Mrs N: If You Were A Horse, A Carer's Story. (Read By Scott Murray)

Cochrane UK Trainees Podcast

This poem is read by Professor Scott Murray, Edinburgh University. It is by Mrs N, about caring for her husband who has had a stroke. Well, he’s the same again, Started, you know, The swelling up. And the doctor Didn’t put off, Any time, This time. She said, It was much better, Just to get him in. So he went in, At the beginning of December And he actually had been having, Some rather strange turns. Very dizzy turns. It just seemed to be Something that Came over him. And it’s one Of the tablets, That he has For his asthma, Which they say Is a very Dangerous drug. He’s been on it For many years, And it’s affecting His heart, And they are trying To stop it But they can’t Stop it Because He can’t breathe Without it. The hospital doctor said, The last time we were in, That it had To be stopped, And we did try To stop it And I had to phone Our own doctor Because he was struggling And she came in And she said to him, “Which would you rather have, You know, The heart out of rhythm, Or not able to breathe?” He said, “Well, If I’m going to die, I’d rather die With my heart stopping Than gasping For breath.” Well anyway, They took him in And he was hooked up to things And couldn’t get Moving around At all, But they decided They were going To let him home For Christmas. And he had Christmas Day And he took ill The next day And he has not really Picked up Very well Since then I got the doctor in And I was quite disappointed Actually At the lack of support And even the nurse Agreed with me When she came in For his blood. I said, “I feel I’ve just been left With it I just don’t know What we’re going to do With him really. Do you have a gun In your bag? He probably needs A gun! And his circulation Of course Isn’t good And that Doesn’t help. In fact If you were a horse They would shoot you.