life in the darkness

Well, here’s something strange. My experiences of hospitals. Most of them, from when I was young, were good. From trips to Casualty, for splitting my eye brow open to being seen in children’s ward for ear infections and other things. I can vaguely remember some of them. Walking down long corridors, through automatic doors into the what was then, small entrance hall. Going up some stairs, to a gate which had to be unlocked by a small hook that you removed from the hole in the top. Walking through the gate, I could hear children and other things. People talking. Then my nan or grandad, taking me to reception. Can remember the day I woke up in severe pain, from an ear infection. Getting into children’s ward and I think, bypassing casualty, I was seen and sent through to audiology. I can remember the headphones for hearing tests being placed on the front and back of my head. I remember finding it interesting. Other times, when I can remember going in for routine paediatric check-ups and asking the consultant could I feel his dictaphone. He obliged and I remember enjoying telling him the make and asking him about the buttons. He showed me his voice on it and I can remember laughing about it. Other times of seeing the eye specialist and him telling me my eyes do not and from about 1 month maybe 2, never reacted to light. What tiny bit of sight I had, went quickly. Eye-drops being put into my eyes. Having a tooth removed under anasthetic. The recovery room and the nurses being very comforting. The anaesthetists holding my hand before I drifted off to sleep and him telling me what was going to happen and what it would feel like. Them letting me feel certain things. The implant of my loop recorder, again with very nice nursing staff, comforting me when I was in tears over something I didn’t know. The after affects of the drugs. Being in ED (casualty) from having seizures. Tachycardia. Some of my experiences with ED staff weren’t good, but some were. I guess it depends who you get and what condition is flaring up at the time. They don’t understand POTS over here, neither do they understand IST. The only negative experiences from the cardiology team, have really been the lack of understanding of my heart conditions, as well as from respiratory, at times, being reluctant to listen to me, but because of the brilliant respiratory physiotherapist, I now have the things I need in place. I now have a good consultant too. My by far best experience of the nhs though, was last week, with the opthalmology department in The Royal. St. Paul’s eye unit. They have gone and are continuing to go above and beyond to help me. Next to that experience, is my neurologist. Who has always listened to me. When we struggled to get hold of him in the past, he stayed on the phone after hours of clinic, for an hour to help me and talk through things. He has even confirmed the brain ischaemia I had and still have, as a result of my brain haemorrhage as a premmy. Yes, I know at times, I have been fed-up and ranted about the NHS, but that was because of the lack of awareness and understanding. When they are dealing with something that is understood and that they are skilled at dealing with, they are nothing short of brilliant! My thanks again goes to St. Paul’s eye unit and the Walton Centre, for such a great neurologist who comes over to the island to help us all!