From Bad To Worse
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Well, Deion’s day just went from bad to worse yesterday…..his class had extra study after school, which is bad enough, but afterwards, he came out of school, and caught his foot on a wall to the left as he steered his chair right..his foot bent at a rather unnatural angle and he immediately moaned of pain. I took off the shoe…big mistake, the foot and ankle swelled and turned purple before my eyes and I loaded him into the car and went straight to accident and emergency department.
I have to say, of all my children, it’s not the one in the wheelchair you think you’ll be rushing off to A & E with a sprained ankle…
Okay, by now it was four thirty, and there was no-where to park, of course, we were caught in the ‘after school injury rush hour.’
Our local hospital hasn’t got brilliant parking, and there are only four disabled spaces…not nearly enough, especially as two of them were coned off and dug up, and the other two had cars without disabled badges parked in them…so I had no choice but to squeeze my oversized disabled vehicle into a normal car space…I hate having to do this, as it doesn’t leave much space for my parking neighbours… I invariably end up with a dented door, and also I have to pay, regardless of badge, as only disabled bays are free….and the parking cost almost warrants a bloody remortgage…
So off we go, get booked in, wait for three and a half hours for a doctor to take a look and say “Mmmmm yes it IS rather swollen”….I resisted the urge to yell ‘no shit Sherlock’ and smiled and asked what to do next….x-ray.
Okay, x-ray department fairly quiet, a mere hour wait….back to the doc…no-where to be seen….find him after storming through corridors yelling ‘helloooo, Dr ***** where are you?’ he sighs and goes off in search of x-rays, announces there is no break, but after examining offending ankle, he announces Deion has a bad sprain and a torn ligament, so… compression bandage, elevation, ice and heat, 2 days off school…thank you and goodbye….er hello, bandage…’oh right, there you go’ says Dr ***** and hands me the bandage….
Okay, I have 4 kids and some experience…but really???
No nurses were available, so I asked how tight, how high up the ankle and he watched me do it….it didn’t occur to me until we left that if he had time to instruct me, he could have bloody well done it…
We were just glad to be getting out of there. So we went back to the van that I had to park about three miles away at the other end of the hospital….
And best bit of all…there was a note on my windshield…. Note says….”you should not have parked your vehicle here; it didn’t give me much space to get in my car, kindly park with more thought and consideration in future.”
Loaded Deion in the car, made sure all doors and windows were shut…and moved a few paces away so he couldn’t hear the expletives coming from my mouth…didn’t realise man passing by until he took my arm (probably to escort me to psych ward) and asked if I was okay….red faced, I pointed to note and car…he used a few expletives of his own…glad to have someone on my side, so felt calmer, got in car and drove home.
So now have 2 days at home being a slave to youngest son….still feeling very angry with note man…thinking of putting an ad in local paper, demanding he come forward, then can stick said note right up his arse….actually I probably wouldn’t… but I’d bloody well make him eat it…
As if it is my choice to drive huge oversized disabled vehicle and I am responsible for total lack of disable parking in the whole of London!!!!
Aaarrgghhh!
19 March 2009 at 11:46
I second anonymous up there!! What a terrible day, I'm so sorry and I hope your sweetie feels better soon!
19 March 2009 at 12:47
What a day. I am sorry that you had such a bad experience. Hope he is doing better. I love your blog and I will be back.
19 March 2009 at 12:51
Oh dear. From the frying pan into the fire, no? First, I hope Deion isn't too horrible to his mum as you lovingly tend to him! ;-)
Second, you should make a sign and laminate it to put in your windshield for such situations. Should read something like:
"Dear Parking Neighbor, please understand that I was forced to park here due to the shitty facilites provided by this fine establishment. Should you have any issue with where I've parked as a result, kindly take it up with the management. Or shove it up your @$$."
Well, ok, maybe not. But boy wouldn't you like to ?? I've actually become quite considerate of *other* hadicap parking patrons. We have a placard we can use but if there are other spaces not oo far away, I'll use those and save the special spaces for larger/specialized vehicles such as yours. Oh, and I've been known to double park behind people who are illegally parked in those spaces, too. (ok, once)
19 March 2009 at 13:09
ooh niksmom you are sneaky...i like it alot! you know the laminated label is a superb idea...sorry, but it has to be done, yes, should have thought to double park...next time..
deion is doing okay, he can't have pain relief as it affects his breathing, but a chocolate fudge mandarin (don't ask, his own concoction) cake helped alot.
thanks everyone, you are all amazing....very tempted to take you up on the butt kicking too!!!!
19 March 2009 at 13:18
i hope your boy feels better, and sorry you had a bad day at the hospital. I'd go on now and have a good rant about Doctor's, but I did that yesterday and I'm tired. Hope you have a better day.
19 March 2009 at 14:08
Oh no! Sounds like your day was rather annoying! I hope Deion's ankle gets better soon. I cannot believe the nerve of the note writer- I say definitely write an add, too funny!
19 March 2009 at 15:02
Oh no hope Deion's ankle feels better soon. Emergency rooms are terrible they rush you in and they rush you out without concern. Time for some funny movies and junk food:)
19 March 2009 at 15:41
What an awful day!! I fully support the laminated sign idea.
19 March 2009 at 16:25
hope that things get better...you and Deion both need a ((HUG))
19 March 2009 at 17:16
Wow, what horriable service. The doctor should have done it!!
20 March 2009 at 08:27
and this trip to the hospital where you attened your own sons care is getting paid.. ????? Honey come to Texas, if we brake a nail the Dr sure as hell better put a bandaide on it or I am yelling "law suit' !!!!! Get a card printed out to put on your windshield.. "If you don't like the way I parked, just wait to you see me drive"!! Some people just look for something to bitch about, sorry you happen to be parked next to one of these people... hugs !