Belated thanks to Newham A&E — and two lessons learned the hard way

 

A belated but sincere thank you to the A&E staff at Newham General for treating me with kindness and respect during a visit two weeks ago. I had managed to injure myself in a particularly foolish way: having a fight with a jammed rod while trying to clear a blocked external kitchen waste pipe… while standing on a ladder. I won the battle with the rod, but promptly lost the war by falling at least six feet off that ladder.

Instead of going straight to A&E like any sensible person, I assumed it was just a painful bang, climbed back up the ladder, and finished the job. Five days later — still in pain — I finally admitted defeat and went to Newham General.

While there was a delay, I was triaged quickly. The nurse was rightly concerned about the fall and arranged for me to see a doctor, who then sent me for an MRI scan (despite their computer system repeatedly locking them out). After the scan, the doctor explained that I had fractured two ribs, damaged some lung tissue, and needed codeine, antibiotics, regular paracetamol, deep breathing exercises, and — crucially — to avoid climbing or falling for the next 6–8 weeks.

Lesson One: Leave risky DIY tasks to professionals.

Lesson Two: If you injure yourself, get checked out immediately — don’t wait five days hoping it will magically improve (a classic male speciality).

And once again, thank you to the A&E team for their care, patience, and professionalism. While there was some delay and confusion. They overall looked after me brilliantly, even when I hadn’t looked after myself.