This will be a long post, sorry. TL/DR Had an accident, glass in head wound, 2 ops to remove, both failed. Nearly bled out tonight waiting for an ambulance. Still not sorted and no idea how/when it will be ☹️

2 weeks ago today I was staying at a mate’s in Warwickshire (I live near Ludlow in Shropshire) for an army reunion weekend. Had a great day, mellow but not shit faced. Got back to his, relived a great day, had some tea and toast and went to bed. About 3am old man bladder got the better of me. Couldn’t find the light switch and fumbling for the bathroom door I couldn’t open it (old cottage, door very stiff in the frame and needed a good kick to open). Not wanting to wake anyone up, I decided to look for their downstairs loo. In the pitch black in an unfamiliar old cottage. I slipped on the stairs and unbeknownst to me initially, broke a glass vase with my head, just behind my right ear.

Eventually stopped the bleeding with a towel, cleaned up as best I could and went back to bed (didn’t realise quite how bad it was).

In the morning, there was lots of concern but I felt OK, thought I just had a bad cut and a lump, didn’t know about the glass. Later that morning it started bleeding again, lots. Mate took me to Warwick A&E,long wait and initially they tried to stitch it under local. Then they saw the glass, then it escalated, had a CT scan (showed more small glass frags) saw ENT surgeon and was admitted. Along the way, there was talk of possible facial paralysis and need for plastic surgery, thankfully this hasn’t happened (so far). Had an op under general on the Monday and discharged that evening.

Fast forward a week to last Sunday, I was just getting into bed when felt sudden pressure the side of my head. Massive hematoma developed on site of knock by my ear. Called 999, no ambulances available ‘for many hours’. I got my wife to drive me to our nearest A&E (Shrewsbury, an hour away). In the car it suddenly started bleeding, lots. Properly gushing. I was covered with blood from my waist to the top of my head. I just about managed to stem it by taking my T-Shirt off and applying pressure. After a few hours at A&E got seen, but they just put a dressing on and sent me home.

Next morning (last Monday) I phoned Warwick and they said come in immediately. It’s an hour and 40 minutes away. I was admitted via A&E, they did X-Rays which showed there was still glass in there. I had to wait til Wednesday for a repeat op due to theatre space. I spent the 2 hottest days in UK history shrivelled on a ward whilst ‘nil by mouth’!

Op apparently went OK (GA again), ENT surgeon thought “but not 100% sure” they flushed the glass out. Also found an arterial bleed which caused the hematoma. They cauterized that. They put a drain in and kept me in for another 2 days for observation. I was discharged on Friday.

Fast forward to 3pm ish today, when I had a repeat of last Sunday. Large Hematoma suddenly developed. gushing blood through the stitches at an alarming rate. I filled a bin bag with the towels and tea towels I used to stem it but it just kept spouting, sink full, all over the floor it looked like a mass murder scene. Thick red blood with clots in. This time I was on my own! My wife was visiting our son in Liverpool. I managed to phone 999 but was again told 4 hours or so for an ambulance. I said I didn’t think I had that long, I had severe arterial bleeding and felt like I was about pass out. I sat down on our kitchen floor and prepared to pass out and bleed out. I kept up the pressure as best I could and slowly, thankfully, the bleeding slowed. I managed to phone my wife and she sent a neighbour round. Thank god, the ambulance got there in around and hour. They put a proper pressure dressing on and took me to Hereford A&E (my A&E bingo card is filling up nicely – we live between Hereford and Shrewsbury).

A&E was manic. 6 to 8 hour wait. Eventually I was discharged (a couple of hours ago) as it had stopped bleeding, they were too busy, and couldn’t do anything for me. They sent me to an out of hours GP half a mile or so away, I looked like a blood soaked zombie walking the streets of Hereford and nearly feinted again looking for it. Saw the doc who questioned why A&E had sent me and said there was nothing he could do. I’m still here. In the meantime my son drove my wife back home to Ludlow from Liverpool and is now on his way to Hereford to get me.

I’m going to get him to drive me to Warwick A&E as they have my notes and know the history. Hopefully they will admit me and fix this once and for all.

