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Interesting times
Aug. 22nd, 2015 12:58 amAs I write this, Jan is embarking on her fourth hour of waiting to be seen in the RUH in Bath, A&E department. She's had sores on her toes for a while, and one of them suddenly blew up and developed a nasty infection; at the same time she went off her food and her pain levels shot up. A doctor came to see her and arranged for a nurse to come in and dress the toe, and prescribed antibiotics which she has been taking religiously. Then today another nurse came to change the dressing, and decided that Jan needed another doctor to take a look-see. The doctor who came was our own doctor, who said that she could smell the infection and that if Jan didn't go into hospital today she might die, and went away at once to arrange an ambulance.
The first responder who came screaming over from Trowbridge with his blue lights flashing was quite waspish on the subject of doctors who without performing any "observations" can tell these things by smell. I recalled all those stories about crusty old country doctors who are scornful of modern medical technology, though to be fair very few of them resembled Dr Beale, who is five foot nothing, female and not that crusty. He did the observations and reported that the immediate danger of death was, er, nil, but that Jan needed to go in anyway. A proper ambulane arrived in due course and we travelled in together, having hastily packed an overnight bag; unfortunately A&E was very busy, as it always is, and when I had to tear myself away to get a taxi to the station to catch the rail replacement bus service (since of course they're "improving" the lines this month so there are no trains to Bath) Jan was still sitting in an alcove waiting for the nurse who was going to be with her "shortly."
Still, I gather from talking to her on the phone that she's been given her natty hospital gown that fastens up the back, so they haven't entirely forgotten her.
And of course there is always the comforting thought that if the government had succeeded in abolishing the NHS before now we would have to pay for all this, and since we can't Jan would probably be looking at a somewhat early death. So, there's that. Any government that denies its citizens universal health care, free at the point of use, is an evil government, composed of slime moulds from the deepest pits of hell. In case you were wondering.
I'll be ringing her again tomorrow to see if anything has happened, and going in again as soon as possible thereafter. In the meantime, prayers, good thoughts and healing energies would be most welcome. She's the only one of her this world is ever likely to have and I rather need her.
And now I shall eat something and go to bed, hopefully.
The first responder who came screaming over from Trowbridge with his blue lights flashing was quite waspish on the subject of doctors who without performing any "observations" can tell these things by smell. I recalled all those stories about crusty old country doctors who are scornful of modern medical technology, though to be fair very few of them resembled Dr Beale, who is five foot nothing, female and not that crusty. He did the observations and reported that the immediate danger of death was, er, nil, but that Jan needed to go in anyway. A proper ambulane arrived in due course and we travelled in together, having hastily packed an overnight bag; unfortunately A&E was very busy, as it always is, and when I had to tear myself away to get a taxi to the station to catch the rail replacement bus service (since of course they're "improving" the lines this month so there are no trains to Bath) Jan was still sitting in an alcove waiting for the nurse who was going to be with her "shortly."
Still, I gather from talking to her on the phone that she's been given her natty hospital gown that fastens up the back, so they haven't entirely forgotten her.
And of course there is always the comforting thought that if the government had succeeded in abolishing the NHS before now we would have to pay for all this, and since we can't Jan would probably be looking at a somewhat early death. So, there's that. Any government that denies its citizens universal health care, free at the point of use, is an evil government, composed of slime moulds from the deepest pits of hell. In case you were wondering.
I'll be ringing her again tomorrow to see if anything has happened, and going in again as soon as possible thereafter. In the meantime, prayers, good thoughts and healing energies would be most welcome. She's the only one of her this world is ever likely to have and I rather need her.
And now I shall eat something and go to bed, hopefully.