steelcityman

This is a re blog of a post I wrote some years ago whilst ‘people watching’ in the Emergency Dept., at my local Hospital. My wife and I had taken Mum and Dad (now sadly deceased) down to the Emergency room as Dad was in excruciating pain and could barely move, let alone walk. The people I observed, whilst trying to be non-judgemental, were an interesting mix of society

Saturday 24 th March 2012
Sat in A&E with mum, dad, wifey and me…been here for about two and a half hours…very little sign of movement since Dad went into The black hole that is Triage. He is having a great deal of pain in the hip he had replaced about 7 years ago when weight is put on it or he has to twist. Got the call about 0930 hrs this morning so it was a rushed breakfast and away to mum and dad’s…rang NHS Direct and the doctor didn’t diagnose anything, he just said if the pain is bad get yourself to hospital and wait in the A&E for a diagnosis…not really very helpful but then again, it maybe just another sign of the times and the NHS not being bothered at the point of use, passing the buck even, for a quiet life.         Anyway here we are waiting waiting waiting…at least there are no druggies, alcoholics or violent noisy drunks (We could come back later tonight to get involved with those !!!!!)Lots of people using mobile phones…it really annoys me that they totally ignore all the rather large signs that say, “PLEASE TURN OFF ALL MOBILE PHONES”…….. If you tell them, they will only look vacantly at you and spit abuse…FFS !!!!”……… (SSLLAAPP!!!)        AAHHH !!!! The first swearing loudmouth has just come in…..got to be two sandwiches short of a picnic or have a great psychological need to noticed by everyone. No sporting injuries, which is unusual for a Saturday afternoon…I can well remember when I was a young lad being brought to A&E with various sporting injuries..( I was a goalkeeper, and goalkeepers, being more insane than outfield plays, have a tendency to suffer more at the murderous feet of big burley center forwards) … and you could guarantee being laid on a bed along with rugby players with hands or fingers turned at impossible angles, or squished noses and football players with ankles facing the wrong way….but non of that stuff today…it’s a Saturday, a day of sport so where are they???Is it a sign that today’s youth don’t play contact sports any more ? Or do they play more carefully ??…can’t see that happening. Maybe it’s a sign that the youth of today are frantically buying cans of white lightening in order to beat the 40p per unit price hike, or maybe they are all on Xbox/Playstation or computer getting their adrenalin rush. Maybe it’s just me being a Victor Meldrew and not giving them enough credit. Maybe they are all participating in Sport relief and raising money for the underprivileged youth of the third world..??  Did I see a pig on the wing then ??? ……. OH!! Look another swearing loudmouth has just entered the waiting area of A&E..shit, he has sat next to me !! Best stop writing before he looks and sees me writing about him. Be back in a while folks ………..He’s gone now….. Mum has just come out of the assessment room and the doctor has said it may be a trapped Sciatic nerve, but they need to X-ray it to be sure there is no damage to the hip joint…… More waiting and more of an opportunity to observe the sick lame and lazy ( as they used to say about the military sick parade)….two just come in who look like junkies that have had a mishap with their dosage, and an elderly guy that looks as though he has taken half his top lip off with a cut throat razor !!! Various trades men beginning to show up with cuts gashes and other types of open wounds….. Been here now three and a half hours and getting a numb bum on these hard hospital seats….so, time to sign off and go and get a cuppa java. I may add a little more before I get into wi- fi range of home…if not, well…TTFN. 
    Aaarrrggghhh!!!….. Been here over five hours now and one of the “Street Dwellers” came over and sat by my side to have a chat and tell me …here she comes again..switch off.
I must be a sh1t magnet…I attract desperate people like jam attracts flies !!!! The ‘lady’ in question told me all about the reason for her visit to A&E, turns out her Bessie mate repeatedly punched her in the head whilst walking in town yesterday and she had a bit of an headache afterwards….and…. She has since been seeing spots before her eyes. I said that she might have a mild concussion , at which point she held her head and started moaning, throwing the six year old daughter she had with her into a panic( as well as me !!!) “I can see the spots and the stringy bits floating across my eyes”, she moaned…..so to quieten her down I told her they would probably only be ‘floaters’ she was seeing, at which point she grabbed my arm and asked, very seriously, “Will they hurt me?”….so I reassured her that most people get them and they wouldn’t hurt her…..then she left again, ….thank heavens. I can now continue the waiting waiting waiting……… In the hopes of being left alone to nurse my VERY numb bum….bye folks.

Well, I recovered from my ‘numb bum’ and Dad was pronounced well at the end of it.