Because phoning the Doctors is notoriously difficult, because they don’t answer it, me and Dad went down the surgery as soon as they opened yesterday morning at 08:30. We came away with an appointment to go back at 10:45 and see a new Doctor I had not seen before. She was running about 15-20mins late but there was no fight on my hands as she was absolutely brilliant. She saw the abscess and, knowing I have a half replacement in that knee, was straight on the phone to Hinchingbrooke Hospital to get me seen by the on call Orthopaedic Consultant. Having been here before we whipped home to pack a bag just incase I was admitted and we got to A&E at Midday. I knew my Consultant would not be there so was praying that I saw someone half decent. After a long wait, observations, bloods and blood cultures taken I saw the registrar who asked loads of questions, looked and probed the abscess. She told me she would get the Consultant to take a look which meant more waiting but the wait was worth it. Of all the Orthopaedic consultants I have seen at Hinchingbrooke I knew only two decent ones, thankfully I now know three. I had not met this one before but he was the most pleasant, genuine person, totally on the ball, explained everything well and got it all organised and sorted. I had to wait for the blood culture to come back so they could get me started on the best antibiotics for the infection. I ended up on the old faithful intravenous Flucloxacillin and Penicillin too, then asked to wait in the A&E waiting room while they got the bed sorted on the ward. I landed on the ward at 19:30 feeling totally shattered despite having done nothing all day but sit and wait. It was like a mini reunion back on the same ward with all the familiar staff faces but it somehow makes it seem better when you are going through something like this, plus they know what their getting when they get me, I think that’s a good thing. I think they were in as much disbelief as me that I was back, rightly so as you just couldn’t write this stuff. The plan was to be nil by mouth from midnight and do the surgery the next day, there was only one theatre open though so any major emergencies would rightly take priority. The Consultant was going to make an incision to drain the abscess, depending how deep the infection went and what he found he may leave the wound open and take me back to theatre on Thursday to close it. This would allow them to get a better result and hopefully resolve the problem, like me he thought it was superficial and fingers crossed all will go well and I can put this experience quickly and firmly behind me.
I know some of you like to know about the characters I meet and the stories I hear so I will add them to the posts. There were 4 Ladies in the bay between about late 60’s to late 80’s three opposite me and one next to me. The lady straight opposite me was the most chatty and first to talk to me, very nice but here main topic of conversation was bowel movements and laxative, each to their own. The lady in the middle was so sweet and had the most lovely smile. Slightly hard of hearing so the First Lady would ask me a questions which I answered, then she asked me exactly the same question and I had to repeat it all again. The last of the three bless her has some issues, dementia I think, constantly playing with the bed clothes, putting them on, taking them off, random statements and questions, doesn’t know where she is, talks away in here sleep then drifts into snoring. The lady next to me is just an all round nice lady and in my opinion the best in the bay. With all the little characters, snoring, New Year fireworks, thoughts, pain, being woken for antibiotics and starting a drip running I didn’t get hardly any sleep at all. Still it’s not the worst place I have ever been on New Years Eve prison probably takes that award, not as a resident but working a night shift. I didn’t have anything planned that year anyway and I was on with a friend who was on a different wing but wished one another a Happy New Year on the phone. I felt bad that Mum and Dad didn’t get to visit Nan yesterday because of me and was sad that she didn’t get a visit but mum did call her ward to let her know what was happening. I just hope that the majority of people managed to have the New Years Eve they planed for and that you have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2013.
