On saturday night I was sitting watching telly with the other half when I suddenly got a strong pulsing pain above my teeth on the right hand side.
It went after five minutes so I washed my mouth out and had a look to see if there was anything immediately untoward. Nuttin'. Took 1g Paracetamol and 60mg Codeine just in case (I have about a week's worth left after my back pain 'adventures'...)
Shortly after, It came back with a vengeance and within ten minutes had spread up to my eye, down to my neck and back across most of the right side of my head. With it came a tight chest, difficulty breathing and extreme photophobia.
My gf called NHS direct. They said that a nurse would call me within 10 minutes to see if I needed to go to a hospital.
45 minutes later, they called back. At this point, I was lying in a ball in a dark room and barely able to move with pain. After talking to my gf, they sent out an ambulance to take me to A&E (the QE in Gateshead; the only downside to living south of the river....You don't get taken to Newcastle General...)
So the paramedics arrive, take my temperature (very high - was sweating like Gary Glitter in PC World), pulse (about 170ish) and blood pressure ("Bloody hell, that's high!"), bundle me in the back of the nee naw and off we go.
Get to the QE and Have to stand(!) in queue to be seen. After 15 minutes, they take my details and I get told to sit down to be seen by a nurse "In five minutes".
Half an hour later I get seen by a nurse (who was admittedly great - very professional, quick and couldn't fault her). she got a doctor to sign off for 50mg of Diclofenac for me. I just managed to swallow it.
Then I get told there is a two hour queue to see a doctor. It is now about 8.30pm so that doesn't bother me. I ask if I can sit outside on the ground as the fluoro lights are killing my eyes and I was far too warm.
So I sit propped against a wall outside until I get called in...at midnight.
I then have a further 45 minute wait (in a brightly-lit, hot cubicle) before I finally get seen.
The doctor prodded around my head, ummed and ahh'd a bit before proclaiming that I had a sinus infection....Or possibly an ulcer...Or an abcess...Or I might have "Something Else".
Now I was under the impression that Sinus infections were merely annoying rather than feeling like someone was simultaneously twisting all your teeth with pliers whilst inflating a studded beach ball behind your eyeball and inserting nine inch needles throughout your skull. Christ, I've had my appendix rupture and I've had lumbar puncture but they were nothing on this.
Anyhoo...I finally got out of there at about 2am with a course of antibiotics, a course of dicloflenac (50mg thrice daily) and instructions to use my paracetamol/codeine combo four times a day...Oh, and a sore ass from where they gave me a big shot of antibiotics.
I then had the joy of walking home from the QE...Which took about 90 minutes.
So rather than a medical thread, a simple question: Is it worth paying for private healthcare?
And, while I'm completely baked on painkillers, should I stop cycling to and from work?
*n
It went after five minutes so I washed my mouth out and had a look to see if there was anything immediately untoward. Nuttin'. Took 1g Paracetamol and 60mg Codeine just in case (I have about a week's worth left after my back pain 'adventures'...)
Shortly after, It came back with a vengeance and within ten minutes had spread up to my eye, down to my neck and back across most of the right side of my head. With it came a tight chest, difficulty breathing and extreme photophobia.
My gf called NHS direct. They said that a nurse would call me within 10 minutes to see if I needed to go to a hospital.
45 minutes later, they called back. At this point, I was lying in a ball in a dark room and barely able to move with pain. After talking to my gf, they sent out an ambulance to take me to A&E (the QE in Gateshead; the only downside to living south of the river....You don't get taken to Newcastle General...)
So the paramedics arrive, take my temperature (very high - was sweating like Gary Glitter in PC World), pulse (about 170ish) and blood pressure ("Bloody hell, that's high!"), bundle me in the back of the nee naw and off we go.
Get to the QE and Have to stand(!) in queue to be seen. After 15 minutes, they take my details and I get told to sit down to be seen by a nurse "In five minutes".
Half an hour later I get seen by a nurse (who was admittedly great - very professional, quick and couldn't fault her). she got a doctor to sign off for 50mg of Diclofenac for me. I just managed to swallow it.
Then I get told there is a two hour queue to see a doctor. It is now about 8.30pm so that doesn't bother me. I ask if I can sit outside on the ground as the fluoro lights are killing my eyes and I was far too warm.
So I sit propped against a wall outside until I get called in...at midnight.
I then have a further 45 minute wait (in a brightly-lit, hot cubicle) before I finally get seen.
The doctor prodded around my head, ummed and ahh'd a bit before proclaiming that I had a sinus infection....Or possibly an ulcer...Or an abcess...Or I might have "Something Else".
Now I was under the impression that Sinus infections were merely annoying rather than feeling like someone was simultaneously twisting all your teeth with pliers whilst inflating a studded beach ball behind your eyeball and inserting nine inch needles throughout your skull. Christ, I've had my appendix rupture and I've had lumbar puncture but they were nothing on this.
Anyhoo...I finally got out of there at about 2am with a course of antibiotics, a course of dicloflenac (50mg thrice daily) and instructions to use my paracetamol/codeine combo four times a day...Oh, and a sore ass from where they gave me a big shot of antibiotics.
I then had the joy of walking home from the QE...Which took about 90 minutes.
So rather than a medical thread, a simple question: Is it worth paying for private healthcare?
And, while I'm completely baked on painkillers, should I stop cycling to and from work?
*n
