I see from post people are struggling with the stupid and time wasting systems we have in place.
I tried my absolute best to get in and out of chemo with my injection done and medication ready to start tomorrow. I made it just over the bloods cut off limit but my breathing let me down terribly.
I was adamant I was not going to A&E or staying in but I was cajoled into it with all the usual lies I have heard before. The winner was that A&E had no infectious people in today just breaks and cuts and I needed scans and antibiotics as I am extremely poorly with your husband doesn't deserve to have to cope alone at home. They were however very good they did all OBS they could and even managed to do all the bloods site a cannula ( no mean feat as it has to be in my foot and my veins are terrible) gave an anti biotic and got fluids up.
A&E however was packed all corridors full of people on beds and in chairs waiting. Initial assessment was quick and she was sure it was not an infection but suspected a blood clot and ordered scans. However the cannula was apparently too small. 2 hrs later went to scanner guess what cannula is too small suggested they changed it and brought me back. Nurse arrives and is not happy I am not on the bed but in the chair as it is taking up too much room (ha ha). I explain best I can why and that if I get on the bed I will vomit. I am apparently being selfish to other patients so I get on the bed her face is a picture and my husband is trying not to laugh as I spray vomit everywhere for the next 30 mins. Funny thing I get my chair back.
another 4 hrs a Doctor arrives just as my husband leaves as we have family arriving to stay and he needs to let them in. The doctor asks question after question which I breathlessly struggle to answer and keep getting confused. I then explain I am going to faint he keeps asking questions next I know I am coming round to the most horrendous pain which I can feel but cannot respond to. The bruising on my neck is terrible. Once conscious I tell him breathlessly what I felt him do was abuse.
Apparently it is all OK as I was unresponsive. He then says he wants me on the bed the nurse is very quick to explain why I am not.
I still have not had these scans and he wants to do an arterial bleed test from my wrist but cannot tell me what good this test will be as I refuse any bloods etc from my arms due to lymphoedema. It seems to all boil down to the fact I need scans but cannot have them because of the cannula size. I have now waited about 9 hours expecting the cannula to be changed. So I ask why then does no one change the cannula he is dumbstruck, apparently he is the cannula king and no one had asked him. He managed to get it in first time which the nurse was amazed at as he had earlier managed to drop and smash an expensive drip I was getting IV fluids from. So I then went for the scan managed to pass out again in the scanner but this time the nurse did not resort to pain infliction.
The thing that really got to me was that when my Husband came back to the ward after my initial collapse and my out burst. He asked to see him without me and explained that they thought I had a clot either on the lung, brain or in the leg and that I would be being admitted. Obviously I was now not being told things.
I got to the ward a short while ago. Some things never change. Toilet not cleaned and full of poo marks, uncovered specimen bedpans on the bins and blood deposits on the floor by my bed. I pointed it out to the nurse and she said the cleaner would be round in the morning.
Well big rant over. Nurse seems very nice she has noticed my drip is missing when the doctor dropped the original one they had no more in A&E.
It is do frightening what is going on in the NHS and deep down I know I would be better off at home.
Hopefully I will get some sleep and home tomorrow.
Good luck to you all
