Yesterday I took Dolly to her 4 year old MMR injections at a local Government Clinic. My brave Dolly did not drop a tear but insisted on watching the needle go in one arm and then the other. After which she was assessed with her Development for over an hour.
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| Tape has shifted, cotton ball lost - but Dolly wants to keep the tape "Bandage". |
Latter at home I opened the fridge door to find our very large and heavy glass salad bowl and Pyrex bowls crash down from their spot on top of the fridge. As I bent down to pick up glass I realised there was a lot of blood pooling on the floor. It hit me that it was me bleeding; I yelled at The Rambling Expat to grab some of Dolly's old clean nappies while I held my hands over my leg to keep pressure. I wasn't sure how bad it was so told him to fetch the neighbour, keep Dolly away and call my mum to pick her up.
I asked my neighbour to drive me the 2 minute drive to the doctors as I was unable to walk in my state. I was perspiring heavily and shaking. At the doctors the receptionist did not look at my leg and had no idea it bleeding and had soaked through my trousers and 2 towels. She said that the doctor would see me between 2 patients. However patients were called and I wasn't seen to. She took me to a back room 15 minutes latter to get my leg alleviated when she saw all the blood and made sure I knew the fee for stitches was roughly 350$. I didn't care about money at this stage as I was worried about what was under the towels. I waited some more. By which time Dolly had been picked up by my mum and The Rambling Expat arrived. When he saw I had not been seen to and I was feeling light headed and frustrated he said we should go to the hospital.
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| Dried blood on the return home. |
At the hospital I was given a quick check over by the Triage nurse. By this stage the bleeding had stopped and I started to relax. Latter on I was looked at by a nurse who cleaned it and I was relived it wasn't too bad. I went in for Xrays to check for glass and was Xrayed to by a wonderful friend of ours, which was a happy bonus. Then I went back to to the waiting room for a few hours until called by the doctors. I was stitched up by a young enthusiastic student doctor from Canada. I felt I was going to faint at one stage so had to lie down while he finished his stitching. I was checked over by the regular doctor and given leave to go.
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| Not so bad. |
Outside on my way to the car (barefooted, tired and bloody) the student doctor came running to say they had forgotten to give me a Tetanus shot, so I went back in and was injected by a nurse. I also asked for a couple of needles to take home as I could feel a small shard of glass in my toe.
We are so lucky! I spent 8 hours in medical facilities yesterday and paid 0$. And no bill will come.
- 2 injections and a Development Assessment for Dolly. Bonus: nurse gave Dolly hugs, kisses and small gifts (stickers, rainbow pencil, growth chart) as rewards.
- I got 1 Xray, 7 stitches and 1 injection. Plus lots of kindness.
Would medical procedures like this cost you something in your country?
I'd be interested to know - don't forget to tell us what country you are from or live in.
Crikey, FDU!!!! You were really lucky to get off with just 7 stitches and some light-headedness. I am sorely tempted to label that receptionist a twit, but I shall refrain. The ¨what if´s¨ are to worrying to dwell on in the face of a positive outcome.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I will offer commiseration in you not getting a lollipop for your ordeal.
Hi a ramb;ling patriot here - so far we are still free for medical treatment in the good old U of K but we will see and I wait with baited breath...... Glad it got sorted out - I put my hand through an old glass door and had to have a skin graft operation afterwards for which I paid zilch, nadda, nothing - no bills!!! We are very lucky to have an NHS!!
ReplyDeleteEeek xxx
Glad you are okay. Like you I appreciate greatly the health system we have, still think they could improve it, but there is always room for improvement. I also have a daughter who is a nurse, just starting so interesting to see things through her eyes.
ReplyDeleteJust wondered whereabouts in Australia you were I have a funny feeling we may be in the same state, I am at Morphett Vale, South Australia. Love reading your blog. xxx Teresa
Hi Seredipity, I'm in the NT - right up the tipy top of Australia.
ReplyDeleteHi Eeek, Thanks for popping in. So glad I don't have to have a skin graft. That sounds very painful.
Hi Daffodil, Yes i will try to refrain from calling her funny names. I now think she may have been inexperienced and too insecure to ask a doctor to see me promptly(?). In the end it saved me $$$ to leave and go to the hospital.
What a day you had!! So glad it was not too serious. Here in the UK we don't have to pay for anything.
ReplyDeleteI almost fainted just from the sight of blood and just reading about your ordeal!
ReplyDeleteI live in the United States. A child's well-check visit would cost $140 at my doctor, PLUS the cost of the vaccination. But I have health insurance so we would only have to pay $20.
For an emergency room visit, we only have to pay $100, but I think they charge extra for things like x-ray and other procedures.
So glad your injury was relatively minor.
Hi Karen,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the UK health sytems is similar to Australia.
Hi Mary,
It sounds like health insurance is the way to go in the US. I've never had health insurance because I feel secure with our system at present. But as I get older I feel I will need to get insurance for bigger issues and/or operations.
I just read this post and I felt sick when I saw the blood in the pictures! Hope you are recovered from it now:-)
ReplyDelete