A Day to Forget.

Tuesday routine blood test. Wednesday morning frantic calls from doctor. Potassium level dangerously high, must go to Grimsby A&E. When I said I had no access to transport an ambulance was ordered. Five hours later it arrived. Bumpy scenic route on the back roads and lanes to the hospital. Apparently it was the SatNav's idea of the quickest way. An hour after arriving I give blood samples. Initial result was borderline normal levels of Potassium. Back to waiting area. Hours later another blood sample is needed then a long wait for the results. Finally I am told the results. Potassium level was normal. Discharged and allowed home. But it is now 11.30 p.m. Too late to phone neighbour and taxi drivers apparently don't like plastic for payment. In the end the hospital orders a taxi which they pay for. The driver was brilliant. While chatting I found he belongs to a club that I used to be a member of years ago. Once home he didn't leave until he saw that I was safely indoors

The two paramedics in the ambulance were marvellous. Cheerful, efficient and reassuring. They had to perform several routine checks before I left home. BP, steady heart rate, temperature, checking I had no chest pains or feelings of dizziness, etc..

Local reports of how busy the A&E department is were observed to be true. As I felt fine, apart from being anxious that bad results might mean having to stay there a few days, I felt a bit of a fraud.

I don't think we will ever work out why the Tuesday test provided such an alarming result. I had been carefully sticking with my low Potassium diet. I have read that the way the sample is taken and handled can affect the readings as some chemicals are difficult to trace. One difference is in the timing. Locally the samples are transported later in the day to be sent to Grimsby. In the hospital the samples go to pathology immediately.