999 Emergency…
At 4:15 this morning I roused from sleep with very severe chest pains that radiated thought to my back, and changed in intensity with breathing. As these didn't ease quickly I got up and phoned NHS Direct, just getting the phone handset left me breathless.
On phoning NHS Direct I was put straight through to a nurse, who after a brief chat got an ambulance out to me. I'd barely got downstairs when the ambulance drew up outside the house. After a rapid gathering of my pills, bag and a few items of clothing - I needed more than a nightshirt with me, it was into the ambulance where they did ECG, blood gasses, blood glucose, blood pressure, etc. All seemed to be okish but the chest pain was still there, so they whisked me off to Leighton Hospital.
En-route they put me on oxygen, gave me aspirin and a sub-lingual spray of Glyceryl trinitrate. By the time we reached the hospital the pain had pretty much resolved. I was still wheeled straight into the "Majors" side of A&E.
There I was immediately seen by a nurse who did further ECG, BP, etc. I was then left until a doc was available to see me. In the meantime I just read through what was in my bag this weeks Pink News, the March G3, and continued the book I had with me. Eventually one of the docs checked me over and drew blood for additional tests. Once that was done I was moved to the Clinical Decisions Unit, there to wait for the results of those tests to come back, and for a further set to be done 2 hours later.
During the wait I was supplied with liberal cups of tea, but not permitted any of my normal meds. Eventually when the second set of test results came back and a final ECG taken, it was decided to discharge me as I am in no immediate danger. I have however been referred to the Chest Pain Clinic for follow up and ordered to take things as easy as possible for the time being.
I will quite honestly say that I was scared, and panicky about this chest pain.
Alice.
On phoning NHS Direct I was put straight through to a nurse, who after a brief chat got an ambulance out to me. I'd barely got downstairs when the ambulance drew up outside the house. After a rapid gathering of my pills, bag and a few items of clothing - I needed more than a nightshirt with me, it was into the ambulance where they did ECG, blood gasses, blood glucose, blood pressure, etc. All seemed to be okish but the chest pain was still there, so they whisked me off to Leighton Hospital.
En-route they put me on oxygen, gave me aspirin and a sub-lingual spray of Glyceryl trinitrate. By the time we reached the hospital the pain had pretty much resolved. I was still wheeled straight into the "Majors" side of A&E.
There I was immediately seen by a nurse who did further ECG, BP, etc. I was then left until a doc was available to see me. In the meantime I just read through what was in my bag this weeks Pink News, the March G3, and continued the book I had with me. Eventually one of the docs checked me over and drew blood for additional tests. Once that was done I was moved to the Clinical Decisions Unit, there to wait for the results of those tests to come back, and for a further set to be done 2 hours later.
During the wait I was supplied with liberal cups of tea, but not permitted any of my normal meds. Eventually when the second set of test results came back and a final ECG taken, it was decided to discharge me as I am in no immediate danger. I have however been referred to the Chest Pain Clinic for follow up and ordered to take things as easy as possible for the time being.
I will quite honestly say that I was scared, and panicky about this chest pain.
Alice.