Another knee story

For me the day started disastrously. My knee locked and dreadful pain occurred when I was doing the gentle exercises recommended by my GP. Home alone, on the floor, far from the mobile phones. I was sweating and shivering with pain, unable to move. Not an enviable predicament. It took ages before I finally dragged myself along the hall to reach for the phone and first cancel my arrangements for the day, then sought help.

To cut a long story short, I had to involve the landlady to get the neighbours' phone number so someone could let help in and finally, laughing and giggling having inhaled lots of the funny gas to annihilate the pain, I landed at the local A&E (which is to be closed down due to budget cuts...), got examined and x-rayed, and with an MRI scan appointment fixed for next week, given crutches and prescribed yet another painkiller, I went back home. As you read that, you may think it all happened very quickly and it was not bad, comparing to the time at home in agonizing pain and immobilized.

 Two scenes from the A&E ward:

Scene 1. In the admission area, after the doctor assessed me I was left on the trolley   waiting to be taken for an x-ray. I was feeling very cold and could do with a blanket. I could see some blankets piled neatly on the shelf opposite. There was a young Asian looking woman sweeping the floor with a huge mop and I politely asked her if she could possibly pass me the blanket. 'I'm domestic, you have to ask a nurse', answered she without stopping. Well.... There was no nurse in sight for a good while while she was making unhurried movements around me....

Scene 2.After the x-ray I was put in one of the open cubicles created by plastic curtains and, like other patients, waited for my turn. I noticed that my phone battery was getting flat and, having brought the charger (prompted by my ambulance saviours) and spotted the socket just behind my trailer, I called out to the dark skinned nurse who didn't seem to be performing any life saving duty at that moment. She gave me a disapproving look and angrily said something like that: 'Can't you see I'm doing something? I'll come to you when I finish!' and disappeared from my sight. When she returned, I braved asking her in the most polite voice just to plug in my charger, but that really annoyed her! Dipping her hand in a box of cleaning stuff and lifting high up the other hand holding a piece of cloth, she told me off like a naughty, incorrigible child at school: 'You've gotta wait! I'm busy! You gotta wait!' is what I remember. Surely, it would not take her longer to plug in my phone.

However, the other members of staff I encountered were really kind and caring, and that's what matters. One nurse really surprised me with her advice not to use crutches up nor down the stairs, just move on my bum, to play it safe! :-)

Good night!