Hayzel and the NHS

As you may or may not know, last night we had to rush Hayzel to the hospital.  She started with severe abdominal pains in the afternoon (on her day off too, what rotten luck!) and just after supper she was in real agony, crying and puking and rolling about on the bed, not able to get any relief.  Hayzel isn't a baby, she never cries or makes out like she's having a problem, so I knew that things were really not good.  So Kevin took her through to the Norwich hospital and I stayed behind to watch the kiddies.  Ewan was already fast asleep, after his hectic day but Faye was very worried about her mum and she had a little weep, as well as make mum a get well soon card, which she put on her bed for when she got home.

Sporadic updates followed and at 1225 they arrived home - 5 hours altogether.   The hospital staff at A & E gave her pain killers initially that didn't do anything, took blood and urine tests all the usual stuff.  The doctor who was on call, a Nigerian doctor, thought she might have a peptic ulcer but when they saw that the anti-acids and other drugs weren't doing anything, they decided that it might be gall bladder.   Her local GP said that she had gall bladder problems and we were actually waiting for the results of tests she had done a couple of weeks ago about that.       She ended up seeing another doctor, a German lady doctor, who said that she had a severely infected gall bladder and that it had to be removed but they couldn't do that until the inflammation/infection had gone down.  They gave her morphine for the pain, anti-biotics and other drugs, so by the time she got home she was sore but at least able to have a bit of a sleep.   She was scheduled for an ultra-sound for this morning.  

After having the scan today, the next update was that she had gall stones but now it turns out that they want to remove the gall bladder. As I type this she is waiting to see the surgeon to discuss this and when it will happen, which looks like happening only when she gets back from the SA holiday early next year.

Hayzel said that the hospital was like all typical A&E's, practical, very clean.  All the nursing staff were really kind and efficient.  When they came to leave, they told the doctor that they didn't know if they had enough cash for the parking as they'd been there such a long time and where was the ATM?  The doctor waived the parking fees and said they could just go straight out.  All the treatment she got so far didn't cost a cent.

Anyway, more updates as and when they happen.