Happy Birthday or Doctor is coming: Part 2

Third time is a charm. Ambulance with two part-time-firement-part-time-paramedics arrived only in an hour after the call. Wondering, why doctors let Maria go, they carefully examined her and offered us a ride back to Haartmann sairaala. “I don’t remember much from the last night, but I do remember those vikings,” – admitted the birthday-girl next morning. Wish I could say the same. Paramedics left us in the hospital, wished good luck and left. Unfortunately, when you are on a weekend night in a state hospital, luck is not enough. That night, only two doctors, few nurses were supposed to handle the stream of patients.

(photo: The Guardian)

 “Nurse, she is in pain, where is doctor?” – “Doctor is coming, please wait.” Twenty minutes later: “Where is doctor?” – “Doctor is coming!” Two hours later, my hand was already numb after being squeezed so hard, I considered asking doctor to examine it at once, too. Two and a half hours later doctor called for us. Ten more minutes later, doc released Maria, and told her to wait for the test results. In a waiting room. In a chair. Moaning in pain. “Nurse, my friend needs to lay down. Please, find a free bed.” Few minutes later, after quite challenging ride of a wheelchair, Maria was resting in bed. If moaning in pain can be considered as a rest. “Well, she is not going to die, or even to faint,” – nurse said in a comforting voice. “And a doctor is coming.”  

While doctor was on his way,  the long stream of new patients passed by us. Just as paramedics from the last ambulance said: on weekends, 90% accidents are alcohol-related. Girl on a bed next to us was a living proof. Not feeling her legs, nor understanding who and where she was, still she appeared to be quite reasonable party animal, compared to the creature, delivered by “our” viking-docs. Mixed alcohol with various drugs, blondy wasn’t capable to move. Nurses quickly covered her with colorful wires and tubes. Shortly, she regained an ability to move only to roll herself in a blanket, burrito-style, and to stare at us. “You are very pretty” – she told as I passed by. “You too, dear. But please, stay and bed and don’t follow me now.” – “Okeeeeeeeeey.”

Doctor was still coming. He arrived at 6 a.m., when Maria’s screams could be heard in  a whole neighboring area. With bored look at his face – it’s not a life-threatening situation, after all, – he went through test result, doc commanded to inject painkillers and left. Pain decided that it won’t give up so easily, and would keep company for a while.

Real help arrived with a morning shift, shortly after 8 a.m. Quickly, they gave medicines. Pain, that led my friend through nine levels of hell and back, finally was released. Few hours later, she was released also from the hospital. Morning shift apologized on behalf of their colleagues, telling that the lot already became legendary due to their neglect towards patients. Happy to trade papers with diagnosis to candies, cheerful nurse wished us good luck. Next day we packed a plastic back, and wished Maria good luck. With no birthday cake, but filled with memories about the most spectacular birthday ever, safely she arrived home.

Happy Birthday or Doctor is coming: Part 1

“No matter what, tomorrow we are going to Porvoo” – said Maria – my sister-from-another-mother – on our way to Suomenlinna on Saturday. On Sunday she turned 25, and we had planned a huge program for that day, including a trip, dinner at the restaurant and overall good mood and lots of fun. However, instead of good time, life presented us with a good story for later. 

Morning didn’t forebode anything unusual to happen. Not until after the breakfast, when Maria’s stomach first sent a signal on a change of plans. By early afternoon, holding moaning-out-of-pain Maria’s hand, first call to an ambulance was made. An hour later I called 112 again, to ask why ambulance hasn’t yet arrived. “They are coming!”. True, two hours later they arrived. three paramedics looked at the birthday girl, measured blood pressure, made sure she’s not pregnant, and told that by noon she’d be fine. “Drink sweet juice, and in case of high fever call us again”. Thank you, doctors. We are going to call in two hours. Now, instead of silent moans, room was filled with heart-wrecking sound, that scared even paramedics, who arrived hour-and-a-half since the second call. As examined Maria more closely, they decided that she indeed must have been hospitalized. 30 minutes of medical manipulations in ambulance, and screams fade away and off we went to the hospital: Haartmann sairaala. With the promise to let her mother know what has happened, shortly after 6p.m. they took her away and told to wait for a nurse with news. 

Time went by. One hour. Two hours. In the company of my worries and kind-hearted people who supported us on the phone, I finally found a nurse who “shall tell about the progress”. Two more hours later, the same nurse told about test results, that doctor is coming and soon we can go home. By 11 p.m. we came back home, barely surviving the ride in a cab. Dog was taken care of, so I could focus on Maria, who still was nasty shade of green. Exhausted,  we dropped on a bed, turned off lights only to turn them on 20 minutes later. “Call the ambulance!” – pain returned and was gaining strength. “Hello, need an ambulance. We just came back from the hospital, but pain is getting worse, we must get her back there!” – “Ok, they are coming.”