Monday at the A&E (Part 2)

 (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...! 

 

 

15:50, still waiting in corridor for transport back up to Radiology for CT scan.

 

The doctor who referred me to the CT scan came back for a short visit (in the corridor) at the end of his own work shift (I don't recall the exact time) to tell me that another doctor would be taking over and give me the results. “You're in luck, he's an orthopedist and better than me at these things!” was his farewell promise... 

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...
 

Radiology corridor, 18:17

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!  

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... 

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).

 ---

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!)

 

Monday at the A&E (Part 1)

 It's been over a week now since my Fall outdoors last Friday; in which both my right foot and my left knee got badly bruised - and led to me spending a full day in the Accident & Emergency department of our hospital on the following Monday. I managed a "mini" update here on Tuesday, but a fuller version has just had to wait, as I've been too tired. 

As it's a long story of a long day, I've now decided to do it in two parts. 

Here we go:

On Monday Morning (13 Oct) at 9:15(-9:45) I had a pre-booked appointment for an annual (although at least 18 months since the last one!) follow-up of this and that with a new GP at my primary Health Care Centre (located in the city centre). Normally walking distance for me, but now I realised I'd better take a taxi. (Pre-booked to arrive at 8:45 outside my building, and only 5-10 min drive to the HHC.)

I'd never met this doctor before but immediately liked her; she was fairly young (certainly compared to me!) and seemed both sympathetic and efficient. I decided to start with informing her about my recent accident; and after going through my list of prescriptions (to be renewed), she prioritised taking a look at my injuries rather than measuring my blood pressure right then and there. She said that could be followed up by a nurse later. 

My bruises had kept spreading over the weekend, so by now my whole right foot was rather blue; while my left leg was showing quite an impressive display of various shades of red, blue and purple both over and below the knee. After visual inspection + a good deal of poking and prodding, the GP decided to refer me straight up the hospital for x-rays, in case there were some hidden fractures after all. - She did not specify how to get myself there; but there aren't all that many steps to walk from the Health Care Centre to a bus stop from where I could to take an ordinary bus straight uphill to the hospital. And knowing the distances involved, I saw no problem with choosing that over calling a taxi again. 

I had to wait for a while in the Radiology department waiting room, but actually that particular part of that day's adventures took less time than I had expected. On the other hand - everything after that took a lot longer! 

The x-ray itself was quick, but what I had not really counted on was then being ordered to go to the A&E to wait for the results. And even less that I'd  be spending the whole rest of the day there, and not be home until 8 pm... 

 

Photo taken 11:27, looking back at the main entrance of the hospital as I went round the outside to the A&E. 

Approaching the A&E (Swedish: Akutmottagning) at 11:29.

After registering at the reception, I sat in their main waiting room for a while; but it did not take all that long before a nurse came and brought me + a few others (probably also waiting for x-ray analyses) to another, smaller waiting room. No info about how long I might have to wait there, though. But in retrospect I get that staff can't have had a clue either... They were having a very busy day, and my case obviously wasn't of the highest priority (I could see that for myself!). 

I think it must have been around 2:30 pm that I went out to the nurses' desk in the corridor and said, “excuse me, but I've been waiting a long time now, and I've not had anything to eat since breakfast around 7 am”... 

Not much they could do about the waiting as such, but I was then brought a cup of tea and a sandwich. And almost immideately after, I was taken to an examination room where (after finishing my tea and sandwich, which came with me!) I could lie down on a bed instead, to wait for a doctor. That took a good while again - but at least I was more comfortable now, and had had something to eat. 

14:47 in consulting room, waiting for doc 

At last a doctor did come (rather young, and very sympathetic) - but only to tell me that unfortunately there was some "ambiguity" on the x-rays of my knee, which meant that they needed to do a CT scan as well. This time I would not have to walk all the way back up to Radiology again, though, but would be transported lying on the bed... I'd have to wait again for that of course; and for that, my bed was rolled out into the corridor. But at least I was now waiting more comfortably than sitting on a hard chair in a waiting room!

To be continued...