An interesting day

If you can't go on holiday, what better way to spend your day than at the A & E of our super dooper Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington?

Mum's knee was more swollen this morning and she was in a lot of pain. We left home at 1045 and arrived back at 1645. At A & E she was seen in triage after 30 minutes, then it was exactly on the 2 hours when we saw the doc. Then it was x-rays and bloods/

The two young male radiographers were charmers and wanted to know if she could really be 97 years old?

The conclusion is that she has a very arthritic knee and the effusion is due to that. Spontaneous effusions, without injury, can occur. Removing fluid would help with the pain but is too risky because she has an open wound on the same leg (from the fall a few weeks ago). Bloods suggested inflammation but not infection.

We are very glad to have such excellent health care available, even if we find Cramlington a long way away and the waiting hard going. I found the people-watching to be fascinating. Who was in the most pain? The girl who was crying and lying in a foetal curl, or the older woman who sat very still and quiet. Who knows? No one is watching what happens in the waiting room.

Home for a restful evening.

The supermarket order arrived not long after we arrived! Perfect timing I think. 

The blip is part of the mobile in the lobby of the hospital. It is indeed bright orange but I decided that it needed a better backdrop instead of a scruffy looking magnolia ceiling!