I’ve probably just typed a load of gibberish, apols. But I am a bit scared and confused right now. Wish me luck.

Nothing to say except holy shit. Hope Warwick can sort you out and you heal fast

That sounds very scary!
I hope they get you sorted out soon.
Keep us informed.

I don’t have much advice, but Liverpool to Hereford is at least a couple of hours. Can you find someone more local (a neighbour?) to keep an eye on you in the meantime or are you still at the GP’s?

Good luck indeed, it sounds like you haven’t had much so far. I think you’re doing the right thing going back to Warwick. Have you asked whether you need any extra blood to replace what you’ve lost?

In car with son now on 90 min journey from Hereford to Warwick

Hope it gets sorted for you this time OP. Sounds horrendous for you

Yeah, Warwick A+E is where you need to be tonight. Good luck!

Thanks all. I might be slow with updates but will give one when I get chance

That is horrific. Best of luck.

Oh, and welcome to “The NHS is safe in our hands” Conservative party BS.

Good luck to you pal, that’s really rotten luck!

I’ve never liked glass vases, give me a Ming dynasty every time.

Bloody hell op. That’s a lot going on in a short space of time.

You look after yourself and I hope this gets resolved once and for all for you asap.

All the best buddy.

Thanks all. Poopscoop, I know you’ve been through your own health issues recently so especially appreciate that.

I forgot to mention I missed a prostate biopsy I’m particularly worried about on Friday because I was in Warwick Hospital.

No health issues for years then everything at once.

In Warwick now, I’ve been through Triage and looking at a 2 – 3 hour wait before I can see a doc.  Sounds bad but a lot less than Hereford and Shrewsbury.

Jesus.

I know the NHS is stretched but those wait times are astonishing. Hope everything goes OK, keep us posted.

I don’t have much advice, but Liverpool to Hereford is at least a couple of hours. Can you find someone more local (a neighbour?) to keep an eye on you in the meantime or are you still at the GP’s?

I was still at the out of hours GP when I typed that.  I’d been seen but they let me wait there until my son arrived which was good of them.

I forgot to mention I missed a prostate biopsy I’m particularly worried about on Friday because I was in Warwick Hospital

No health issues for years then everything at once.

Oh… and I had an orthopedic appointment in between A&E visits last week to try to progress treatment for a knee injury that happened in January. Snapped my ACL, stretched my MCL and knackered my cartilage and meniscus.  I have at least made some headway with that – waiting list for arthroscopy & (maybe) ACL reconstruction. But bejesus what a year!

Jesus.

I know the NHS is stretched but those wait times are astonishing. Hope everything goes OK, keep us posted.

Will do cougar, thanks. Still waiting to see someone other than the triage nurse in Warwick A&E.  Might be a couple more hours yet.

“Everything ask at once” isn’t that how it bleedin’ goes eh?!

Going to be a long night but thank goodness for mobile phones eh?

You should be able to reschedule that biopsy asap I would have though?

You should be able to reschedule that biopsy asap I would have though?

Already have done!  And yeah, my mobile has been an absolute life saver – in fact quite literally earlier this evening!

Well that’s a hell of a read. And echo the “how long?!” ambulance wait times – what on earth is going on with the NHS.

Anyhow, best of luck fella. Why don’t you read some legendary threads to pass the time? Here’s one to start you off…

Legal advice please – cancelling a new car dispute

Cheers, I will take a look.

I’ve been seen. It initially looked like they were going to send me home.  Rationale, I’ve stopped bleeding, it’s not currently life threatening, there’s no beds.

But they did a blood test which shows fairly significant blood loss. But it was a quick and dirty test so they need to do a follow up which will take a couple of hours to come back. It will be morning then. Hopefully I can then sit in the waiting room or whatever until I can see an ENT doc.

Had the dilema whether to let my son go, but he’s been driving all day. Liverpool to Ludlow, Ludlow to Hereford, Hereford to Warwick now back to Ludlow. Decided it’s best he goes to try to grab some sleep.

Said that I was worried to go home because of our rural location and ambulance wait times and that I don’t think I could deal with s repeat bleed like the last one on own.

