I’ve recently returned from my first trip out of the country. I spent May 12 – 21 in Scotland and Ireland – my dream trip. The trip was an all-inclusive tour with GoAhead Tours. We flew into Edinburgh for 4 days in Scotland, then on to Dublin for 4 days in Ireland.
For my friends on Facebook that were following me, I’m not sure if they noticed a lapse in my photos from Sunday to Wednesday, but this was due an unexpected excursion in Edinburgh to the Royal Infirmary ER and then on to St. John’s Hospital in Livingston, Scotland.
Prior to leaving on Saturday, I was bitten by a cat (not the first time), which I let bleed and we cleaned and put an antibiotic cream on it. The wound looked fine, so I continued with my plans and flew to Scotland. During the flight, my thumb became a little swollen and hot. I figured I would end up with a bruise, since that is what had happened before. Unfortunately, by dinner Sunday evening, I was not feeling well and I had some pain up my arm.
After speaking with our Tour Director Kat, we decided that when we got back to the hotel, she would call a cab for me to go to the ER at the Royal Infirmary. Everyone felt that I would get a shot, some pills and be sent back to the hotel.
Once at the hospital, there were 30 people in the waiting room, so I found a seat and took a nap. About 1.5 hours later, I was called by the triage nurse to determine what course of treatment I needed. At this time, I had not taken my sweater off, so she asked me to, and there were red streaks going up my arm almost into my armpit. PSA NOTE: When they say for you to look for a red line, it is not a red line, it is red streaks.
The nurse took a purple marker an outlined all the red streaks so that they could watch to see if they got larger. Then she said she had to move me up in the queue, because it was a serious infection. They sent me for an x-ray of my hand to make sure that there were no parts of the cat’s tooth in my hand.
Once in the regular emergency room hallway, I was taken into a room and an IV port was inserted where they took a blood sample. I was also given a pain medication. Then I was left in the hallway in a chair, where I promptly fell asleep. Finally, at 2:30 AM, I saw the first doctor.
Luckily, the streaks were already receding and the swelling in my hand was getting better. The doctor explained to me that the bite might need to be cleaned out, and that they did not have a plastics (plastic surgery) department at the Royal, so I would need to go to a different hospital that was about 40 minutes away. The plan was to have one round of IV antibiotics, and then they were going to put me on a bus that would take me to the other hospital. A very nice nurse made me some tea and toast in the Doctor’s lounge, and then brought a bedpan full of betadine for me to soak my hand in (my horse friends know what this does to your skin).
So, for the first 24 hours of my trip, I slept in chairs.
The next morning, I was deposited in a cab with a “letter” to take to the other hospital.
Once I finally found the Plastics Department, I waited a few more hours before I saw the doctor. My case was an issue, because my tour group was moving on to Glasgow the next day, and they wanted me to have 48 hours of IV antibiotics, and the “cleaning of the wound,” was surgery.
Picture this if you can – if you have ever watched the BBC, and the scene is in a hospital ward, where there are several beds along the wall of a long room, this is where I was; along with 2 other women the first day. Surprising to me, the window was open to let fresh air in, and there are no screens. Also surprising to me was the little older women with the walker that loudly used the “F” word in every sentence. She apparently had been sick, and when she got better, they had no place to send her, so she was staying on the floor for a while. At least I had some entertainment.
My tour director Kat and friend Ellen brought my suitcase to me that night, because they were checking out of the hotel the next morning. I had to stay overnight to make sure I didn’t need surgery. Luckily, there was a shower in the patient bathroom, and I was able to get a shower before I went to sleep (I was still in the clothes that I wore on the plane). I slept with my arm hanging from an IV stand in a sling, to help get the swelling down.
The next morning, the morning nurses were preparing me for “theater” (surgery), of which I was determined not to have. My hand looked 90% better, and the red streaks were almost all gone. When the doctor come around with all the student doctors, she really wanted me to stay another 24 hours. Luckily, the head nurse knew what my predicament was with the tour schedule, and after a discussion, they decided on 1 more round of antibiotics and then switching me to pills. I would be out by 2:00 PM.
At 2:00 PM, another tour director, Austin from GoAhead, picked me up and drove me to Glasgow to meet up with my group. He gave me a personal tour of the Glasgow Cathedral while we waited for my group to arrive.
I was so impressed with the way that my tour director Kat and the entire GoAhead team took care of me. They were in touch with the hospital before I arrived to make them aware of the situation, they arranged all my transportation, kept up with my progress, and made sure I would be reunited with my group. They also supplied all the information I needed to file for my reimbursement of the medical expenses. PSA Note: Always get travel insurance.
I was also so impressed with the health care system in Scotland. Everyone, from the receptionist to the nurses to the doctors were so nice, and helped me understand what was going on. Which can be very scary when you are in a different country. (When they asked me if I wore hearing aids, I didn’t understand what they said and responded – What? – LOL)
