Emergency room visit

As promised, continued on from the last post….

I’ve never been to A & E before. It certainly was an experience. We saw a guy who cut his hand open, a girl in a fluorescent green dressing gown with a HOOD (how awesome is that?) who’d messed up her back, some guy who swallowed his dentures (a young guy, not an old man either) and a pimp and two prostitutes.

We were there for, oh I don’t know, two or three hours? The whole night is blurry to me. I don’t know what time we got there, but I’d say sometimes after midnight and got home around 4. I had about 4 hours sleep and then went off to cover the opening of the new local motorway link to try wrangle a story out of it.

I also got approximately four hours sleep last night, having been to a 21st, and am operating on empty.

Anyway. The last time that those hoodlums came back around, BF went round the back to get the LL (who was very territorial and keen to go give them the beatdown, actually). Did I mention how rainy, dark and miserable it was? It was so cold, SO damp and BF skidded across the wet grass and up onto the concrete steps, slicing his foot up. After a little cleaning up and bandaging it, we reached the conclusion that we needed to go to A & E and get stitches.

Yes, sadly, my first thought was to worry about what it would cost. But health is numero uno, and I figured if it cost more than what we had, well we would just have to work something out. BF thought we should wait until morning when it would cost less, but a) we would have no way to get there and b) the lines would probably be heinous during the day. So our awesome friends rallied round and drove us first to St Lukes White Cross – which was closed – then on to the hospital.

We waited. And waited. I read crap magazines – an HR magazine, believe it or not, a techy magazine and a Home and Garden. We watched Fox News on Prime. And infomercials for Barefoot Science, the ridiculous ab workout thing that uses gravity to spin you round this circular thing, and the Versa Cutter. It was truly mind numbing.

BF was seen by a consultant right away, but it was another few hours before a doctor actually called him up. He got some painkillers and a local anesthetic (which they had to get an orthopedist in to administer), and crutches. Crutches which cost $45, but we get back $35 upon returning them.

So it was a VERRRRRRY long night. However, whether it’s because we were at the hospital rather than a suburban A&E, or what, it didn’t cost us anything out of pocket – bar the crutches. As soon as I walked in I saw the sign informing us that visits were free for NZ citizens and residents.

That was, indeed, the best part of the night. Well, behind the surprise visit from our friends and all their help.

Finally got around to going to DTR to claim my $60 refund.

Wonder how long before it gets processed? I plan to use it to get another three months’ of contact lenses.

Now hopefully I’ll never have to set foot in there again!

I feel like I haven’t had any control of our money the last few weeks. I’ve been staving off the flu and some sort of stomach issue, and taking various medications has simply left me doped up and still unwell, and with BF not bringing any money in, it’s all very disorganised.

We got a letter form WINZ informing us that as he did not “respond to a request for information, your application has been declined”.

The letter was dated April 9. Over a week ago. And just three days after he actually went in for his first appointment.

And, I might add, we never received any “request for information”.

So now it’s over to calling the 0800 line and trying to get through to a human operator to find out what the HELL is going on.

BF hates waiting on phone lines, especially when he’s 15th in line or whatever. Social services are just so overloaded at the moment and they seriously are not coping at all.

I’m just trying to make his EF last as long as possible, because it’s not looking healthy.

And now we have to deal with having no hot water. Turns out it was the cylinder, and not anything to do with the LL’s family staying. Now they’re gone, nothing’s changed – it’s just a coincidence our water went around the time they arrived. Hopefully that also explains why our electricity bills are so high! It’s summer for chrissake, and we’re using double what we did a year ago.

Hope his insurance get it sorted super fast. He’s been made redundant too. And the weather’s getting colder, and my cold isn’t going away…cold showers don’t help any. Up until last week I was managing to squeeze in roughly room temperature showers – ie, the water was MARGINALLY warmer than my body – but those golden times are OVER!

I just finished washing my hair for the first time in three days. I was forced to wash it in the basin (something I find damn near impossible, hidesouly uncomfortable, and messy), and this required me to boil two jugs of water.

