X-Ray

Last Friday Rosemarie went to the hospital for an X-Ray.

I had been dreading something like this happening. She found the original trip from King's to the care home traumatic, and several times we have been warned that a move will be very disruptive. She would have to go strapped onto a stretcher...lots of noise and new people, and possibly a significant wait at the hospital. 

But the doctor who came to examine Rosemarie earlier in the week was concerned about the persistence of the chest infection and wanted an X-ray to rule out pneumonia.

The care home were keen for me to go with her (otherwise they would lose a carer for the duration) and obviously so was I. Good Nurse told me that the transport was booked for 9 a.m. and she hoped Rosemarie would be back for lunch.

I hear so many horror stories of late transport, long waits and distressing outcomes that it was with a heavy heart that I drove to the care home in the morning.

Rosemarie was dressed and ready and being fed breakfast when I arrived. Not very well. The SALT instructions obviously hadn't filtered down to the staff.

The transport finally arrived just before 10, and things moved pretty briskly from that point. Rosemarie was transferred efficiently to the stretcher and strapped in and did not seem to object. Maybe the support of the straps was comforting after all the leaning, twisting and random arm and leg movements her body does. It never occurred to me.

The ambulance staff were relaxed and friendly and soon had her whisked down in the lift and out into the cold air and into the ambulance. Still no bad reaction. I asked them whether they thought it would happen quickly and they said they hoped so. Rosemarie wouldn't be taken off the stretcher at the hospital and the ambulance couldn't go anywhere without the stretcher.

The ambulance pulled away and as if by magic Rosemarie closed her eyes and seemed to doze. Just like toddlers in a car. Again, it had not occurred to me.

And she remained like this for the whole journey.

The journey was brief but rather uncomfortable because the driver kept choosing back roads that had speed bumps. I said I thought that the bumps were supposed to be of such a size that emergency vehicles like ambulances could pass over them easily. Apparently the problem is that white van drivers realised their vans were the same wheelbase as ambulances and started using the residential roads as rat runs. So the local authority converted the speed bumps to full width...

Anyway we arrived at the hospital, parked up and moved Rosemarie (still dozy but calm) through the narrow corridors to X-ray. I presented the appropriate form to Reception. 

I looked at the waiting room.  A dozen or so people waiting. My heart sank.

"Oh", said the Receptionist, "This is a chest X-Ray. We don't do these here. They do them upstairs."

Short pause. "I won't make you go all the way upstairs. We'll do it here. Wait a moment." She bustled off. 

The driver told me that the other X-ray suite was a real pain to get to with a stretcher. Things were looking up.

Seconds later the doors opened and a technician came out and called Rosemarie's name. We were in. Just like that.

The X-ray was over in a couple of minutes. She was starting to get restless and everyone agreed that it would be best if I stayed with her, so I was dressed in a fancy lead apron and stood there holding her hand while they took the X-ray. They told us it would be forwarded to her GP in a few days. 

Then it was back to the ambulance, and bumpily through another maze of back roads to the care home with Rosemarie dozing peacefully again.  Past rather startled faces and back up to her room. She was gently moved to her bed and I said goodbye to the ambulance crew. I looked at my watch. Five to eleven. 

The whole thing had taken less than an hour. Rosemarie had not been distressed.

Sometimes you actually catch a break.