take him to Fazakerley Hospital. I needed to go back to to the boat as I had ran and left it unlocked. I then drove to the Hospital. When I got there I was lead into a waiting area, I heard John shout my name but they wouldn't let me see him while he was being seen to. I was desperate to see him, and thought he must be ok as he shouted my name. The Doctor came to see me and took me in a side room. He explained that John was having a Heart Attack, I was stunned, I felt as if the bottom had fallen out of my world. The Doctor explaiined they were sending John to Broadgreen Hospital as that would be the best place for him. I was then allowed to see John. How happy was I to ssee him? Amazingly he was joking with the staff, I was struggleing not to cry and John was calming me down! They said I could go in the Ambulance with John, but John wanted me to follow in the car. How a drove from Fazakerly to Broadgreen I will never know. As I was getting in the car I could see Johns Ambulance pulling away, when they sped off with blue lights flashing I once again fell to peices. On arriving at Broadgreen I was completely lost didn't know where to go or where to find somebody to ask, the grounds of the hospital are huge and with it being early hours it was deserted. The only thing missing from the scene was Tumbleweed blowing about! Eventually to my relief I found somebody to ask, and was shown to the Critical Care Unit where John was being treated. He had already gone into surgery so I was shown into a waiting room. Now and again a nurse would pop in to see I was ok, they were so kind bringing me cups of tea and tissues. I seemed to be in that room for an eternity, every time I heard the door go I thought the worst, the door finally opend and John was wheeled past, he gave me the thumbs up and I knew that thankfully he was ok. They had fitted four Stents to help keep his arteries open. The Surgeon explained the procedure and that after rest and taking it easy for a while, he would lead a relativley normal life. I found that hard to believe as John has never been normal! Joking aside we will be eternally gratefull to the Surgeon and all the staff for the excellent care they gave John they were fantastic and very rarely get the praise they deserve. So now Johns home and I am so pleased to have him back, he is so happy to be back on the boat and what better place to be to get better. Writing this blog has been my therepy, for days I have been on Automatic Pilot but now after writing it all down, I am in full control again, I think!. My main concern is getting John well again, he isn't going to like being told not to do things but he has to take things slowly, which will be hard for him as he is always on the go. He has stopped smoking too as he knows he's been given a second chance and you don't throw crap at that do you? So many people have been great offering help and support, all our boaty mates especially Mark, who's been worth his weight in gold, and both our families have been great. One of our freinds asked if I was going to get John a little bell so he could ring it to call me, I told them only if he wanted to wear it where the sun don't shine!! So now into my Flo Nightingale mode to give John Some much needed TLC, and you know what, I don't mind at all because as soon as he's better I am going to kill him for giving me such a fright!1