Arm update!

Its now been a week since I last wrote an update on my arm, and as I'm sat at home on day-release, it seemed like a good idea to get some info out there!

On Monday (as you can see below) I got my bone scan and MRI, which my consultant Miss Topliss, said revealed the fracture was clean, and the cyst wasn't anything to worry about. I was told to come back to the fracture clinic the following day, and they would attempt to find me a bed and get the op done- so far, so good... They wanted to scrape out the cyst, do a bone graft and the put a plate over the fracture- a simple procedure we were assured, and once done I could be out in a couple of days.

It was at this point that my NHS adventure really began. I came back on Tuesday, and then sat around in fracture clinic till 1, when I found out there was one bed available in the whole hospital, and I was one of six people going for it. At this point I began to feel quite despondent, assuming at least one of those people would be old, infirm and more worthy of a bed than me!Thankfully though Dr Topliss must've fought a good fight on by behalf and I was the lucky one! So without a twinge of guilt for those I displaced I headed for my bed.

5 days later I am sat at home on day release, with nothing happening, no operation and a still broken arm. Classic NHS. On Tuesday I was all psyched up for the op, only for the consultant to tell me at the last minute they couldn't go ahead because they found a hole in the packaging of the plate kit they were gonna put into my arm, and it was therefore not sterile and couldn't be used- but I was assured it would all go ahead the next day.

Wednesday rolled round, I met with the anaesthesiologist first thing in the morning, got ready to go, only to be turned back again, this time as Wednesday's surgery team bottled it because of the cyst and wanted a specialist second opinion from a bone unit in Birmingham before going ahead. I've since been told this is fairly standard with unusual injuries, not because the surgeons are unable or unconfidant, but because of the pressure of potential law suits, and the safety net a second opinion provides for them. My scans were packaged up, and couriered to Birmingham, where ever since they have sat on a consultants desk being ignored, whilst I've sat in Morriston on a hospital bed, having much the same experience.

This is where we are, still waiting. I desperately hope that Birmingham get back to Dr Topliss tomorrow and we can get on with the op ASAP. I've enjoyed having time to chill out, unwind and read lots in my hospital bed, but it's beginning to get frustrating, and I just want things to start moving forward so I can begin to move forward and recover properly, instead of waiting in limbo with nothing being done.