Herrgottsakramentnochamol... yup, bad day....

I had to get Peter to the ambulant surgery part of the health services building by 9 am. His remaining foot is so bad, I just couldn't look at it any more, and dressing it made me nearly retch. It's the gangrene smell, you know? I had washed all the floors yesterday while Couch Critter took him downtown.

Use Ajax antibacterial stuff for that and can recommend it. One product where the ads aren't lying. The doctor was surprised he hadn't caught a worse infection.

It took ALL of my persuasion to keep the appointment, he did not want to go. I was sorry I hadn't gone to Beate Uhse, a sex shop, and get a whip beforehand to get him into that wheelchair and get him out of the house. Beate Uhse founded a sex shop and mail order business after WWII and got disgustingly rich on it. (More power to her, she was never an exploiter, or prude...)

Now Health Dept. Central seemed to be a good solution to hospital for me. It IS somewhat bureaucratic, but he had an appointment. And that building, Preciousses, is HUGE. He said we needed to go to dermatology, which is on the fourth floor. Lines like in the unemployment office. Finally we get to the receptionist. Uh-uh....

He was scheduled on the 8th floor, the surgical wing. Swell, the handicapped elevators were full of healthy people who can walk and it took four calls to get up there. I was boiling by that point. BUT... there was a very nice lady who took interest in Peter's foot and gave him some tips about what the state hospital does with 'Unterdruck' to help increase blood flow, and it seems it is a machine that acts as if you had the pressure of being thirty meters under water and that seems to help healing. Increases blood flow in the small veins, I guess. So that was really nice of her. I liked the concern and willingness to help....

But once there, there weren't so many people, and the receptionist was nice and we didn't have to sit for more than a few minutes, and he was called in to one of the ambulant OP's.

And now comes the 'remarkable' part... She asked me if I were his 'accompanying person', and invited me in. And I said 'No, I will just wait...' And she was obviously surprised. I wouldn't have had a say in what they decided to do to him anyway. Have seen, and dressed the wound as best I could, and brought a book along, because I KNEW it was going to take a while. It was ferociously bad.

It took them two hours. First to clean it up. Then a surgeon came and cut off the dead skin around the open wound. The surgeon asked who had dressed the wound, and said I did a professional job. He wouldn't have said that if I had done what Peter had wanted.... hold scissors over a fire , and cut away the dead skin. And I said, 'Whoa! NO WAY!'

Whatever, the doctor cut into the raw flesh and hit something festering. And pus squirted out like the fountain in the City Park and just missed the doctor. (Am so glad I was out in the waiting room.)

It took over two hours and the nurse was so nice to come out after ninety minutes, and APOLOGISE that it was taking so long! (Are you listening, Annti?) I was perplexed, to say the least.... I KNEW it was gonna take long. I'm not an expert in these things, but one look, at that wound, and I KNEW....

So I had my book, Peter's actually, Music for Chameleons in German. (Truman Capote) I thought I had read it long ago, but I hadn't, as it turns out. And sort of tuned out, as I couldn't smoke there... Was fine with it. Preoccupying yourself with something is good.

I rolled him back home, cleaned the floors, ('Yay, AJAX!') And the doctor was amazed that he hadn't gotten a worse infection, btw... So I guess washing the floors every day prevented worse things... Made a fresh soup, and then came home.

So for all the people who go bonkers over the concept of socialised medicine.... you don't know whereof you speak.... Sure, you can get some lemons, just like anywhere else... But today... I was surprised at the politeness and courtesy, and efficiency of the people there. Sure, we pay for it in taxes... But that is the only tax I do NOT mind paying....

So think about it.