I hadn't heard of RAH but on looking it up it took a moment to click you were in SA, Australia not Saudi Arabia
Or South Africa I guess.
Im sorry to leave it hanging. But I've not been well since, and didn't even go on the internet much at all.
After two very uncomfortable days and nights I'm feeling almost normal again.
Well, while many complain about the RAH and public Hospitals, and likely for good reason on occasion, for me the Nursing and Medical staff went above and beyond. I was seen within 20 minutes of arrival and a saline flush started. So those whose toes crawl at putting eye drops in, they flushed a total of 2 litres, drip by drip. I was fine with the first lot but the second almost did me in. The drip is the usual saline drip thing but runs through a small suction type cap placed on the eyeball. Uggh. By this time I was soaking wet as the first lot didn't retrieve the water properly but onto the bed. Small matters. There was supposed to be a drainage sink in the Eye treatment room but a month ago someone removed it. It's like a hair dresser bowl.
In the meantime one male nurse was googling what type of chemicals were in the pod I'd thought to bring. We both worked out it was the blue liquid - Rinse Aid that had squirted. So this excellent nurse then rang up the poisons centre. As this substance is more acidic than alkaline that was a slightly better outcome.
I was then seen by a lovely Irish female Dr. As I'd last attended RAH with the DVT, all my records were available and she understood all my auto immune stuff immediately. Maybe it's changed but I've found that British trained medicoes, the GP kind, seem to have much better understanding of auto immune things and she knew exactly what I was talking about. Given all that, she was able to get me an immediate appointment with the Opthamologist upstairs. So in the wheelchair I had to be taken to the clinic and was seen within 20 minutes after testing my eyes. My vision in the impacted eye was horrible but right eye was perfect.
By now it felt like I had a 3 corner jack stuck in my eye. The Opth said it would be like that for 24 hours and pain killers would be useless. He did use a numbing gel before he put a dye in my eyes and that was bliss. For 20 minutes. He said he felt it was superficial and consistent with splashing but he did not think it would be permanent.
I was able to go home but then think I got a tension headache and for me with that comes vomiting. So feeling wretched and miserable. That finished about 12 hours ago so hadn't eaten or drunk much in 48 hours. But was relieved my vision was so much better. And now I seem to have picked up a cough from the hospital visit but it's just keeping me awake but not bothering me.
I was supposed to go back yesterday for a check but didn't think they'd appreciate me with a vomit bowl
so I cancelled to Tuesday. My eye was so much better that I wasn't too concerned.
This morning I had my first food in a long time, and a cup of coffee. Bliss.
The RAH. When it was built 7 years ago it was the second most expensive building in the world. Second to the Burj Al Arab. Likely that's changed.
Emergency seating is tiny. But the people they have to deal with. Within 5 minutes one angry person started abusing the triage nurse, he had been there for 4 hours by now at which time I was thinking that would be me too. The F and C word. The young nurse kept her cool but this must happen all the time. There are large public areas which are really nice, but the outpatients treatment rooms and waiting rooms are cramped and tiny. The opthamologist office was tiny and jammed full of equipment. Someone had pinched his ph test kits (this assesses acidity of the eyes which is important as I'd been tested multiple times). Always an 8. Slightly alkaline.
So this stupid accident. Husband mentioned what had happened to his EA. She said this had exactly happened to her friend except it went into both eyes. She had to crawl to her phone and call for an ambulance as she couldn't see. So this happens - I'd suggest frequently. Take care all.
Just trying to keep a lid on it.
