Fortunately I'm not particularly squeamish.
Last week I was just about to get dressed and start the day, when a blood vessel in an artery in my right leg burst. Heaven knows why because the leg and artery have been part of me for over 80 years without any problems until then.
With my left hand clasped around a folded handkerchief stemming the flow I hobbled round the bed to the telephone. The line was dead. The phone was out of order. Fortunately my cellphone was nearby and I used that to ring the emergency services. Within no time at all an ambulance arrived and, using the keycode, accessed the front door key and came in. It was a blues and twos call so everyone in the area knew that something was amiss.
After an emergency bandage had been applied they took me to the hospital and after more examinations and another dressing I was free to go home. Fortunately friends from nearby were in town and took me home. A few days later a district nurse came to review the situation and give me advice on bandaging etc.
I thought that I was looking at a new carpet and an insurance claim but we have a maker of magic who has a carpet cleaning business on the Island and after some hours of work he had the carpet looking almost as good as new. Certainly liveable with without the hassle of a new carpet and an insurance claim. Amazing!
Like many vets I am squeamish about human blood, so probably would have fainted. Glad you had a cellphone to hand! New fear unlocked….
ReplyDeleteFi, fortunately I'm not really squeamish and the only time I can recall having much to do with human blood other than the usual scrapes etc of my children and my own was when, having had been present at the birth of our second child at home in the middle of the night, at around 6am the midwife rang to ask what I had done with the afterbirth. Having established that it was well contained and in the bin she told me that she had left her best/favourite pair of special scissors in the afterbirth and could I retrieve them. I duly did and they were safely returned to her.
DeleteOh my goodness. That sounds horrible Graham. I now have nightmarish visions in my head.
ReplyDeleteI presume the hospital gave the OK for you to carry on as normal and that you don't need to take extra precautions?
JayCee, your presumptions are correct and the whole incident is now but a (well plastered and protected) memory.
DeleteOh dear, you need to be keeping your blood in you!
ReplyDeleteKylie, I do my best....I really do!
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You didn't bump it but the artery just burst. There isn't much you can do to prevent a reoccurrence then. Perhaps you could wear wellies inside to catch the blood and so protect the carpet.
ReplyDeleteThank you Andrew, I enjoyed a good laugh at that comment.
DeleteOh goodness, Graham. You are showing us that that phrase "Keep calm and carry on" is not just a phrase. Glad you had your cell phone handy and that you have such great friends and neighbors. That carpet might be important to you, but it is YOU that is important!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kay. The only importance of the carpet is the hassle that would accrue if it had to be replaced.
DeleteGawd one thing that makes me swoon is the sight of my own blood, I’d have probably passed out and made a right mess on the carpet.
ReplyDeleteJohn, thank you for your comment. I'm well used to blood having , many decades ago, worked on a hospital ward, in addition to attending to the mishaps of my children.
DeleteOh my gosh. I have never heard of such a thing! I have heard of broken blood vessels leaving huge hematomas beneath the skin, but how did that blood go from inside your leg to outside? (You are quite welcome to tell me to mind my own business!)
ReplyDeleteBut, anyways, hurray for carpet cleaning magicians!
Debby, it's quite a simple explanation. My legs are quite thin and many of my veins are varicose veins which are very near the surface as is at least one of the arteries. .
DeleteThose kinds of emergencies are stressful when you're living alone. I hope that you are back to good health.
ReplyDeleteThank you Red.I'm fully back to my normal life.
DeleteThat must have been really frightening. Unexpected. No warning. It's good to hear that they patched you up OK; did they say what had happened (other than the obvious)?
ReplyDeleteCro, I was too intent on getting an ambulance to be frightened. It wasn't until I was home again and surveyed the carpet that I really realised how fortunate I had been. If it had happened when I was fast asleep I may well have gone before I even realised what had happened.
DeleteOh my! What a worry. Thank goodness you're okay, Graham. X
ReplyDeleteThank you for your concern, Jules.
DeleteI've never heard of anything like it, without even a fall involved!! What a shock - and at the same time amazing how one sometimes seems able to deal with situations that one could not even have imagined would happen. So glad you were able to call an ambulance and get quick help! - I'm still "dealing" with a knee contusion after a fall outdoors four weeks ago - also contracted awful bruises all over the leg, but at least my blood stayed within my own body! (which has slowly but steadily continued to work away at it since then). Anyway I've taken to carrying my cellphone with me around the flat in a hip bag most of the time since then... Living alone does have its disadvantages "when things happen", even if normally one is quite happy with it!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry, Monica. Having been absent from Blogland and not even otherwise in touch, I had no idea. I will PM you when I've finished these comments.
DeleteGraham, I've noted your "general absence" so have not been taking it personally. (Been meaning to pm you too but haven't got round to it.)
DeleteWhat a horrible experience for you. Is there something you now have to do/take to avoid a recurrence?
ReplyDeleteI hope you're over the shock of it now - having a clean carpet will go quite some way to that.
Janice, from what the district nurse said when she changed the dressing (there no longer at that time having been any sign of the incident other than what had always been there) she was expecting me to keep a dressing on it. I shall seek advice.
DeleteYou were very calm and methodical, I must say. A very model of antiquarian efficiency! Thank goodness it all ended well and even the carpet was salvaged. I hope it doesn’t happen again but as the Maestro of the Mishap I am sure you will handle it with aplomb if it does.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I thoroughly enjoyed your comment and the compliment! The idea of being a Maestro of Mishaps boggles the mind. I wonder if I can add MM to the letters after my name (not that I have ever used the few to which I am entitled).
DeleteWhat a terrifying thing to happen.
ReplyDeleteTasker, I'd certainly rather not have the experience again.
DeleteSounds scary but you kept calm and got the help you needed. What a strange thing to happen and I certainly hope it never happens again! !
ReplyDeleteEllen, I certainlt support your last few words.
Deleteoh no Graham I hope you are ok and healing up, sounds like you did everything right.
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy. All is good now and I'm hoping to get back into Blogland too.
DeleteGoodness, what a scary thing to happen! I didn‘t know an artery can burst just like that, without any impact from the outside. Glad to know you‘re alright and back home, and even the carpet could be saved.
ReplyDeleteMeike, I've no real idea what could have happened to have caused the event but I didn't ask any of the medics why it might suddenly happen. I shall just make sure that I'm ready if it happens again.
DeleteGood grief, Graham. You'll put me off old age if any such thing happens to you again. I had no idea something like that could happen. We might as well just shrug and live dangerously, when you can be slammed by something like that. By the way, I like David's new name for you - you are indeed the Maestro of Mishaps. Take care.
ReplyDeletePauline, much worse things happen to other people with far more serious consequences. I posted it because I thought it was just such an unexpected occurrence but somethig that could happen to any one of us.
DeleteOh dear! I never knew that arteries could burst just like that - without an injury. Sounds like you took it all in your stride as you always seem to do with health matters - even when they are serious. In this sense, you are a pretty courageous fellow Graham.
ReplyDeleteYP, believe me, suddenly watching blood spurt out of your leg all over the place for no apparent reason was not something I hade ever anticipated either.
DeleteThat would have been scary. Glad your cell phone worked and an ambulance arrived. We have to wait a fair while for an ambulance.
ReplyDeleteI'm just 6 miles from the ambulance station. I'm not sure where it was, though, when it was given the call. It certainly arrived very quickly.
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