My right arm for a doctor

It is sometimes said that if you are not a criminal once you go to prison, you are one when you come out. Well now it seems the same goes for hospitals. If you were not sick going in, you will get sick once there.

As you may know I came to the hospital I’m currently residing in due to in a major way messed up back. I was suggested surgery on Friday, but respectfully declined and we postponed the decision until today Monday to see if there were any improvements to my state. Although prolonging the pain I thought it be the best long-term decision. I do like my tennis and sometimes my golf.

Well last night I woke up in enormous pain again, but not where I was getting used to having it. Rather now it was in my right arm. I looked down on it, and even in the dark the sight was alarming. As if I were the main character in Kafka’s “Metamorphosis, my right arm was transformed into a giant red crab claw. Unable to utilize my right arm in the state it was in I pressed the button to call for the nurse with my left. Being the angels that they are she was in my room within less than 30 seconds.

The time was 04:37. She too looked at my arm with the same confusion as I, which indicated to me that this was probably not totally normal. In a surprisingly calm and rational manner we concluded that it was quite a severe infection caused by where the IV entered my arm that was the culprit. Ok, very well, get a doctor here so we can do something about it I declared. Simpler said than done apparently. Being at one of the largest hospitals in Sweden one makes a huge mistake in assuming there will be a doctor at hand at 04:30 in the morning!? “They are busy down in the ER”, the nurse shamefully whispered for some weird reason. Well this is an emergency I rebutted raising my voice on the other hand. An awkward silence followed as we just stared at each other, she holding my giant aching arm. This was a battle I clearly was not going to win, so much like you do with injuries in battle she simply gave me the best pain killers money can’t buy.

Five hours later a specialist eventually showed up and started off by saying that he hoped he could do this because he had not eaten all morning and was starving. Lucky for him I was too tired to totally loose my mind at this and there were no heavy objects close hand to throw at him. Anyway, so this day has been all about trying to figure out what kind of bacteria I hanging out having an after party in my arm and more importantly what to do with it. As for my back issues, that is pushed forward. “First things first” as they say in this business… Whatever… Anyway, have to go, I have another meal to skip. I guess that is the main difference between prisons and hospitals. The prisoners get better food!

So you say your arm has swollen up do you?