Thread by @willnjeanie

Here’s a little thread about health. Me and my oh have had covid then we had double vaccinations plus a further booster. My oh has had a cold for two weeks that has developed into a chest infection. How do I know? Well I’m a paramedic and I have asthma and can spot a

Chest infection from across the room. I have temp stethoscope pulse oximetry here at home. I also know I should not treat my own family members. You aren’t objective if you do. Also as part of my job I face people who have covid may have covid or are otherwise infective with

Nothing more than a paper mask disposable gloves and a thin plastic apron between me and them. I’m expected to do a thorough examination and make decisions about where to take them who to refer them too etc.

So back to my poorly oh. Chest is rattling along pulse oximetry is ok (not covid levels) temp is normal ish. I’m having to give her my salbutamol inhaler via a spacer (plastic tube thing) to help with the symptoms she is wheezing and coughing bringing up yellow green phlegm

So I go to 111 on line get a call back from a nurse straight away who listens to my wife’s coughing and wheezing and my findings and says “hospital now”. So 5 a.m. I wake up our 10 yo and bribe him with the promise of a McDs breakfast and bundle all into the car and head for my

Local hospital. Now I know it’s bad here as I work bringing in patients here all the time. In fact I’m due in at 6 but have had to phone my line manager and explain the situation. No problem family comes first says my manager. We get to a&e. Book my oh in and told she will be

Triaged straight away. Which she is within 15 minutes in fact. Then told that the Gp is taking 8 1/2 hours to see people. My oh crumples and pleads with me to take her home. It’s a Sunday I can look after her for a day and contact our own Gp on Monday at 8am.

I agree and let the staff know and take her home tucking her up in bed using my salbutamol to help ease her wheezing. I spend a restless night listening to her rasping away sometimes waking up as the coughing takes hold. I’m within a whisper of bundling her back into the car

But Monday morning comes round I get our 10yo off to school and phone the surgery. Has she a neg pcr test? No. Then we can’t speak to her. What not even speak to her over the phone like you do with all patients first? No. I have done lft. No good.

So onto the web site mobile testing is available there’s one (drive through) at one of our ambulance stations just up the road. We head there. Sorry this is just for people about to have a procedure you need to go to county hall. At county hall a big sign says NO COVID TESTING

I ask inside it’s moved down the road to the DLI museum car park. We drive there. It’s deserted. Nothing except two portaloos. Wtf? Back on to the web site it’s at the university car park. There are many of these even in the post code area given. Drive over to the area

No signs anywhere. Nothing. We drive all the way to the outskirts of the city turn around by a certain persons dads house who likes to test his eye sight by driving to barnard castle. Finally decided to head for the park and ride. Bingo. They are there. No signs just a tent.

Lovely people there doing a horrible job in shit weather. I mention that there are no signs anywhere pointing people in the right direction. Bloke shrugs and apologises. We do the test and leave. My oh feeling wretched. I get her home and now we have to wait anything up to two

Days to get the results then she can speak to a Gp on a phone. I hope it doesn’t develop into pneumonia by then. Oh and I’m back out tomorrow night seeing people up close and personal with my paper mask. Covid positive or not.

Update: still no covid pcr result. Regular salbutamol is helping oh resting up. Struggling to lie flat without wheezing but actually says feels a bit better. Oh is blown away by the good thoughts and wishes from you all. X

23:15 no result. Oh asleep.

23:40 negative yippee now an 8 hour wait till the Gp opens. Suddenly that 8 1/2 hour wait on Sunday morning doesn’t seem so bad. Xx

Morning folks got oh into see Gp now on the mend xx to you all for your kind words advice and support #SavetheNHS it’s not perfect but it’s all we’ve got.