(Continued from my previous post.)
To wait for transport back up to Radiology for the supplementary CT scan, my bed was rolled out from the consulting room into the corridor; and there I lay for quite a while. I had kind of stopped looking at my watch by now, but some photos snapped now and then with my phone show the time. While waiting, I also managed a short post on FB on my phone for Swedish friends... Struck me that it might be good if at least a few local friends knew the situation – in case I might need to ask for help from someone with something...!
At 17:17, still waiting for transport to CT scan,
I was brought a second cup of tea + sandwich.
Once up at Radiology again, the scan was quickly done. But then of course I had to wait again for transport back down to the A&E...
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| Radiology corridor, 18:17 |
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| Radiology corridor, 18:27 |
As entertainment in the Radiology corridor, I had a handyman of some sort fixing some electrics around me... He apologised, but I said never mind - watching a bit of "action" was quite welcome as a change to all the waiting!
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| 18:47 - back in the A&E corridor |
Some time between 18:27 and 18:47 I was brought back down to A&E again.
Transporter to Nurse (shouting): "Where do you want her?"
Nurse (probably pointing): "I've become used to having her in that corridor."
Me: "Yes, I'm feeling quite at home here now..."
By then I had sort of accepted the situation, and was “happy” (hm) just to be allowed to keep my bed... I even managed to get some passing nurse to bring me a pillow (until then I'd been using my own jacket rolled up). All day I was also able to get up and visit the toilet by myself when needed (several times!). (I had brought one of my walking poles with me from home in the morning, for extra support when walking.)
Lying for hours in corridors with
bright lights, constant beeping, and people running to and fro all the
time, is not exactly peaceful, though...
The 18:47 photo is from looking up at a reflection in some kind of round mirror-thingy in the ceiling. It's actually me lying under that blue blanket. The mirror perespective feels so confusing for my brain now that I feel need to edit it to "normal", though:
That's better - now the image fits with my memories! :)
Eventually
(must have been around 7 pm), the orthopedist turned up. He
summed up that they had found no fractures in my right foot, but there was still some doubt about how to interpret a certain spot on the x-rays
of my left knee. He said it might possibly indicate a small bone fragment of "come loose" (??) in some way? But they could not say for sure. Like the previous doctor he again also patted and prodded both my knee (left) and foot
(right) in various ways before finally "letting me go" – with (stern but vague!) instructions not to try any “long” walks for at least 3-4 weeks. When I
asked him to specify “long”, he said like around 3+ km (2 miles).
Which to me means, for example, all the way into town + back; a distance I do normally walk at least a couple of times a week. Ah well... Honestly I don't think I'm going to feel very tempted (physically) to try that for a while anyway...
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19:17, back in the reception area waiting for "ambulance taxi" back home (which they ordered for me from the A&E). When it arrived - around 19:40 - that turned out to be a kind of mini-bus, transporting several passengers at the same time (to different addresses). I first thought "oh no..." - but I turned out lucky, as the driver drove to my address first (I guess all the others must have lived further away). So I was back home around 20:00 (8 pm).
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PS. Everyone all day seemed as mystified as myself as to how I'd been able to contract my bruises in the places where they obviously were/are. Before they first x-rays in the morning, the staff preparing for that came out to me in the corridor to "double-check" with me if my GP had really got it right on the referral? Right foot, and left knee?? When bandages were removed, though, they could see for themselves... Bruises almost all over my right foot and ankle, but nothing higher up on that leg. But big bruises just about all over my left leg (front and sides) - except for the foot!
So, that's the end of my story about last Monday at the A&E. Can hardly believe that a whole week has actually gone by since then!
In the upcoming week, one thing on my list is to tackle getting acquainted with a new Health Care app for digitally reporting my blood pressure to a nurse at the HCC. (I've got as far as managing to download the app to my phone; but then I put off the rest. It's very possible that my bp medication does need some adjusting - but basing that on values from the past extremely unusual kind of week would probably not be optimal either!)
Oh my...not fun to lie there all afternoon/evening. It may be that they gave you good news, without any fractures for sure. I do hope you can manage ok at home. I hope you have friends who can stop by to help! My friend J. just fractured something in her elbow, and has been living with it before getting X-Ray and CT scan, which finally will mean surgery this coming week. I just drove her various places to shop, and we had lunch out as well. She's having trouble sleeping with pain when she turns over. So just to give companionship I got my flu shot today in the same arm! Sending virtual healing energies your way!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I'm ok at home - everything just takes longer, as I'm very careful with my movements, and also need to rest more. But I'm also sort of quite used to "problem-solving" from other kinds of injuries etc in the past...
