Woke up, crippling pain in my ribs. After a while the pain died down a bit, allowing me to get up. Drove to doctors. The chairs in the doctors waiting room are uncomfortable at the best of times, but with the pain in my ribs and leg, I didn’t think I would make it.
Eventually got to see the doctor. Suspected deep vein thrombosis he said and sent me to the emergency department in Torrevieja Hospital. Went home had cuppa tea, was quite scared, sent text message to a friend (we’ll call him S for anonimity purposes), got myself together and left for the hospital.
On the way took the wrong turnoff for Torrevieja, had to backtrack. Got to hospital, hobbled to front desk and asked for emergency department. Brilliant !! I’m in the wrong bloody hospital !! This is San Jaime Hospital the other one is further down the road in San Miguel. Back in the car then and back on the road.
Bit later got to the correct hospital. Again hobbled to front desk and asked for A & E: “You go out the door and turn left” said the bloke. Went out, turned left walked to the end of the hospital: NOTHING THERE !! Started to get worried now. Half way back saw another info desk. Asked again for A & E. “You go up the stairs”. Why the first bloke couldn’t tell me about the stairs, I don’t know !! Went up the stairs: EUREKA !! There it was. Went in gave my paper to the lady at the desk.
I had arrived !! Felt happier though still quite scared. It was about 1:30 by this time.
Didn’t have to wait long, was called in, put on a bed and told to take my jeans off. After a while the doctor came and examined me, the nurse put an IV line in my arm, connected a drip and gave me some injections: 1 in the wrist, 1 in the IV line and 1 in the belly. After a while was taken to a waiting room with comfy chairs, still had the drip so had to walk with one of those supports with wheels, also handy for carrying your plastic bag with your stuff in !
After a while was taken for a chest X-ray, then brought back. The drip had finished so had to carry my bag in my hand ! When I got back, attempted to put the back of the chair back a bit … CRASH … nearly smashed the window behind me !! That cheered everyone up a bit!
Another while later (had no idea of the time, had to turn off my mobile), was taken back to the radiology department for an ultrasound of my leg. Then back to the comfy chairs.
A matter of seconds later was taken back to the bed. Doctor came in and told me to get undressed and put a hospital gown on, they were keeping me in. They’d found thrombosis (blood clot) in my left leg. My chest X-ray appeared clear, but, they were going to do a CAT scan anyway. The treatment consisted of painkillers and anticoagulants. I asked for how long, maybe a few days he said.
I got undressed and lay on the bed, a nurse came and put a tight bandage on, from my toes right up to my groin. After a while I was taken to my room. It’s a wierd sensation laying there watching the ceiling lights go by ! Was put in room 56, on my own.
Later a couple of nurses came in and showed me the lights and call button. Then a male nurse came in (we’ll call him B for bloke as I don’t know his real name !) and hooked up a drip to my IV line. The night time doctor came in and told me I had to have “reposo absoluto” (absolute rest).
It was about 6:00 in the evening, dark outside. Started to phone people. Mum was out, left a message, Dad was out, spoke to my Stepmum, said to call back later. Phoned my friend S, told him about everything, asked if he could give some food to my cat.
Felt quite scared, a bit lonely, but, happy my cat was sorted and thankful I had a mate like S.
A while latter, a lady brought a huge blue box, which was described as “dinner”. Oh dear !! If you have just eaten please stop reading now ! Starters was supposed to be chicken soup, it looked quite nice, but, tasted like water with a hint of charcoal, it had cubes of some kind of meat that tasted like absolute nothingness and had the consistency of snot, the pasta in the bottom was OK though. Then, second course, 2 burgers, luke warm swimming in grease, tasted like arseholes, could just about force one of them down my throat. These were served with 2 halves of a desecated, rubberised jacket potato, you couldn’t cut them, let alone, eat them !! The pears for afters were nice though, and a small bottle of mineral water. I thought school dinners in England were bad, but this is another league of mank !!
Later my Dad phoned and my brother, R, phoned, was good to hear their voices. Phoned my other brother C, laughed too much, nearly died !! Then run out of credit.
Felt tired and weak, tried to sleep, too noisy, everything echoes as well. A nurse brought me a yogourt which I saved for tomorrow. Then they put up a sign: no food or drink after midnight because of analysis the next day.
Couldn’t hold my bladder any longer, pressed the call button, and asked to have a piss. A nurse brought me a strange shaped bottle ! Had my first bed piss, managed to get all the urine in the bottle, somehow ! Would have to perfect my bed-piss technique ! Was dreading the moment I would have to do a poo !
Tried sleeping again, no luck far too anxious and uncomfortable, those hospital beds are very hard. Noise had died down.
Started to get a pain in the centre of my chest and in my ribs, pain growing, started to get worried. The pain worsened further, pressed the call button, and told them about it. Pain was now excruciating. I thought I was actually gonna die, or worse, they were gonna leave me to die (paranoia). The nurse from before, B, arrived, seemed to me like ages. Hooked me up a drip. After a bit the pain started going slowly. B came back with a trolley, stuck electrodes all over me and connected me up to the electrograph machine. The night time doctor arrived and asked me a few questions about the pain.
I never ever want to experience pain like that again ! Glad I’m still alive ! Still couldn’t sleep though. Morning came eventually, don’t remember sleeping at all that night.
Tags: anticoagulant, blood clot, deep vein thrombosis, DVT, electrograph, Hospital, Hospital food, mank, pain, thrombosis, Torrevieja Hospital, ultrasound, X-ray
