Try The Royal Free

Having watched Keeping Britain Alive, a day in the NHS I have discovered a great and deep respect for the NHS.

What has happened in the last 11 hours? I have waited. A lot. And it is absolutely no-ones fault. I arrived at A+E on Tuesday the 21st May 2013 at 11am... It is now 10.15pm as I write this. Today I have seen a fair amount happen just from sitting in a hospital bed.

I have met 2 lovely doctors in training; one took my blood and the other put a canular in--- both were very amusing to watch!! The blood test was simple enough until it got to the dressing, it took the poor guy 10 minutes to find a plaster so I was sat with my right arm wrapped in one of the biggest bandages I have ever seen for a blood test. Then the canular went in. It went in just fine but my veins decided that today it was going to bleed everywhere so I was left with a casual blood spot on my bed! Leggings ruined and top blood splattered, it looked a little like something out of a horror movie. This was only made funnier for me when the doctor had to do a check of my stomach as he wasn't entirely sure how to ask about the blood so I got a "umm, is that, umm, I mean, I'm hoping that was from your blood test?". To my horror I realised he thought it was from "aunt flow".

Having been waiting in A+E for a bed for the last 11 hours I have discovered a few things; there are a lot of ill people in this world, I worry too much about wasting NHS time and money and the nurses here are damn lovely, kind and patient people. I would like everyone to think about how brilliant their lives are when sitting in an outpatients ward as the people around you are doing everything they can to fix this world. (Some of them will just leave you hungry in bed for 12 hours though---those are the nurses that just forget about you apparently!!) Anyway, Bigging up the NHS!!!

Pain, Doctors and Shortbread Biscuits

The last few weeks have been an interesting few. I may have mentioned before, but I am one of many who suffer from Crohn's Disease. It is not contagious, although according to my housemates you can catch food intolerances, well, what can you do? The basic way in which to describe Crohn's is that my intestines hate me and an even better way to describe it is "my insides are squeue-whiff".

I have managed to stay symptom free now for nearing a year, so, of course, it had to strike again just when I really needed it not to! For the last 2 weeks I have been in constant tummy pain, not being able to eat much, drinking alcohol is out of the question and going out with friends seems to be becoming impossible. It's all a bit sad really. So, having decided to finally go to the Drs expecting to be put on steroids straight away, was told "more bloods, MRI scan, appt with the Gastro Team and worst-comes-to-worse, let's get you back into hospital"--- Ummm.. No ta! So now the wait for doctors begins.

In the mean time I have decided to try out a new very strict regime of food. I am on a basic diet anyway, of no dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat, yeast or mushrooms as these all cause a flare up for me, so I am basic-i-fying my diet even more- 1 week on water, chicken, rice, potatoes, broth and shortbread biscuits.

If anyone can please give me some advice on pain relief, or can share their stories with me I would be most grateful!! 

Love to you all that may read this xxx

The World of Crohn's

I am sat in my bed

huddled up,

sore,

my stomach keeps on turning

is there a cure?

I want to scream,

I want to cry,

please will it stop

I'm struggling 

I want the pain to subside.

it's ridiculous,

I feel like an idiot,

there are people with more problems than me

but I can't help feeling rubbish

all I want is a hug 

for someone to look after me.

I'm glad I have my loved ones

my family and friends,

my lovely boyfriend Mathew

I will be fine again.

Just a moment longer and the pain will pass

give me 5 more minutes

it will be back

and the same old bloody story

will go straight back to the start.