The Nurses’ Home
The General Hospital, Birmingham
March 24th/15
My dear Sweetheart
I have been for a quite a long walk this evening – the tonic I am taking is doing me good for it is some time since I felt like walking any distance after a hard day’s work.
There is not much news to give you but I am writing all the same for tomorrow night I am going to the dentist, and also you deserve a decent sort of a letter for a change after all the grousy ones you’ve had lately.
I was feeling very “off colour” the latter part of last week and nervy and jumpy and consequently saw everything at its worst – then your letter upset me for the moment and so you got all my “nerviness” in your letters.
Although I felt all I said to you yet at the same time I’m awfully sorry to have been quite so sensitive. Probably at any other time when feeling fit and well I would not have felt so hurt about a small thing.
Do you remember me telling you we had an operation coming off for excision of jaw, it turned out to be for excision of tongue? Several outside youthful students came to see it. Dr Macardy had barely started giving the anaesthetic when the Ward Nurse in charge of the patient came into the theatre for Mr Barling to come into the anaesthetic room as the patient had stopped breathing. We hurriedly brought the patient into the theatre and Mr Barling did “tracheotomy” while Dr Macardy tried artificial respiration but all to no purpose.
Tracheotomy is nearly always performed if the Surgeon thinks the patient has stopped breathing because the oesophagus of the trachea are obstructed in some way or another and thus preventing the patient breathing. An incision is made into the trachea and little special metal tubes inserted through the incision through which the patient is able to breathe and through which oxygen can be inhaled. In this case I imagine the patients tongue was swollen to such an extent that when he lost control under the anaesthetic the tongue slipped back and so blocked up the air passage.
To show you how little outsiders (even young medical students) know, one of those who were looking on had no idea that we were trying to save the man’s life but thought all our frantic efforts were part of the operation for excision of tongue.
You would be surprised how quietly everything goes on after a shock like this, Mr Barling went on with the next operation as if nothing had happened.
I felt sorry for the anaesthetist, he is the best one in Birmingham and it is very seldom a patient anaesthetised by him stops breathing. The above upset him very much. There is always a post-mortem after these cases and it is altogether very unpleasant for the anaesthetist.
It was fortunate that it was Dr Macardy, for his reputation is made in Birmingham and will not suffer very much, it is very hard on rising men when these accidents happen.
I’ve seen tracheotomy done several times but nearly always on children.
Theatre Sister has started her lectures. She gives 3 a week for 3 weeks and we go in batches. I am one of the batch for Friday evening. Then comes our exam.
The 2nd year exam: came off on Friday and the “viva” yesterday. So you see we are in the throes of work just at present. I was on until 9. last night because the junior theatre night nurse had to attend her “viva” – the poor thing had awful questions. The “change” will not be before the 2nd or 3rd of April. We are all on tenterhooks wondering where we are going! There are a number of nurses on the sick list just at present so am wondering if I shall be put on night duty after all.
I sent Kath a few lines of greeting for her birthday. I will write her a longer letter when I have more news. I wrote to Arthur the other day and enclosed his letter in a short one to Mary because I am uncertain of his address as he said he would be moved from St Nazaire soon after the time he was writing.
Mother is also staying with Bar’s friends at the Chateau Colembert and writes cheerfully. They return to Villa Madhui for Easter – I am dreading the change from their roomey surroundings to that of our tiny cottage.
I must close now and do some mending etc.
With very best love hoping we’re still the best of chums in spite of our little “scrap”.
Ever your affectionate
Mela
