Better safe than sorry

Last night I spent 4 hours in the emergency department of Fremantle hospital!

Chicky Babe complained of a sore eye. I was going to say the usual- give it a wash, have a good blink don't rub it etc. When I had a look she had a big reddish, bubble in the corner of her eye near her tear duct part. Oh my god! It looked very strange. Part of me thought that she had most likely irritated it by rubbing the eye but I had never seen anything like it. So being 9pm (actually it was almost 10, I had completely lost track of time while crocheting squares!) on Saturday I thought it best to go and have it checked right away as the GP office would not be open till Monday, just in case it was bad. I also thought it would be best to go before the emergency department got too busy- thinking that later on if Chicky Babe's eye got worse it would be busy with idiots from the local pubs and nightclubs.

It was already quite full when we got there but we were ushered through from the waiting room quite quickly and told to wait in the "eye room". Tim came with us and he thinks it is because I am a random talker and formed a quick rapport with the admissions nurse however, if that were the case, it didn't help once we were inside as they had to treat people in order of need. I didn't really mind because it was reassuring that her problem was relatively minor. The staff were lovely. I asked a nurse if we should go home but she thought it best to have it checked. Then one angel bought me a cup of tea and biscuits and Chicky Babe a pillow at 1am. Chicky Babe was able to lie on the examination bed but I had the most uncomfortable chairs in the world to sit on.

The place was indeed full of idiots, drunk or on drugs having psychotic episodes. Tim thought it was like some T.V drama. Chicky Babe decided that people should be treated in order of intelligence! She was fed up and wanted to make a break for it and run home! We went to go to the toilet at one point but it was occupied by an irrational drunk young man who had cracked his head open and was refusing treatment. He was "bleeding all over the place" he yelled at the bouncer from the night club who was outside the door. We decided to hold on a bit longer! Every time I have been there I am overwhelmed at what a fantastic job these people do under such stressful conditions. Also the little kindnesses that people show that make the world of difference.

Finally the Dr came and checked her out thoroughly- by this time the swelling had subsided substantially but there were no foreign bodies or scratches on the eye so finally we were able to go home. Fortunately I grabbed my "Babbette Bag" that I put together for Bantam Boy's fencing competition earlier in the day- He did very well. I was able to make a couple more squares and thread all the ends through too.