Primitive, no?

Just got back from hospital….

BF’s nephew is sick and they suspect meningococcal.

I haven’t had the meningitis  shot but didn’t touch him and didn’t go too near him…BF’s sis has to shower before she gets home and goes anywhere near her kids…

It’s very sad and worrying.

I’m glad I budgeted this week. We were in the black.

But instead of putting money to the car fund, it has gone toward gas and food (getting to hospital, and then eating there).

Honestly, I admit I was annoyed because bf didn’t get around to calling any job leads today because of that.

It didn’t help that once we got the call to drive over, BF was frantically rushing round, turning the house upside down trying to find his keys. They were LOCKED in his tool box. Yeah, don’t even go there. He decimated it to try and get them out….tried to prise it open by whacking it, burning/melting it, etc.

Here it is.

Silly boy.

We tried to follow the ambulance from the one hospital to the other. We kept up for awhile..it had its lights and sirens on and was RACING like nobody’s business. We sped down the roads behind it, running a couple of lights, but it was doing 90 in a 50 zone and once we began approaching the motorway onramps the ambulance flew down the wrong side of the road and we knew it was time to quit. Don’t know how much faster it got there than us but I’d wager it was there within 5-10 minutes, and we took about 15. I never knew ambulances could go that fast!!

* * *

UPDATE: next day.

I’m really grateful to Starship Hospital, they do such a fantastic job and I wish I could do something. They have a campaign going on getting people to donate their old cellphones. My cellphone is pretty old but I’m holding on to it until it dies. I might write in a letter or something…it almost inspires me to  want to work for a non-profit.

They provide rooms at the Ronald McDonald house for kids’ parents, subsidise parking ($10 max – BF’s mum borrowed the car to go there, and put $30 gas in..we ended up paying for her parking but it was only $10 so we’re still ahead thanks to  her). They also provided phone credit so the family could ring the doctors/nurses rather than just texting.

We scootered into town to pick up the car and leave the scooter there for them. It was…an experience. It was COLD. But invigorating. I thought it was freezing just walking home from the bus stop…try going 60k/h while exposed to the elements. And a little scary, being among all the cars on the road and having nothing between you. I am definitely not a scooter person. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun! I just wouldn’t want ot do it all the time. I’d rather drive. The trip took an age, mainly the first half getting through all the suburbs and all the stopping and starting and turning into streets. Once we got onto the main roads it was sweet, although realistically scooters don’t go that fast, especially with two people on them! The bus is probably just as fast, if not as flexible.

Also, we definitely are no longer in the black for this week. I ran out of face cleanser, and also, we bought a garage coupon deal. Basically, it’s a big sheet with a bunch of services (like warrants, brake stuff, service, labour etc). You pay $40 and it’s about $400 worth of services. We took it for $20. Too good to pass up, and at the worst we can easily onsell it!

Now I know how Tom Hanks felt in The Green Mile…

because I had a UTI yesterday. (TMI? Sorry!).

Is there really anything worse?

I don’t think much can compete with the burning, stinging, aching that accompanies you relieving yourself.

My med student friend instructed me to haul my ass to the doctor.

I was already well inclined to, having googled my way around the basics, and I even planned to catch the early bus in order to make an appointment before my 10am tute.

I drank lots of water – it helped! Made all the world of difference, and actually mitigated that full-bladder feeling. Weird, I know.

By the next day I felt a bit better but went into Health, Counselling and Wellbeing services. Doctors were booked up until MONDAY, so I asked to see a nurse.

She didn’t seem too worried. I explained my symptoms seemed to be lessened today and she asked “So, what do you want to do?”

Uh…you’re the pro….

She gave me some nasty ass antibiotics which I took then and there, told me to go buy some Ural from the chemist, and to come back if it didn’t clear up.

I felt like a bit of a drama queen when she asked “so you were bleeding?” and I explained yes, but just a little bit, just a trace last night. I almost apologised for being such a wuss, but frankly, would you not find it disconcerting to see blood in the toilet, whatever the amount?

