Comments on: Accident and -Hope to Fuck it's Not an- Emergency

By: K8

K8 — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:11:20 +0000

Thanks Baino, looks like the solution’s in sight, and TAT’s happy now that he has the happy variety pain killers! The upside is that I now get to be a full time nurse rather than a window cleaner. The hours are far more sociable.

Medbh, I hear you on the opiates! I remember going through a phase when I was little of constantly falling on my tail bone which had me out of action for a day or two. So bloody sore, though putting the back out altogether is another story. Ouch.

Grannymar, the strange thing is, if I were to call 999, the ambulance would bring TAT to the nearest hospital as happened on Tuesday. For some reason I thought this other (far larger) hospital would be better. I know now that it’s six of one…

Deborah, that is just crazy. I HATE the pass the buck and ‘best of luck with that!’ mentality. It’s a dog eat dog world.

Thanks Kate, life should be almost back to normal in T minus 8 weeks! As me dad says, thanks to a lot of shouting…

Doc, this is pretty much exactly what TAT has. He was stretched and mangled and acupunctured and bent into all sorts of shapes, but no cure made any difference really.
I really don’t envy that DEA his job if that’s the case! Hundreds of patients suddenly caught up the creek?! Crazy. Doctors have similar procedures here to prevent addiction. The most effective painkillers are only available for a week or two, which both sucks and blows at the same time.

By: Doc

Doc — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:24:37 +0000

my utmost sypathies to TAT: i herniated L4/L5 – L5/S1 a couple of years back and found the pain nearly unbearable. as kate alluded to, i was medicated fairly quickly but packed off to a specialist for an MRI – which showed herniated L4/L5 – L5…etc etc etc. Upon the advice of my superior half i found a good physical therapist and had twice weekly sessions with her and her rack (i kid thee not). within 2 weeks i was improved enough to start some exercises to strengthen my lower back and within a total of 3 months was hale and hearty again. granted, i was still obnoxious but, as i mentioned to my exalted half, we hadn’t exactly asked anyone about that…

p.s. – another quirk of the US ‘system’: the docs got me on percodan and vicodan quickly, and supplied me with script after script…until a month was up: it seems that more than a month of effective painkillers sets off an alarm on a certain federal emploee’s desk at the DEA.

true story – no meds after a month.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:24:36 +0000

Well, that just bites. We don’t do things a whole lot better in the US, except that many hospitals will hand out meds quickly. Quiet patients are happy patients, I think, is the theory.

I hope something happens very soon to knock you out of this cycle and into a new, (dare I hope) painless version of normal.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:37:13 +0000

Don’t get me bloody started!! I have a lump and a bleeding boob and no one feckin cares. It’s all on the non-food blog.

So sorry you had to go through all that. Hopefully it gets sorted soon as alluded to in your Dad’s last post! Sick men are the worst too. I feel for you!

By: Grannymar

Grannymar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:31:23 +0000

K8 Next time call 999.

They will by pass the queue and the hospital have to deal properly with the patient as the Ambulance come back for a report on what happened to Patient TAT or whoever they brought in.

Alas if you go into a hospital under your own steam then they deem you fit enough to go back home again.

By: Me Blog! » Blog Archive » Obligatory Health Service rant

Me Blog! » Blog Archive » Obligatory Health Service rant — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:26:31 +0000

[...] at the thought of how one would be treated otherwise. K8 (Grandad’s daughter) has another very detailed post about their recent experience and harrowing it [...]

By: Medbh

Medbh — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:49:55 +0000

What a fucking nightmare.
My back goes out now and again when I lift heavy things. In 2002 I had to go to the ER and the shot of morphine was so wonderful. Sweet relief.

By: Baino

Baino — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:37:45 +0000

God K8 that’s awful but sadly reminiscent of what happens here as well. So still no relief other than the odd shot of painkiller? Heart goes out to you. I guess keep trying different hospitals until you get some assistance or just fork out the dosh and get some specialist care. It’s a sin what’s happening over there (and here). Best of Aussie luck to you.