My night in A& E

First the good news- many thanks to all my friends including Blippers and FB wishing me well and the lovely cards I have received and especially this beautiful bouquet from my niece and her family.
They have all cheered me up after the most horrendous night of my life.

I was getting ready for bed last night when I discovered alarming bruising and raised weal’s suddenly appeared on my operated leg.
A phone call to the emergency helpline at the Golden Jubilee hospital threw me into panic-mode.

“ That sounds like a blood clot. Very dangerous. Do not move. Ring 999 immediately.”
The NHS swung into action. A paramedic arrived within minutes apologising for delay in the ambulance.
“ it’s Fresher’s week at Stirling University. We are having to deal with a lot of drunken students.”
Eventually an ambulance arrives seconded from neighbouring Comrie. I am wired up. First hint from paramedics that it may not be life threatening after all.
Bundled into ambulance. Very bumpy ride. Ambulance is old and cold. Never been in one before. No point in M coming with me. (How would he get home?)
Once inside A & E am deposited on a trolley and left in a cubicle- for the next six hours.
A perfunctory examination by a nurse decides I am not about to die and goes off to help a couple more serious cases.
A young woman doctor appears, scratches her head admits she does not know what’s wrong though clearly something is. Transpired they never see post operational orthopaedic trauma because they go straight to the orthopaedic ward- but I was operated on in Glasgow.

Well it was the night of the long knives... test after test came back negative and at 6.30 I am told I can go home.
But how? I have no transport, no clothes, I could not walk without my sticks and I am told my mobile phone would not work in A&E.


Eventually a taxi is found.
It seems severe bruising looks horrific and dramatic but not unknown after major knee surgery.
PS my GP asked me to send her images of the bruising on my iPhone.  The NHS may be creaking at the seams but technology I suspect is coming to the rescue.