By the end of the day it definitely felt like it was clearing. I didn’t buy any Ural. I don’t know what brought this on, but I sure as hell hope it doesn’t return.

Under the weather

I was considering getting the flu injection, but I haven’t heard anything good about it. It’s only ten bucks at uni, but the few people I’ve spoken to who’ve had it reckon they actually got sick right away, and really badly too!

No thanks.

I first felt the flu coming on three weeks ago. I took painkillers and vitamins, and staved it off. A few days later I felt weak and feverish, crawled into bed, and slept most of it off. Then I got a stomach bug, and spent a few days immobile.

Ever since then I’ve been fighting off a cold. I’ve still got the remnants of it – chesty cough, stuffed nose, phlegm in my chest and throat. Sorry, nasty I know.

But everyone seems to have been struck particularly hard this year. Sniffles and nose-blowing punctuate every class I’m in. Sometimes people get coughing fits and have to leave the room.

IT SUCKS!! I need to be on top of my game. The rest of this semester is going to be so full on, and I can’t afford to be under the weather.

I’m just trying to eat healthy, get enough sleep, and not stress too much.

BF seems to have been approved for unemployment, so that takes some of the strain off.

Damn you, winter. I’m not a huge fan of summer – too hot, humid, muggy – but winter is far worse. I don’t deal well with cold, I get sick easily, and my sinuses go nuts. At least when it’s warm, the worst that can happen is you overheat, get sunburnt, and sweat a bit. And you can always take some clothes off. There’s a limit to how much you rug up….

Back to work

Monday marks BF’s return to work.

Not too sure on the details, to be honest. He knows he starts at 7, and it’s going to be a quiet day to ease in. Should be a three month job. He should be working as a contractor, so who knows what’s happening with taxes and forms and whatnot. Sis’s partner is the one working with him, so should be able to guide him – failing that well my mother is an accountant and so are some other friends’ mothers! Hopefully on $25, though if he has to pay his own ACC levies and whatnot, not sure what take-home will be.

He’ll have to go into old job and officially resign (although the place is such a mess, doubt they’ll notice/care at the moment, and they’re so disorganised they probably wouldn’t care if he turned up in three months again! Apparently there are guys that only work periodically..so….

New company seems just as bad. Not sure if they’ll pay cash or deposit on this project. But for some reason apparently their direct deposits take forver to clear – like, almost a week. How does that work? Fuck knows. They’re a business. Normal businesses pay staff and it clears overnight. So I don’t know what the hell they do or how they work it. But you know, whatever, as long as he gets paid someway somehow.

He will be working super long hours, like 10 hour days, but at least it’s fairly close to home – less time driving, less gas, less wear and tear, better lunch options nearby!

I hope he doesn’t burn out.

I have to drag him to the doctor sometime soon; he gets some strange pains and cramps, and the last couple of months has pretty much had a constantly upset stomach. Nothing pleases it! Definitely nothing spicy. Anything too heavy/creamy/sweet (yet he loves his custard and slathers his cereal with about a pound of sugar). He never feels like eating anything we make, and has gone “off” some of our staple meals (like a freaking pregnant woman or something) like nachos, chili, pasta etc. I reckon he’s developed some strange allergies or intolerances. He doesn’t want a doctor poking around and prodding him; I told him we’d ask for a female doctor if that’s what it takes!

Bless you New Zealand

I’m so glad we have ACC and a national health system.

I would not want to live in a country where you’re terrified to go one week without health insurance and you couldn’t afford it on your own without your employer subsidising it. I would not want to be rushed to hospital and get sent a $7,000 bill a week later.

I read today in the New York Times about a woman was afraid to get pregnant as it would cost eight grand to have a baby.

That being said once I get into the workforce I plan to get health insurance, assuming its affordable either thru work or through T’s work (lucky bastard gets free insurance and cheap insurance for family). It’s just one of those things it’s good to have, and one of those things you want to get while you’re still healthy and while it’s still cheap.