Enough of a Monday

Went to work as usual today because I thought my back seemed a bit better than yesterday. Got to work and found that I couldn't stand up without wincing in pain. The consultant said I can sit during the ward round if I wanted to. Okay.

As the morning went; two patients suddenly decided to discharge themselves against medical advice. They were hostile, verbally combative and wanted to get out of there ASAP. Do they think discharge is a fast and quick process? There are lots to do and we have to do it for them even though they are treating us like crap macam tuh.

With pain, I realised that I actually do a lot of walking in my job. Even going to pick up the papers that I printed is a walk down to the end of the corridor and back. The pharmacy is at the other end of another corridor and back. I couldn't hold back tears, it was like walking on spear heads instead of femoral head.

Despite 6 admissions, of which I had done only 1 (because the others hadn't arrived yet), the registrar said go home early, see the doctor.

I went to the GP who said I better go to the Emergency Department and get a MRI scan. I told him I don't really want to go, I know the people there, plus I will have to wait for hours just to be seen.

I went anyway and resigned myself to several hours wait armed with only my iPhone to keep me entertained.

Because I am an employee of the establishment, apparently we get treated well here. Triage didn't know I was an employee though until hubby came and found Kak Lin's hubby (ED doctor there) and they both came to triage and told the nurse what to do bla bla bla.

The triage nurse sent me to wait in a private room instead of outside in the waiting area. No doubt, the 3 hour wait was only puny compared to the actual waiting duration. I got into the isolation room (usually for infective patients LOL) which was a room instead of a cubicle with curtains. Was even seen by one of the consultants instead of an intern (whom I actually might know huhu).

Had a proper  neurological examination done (including DRE!) and was sent home for MRI the next day. This whole process took another 2 hours and no one offered me painkillers to take home. Of course, if I didn't have any supply at home I would've asked for some. After waiting an hour for the nurse to get me a glass of water to drink; I gave up and decided I'll get a drink from the vending machine on my way out.

It was a pretty embarrassing ordeal. Thank God it was not an embarrassing illness namely a gynaecological one or something.

I was pretty happy to be going home. The last thing I want is to spend the night at that place!