DeleteSo first, are you in any pain? And if so, did any of the doctors tell you what to take? This place looks spacious and clean, and you are the only one in the hall! And they even fed you! Good thing, as long as you were there! It's a wonder you did not get I.V.'s to re-hydrate! And now so frustrating, all that waiting and they are still not sure about the knee, and he is even an orthopedist!!
ReplyDeleteGinny, considering what the bruises *look* like, I've had surprisingly little pain from knee + foot. I'm constantly on paracetamol anyway and have not needed any additional pills. And I was not dehydrated, as water was available - but I did get hungry, and sandwiches + tea helped. :)
DeleteOh I am so sorry that you had to go through all that waiting .. and waiting. My blood pressure would have been sky high!!
ReplyDeleteJC, I'm sure mine was too - no one checked that though (as that was not what I was there for). It's been on the limit and sometimes over during the week after at home. But also down to ok in between, so I'm not "too" worried. (I've been on meds for high bp for nearly 40 years by now.)
DeletePhew, what a day you‘ve had! How strange that even the CT scan was inconclusive, I would have thought such a scan shows everything clearly.
ReplyDeleteThe hospital staff has done well, even verifying what the GP had noted, not simply accepting it as fact without checking for themselves.
Meike, my impression was that the CT scan just didn't explain or confirm what they saw on the x-ray. So to be on the safe side, they could still not be 100% rule out that there might still be "something", and therefore best to be extra careful for a while. As patient also hard to know if one understands the doctor 100% correctly, though...
DeleteMy immediate reaction was that it sounds Swedish hospitals are just as busy as our British ones, as long waits in A&E are commonplace here. Do hope you recover soon.
ReplyDeleteAddy, that's probably the situation in most public healthcare everywhere... And sometimes also a question whether keeping up with the latest technology saves time vs just creates more stress!
DeleteYou must have felt very isolated and conspicuous in the corridor for such a long time. At least there was no fear of not being noticed. It was a very tiring and trying day.
ReplyDeleteJanice, the corridor wasn't too bad. And it helped knowing that I was actually able to get up from it and walk when needed - whether to the toilet, or to annoy some nurse with questions... ;)
Delete... get up from the bed, I mean...
DeleteIt must be a relief to have the worst part over and now all you have to do is be good and follow doctor's orders! Though it is puzzling that even the CT scan didn't show up anything clearly.
ReplyDeleteTake care - I do hope that you are now able to recover at leisure, though we'll miss your photos of your walks and events in town.
Carol, I'm still able to get out a little. Hoping to extend my walks gradually. Looks like a rainy week ahead from tomorrow, though.
Deletewow the healthcare blood pressure app sounds amazing, wish we had technology like that here, I hope you are going to rest at home and heal up.
ReplyDeleteAmy, message this morning from nurse that she could not see the values I had reported. But I can still see them in my app. I'll hold back on the "amazing" for a while... ;)
DeleteIn the afternoon my registred figures had turned up for the nurse as well. (Who knows where they'd been in between!) So going ahead tomorrow. (Measuring requested morning+evening Mo-Wed-Friday for a while.)
DeleteThe story of your hospital adventure would make a great TV mini series. What could be more dramatic than lying in a hospital corridor looking up at the ceiling? It is good to know that you have been thoroughly checked over and nothing too concerning has been found.
ReplyDeleteYP, now you have me wondering who they'd cast to play me in the TV series. Too bad Maggie Smith is no longer among us!
DeleteOMW! I would have been up and down looking for people, I don't do well in halls like this, bob and I once were left in a closet, it was a huge closet, a storage for hospital equipment, they simply rolled 4 beds to one wall, and put 4 of us and the beds like yours in their to wait and wait and wait
ReplyDeleteodd it did not show that spot.. glad you got it done and the adventure ride home you were first
Sandra, I think I prefer the corridor to a closet. If one feels too abandoned one can at least yell out to staff passing by (as the did frequently).
DeleteA & E departments seem to be the place for long waits everywhere. Same here. Your corridor looks quite empty, might have been more interesting if there had been more traffic to watch go by. Take it easy, rest well.
ReplyDeletePauline, that corridor was quite busy, really (although most of the time I was the only one "parked" there). I just avoided taking photos when there were other people passing...
DeleteYour experience sounds much the same as we'd have here in the UK. Corridor waits are (apparently) quite common. Thankfully I have not had to try it for myself so far. I'm glad you're home now and hope you soon heal and get back to normal.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny. "Normal" will probably take a while... But I'm thankful to be home (and managing "ok" on my own) rather than in a hospital ward needing help with everything - which could easily have been the case instead!
Delete