Well, that was a weekend of simultaneous excitement and relaxation. Not sure if a weekend like that is ever likely to be repeated.
The plan was good - a weekend to ourselves in the lodge with Wally, Jase and Brennan as company. We left Wellington fairly late (6.45pm maybe) and I drove all the way as Mike was still a little under par from his migraine in recent days. The weather was a little wet, but not too bad.
We got to Ruapehu around 11pm - Mike drove up from Whakapapa village. We unpacked the car and walked up to the lodge. We met Wally and his boys and chatted away before getting to bed around midnight. I may have read for an hour before falling asleep.
Anyway, at some point, this man comes into the room and says a few sentences. My sleep addled brain cannot catch up. The man leaves the room. Mike says "I better get up". I say "Who was that? Was that Wally?" Yep - brain slowly catching up. And then I realised what he had said at the end. There is an ambulance here for Brennan. Yikes! I leap out of bed and throw on my hoodie and find paramedics in Brennan's room.
He has had a diabetic low and convulsions. They bring him into the bathroom where they prep him for getting glucose. As Wally gets dressed and I hold Brennan, the wonderful paramedics pump glucose into Brennan's arm. As soon as it hits his bloodstream, his breathing goes from fast shallow breaths to deeper, slower ones. The body is an amazing thing.
They have the fire rescue service there soon, and they strap Brennan into a stretcher for the walk out to the ambulance. Mike takes Wally's car and Jase travels with him. Wally is in the ambulance with Brennan for the trip to Taupo hospital. They have to swap out drivers along the way (distances are measured). I stay behind to man the lodge (with Toby). I have to say, for a 4am call out, they are all wonderful, professional people. By the time they all leave, it must be close to 6am. All up, there would have been ten people in the lodge for this.
Anyway, I get updates from everyone during the day. Brennan is fine, but they are waiting for him to keep some food down before discharging him. He gets a lot of sleep. Toby gets a lot of sleep. No one else gets much sleep.
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| I get an iced coffee from Wally - easily a 10/10. I look pretty happy. |
Eventually they all get back to the lodge and our weekend continues. Wally fires up the coffee machine (he brought his own) and I get the best iced coffee. Made with love. Mike, Toby and Brennan watch videos (although Wally and I hear Mike snoring through a lot of it).
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| Watching videos |
We chill out before going to the pub for chips and drinks (and pool games). Back home and cook up some soup and toasted rolls before a relaxing evening and bed.
Up lazy the next morning. Tidied the lodge. Mike and Wally did stocktake. Ate some lunch and headed off at 2.30pm.
Jase is spending a few days with us. Wally and Brennan got 150 km (if that) before their car broke down. Uh oh! Their weekend is really, really odd!
We were home just before 7pm and had a late tea (tacos) before bed.
Great weekend - with the best company. Thank you.
Love,
Angela
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