h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I spent monday morning in hospital after waking up with chest pains and short of breath at about half past four, and after having a chest x-ray, an ECG and a blood test, was quite relieved to find out that nothing seems to be seriously wrong, and the doctor thinks I've probably got a strain of some kind, but I should go back to the hospital or go to the doctor if the pain carries on too much longer, and that I should avoid doing anything strenuous and take painkillers for the pain, so I've come home for a few days to try and recuperate.

Anyhew, I would just like to say that the National health Service does get a lot of bad press, much of it probably justified, but we only ever hear about the abd bits in the press etc., and I'd just like to say how great the staff of Sunderland Royal Hospital were. I was very impressed with the nurse, doctpr,r adiologist and porter I came into contact with, and I didn't have to wait very long at all before I was seen. Admittedly, I did arrive about half six in the morning, which might have had something to do with it.

Oooh that's good to know! but I think the time of arrival probably had a lot to do with the speed you were seen!..

(I@ve had four patients this morning and I managed to see them all within 5 mintues of their appointment..) but I'm cheating 'cos being a student we get longer per patient...

Oh yes, that's one of the quickest ways through triage known to man. Say you've got 'chest pains' and it's straight through to all the machines that go ping.

The other great way is if you're a candidate for TUBE, apparently

Not our local.

Two years ago Bruce slipped cleaning his van, and fell into the V of the door and the body work- he was hanging there trapped 'til mugsy here heard him yelling and lifted him off. I drove him to A&E. He can't breathe properly, he's gone grey, and from experience he's fairly sure he's broken a couple of ribs. Three *hours* after arriving, he gets packed off to x-ray. Another two hours, and he gets to see the Doctor, who confirms our own diagnosis and packs him off with a prescription for industrial strength pain killers.

It's a good job he hadn't punctured a lung, or anything equally drastic, as the only way we'd have found out was him passing out in the waiting room.

We got there about 0800 on a Sunday morning.

Yikes! Hope you're feeling better

Eeeppp.

Kerr, you probably had the misfortune to catch the end of the Saturday night clear up.

Oh my. I'm glad the test results were negative for heart attack, but it is troublesome, nonetheless. Keep us posted about how you're doing.

I don't think there is a perfect health care system. I have an HMO through my job and F is old enough for Medicare. My observation of the US system, after our experience with F's illnesses, is that it's great in a crisis but woefully lacking when it comes to preventative medicine.

And the cost. If we had had to pay 100% of F's bills, we would have been out nearly $300,000 just for the valve replacement and subsequent complications. Which of course would have been impossible.

In the UK do you have co-pays or is it completely free?

Completely free, though you have to pay a prescription charge for medicines from the GP which is £6.40 at the moment, but people over 60, under 19, pregnent and with most chronic illnesses are except. Dental, opeticians, etc aren't included...

exempt

Hi Egon....I'm really glad to hear that all was OK...it could have been something really simple, but when you're the one suffering with the pain, it's easy to think of the worst.

When it comes to being admitted into A&E your symptoms would have been pretty much at the top of the list. You would have been taken through to "majors" and monitored for a while before they sent you off to have tests (just to make sure you're stable).

The only reason I'm adding to this is that my partner is an ODA (Operating Department Assistant) at our local hospital and quite often carries the "arrest bleep" so he has to attend with the anaethetist to cardiac arrests. He works long hours and I don't get to see him much and I'm glad to see someone has a little bit of praise for people within the NHS....


Glad you're safe and well.

Egon - hope you're feeling better.

Glad you're OK!

Take care of yerself Egon.

Sorry to hear you got but glad to hear you're OK and that your hospital experience was good too. Hope your recovery is quick!

The last time I had to go to the hospital myself was to get a fish hook taken out of my knee...the year before was to get a fish hook taken out of my foot...

Anyways, glad that you didn't have any hassles at the hospital, surely it's bad enough being in a bad enough way to actually have to go to hospital, without have to endure anything more once you get there...

Well, I hope you feel better soon, son !

A bit of advice - give up fishing

Reminds me of that old chestnut:

*Doctor, it hurts when I do this* (bends over) *Can you help me?

*That's easy, just don't do that.*


I guess you had to be there....

I've never been fishing in my life...both times I was at my aunty's house...and nowhere near a tackle box...I just have rotten luck

*strolls in after a couple of days outside the building waves to everyone*

Blimey Egon, I hope you're OK. I once had to go to Casualty while I was at University with trouble breathing and chest pains - it turned out one of my lungs had partially collapsed, because I was producing a play at the time and went from being a casual smoker down the pub to a factory chimney. A bit scary, but no harm done in the end.

I've found my Housemartins single, if that might cheer you up. Email me the address to send it to and I shall be in like Flynn. (Errol, not Brian. I think.)

Take care of yourself, Egon, and you'll be up and Russian Tigger Jigging again in no time!

Silly twit that I am, I realised I only made a stupid comment rather than wishing you well and a speedy recovery.

Get well, be well, do well.

btw, well or not, try to drop off a photo (all of you) @: 565?thread=56519314" >F119314?thread=420158&latest=1