Injury and Books

So anyway I had a sore knee last Friday, I thought I had banged it or slightly twisted it at some point in the day. It hurt but something always hurts right? So went out to our friends place for dinner (yummy veggie pie, salad and an amazingly yummy dessert - I won't tell cause one day I might invite you to dinner and make that dessert then it would not be a surprise and I like surprises!). After dinner and our friend putting the child to bed - we all moved to the lounge room where I borrowed an ice pack and stole two anti inflammatory drugs, that didn't seem to stop the pain so I used Deep heat instead to burn out the (what I thought was muscular pain) - it kinda worked. So we had a great night out as I was sitting for the majority and mostly pain free eve...

Saturday we went to Sydney, Anj had a Body Shop meeting to attend so I drove to spend the day window shopping and enjoying the city as is my want. I walk around all day, going to all my favourite shops and haunts - got Anj a new tea pot (she collects them the weirder the better and if it works you win the prize [please note there is no real prize]). I also went to Galaxy Book store - a store dedicated to Sci-Fi and fantasy... my Mecca. I found John Scalzi, on a shelf - in Australia... so I bought "The Last Colony" and " The Androids Dream" - which where priced at equivalent US price (in AUS$) - OMFG I actually got two paper backs from OS for the price of one paper back from Australia (Yes it really works that way why else do I buy from Amazon...) I was so excited to find these books I started reading TLC almost then... I waited until I got to the Pitt Street food hall and ate some lunch while I started the book... Brilliant as I thought it would be! I also needed to sit as my knee hurt like hell... But nothing I couldn't handle... I am a Man you know! Tough... blah blah etc

So I continued to walk around all day (and stop now and then with a coffee or snack to read some more of the book...) I met Anj after she had finished and then showed her some ideas for the Wedding then we headed home. On the way to the car Anj commented on my profound limp and I pulled up my shorts at the car and checked the area - there was a huge red mark below my knee which was moving it's way north over my knee cap and up my thigh... a long way up (further then I could pull up my shorts...). The red area was very hot and painful to touch. I said to Anj "I think I might need to see someone about this... but not in Sydney hospital or Wollongong (long story...)" So I drove back home (2.5 Horus) straight to the hospital ER.

After the Clerk got all my details and the Triage Nurse had seen me I sat down to wait... and wait... then Anj *accidental* hit my knee (OUCH!!! Seriously) so I sent her home to feed the dogs and in an attempt to avoid more pain. I waited a bit more. Then I was called in by a shortish Sri Lankan doctor (who's name sounds like Maddog... I shall forever remember him as Dr Maddog that shall be his name... OK? Clear? Good) Dr Maddog took a look and said that it was an infection... and immediately stuck me with a cannula drain some blood for test and left the room. A nurse with a goatee (male) came in a introduced me to my antibiotics I thanked them they where nice. Peter/Paul (nurses name began with a P) afixed a drip to me and the cool cool liquid goodness began to flow into my arm... it finished in like 2 minutes. Then I waited... Dr Maddog returned with another Doctor, Dr Noname, who I think was the head Doc on that night. I was to return in the morning for X-Ray and Ultra Sound and more drugs - leave the Cannula in.

I Returned the next day, saw the clerk, saw the Triage Nurse... got an X Ray (wow this if going well) then was asked to wait for the Ultra Sound staff to arrive... I waited, waited... got called in to be Soundly Ultraed... it showed no injury to the knee (we were worried about that? apparently... then I shouldn't have walked on it in Sydney all day? NO!!! - ops) then I was asked to wait... I saw Dr Maddog return for tonight's shift... I saw Peter/Paul start his shift... I waited. I listened to the complaining people who where also waiting... I held back the urge to let them know I was here last night at 7:30 and I was still waiting... but some of them had seen me come in the morning... (note for the record they didn't look sick - I did had RED KNEE/LEG and a limp and a cannula in my hand...) Dr Maddog called me, we greet each other like old friends... I got satisfaction from that... I was to get another drip and a nurse to my house twice a day with more drugs of goodness... then he left me. I waited.

Peter/Paul came in to give me drugs, we chatted - he set up the drip and left. it drained slowly. The Nurse I was to have dropped in to see me I signed the stuff and was explained the procedure for the home visit nurse.

Aside here: BRILLIANT scheme this - I "should" have taken up a bed in hospital in order to get twice daily IV drugs... but I wasn't really sick and it was just for twice a day. Instead of being a burden to the hospital I could stay at home in comfort, get my drugs and sleep in my bed. This is the best system ever!!!

Anj visited me and left a care pack, a cheese sandwich and TLC to read... she is such lovely-ness. Then she went to rehearsals.

I finished the drip and left for home with nurse to see me the next day (I waited so long I was too late to get another dose that day)

Today (Tuesday) I got the Cannula out and a health check that says I am not cured but it is on its way out. I have a script to get oral drugs if I need too but I am just glad to not have a cannula in and be able to sleep at night!

So that is the story of my long weekend and the beginning of my holiday... well I have a few more days to go... I will miss my Hospital friends... I say Peter/Paul on his way to work again this afternoon... what great mates we became...