I am sorry to report that I am in Musgrove park hospital near Taunton.

From Wednesday I suffered from severe lower back pain, to the extent of being unable to get up from the bed. As a consequence I wet myself, more than once.
On Friday morning I made another attempt to get up, fell and was unable to arise from the floor.

Rang 999 for an ambulance, This took about 5 hours to arrive. Meanwhile I had to arrange for a builder to force an entry, and also remove my bedroom door, as it opened inwards and I was wedged against the inside.

After very considerable faffing around I was finally removed to hospital.

At the hospitable they found a laundry list of faults with me. My mobility has worsened in hospital as they are very reluctant to supply painkillers beyond a few paracetamol.

Hopefully things will improve. IMHO the hospital concentrated over much on the fall itself, which was very minor, and not on the more significant preceding events.

P.S. I evaded the dreaded open back hospital gowns, by packing in advance several of my own nightshirts
I also evaded the nasty NHS blankets, small, thin, and polyester. Fortunately the paramedics bundled me up in one of my own large wool blankets.  At least two other patients enquired as to why I was given a proper blanket and they were not.

 
Wishing you all the very best and hoping you have a full and speedy recovery.

 
Wishing you a speedy recovery

 
Get yourself well, my friend.  Good to see your irascible spirit is unblemished.  Let's book a pint in Minehead or Taunton when the weathers gets warmer.

 

I guess that's as good a place to be as any if you are unwell. I hope all is sorted quickly, and that you home safe and well in double-quick time.


Would you mind if I joined you both?


Open back? I've just realised I was wearing them the wrong way around, which would explain some of the looks I got.

 
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Broadgage - in time for a large glass of Port on Christmas Day!

 
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I would be happy to join you for that pint if I am available

 
Get well soon.

I wondered why the Pullmans were cancelled from today until January the 9th.   

 
Here's to a speedy recovery BG. There's some great staff at MPH in Taunton.

I should know. I'm related to several of them!

 

Yes you are welcome to join in.
And also, yes, hospital gowns are almost always worn with opening at the back. They CAN be worn open at the front, if so instructed, perhaps because medical staff need easy access to your front. Rare though.
Full sized persons sometimes wear two such gowns, one each way around. This reduces the degree of exposure.

 
Allow me to add my best wishes for a speedy recovery BG.

 

I shall look forward to it, and thank you for the sartorial tips.

 

Read that as HMP Tanunton at first!

 
The incidents my other half, a hospital radiographer, has with these gowns!  Patients wandering round the department with them on the wrong way, or not done up - very awkward

Take care!

 

I believe that studies have shown that sometimes, this is unintentional.

 
If you take things literally, it is a little concerning that the news that broadgage is unwell is currently topping the "likes" chart with a score of 218.   I am sure we don't mean that! 

 
I am surprised that hospitals permit the use of your own nightwear and blankets.  Purely on a hygiene level.
That said, I wish member Broadgage all the very best, and hope you return home for the festive period, and celebrate with port and an ox roast!   

 
Nightwear seems to be tolerated these days. Many inmates are wearing proper night shirts and pajamas.

Bit surprised that I got away with my own blanket. However the Fire brigade bundled me up in the nearest blanket, and at the hospital no one queried it.

 
Oh no, Broadgage has been locked up on charges of port smuggling and hoarding explosive substances (petrol)!

Glad to see you still posting.

 

When the hospital told me I was staying, my wife went into Broadmead for a pyjama set for me. After she left, I pulled the curtains, undressed, then found the pack contained two tops and no bottom. So I ended up in the hospital issue, which was preferred by the staff, and which I got used to fairly quickly.


Hear hear! I hope you are back in time to enjoy a sufficiency of seasonal port.

 
Still in hospital, being well cared for and FAIRLY well fed. Lost a fair bit of weight, not on a planned diet but by eating only a single course. Avoiding the puddings as all are much too sweet for my taste and presumably therefore fattening.

Roast beef, good
Roast lamb, good.
Lamb "farm steaks" which are basically burgers, acceptable.
Fried fish, disgusting. The only dish about which I complained.
Egg mayo salad, good.
Steamed or poached fish with sauce, good.

Bit of a drama today when one of the side rails of the bed came of when I leant on it. Engineer called who stated it was operator error by physiotherapy team who swapped the rails around.

Very glad of my own blanket. Many patients complained about the hospital blankets, small, thin, polyester, and not enough for more than two each.

Have had numerous scans and tests, and given many blood samples.

 

Good to hear from you Broadgage, hope you're feeling better and being provided with adequate Port......for medicinal purposes, naturally!

 
Alcohol is not permitted in hospital, the odd very small supply might have been consumed, but not regularly.

 
Thank you for your review of the hospital at bed trolley service Broadgage and great to hear from you. Get well soon.

 
Get well soon!

