When you build something up in your mind.... like an event..... and you're so "up for it" and when you get there it's a massive anti-climax (hyphenated?).
I remember once.... being at a rave..... and a revered DJ was going to be playing a set..... we headed across to the tent where he was playing, stood there for five minutes and promptly went back to the tent we'd been in earlier because it was better!
Sorry Mr. Sanchez, but you underwhelmed me.
I WOULD, however, like to go see him again and not hype it up in my head beforehand.
And so it was, today at the hospital, and interaction concerning my leg.....
It's now three and a half weeks since i broke my tibia...... and it's two weeks since i had surgery. Since the surgery i've been bungling around with a knee brace on.... zero weight bearing on that leg, with surgery wounds dressed , inside the knee brace that keeps everything rigid and straight.
First time someone got to look at it and i get to the hospital on time.... check in on a computer screen, to be told to check in at the desk..... go to a waiting area..... get told to go to another waiting area...... get shown into the treatment room.... and they tell me all the doctors have just gone for their lunch but not to worry because they "eat fast".
I'm on a trolley, in the treatment room, and the nurses are all kicking their heels waiting for the lunching doctors. One of them takes my knee brace off and takes the dressings off.... first time i've seen the wounds from surgery - still pretty swollen but dry and not looking angry or infected.... a good sign.....
And wait....
A full fifty minutes later, a doctor i've never seen before arrives bedside......
Dr: So, what have we done? (looking at leg from yards away)
Me: Tibia plateau fracture.... plated?
Dr: Well it looks like it's healing.... so what do we need to do?
Me: I keep this brace for another two weeks and then i get a change of brace with some knee bend.
Dr: Right, right, so we have a plan...... And are you taking anti-coagulants?
Me: Yes... injections.
Dr: And have you got enough of them?
Me: I picked up a prescription for 6 weeks from the date of surgery.
Dr: Right..... so what do we need to do next? I don't think i need to see you next week?
Me: No, i come back in a fortnight for a change of brace.
Dr: Right, right, so we have a plan.... do you want a job?
Me: scowls.
Nurse: You need to make an appointment out at main desk now....
Appointment lasted one hour..... care given, less than one minute.
Trainee nurse takes more time over redressing the wound than the doctor took to "wing it" through my consultation.
<goes to main desk>
Receptionist can't make the computer system make sense and hands me a scrap of paper with my appointment on.
Get home..... received two electronic appointments for the day two weeks hence..... one at 12:00pm and one at 4:45pm.... i mean..... what?
Generally i always have good things to say about the NHS but this was by far the worst i've ever seen. It was worse than Roger Sanchez!
To calm myself down, i stole an image from ebay, of a vintage postcard for sale - it's lovely, innit?
At least you got to have a look at your knee and it wasn't covered in puss or owt bad. Could have blagged a morphine repeat out of that doctor, next time :)
ReplyDeleteyeah maybe..... it WAS good to get the dressings off and have a look.... i also have a couple holes where they shoved a camera in my knee.... cool
DeleteI wonder what the fast-eating doctors had for lunch? Perhaps the fixed price menu at "Erics" - 73-75 Lidget Street, Lindley, Huddersfield, HD3 3JP - £34 for three courses.
ReplyDeletea mate of mine hated Eric's with a vengeance.... "ten bob millionaires" are how he describes the punters..... when i recently meet the notary on HER lunch break, she was dining at The Coffee Lounge.....
DeleteFrustrating! But you handled it well!
ReplyDeletethanks.... i mean, someone had to handle it....... i wouldn't say "well" but i'd suggest we might have avoided something being done wrong, narrowly.
DeleteFirst thing I said when I saw the optician was I will not go back to hospital for anything. So I know your frustration. You went through a formality of ticking boxes. Yes we should all be very grateful for the NHS but the hours of sitting around and then a quick fly through of x-rays doesn't help. But you are on the road to recovery be happy.
ReplyDeletei'm happy enough..... seems a shame that the NHS are often let down by someone who has probably stopped caring. especially when there are clearly people there who still care a lot!!
DeleteIt sounds as if you were the doctor not him! At least it's done and you know all is going well.
ReplyDelete