Beyond a Joke!

I'm fed up. I'm fudging well fed up. Last week I started experiencing more pain above and below the 'hole' I have in my side, and the nurse noticed that I had a few areas that seemed like they might be pockets of fluid developing. I also had a rash in the exact shape of the best bandaging they've been using on me. The rash only started because instead of seeing me daily or even every other day they switched me to every other day during the week and not at all on weekends. One Friday my current nurse didn't put the protective wipe they use on my skin before putting on the bandaging and that's when the rash started. So last week Friday she left me with bandaging that wasn't waterproof and I had to endure a weekend of no showers.

Last Friday I rang the clinic to find out what they wanted me to do and they more or less fudged me off and told me to see my GP. He couldn't see the pocket fluids (you'd need to feel it rather than see it visually and you can really feel it). He gave me a talking to about what to watch for in case the pain in the area turned out to be shingles because it's the area of the body where the blisters usually appear. And sent me on my merry way with a script for more Fenac - an anti-inflamatory I take for my arthritis. So come Monday, I hadn't had a shower since Friday morning, and the dressing leaked during the night. Ugh. Same thing yesterday. I woke up completely wet on that side from leakage and when the nurse came to change it she remarked at how much more exudite my wound had, and used twice as much Seasorb inside. Well, last night I had another leak because the dressing she was putting on was tiny - only 10cmx10cm and didn't hold the exudite.

All the other RDNS nurses I've had have always said if I had a problem to ring her. So this morning I rang to let her know it was leaking and she walked in and the first thing she said was 'You know we're not really a call out service.' WTF???? I like this nurse as a person, usually, but as a nurse she's a disaster. She's very untidy and today I found the rest of the aquacel (another absorbent thing they stick inside me) on the floor and it had to be thrown away. Along with that, there were other bits and pieces on the floor as well.

When she changed my dressing today she said it was even wetter than the day before and found that by pressing on one of the pockets she was able to get out pus and blood from my wound. She called the clinic for me and was only able to leave a message, but said if they rang her back she would let me know the results. She also said she would see me tomorrow and access how often I should be seen in light of the fact Monday is a public holiday (Queen's birthday). I may need to be seen on Sunday and then Tuesday, Thurs, Saturday, etc.

She rang me back about half an hour ago and the Wound care clinic says I'm not their problem. I'm to be seen next week by Plastics. And Plastics said that their normal clinic day is Monday but because of the holiday on Monday the nearest time they could see me would be next Thursday ... which is when I have my appointment! I was polite on the phone, but when I hung up, I said to myself, this thing is going to explode, and they're going to be telling me I should have had it looked at sooner - to which I'll say I TRIED, and no one wanted anything to do with it! It's not like I'm a rude patient. OK, today I had to stand up for myself (I'm still ticked with the 'We're not a call out service' remark), but as soon as she looked at my dressing she had to eat her words. I wasn't being a nuisance, I NEEDED it taken care of.

It's on my side, so it's not like I can do it myself, and being a deep 10cm hole, we need someone professional to deal with it. Otherwise, I jolly well would deal with it on my own or with Rod's help. But not when it's a 10cm tunnel! I've always been nice to the nurses in the clinic. I made a bookmark for one of them, and they always know me and more than one has remarked that I have the patience of a saint.

I'm tired of this merry go round I didn't ask to be on, and I'm fudging fed up. Yesterday was the 3 month mark. I've been dealing with this for 3 months plus 2 weeks prior to that when I was feverish and ill but had to wait until it came to a head THEN before anyone really paid attention and did something about it. Looks like I'm travelling the same road again now and I want off.

GRRR. Well we're off to do grocery shopping and pick up some KFC for tea.