My Time In A & E ( PT 2 )

Dear diary...

 

Still waiting in A & E It was now the middle of the night before another doctor came and spoke to me at around 3am in the morning. She was very nice and concerned, appologizing for keeping me waiting.

 

I'd recalled during the day a man sitting next to me in the waiting area saying; “I've been waiting 22 hours! Can you believe it?”

 

Well I was shocked and thought he was joking, but now I was starting to get the picture of just how long it takes.

 

Taking me to a room she explained about the many shadows on my chest. I mentioned that a doctor had thought it could be TB or Cancer.

 

“I'll show you the x ray first,” she said. “ It appeared marked with with unusual blotches, which is the only way I could describe it. Then she showed me two scans, one image of a good chest, then my own. A healthy chest should show up black, but mine had a lot of fluffy white cloudy fluid floating around, it looked alien and that's exactly how I felt.

 

The doctor said it wasn't at all normal and she said that although it looked like something that was either cancer or TB because of the appearance, I wasn't getting any other symptoms, like bleeding or swellings, so they couldn't be absolutely sure. “You're a conumdrum,” she said. They would have to do more tests.

 

Finally at 5am on Friday 27^th February 2026, It was 17 hours later of much sitting and waiting, before I was taken out of the waiting area finally and shown to another area where there was a nurses station and a corridor with partitions and monitors on the walls. The nurse wheeled a bed into what I can only call a makeshift room with sliding glass doors.There was a constant rhythm of machines bleeping on and off. A bathroom to my left with a toilet and sink which was a relief.

 

I was so tired, I could have slept on the floor with a pillow. The nurse brought me a jug of water, and I realized there wouldn't be any privacy as my room looked out onto where people were coming and going, I felt like a fraud as I'd seen some patients hooked up to machines.

 

I now know what it's like to be a caged animal, or a gold fish in a tank. Lot's of staff coming and going gauped in and could see everything I was doing, so I got into bed fully dressed. I was so tired I didn't even take my trainers off and went straight to sleep.

 

Waking about 9am I went to the toilet, glad that at least here I had some privacy. A nurse came and took my blood pressure which I continued to get done on the hour...at least that was okay. Living in my own thoughts with nothing to do, there was'nt any radio or tv. Not knowing how long I'd be there I didn't bring in a book to read. Phones didn't work either, so I had to admit feeling fed up.

 

After seeing three doctors already, another one came in and started asking the same questions over and over again. I know they need to be sure of my symptoms and have to get everything right, but wouldn't it be great if you could just deal with maybe three doctors, then they'd have their notes to consult.

 

Nursing staff were busy with people suffering, it was so disturbing just staring out from my bed and hearing shouts of pain and those dam monitors bleeping constantly.

 

As time passed I was beginning to feel a little better, although my chest was still tight, but it was managable and didn't bother me too much. Sitting on the edge of my bed, claustrophobia was setting in, made worse by seeing people walking around.

 

By the afternoon I felt a need to go for a walk. The staff nurse was standing by her computer just outside my room. I tried to attract her attention by calling out, but she couldn't hear above the noise of machines, so that was when I stepped outside of my glass case. “Excuse me!” I said approaching the nurse.” That was a big mistake.

 

She turned around and looked completely shocked, ordering me to get back. “You can't leave your room under any circumstances.” she responded very abruptly.

 

I have to admit feeling my face flush up and going bright red with embarrassment, I'd only taken about five steps outside and felt ashamed in front of the other staff. I rushed back behind the glass doors and stood biting my lip, not quite knowing what to do.

 

The nurses were talking about me and I could tell they were uncomfortable at my sudden actions. I got over my shame straight away and lay on the bed closing my eyes.

 

A nurse came and did another blood test. I was beginning to feel like a bruised pin cushion with all these nurses after my blood...only joking of course.

 

After having a urine test and another blood test, yes another. A doctor came around. It was decided after much deliberation that I would be allowed home with some antibiotics. I wondered if my earlier scene had something to do with her words.

 

The doctor informed me I would need to come back in a couple of weeks once they'd had a meeting about my case. “Yipee! I was going home,” something to look forward to. I am worried at what they'll discover though. All kinds of thoughts are going through my mind, but I must try not to dwell on it too much.

 

It was nearing 7pm when a nurse finally removed the needle and tubes from my arm, which was such a relief because it was so painful.

 

I sat on the bed armed with my carrier bag and antibiotics. The nurse finally came and took me back down to A & E waiting area. I'll say this for them, they very kindly called and paid for a taxi to take me home which I was so grateful for.

 

Arriving home I treated myself to yummy beans on toast, a real treat. Thankfully during my time in A & E they'd had volunteers wheeling a trolley around serving up free tea and coffee, also free sandwiches and biscuits which I thought was a kind gesture, but there's nothing like preparing your own food at home and being free to choose exactly what you want to eat.

 

That night I'd never been more relieved to get into my own bed. I certainly know what Dorothy meant when she said: There's know place like home.