One Hand Salute

So, it would seem that the drama snowball, excuse the pun, from 2009 is continuing its roll into 2010!! With no staff all week I've been run off my feet, just like most. But when you work in a pharmacy, a lack of staff and even pharmacists means utter chaos.

Now, I regularly go without lunch but three days in a row of 9 hour shifts and no break for one is illegal but mainly two, it is exhausting. So, it is no wonder that on Thursday at around 3.30pm with a cup of green tea in one hand and my mind pondering the fact that I hadn't put any mascara on for 3 days I slipped down a full flight of stairs and ended up at sat at the bottom.

My colleagues rushed to me and checked me out,insisting I go to A&E as I was white as a sheet and in pain. However,my primary concern was that I'd smashed my cup that I had somehow thrown in the air, along with the Fisherman's Friend, showered myself with green tea and somehow broken my fall on the teabag. How it never hit me on the head or worse still how I never fell behind the door and flat on my face I will never know. I must have a guardian angel somewhere.

I ended up in a taxi on my way to A&E with my multi coloured scarf as a sling. This was after my supervisor, and dear friend, Natasha had informed the cluster lead who said she could really do without this. Ha. So could I!

I went straight through for an x-ray as the local GP gave me a note. The grumbles of the radiographers didn't sound so good; it looked like a fracture. Great. I went back to wait in A&E with people throwing up everywhere. A&E is always an interesting place to be on an afternoon. I tried to figure out what was wrong with everyone as no one, except for one lad hopping round on crutches had anything outwardly wrong with them. Luckily Natasha turned up before I started playing doctors and nurses too in depth.

A jolly male nurse called me in, made notes and decided that after discussing it with the orthopedic guy I was fine. Just keep it moving. So, as I skipped out of the room to tell Natasha the good news I was happy as Larry. Too happy too soon. I was called back in to see three hospital staff, including head of radiography, standing round my x-ray smiling sheepishly. They changed their minds. What?! I looked at the screen and couldn't see anything apart from awful bingo wings and skinny white bone, but I suppose that's why I'm not a radiographer.

My dignity was about to be taken away as I took all my tops off including my bra strap and let the male nurse fit my cuff and collar. Several things went through my mind at this point: 1. must never ever wear this awful greying white bra anywhere again; 2. oh Lord how weird am I going to look with one 34ff breast in a cup and one out; and finally 3. thank God this guy isn't hot!!

So, I took my fractured head of radius and bruised bum out of A&E with my multi coloured scarf now working to cover my modesty in -12 degree conditions.

With this post, I therefore have become one handed and give a one handed salute to my pharmaceutical giant of company.

Good luck in the no win no fee malarkey!!