I don't know what it is about unusal beds, but for me whenever I sleep in a bed other than my own I can never sleep properly. I woke around about 6am and decided to watch some T.V.
I continued writing some more for this blog with the minimal light I had from the bedside unit. At 6.13 the T.V. which I had loaded yesterday morning ran out. As I had been unable to get another card, I had to continue by just listening to the radio.
About 7am, a nurse on the ward switched on the lights at my end of the ward. A short while later she started the medicine round, starting with the guy opposite me, and then myself. I got a purple and white capsule and a brown pill although not 100% exactly sure what they were, I think one was an anti-inflammery and one was a pain-killer.
Before she had finished the round, one of the other nurses and a member of the catering staff started the Breakfast. Again today I had Bran Flakes.
Once I had finished that and my coffee, I look at my bedside unit which was now display a Free T.V. message. So I turned it to Dr.Who on UK Gold and hoped would last until it finished. It did. Not long after it finished they switched off the free T.V.
One of the nurses pushing a small trolley with lots of BioHazard signs on continers and bags came over and looked at my notes. She then said she needed to get some blood for some more tests. Memories of me being used as a Pin Cushion in A+E came flooding back. I hoped that they wouldn't go near my groin for the vein again. I told her about the way they got the blood in A+E and she said she would try an arm vein (one that the A+E didn't even try). So a tourniquet was put around my upper right arm it would stay tight, so I held one end tight in the hope that she would get the blood on the first try.
She asked me to clench my fist and hold. First try she managed to get the vein that A+E hadn't even tried and once extracted the blood, she transferred to 3 viles to go for testing. A small bandage was then placed over the wound and she said I could remove in about half an hour.
I then asked a nurse if the cannula needed to ramain in of if could be removed. She went off somewhere and I thought she had forgotten what I had asked as she hadn't yet answered. About 10-15mins later she returned with a kidney dish and said she could remove it. Once gloved up she Slowly removed the tape holding the cannula in place and most likely remove quite a few hairs with the tape. Then using a moist wipe she cleaned my skin surrounding cannula and proceeded to remove it. HURRAY!! She also placed a bandage over the cannula wound.
I waited about 1/2 hour then removed the bandages and went for a Shower. I had only realised yesterday that there was a shower, but even if I had noticed earlier, I could not have used as had the cannula in my hand.
By now was about 9:30-10:00 and the other guy suggested we spend a little while in the day room. We watched some crap Sunday morning T.V. show and I also went outside for about 5 minutes to have a cigarette, but smoked it quick as was cold. When I returned inside a nurse said that we should return to our beds as the doctor would be doing his rounds soon.
The doctor soon arrived at my bed although I wasn't expecting him too. He was a doctor who I hadn't seen before but had a very relax demeanour about him. He browsed through my notes then asked me similar questions about why I was there. I told him the same as I had told the other doctors. I had been on the Slim-Fast which I had been using for approx 2-3 months and this was the 3rd time I had stopped it for a few days and was eating sandwiches at my lunch time and for the 3rd time I had this pain in the right side of my chest. As was the 3rd time this I had had this pain, I was persuaded by my colleagues to seek medical attention.
He then did the same as the other doctors again, poking and prodding my abdomen and hissing through my teeth when he hit a tender spot. I told him that although the pain was still there, it was no way as painful as when I arrived on Thursday. He said that he thought I could go home today, and would book me for an ultra-sound scan and a barium test with which they can test whether the problem is to do my my stomach/colon.
A while later, I confirmed with the nurses I could leave and once packed I thanked all the nurses that were on the ward and said goodbye. I also said goodbye to the other guy on the ward. Then I made my way to the main exit and called for a taxi.
So at the moment I still do not know exactly what the problem is. It could be to do with the Colon, or maybe the Gall Bladder. I have still have more tests in Out-Patients to come, but as of this time, I have been told it's not a Hernia or to do with the Appendix. Hopefully I will find out soon and will write more about it here when I know.
On This Day - 1984: Drugs squad swoop on smugglers
Police and Customs in Essex seize Britain's biggest ever haul of cannabis made in a single raid.