A Nose and Knee Trail!

Tuesday started before I went to bed and therefore I added this link:  starhttp://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMC5AK_Nelsons_Spare_Nose_Admiralty_Arch_The_Mall_London_UK  - It could be fun to go and look for these noses! Especially for the promised reward! ;-)

Today I'm under self-imposed partial house arrest. I strained my knee and decided to give it a good rest as recommended by the results of my Google search. Sure, I went to A&E first thing yesterday as the pain and discomfort persisted and was rather nicely surprised that I didn't have to wait all day to be seen. First, a nurse asked me some questions and examined the knee briefly, telling me it probably was soft tissue injury which take six to eight weeks to heal and to go for and x-ray, and then return to see a doctor, which I duly did.

The next nurse finally managed to produce the x-ray, then there was another wait for the doctor. He was very relaxed, told me I don't look my age, the x-ray didn't show any damage. I didn't need to flash the flesh of my troubled limb, which might have altered his opinion about my juvenile looks.;-) Through my leggings, he checked that the knee indeed  was swollen and that the movement range was fine, and finally offered me some painkillers to take every four to six hours and told me to rest the leg as it may take some time to heal. Then he disappeared for a long while fetching the pills, returned, handed them to me and I was done.

I was amazed. I went there knowing the bones were unharmed, needn't have had an x-ray. Painkillers will only numb the pain and I won't even notice should things be getting worse. I've been cross with myself about missing the chance to get the right help. I knew, I needed an ultra-scan, not an x-ray, but after all, I went to the professionals and trusted they knew what they were doing. After all, I'm not going to die from it.

Should I wait till things get worse? No! I contacted the surgery yesterday and a GP phoned me back today promising to arrange a scan referral which would be faxed to the hospital, but still, I need to pick up the hard copy from the surgery. He assured me someone else can pick it for me to save me walking. Finally I found a friend to do so on her way from work and I phoned the surgery again just to make sure she will be issued the   paper. Have you ever tried getting through to the surgery? Does this tune haunt you? It could actually be quite pleasant under different circumstances. Anyway, I did get through, but things weren't easy at all.  I had to keep persuading the man who answered the phone to make it possible for my friend to collect the referral when she comes after 7 pm, as  between 6.30 and 8.30 pm they only see booked in patients, and she only could go after work, not earlier! He insisted it was  up to the person who would be there after him and for some reason didn't seem to be willing to leave a note for the next person. I gave him my friends name and kept explaining I couldn't do it myself due to the leg injury and found it extremely hard to find anyone to do it for me, and that the doctor had agreed that someone would collect it for me. Constant battle! We shall see what will happen!

Now I can tell you what happened! My friend was not admitted, nor given the letter. The woman there said she had to follow the rules, she knew nothing about the arrangement etc. Then my friend called me, we decided she would try again, finally managed to persuade the woman to check if the referral was there and.... the woman said there was no referral for me!!!!

That's the story so far...

I've just read the entry on someone else's blog as it discusses The Ark - a friendly artists' space I know:
http://www.bonjournal.com/entries/j070108.htm

:-)