Dislocated Patella - my last couple of days

A picture for you...in words rather than pixels...

We went down to the coast on the weekend on a mission to score an awning for the camper, being new at this kind of thing we enlisted the help of Flyingpops' mum, she even kindly volunteered to drive, but by the time we had got down there, bought the thing (£50 bargain) , stopped for a quick (rain-soaked) lunch at a garden centre, and got back to Surrey (for me to be dropped off at Vodqueen and Al's) I was seriously limping... :(

Having been cramped up in back of the car for a couple of hours, having really no idea I had put myself into such a terrible position (joints felt slightly stressed, but just thought I should put up with the pain), by the time I had struggled (slightly embarrassed at my lack of mobility) along the flooded path and then into the various painful prone positions required to change CD/DVD drives over configuring VQ/AL's new machine, my knee was swollen to a very nasty degree...
We came home, and gritting my teeth somehow managed to cook dinner and then collapsed onto the sofa in absolute agony...as I fell into my final state of rest, my knee made the most horrible popping/cracking sound (causing Flyingpops to say "Ew!")...

2am I awoke in a similar state, sleep quite impossible, tossing and turning until my thrashing finally awoke Flyingpops (with a groan from her, then a freaked out exclamation, followed by a sleepy elbow into my face, *ouch*) who's (zombie-like bumping-into-walls) rescue mission (once semi-awake) to find some anti-inflammatory drugs succeeded in getting me back into a state of unconsciousness after about 90 minutes...

She dropped me at East Surrey Hospital first thing in the morning (stressed to the hilt, late for her train)...not that she was to know, but it was going to be a long way to hobble from the bus stop where I was dropped to where I (finally) found rest...

I checked in, on my own, (just before 8am), knowing the routine by now, despite the pain - smiling, hopeful of attention (although of course smiling only as often as I felt appropriate) at the lady sat (also alone) behind the bullet proof glass who was both obviously ignoring me and my attempts at eye contact and also ignoring the grating, shrill ring tone of the handset immediately to her right (it must come with practice)...

Ten minutes later (now wincing with pain, eyes watering and smile fading fast) amazingly the receptionist's attention managed to slip from whatever was so interesting about the end of her fingers, to the person stood right in front of her, my details entered, then, into the machine, I was told to report to "the main department"...Hmmm, not been there before...

Two blagged security doors of hobbling along later I was stuck, leant up against a wall, unable to get any further...I stood, exhausted and direction-less next to a swipe card machine and unyielding portal, with a leering sign just beyond hinting that I had at least got near "Childrens A&E"...

The nurse (that eventually materialised from behind) let me though (only about 8 minutes later) giving me a very suspicious look, but directed me finally, to where I should have been ushered initially...it must be noted, at this stage, that none of this misdirection was my fault, there were simply no signs indicating which way I should have gone to get to "the main department"...when I weaved my way between patient after unconcious patient on hospital trolleys, plugged with drips parked along the corridor (making me feel like I really was in completely the wrong place, not being half as poorly as they obviously were) and finally found what looked like the bridge of the starship Enterprise (many monitors all showing vital signs or other intreging readouts) and handed over my form, I was shown to a chair (phew) and then was completely ignored for the next 30 minutes...at this stage I was joined by a man with a bandaged hand (called "Cook") who politely enquired how long I had been waiting. I told him. We wait for another 20 minutes (overhearing a nurse telling one of the patients with a drip "Well, I would go private personally") before being told that we should go back to the entrance and wait at the walk in centre...great...so back I hobble, having the same problem with the doors and lack of signage, sit back where I checked in after re-annoucing my presence to the receptionist and waited some more. Another 20 minutes go by and then "Mr Cook" was called for! >:(

So I wait, find and read a terminally dull magazine called "Kent Life" (from cover to cover) and 40 minutes later Mr Cook comes back out, smiles and waves (git) and I am called in...My examination takes 90 seconds (but hurts a lot), I am told that it's most likely soft tissue damage again caused by a dislocation of my patella, but it might be a fracture, so I need an X-Ray (oh no!), I get placed into a wheelchair and then dumped into the corridor to await a porter. Feeling rather like a parcel awaiting collection I twiddle my thumbs for 15 minutes or so, toy with the idea of using my good leg to propel myself backwards to the X-Ray department and actually have an experimental poke or two, but just manage to face myself into the wall, when a nurse comes round the corner and says "Lets just whisk you up there, if you wait for a porter you'll be here all day" (Yes!)...

So I get to the X-Ray department (she had to drag me backwards because one of the wheels was faulty) and being one of the wheeled wounded (rather than the walking wounded) has a distinct advantage, I skipped the queue, just joining the 6 other people in wheelchairs, a meer 1 hour's wait and I am irradiated, we collect the prints (not sure this was really the best use of the nurses time, but at least I had someone to talk to), and back to see the doctor, who pronounces me just to have soft tissue damage (hurrah!) and the nasty noise on Sunday was my patella popping back into place most likely, binds me up, orders me onto pain killers and 3 days total rest (which I have just concluded), and packs me out the door, ready to process the next case...

You have just got to love the NHS...anyway, all better now, swelling gone down and knee now bearing weight again...I'm going to go to my GP though, at some stage to get it checked out properly and take some advice as to how I can look after it, my mobility is rather important to me...