Tuesday, April 01, 2014
To the hospital
Bad night followed by funny old day.
After Bill had clapped and banged and touched my nose one too many times as I was trying to get to sleep, I felt I had to escape.
I took a duvet downstairs so that I could sleep on the sofa.
And for about 3 hours I did sleep.
I woke at 2 o'clock and realised that I couldn't move - certainly not raise myself up.
And I wanted to get up.
Each time I tried the pain was too intense - I almost felt paralysed.
For 45 minutes I was stuck there on the sofa and feeling I might be stuck for many hours.
What could I do?
I hatched a plan - very unsure if it would work.
My mobile phone was beside me. I decided to phone our home phone number and hope that Bill might rouse himself and pick up the telephone upstairs by the bed.
Good grief! He did.
"Please could you come down and help me?" I pleaded.
He came down but couldn't really see how to get me up beyond pulling hard on my arm. OUCH!
Gradually we rolled me over a bit and I could stand.
For the rest of the night I was upstairs, back in bed. At least it is a high bed and there would be no need to have to haul myself up.
I knew I would have to get help.
But first I had to greet the men who came to replace our back fence and gate.
I then took myself to Crawley hospital. The main Accident and Emergency Unit is at the East Surrey Hospital, but our local hospital has a small emergency treatment department.
Lovely people working there.
Of course I had already worked out the diagnosis for myself.....I had to have cracked/broken ribs.
I have suffered this before.
The doctor gave me a thorough examination. Blood pressure was done too. There was no sign of anything basic being wrong, no sign of problems with internal organs.
I knew already what the routine would be for cracked ribs......do nothing.
No X Ray, no treatment. But as many pain killers as I need.
I had taken 2 co-codamol and a tramadol in the night and the doctor asked if I needed any more.....and gave me a tramadol prescription.
I will be careful with them.
He also told me not to admit to the pharmacist that I would take them alongside co-codamol!
Doctor knew it would be OK - but he thought the pharmacist might argue against it.
I was in and out in half an hour.
The fence and gate were almost completely in place when I got home - how lovely not to have to lift the gate every time I went in and out.
Two brothers were working - and chatting a while with me over a cup of tea.
For the remainder of the day I rested - at the computer or dozing.
The tramadol makes me feel disorientated.
Random weird thoughts slip through my mind.
Bill is also very tired and also disorientated. He slept a while this afternoon and when he woke he felt bad that he had not put his pyjamas on - he thought it was half past five tomorrow morning! It was very hard to convince him that it was still Tuesday. He thought the fence and gate had been done "yesterday".
I cooked a light dinner this evening - lots of cooked vegetables and an omelette.
If we are both awake we could finish Rolf's apple cake.
Sleeping arrangements must be sorted - I don't want to sleep with Bill if he is noisy and annoying with his poking me and touching my nose.
I will record the programme "Living with autism" - I have a feeling there wouldn't be much living and a great deal of sleeping.
Bill is making a cup of tea......then bed; I need a really early night.
After Bill had clapped and banged and touched my nose one too many times as I was trying to get to sleep, I felt I had to escape.
I took a duvet downstairs so that I could sleep on the sofa.
And for about 3 hours I did sleep.
I woke at 2 o'clock and realised that I couldn't move - certainly not raise myself up.
And I wanted to get up.
Each time I tried the pain was too intense - I almost felt paralysed.
For 45 minutes I was stuck there on the sofa and feeling I might be stuck for many hours.
What could I do?
I hatched a plan - very unsure if it would work.
My mobile phone was beside me. I decided to phone our home phone number and hope that Bill might rouse himself and pick up the telephone upstairs by the bed.
Good grief! He did.
"Please could you come down and help me?" I pleaded.
He came down but couldn't really see how to get me up beyond pulling hard on my arm. OUCH!
Gradually we rolled me over a bit and I could stand.
For the rest of the night I was upstairs, back in bed. At least it is a high bed and there would be no need to have to haul myself up.
I knew I would have to get help.
But first I had to greet the men who came to replace our back fence and gate.
I then took myself to Crawley hospital. The main Accident and Emergency Unit is at the East Surrey Hospital, but our local hospital has a small emergency treatment department.
Lovely people working there.
Of course I had already worked out the diagnosis for myself.....I had to have cracked/broken ribs.
I have suffered this before.
The doctor gave me a thorough examination. Blood pressure was done too. There was no sign of anything basic being wrong, no sign of problems with internal organs.
I knew already what the routine would be for cracked ribs......do nothing.
No X Ray, no treatment. But as many pain killers as I need.
I had taken 2 co-codamol and a tramadol in the night and the doctor asked if I needed any more.....and gave me a tramadol prescription.
I will be careful with them.
He also told me not to admit to the pharmacist that I would take them alongside co-codamol!
Doctor knew it would be OK - but he thought the pharmacist might argue against it.
I was in and out in half an hour.
The fence and gate were almost completely in place when I got home - how lovely not to have to lift the gate every time I went in and out.
Two brothers were working - and chatting a while with me over a cup of tea.
For the remainder of the day I rested - at the computer or dozing.
The tramadol makes me feel disorientated.
Random weird thoughts slip through my mind.
Bill is also very tired and also disorientated. He slept a while this afternoon and when he woke he felt bad that he had not put his pyjamas on - he thought it was half past five tomorrow morning! It was very hard to convince him that it was still Tuesday. He thought the fence and gate had been done "yesterday".
I cooked a light dinner this evening - lots of cooked vegetables and an omelette.
If we are both awake we could finish Rolf's apple cake.
Sleeping arrangements must be sorted - I don't want to sleep with Bill if he is noisy and annoying with his poking me and touching my nose.
I will record the programme "Living with autism" - I have a feeling there wouldn't be much living and a great deal of sleeping.
Bill is making a cup of tea......then bed; I need a really early night.
