Drs ?? And strikes!

A simple trip caused this... and now 9 plus years since, I still don't have full use of  my right arm. The Consultant in charge that evening of the hospital, where I was admitted had a  policy, that was to allow fractures to heal unaided, so no surgery. A year later, even with ultra-sound treatment it hadn't showed any new growth and it ached all the time.

 

So another surgeon said he'd operate, but by this time it was too late

 and the screws and plate fell out of my bone. So, he tried a different op. There were Dr strikes and although it wasn't my surgeon, it did affect his team of Junior Drs. Consequentially my post op follow up was delayed by 7 days, so by the time I had the appointment, my wound was seeping blood stained fluids and the pain was horrible. We were using clean towels to keep me clean. When I saw him late in an afternoon, as my appointment  had been squeezed in, my cardigan and blouse were very bloody and he wanted me to stay, for him to open up my wound to stop the flow. I said a very strong and loud, NO! The nurse suggested it wasn't fresh blood and he agreed.

With the delay, the stitches had embedded in the folds of skin under my arm and the nurse took nearly 45 mins removing all 21 of them, it was agony. I came home wearing a hospital gown, as my clothes were too bloody. 

Then the pain really started and I was back to not sleeping. I couldn't get a hospital appointment because Drs were on intermittent strikes, so I went to my own GP and he was amazed at the state of my arm and was very concerned.

A week later, when I did see the surgeon, I insisted on a second opinion as my own GP had suggested. The increased pain was caused by my arm dropping out of its socket! So through my own GP's suggestion I had appointment at the Royal London Orthopedic Hospital, which took a wait of 6 months and then another 7 months before I was admitted. So three years after my break,  I had a part bone transplant and shoulder re-placement, first one failed so had a second op. I can't described the pain I have suffered, but to say I groaned and cried  a lot is an understatement! And I found out how it is as a patient, rather than a nurse in a hospital, not nice! 

So these days if I have to see a Dr, or should I say speak to one on the phone, I speak up if I don't think I'm having the correct treatment!

Have you ever been caught up in a Drs' strike?

Chrisxx