Timeline of a health scare
When I had an excruciating cramp in the middle of the night after getting off a long-haul flight, this happened.
It had been a difficult few fights, and we were glad to be home from London. We arrived early in the morning, so had to stay up all day to get the daylight for us all, to try to regularise our sleep patterns as much as possible.
So, I was exhausted when I finally got to bed last Thursday night.
At around 1am, I started yelling in pain. Actually, it was probably more like screaming. An agonising cramp in my right calf had woken me up. And it stayed cramped for an excruciating 10 minutes. I writhed in pain, trying not to wake the whole house.
By 6am, my mind turned to what I need to do to ensure this wasn’t a DVT that would kill me.
8.30am: I waited until my GP surgery opened to call for advice.
8.45am: a triage nurse called me back. We decided that it was probably wise for me to go to the Emergency Department at the hospital to rule anything serious out. The risk was low, but present.
So, I readied myself for a long day - water, book, food, and made my way to ED.
9.20am: Booked in at ED reception, after description of symptoms and GP clinic advice.
9.45am: Assessed by triage at hospital. Advised that it could be at least 2 hour wait before I was seen. Checked into see if I needed painkillers.
10am: Pain in calf started getting worse.
10.23am: Seen by nurse specialist in ED
10.43am: Further assessment and plans made. Blood drawn and sent for testing - d-dimer and troponin, looking for indicators of blood clot, and heart stress. Advised results would take about an hour to come back.
11.07am: ECG done. Looks fine.
12.07am: All blood tests came back clear, but reassured I did right thing coming in given my risk factors. Plan made for any further symptoms, and discharged.
To be honest, I’m astonished how quickly I was seen and my issue was resolved. I am so grateful for a free public health system that covered my need so quickly and comprehensively.
It’s not totally bad out there. And though my leg remained sore for a few days, I have had no further symptoms.
Glad to hear it was nothing serious and that you are on the mend. 💗