Ok so why was I in hospital?

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jethro's picture

Well it was stupid really. I have had enough experience with emergency departments now that I should have listened to my inner voice of reason and not bothered going.

Anyway – I didn’t. Late Saturday night my Uvula decided to get inflamed and swollen. I was a little worried when I tried sleeping that I couldn’t breath and was choking on it. After some will I? wont I? games I rang my doctor father in New Zealand (waking him at 4:45am his time) to ask his advice. He suggested going to the hospital. I don’t think my father has ever waited in a public hospital emergency waiting room. He is always on the other side of the wall. Anyway forgetting this fact I then ran the local hospital 24 hour nursing line. They advised the same thing. So now all I had to do was decided if I could drive without choking, passing out and crashing thus killing myself in the process. After some more will I? won’t I? I decided against calling an ambulance and drove myself the 20 minutes to the hospital. I parked and went in at 3am. After being seeing in about 10 minutes by a nurse who oohed and aahed and said “my yes it is swollen we will have to get a doctor to see you” I sat and waited. Fortunately I took my walkman and 2 books. I had finished the first book, and was starting on the second at 7AM. at 7:25 I was seen by a doctor who took all of 5 minutes to examine me and tell me to go home and take 2 over the counter anti inflammatory pain meds. Bah Humbug!

I went home took the meds and went to sleep.

I am recording here for evermore my intention never to go the hospital again unless an ambulance takes me! My advice for anybody is that if you can walk or drive chances are you don’t actually need to go to the hospital. Wait and it will be all ok. If not the ambulance will get you anyway.

And if I had done some Googling before I went I would have found this fantastic advice at http://swollenuvula.blogspot.com/ and these yummy pictures.