We shall see. Absolute nightmare?

Sounds horrifying op 😳
If you really need anything, I’m working down the road a bit in Leamington so should be able to help.
Hope you get sorted. Been to Warwick A&E a few times myself over the years.

Thanks @Kayak23 that’s really kind 👍 Still sat in A&E waiting for blood test results but don’t really need anything right now.

Bloody hell… that’s… well… horrific…

Hope you get sorted today and a proper resolution… you must have been sodding terrified…

Congrats on not carking it 😀

Hope you get sorted today and a proper resolution

Thanks 👍

… you must have been sodding terrified…

Oh yes!

Congrats on not carking it 😀

So far….

Blood test just back. Haemoglobin levels confirms I lost a fairly significant amount of blood (I think they maybe though I was exaggerating that bit – I wasn’t).

I am still in A&E waiting, they have suggested I stay here ’til the night staff hand over to the day staff at 0800 and someone from ENT who knows my recent history can advise. It’s a PITA sat here all night, but at least if I have another big bleed I’m in the right place to get it seen to pronto.  The thought of going back to rural Shropshire without a diagnosis/treatment, with multiple hour ambulance waits terrifies me.

Jesus OP. Really glad you’re still in A&E and hopefully once the day shift starts this can get sorted.

Oof that all sounds grim, don’t blame you for wanting to stay at the hospital either – what a nightmare. Hope they get to the bottom of it this time and sort it out properly so you can just get on with recovering!

Jings op,you’ve been through the mill, hope they get it sorted asap. All the best.

Thanks all 👍

Edit:

They are going to admit me to a ward. Might only be temporary til ENT see me or might be full admission. Don’t know yet.

Great news on being admitted, fingers crossed for today.

Glad you’re in the right place now OP, I’d have been quite frankly crapping myself so well done for holding it all together.

And if you don’t mind me asking, I really hope you didn’t offer to pay for the vase.

Jeez, sounds like an OTT episode of Casualty. I’m  interested why this is ENT, I know it’s in your neck where they all are but I thought they did pipework, just an interest thing really.

Congrats on not carking it 😀

From the Clinton specialist range.

All sounds overwhelming!

Can you get hold of the ENT surgeon that operated on you, I think they should be best placed to try and figure this out and hopefully fix that artery!

Glad you have been admitted, hopefully they can get you sorted pronto as that sounds scary. Get well soon

Oh, and OP, don’t hesitate to ask if you need someone to look after your Tiger for a while 😉😊👍

False start, back in A&E. They say ENT need to see me here ☹️

really hope you didn’t offer to pay for the vase.

Not the vase, offered to let them stick their flowers in my ear instead,  but their living room carpet at the foot of the stairs which I trashed with blood. Looked like a murder scene.

 I’m interested why this is ENT, I know it’s in your neck where they all are but I thought they did pipework,

The actual wound is right in the crease at the back of my ear, and one piece of glass actually punctured through into my ear canal. There is also a major nerve around there somewhere which can cause facial paralysis if damaged. Apparently ENT are the best qualified to deal with all that.

Can you get hold of the ENT surgeon that operated on you, I think they should be best placed to try and figure this out and hopefully fix that artery!

Agree, but it depends who is on call. They are a small team and I’ve met them all, I’m fairly sure they will confer. The two ops I’ve already had were done by different people

Oh, and OP, don’t hesitate to ask if you need someone to look after your Tiger for a while 😉😊👍

I travelled to the do on it 2 weeks ago and it was stranded here ’til Saturday. I actually could have done with someone to ride it home for me! Then I remembered Triumph Assist/RAC and got it recovered home on Saturday. It will be a while before I can put a motorbike helmet on!

Oh man your are goign through it @blokeuptheroad, hope this time they can properly sort you out mate! Fingers crossed for today

what the hell is going on with the NHS

This in a nutshell plus a bit of COVID backlog
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62267282

If you’re hanging around and allowed to eat I can recommend the samosas at lakin stores, just a short walk from A&E

You’ve really been through the mill – hope it gets properly sorted for you today, take care
David

Thanks all. Samosas sound good! But will hold off in case they need to operate