A New Hip and Accident and Emergency

I got the nasty pain I was telling you about back last night and it was really horrible.  I think it could be a nerve or something as it is a pinching pain when I lift my leg to walk.  I phoned the ward at Cannock Hospital where I had the operation and they told me to double my dose of Oramorph and get to A&E to have it checked out.

We arrived at Stafford Hospital at around 9pm and I was straight into triage to be assessed.  They were surprised when I said I'd had my hip replaced to say the least, but they didn't treat it lightly!  We waited about an hour and I was called in.  The was brilliant, very kind and very thorough.  He checked for infection in the wound, asked me loads of questions presumably to do with thrombosis, took some blood and ordered an xray of my hip.  I had to wait a little while for the blood to come back but we were offered a cup of tea while we wait.

The main concern was that I may have dislocated or loosened the joint.  I couldn't see how I had as I have done everything that I was told and have also been waited on hand and foot.  Some people go home to fend for themselves and I really don't know how they do it because it's bloody hard.  I have dropped my crutches about a hundred times and a grabber will not pick those bad boys up... You get quite good at doing stuff though.  I just unhooked my emergency alarm that goes round my neck off my headboard, I was very impressed with myself.

Now, there have been lots of media attention surrounding Stafford Hospital over the last few years and I too have had some bad experiences there, one particular experience in A&E that I would not wish to repeat.  Last night was the second time in the last year I have had to go to A&E and the staff were brilliant.  I was poorly, and they looked after me, it's a simple as that.

When I had my abscess last year and I was rushed into have surgery, some people, who should have known better said things like, 'you were brave going to Stafford'.

When I told people I was having my hip done, (and when I had my knee replaced for that matter) some people said things like 'you're not having it done at Stafford are you?'  I didn't have either operation at Stafford by the way, all my replacements have been at Cannock.

It really annoys me.  I live in Stafford and I have to use the hospital, so do all my family.  If you have to go to A&E generally you are not well enough to drive halfway round the midlands to find a hospital that they approve of so therefore I have no choice but to go there.