 
Had seasonal flu injection yesterday and covid vaccination today. Head not yet exploded.
A neighbour was in the same hospital yesterday  but has now been released. They fell out of the loft at home, onto the floor below. Appeared unhurt but kept in for observation.

 
Update.
Due back in hospital tomorrow for an operation for kidney stones, I think that they intended to blow up the stones with a laser.
Do not expect to be kept for more than one night, but you never know.

Also have received a questionnaire asking what I thought of my previous visit. Answers may be summarised as follows.

Medical care, very good 5/5
Non medical care including cleaning and housekeeping, good. 4/5
Physiotherapy/rehab, good. 4/5
Food, variable but generally good. 4/5
Comfort of bed, acceptable. 3/5
Bedding, very poor. Blankets too small, too thin and made of polyester. Sheets not much better. 1/5
Facilities and equipment, good. 4/5

 
All the best. I'll write up my return trip, it involved a train you'd probably like a lot.

Mark

 
Best wishes Broadgage. I'm sure the food rating would have been a 5 if Port had been offered! 

 

Something like this?

 
I'll add my best wishes too Broadgage.

 
My best wishes for a speedy recovery,hope that it's no more than a passing inconvenience.

 
I think they use ultrasound rather than laser. 

 

That's what I thought, but it seems that laser lithotripsy has now become fairly common even in the NHS. It's a recent thing, and the word "lithotriptor" still only applies to the machine that generates bursts of ultrasound, applied externally.

Apparently the laser technique requires a general anaesthetic, which is a little ominous. So I'll wish broadgage the best of outcomes. At least being under a general prevents dwelling too much on how something (the guiding camera, in particular) that big gets to where the stones are lurking.

 
My best wishes also for a speedy recovery and return home, in whichever order it happens. My similar regards to your neighbour if he has decided to repeat his rapid decrease in potential energy to be in the next bed again.

 
Operation cancelled ! hospital transport failed to turn up.

 

All Greek to me.

 
Apologies folks. Accidentally deleted my post while editing. What I'd said is as quoted by TonyK. Got his quote in just before I hit the wrong buttons.

 
Just as well you are not broadgage’s surgeon with that show of manual dexterity.

 
Best wishes to Broadgauge for a successful procedure.

I had a kidney stone until I my operation last week so I had done a bit of reading up on treatments.  Laser is the newer method and is the least invasive because it uses an existing access route, and it's what I had last week, successfully, NHS, under general anaesthetic, and it was all done in a day and I was back home in the evening, though there was a possibility of staying in overnight after the operation if necessary - such as slow recovery from anaesthetic or lack of overnight carer.  Ultrasound is an older method and is applied externally; and percutaneous I think is reserved for the difficult cases because it involves cutting into the abdomen.

I am grateful for modern medicine.

 
Operation cancelled due to hospital transport not turning up AGAIN.

 
Long term update.
Kidney stones eventually dealt with, at least two cancelations due to transport failures, and one postponement due to concerns regarding my low blood pressure and low body temperature.

First operation not a complete success and a second attempt was made after more delays. But all done now. It felt as though my male parts had been pulled off  and then stuck back on the wrong way around.

Heart ok, liver ok, brain still functional, but have got "borderline kidney failure" no specific treatment required beyond regular follow up checks.
 

 

Hope you get well soon Broadgage - what's the medical advice on Port consumption going forward?

 

Stick to Starboard.

 
I think I post on behalf of all other members of the Coffee Shop forum here when I say, Best wishes for a full and swift recovery. The Pullmans need you! 

 
Medical advice was to drink less, not port specifically but alcohol in general.
They did not seen unduly concerned at my drinking, AFAIK "drink less" is the advice given to almost everyone.

Seemed impressed that I do not smoke and do not use any illegal drugs.

I am still remembered for being tolerant of being poked and prodded by medical students. And for being hoisted, by said students to demonstrate use of the hoist. (students hoist each other as part of training, but it was felt that a "full sized" patient was rather more realistic)

 

Thanks for the best wishes. I now very seldom use trains, partly due to dislike of the nasty new trains and also less need to travel.

 
That 'hoist' moment is absolutely brilliant, broadgage: well done you!  

 
Glad to hear that you're not completely on The wagon,from the last time we were together it's my round next hopefully before much longer Cheers.

 
Happy to have a glass of Port (or three) on a GWR service on your behalf, broadgage. Even if you don't get it in a proper glass on the Sleeper.

Get well soon. Cheers!

 
Long term update.
Tests and investigations continue, and as a result I was prescribed a new (to me) drug. Colchicine.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/colchicine/about-colchicine/#:~:text=Colchicine%20is%20a%20medicine%20for,also%20helps%20to%20reduce%20pain.

This medicine seems effective.

 
Coo. I thought it was a red food colouring, got by squishing beetles… Glad it seems to be working!

 
I thought it was a twisty part of a motor racing circuit.