To be annoyed with the hospital

[littlefiresofdesire]

I fell over and broke my collarbone on Friday. It's pretty badly displaced so I'm hoping they'll put a plate in.
They sent me home on the Friday night with a collar and cuff and some Codiene and made an appointment for outpatients the next morning where I was told they'd decide about a plate, the consultant seemed to think I'd definitely need one and was surprised I wasn't in a lot of pain.
When I went in on the Saturday morning the doctor said he couldn't really say what needed to be done as he 'does knees'. He sent me home for the weekend and said I'd be phoned this morning about an appointment, I'm guessing from the doctor that 'does shoulders', I haven't had a phone call .

I don't know whether I'm being a bit of a drama queen about it all and it's not really a big deal and that's why they're so lax? Or they're just really shitty?

Terrible service especially when you are in pain. Sadly what has come to be expected. Keep calling so you don't get forgotten.

I don't know how big your local hospital is, but I wouldn't expect a consultant from every specialty to be on call out of hours. There may only be 1 person who "does shoulders" (on the assumption that knees are a more common issue than shoulders) and they cannot physically be available for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If all consultants were available all the time there would be a huge rise in negligence claims, because they wouldn't be able to do their job properly.

The government is hoping that our hospitals will be fully staffed with all specialties 7 days a week, but there simply isn't the capacity to be able to do this with the current number of staff available and a huge amount of time & money will be required to do so.

I hope you get that phone call quickly and get patched up soon.

It was the consultant in a&e on the Friday night that I spoke to, he organised the sat morning appointment and told me to fast so that they could take me into surgery if it was decided it was needed, once I'd spoken to doctor in fracture clinic on Saturday morning.
I'd guess he didn't realise what staff would be on next day so understandable.
I've just phoned up and receptionist at fracture clinic had nothing on me for follow up etc. But I've now got an appointment on Wednesday morning.

The doctor on Saturday seemed odd all round. He wrote my details down on a piece of paper, maybe why nothing is on system.

Just don't really know where I am, never broken a bone before and just imagined it would be treat with slightly more urgency :s

When my mum broke her ankle in 3 places she had a similar experience. They did a little work and sent her home saying she would receive an appointment for the operation.
They forgot about her/lost her notes and never rang. She had to chase them up. I suggest you do the same.
I sympathise.

I broke my collarbone a couple of years ago. I know that they like to operate immediately or after 6 months (because the body can make a 'bone bridge' usually if given enough time).

I missed my first appointment as it was the day after my accident and I felt too ill so I had several outpatient appts over 6 months to see if the 'bone bridge' happened. It didn't so I was scheduled for surgery after six months to insert a plate. I didn't go ahead with it as had just returned to work and couldn't take any more time off sick.

I have been left with a visible break (the bone is sticking out under my skin). It makes people a bit queasy when they notice it but I regained full movement and strength in my arm so it hasn't really affected me in the long-term. It looks gross though!.

Oh I hope they don't leave me to heal by myself, I'd have a bump because I doubt they'd join up since the end of the clavicle near my chest is pointing upwards towards my shoulder, arg. Would be good for Halloween maybe but that's about it.
On the Friday night when I went in I was being treat quite seriously. Feels like everything after that is treat with the severity of a stubbed toe.
I'm just worrying about the fact that the longer this goes on the less likely they'll give me surgery now. If they do give me surgery it's added a week on to the time I need off work. Which I feel bad about already since we're really short staffed and I know that other people are going to be working 6 day weeks etc because of me.

I don't have any DC, I know I'm a fraud being on mn (shh), I've been hooked on AIBU for weeks, it's my guilty secret.
So I've only got the puppy to look after and dp is working away ATM. My parents are letting me stay at theirs at the moment so that they can walk the dog for me (and my mother can clip my bra up for me, the shame )
I just think if I didn't have parents that could help me out I'd be absolutely knackered since I can't drive now and I live in the middle of nowhere.
I can't imagine what would happen if it was a LP with no other support!

Don't stress about work, you're injured not swinging the lead!.

From my experience they want to operate v.soon or they'll leave it and see how it goes so I'd call them and press the point!.

Sounds like our fractures are similar and they told me the bump (mines less of a bump and more of an obvious broken bone sticking out!) would decrease in time. It hasn't! It is very obvious and the summer is difficult because with strappy tops etc I hear 'urgh, what is wrong with your collarbone!!' a lot.

Oh God, I know what you're saying!. I live on my own and it was sooo hard. At the very beginning I had to get a friend to help me bath!.

Had to call same friend one day as it was in the summer and I had very long hair and thought I'd expire from the heat as couldn't put my hair up!.

I sympathise xx

I was quite excited by getting time of work in the beginning but now I'm thinking of the people that have to cover and not so much. Hopefully it will push the company into taking a new person on which we desperately need so never mind.
I hope it heals back to normal. I like my collarbones and wrists because they're the only part of me which doesn't show the extra pounds I've managed to pile on, I'm blaming the implant for that not the food and that's the end of that.

Oh god the hair part! It's infuriating!