Lordy, I’ve had an eventful month. And not altogether in a good way. Do forgive me, I know that blogs aren’t really meant to be diaries, but I want a record of my rather mad NHS experience over the last few weeks, so I’m putting it here (cos I don’t have an actual diary). Hope it may provide entertainment to some of you, somehow. Especially if you maybe have a medical fetish.
In the UK, we have the much-talked-about National Health Service (NHS for short). It provides free healthcare to UK residents, and means that wherever you are in the UK, you can visit a doctor or hospital for free. And good heavens, I’m glad of that, because otherwise I’d be looking at a big old medical bill as a result of the last few weeks.
3 weeks ago, I woke up with a weird abdominal pain. I was shooting a custom video, and then going on to a bondage shoot later that afternoon. So I took some painkillers and did both shoots. At 10pm I finished work, and drove from London to Yorkshire for a shoot the next day. I arrived at my hotel at about 1am, feeling kind of ill, and went to bed. The next day I was still in pain, so I went to my lingerie shoot, took painkillers, and decided to go to hospital on the way to my next shoot (which was further up North).
I arrived with the lovely http://www.petandponygirls.com/ who kindly drove me to their nearest emergency healthcare centre (which isn’t a hospital, it’s like a little mini clinic for minor illness). DOCTOR NUMBER 1, I have to say, was really rubbish. He poked at my tummy, told me I was ‘probably ok’ and told me to take painkillers. Which wasn’t all that reassuring. So I returned to the Pet and Ponygirl studio, took some painkillers, and went to bed.
I shot with them for 2 days, which was, as always, lovely, but passed in a kind of blur of pain. When the shoot was over, I drove down to the Midlands to stay with my sister. She helped me make an appointment with her local GP for the next day.
DOCTOR NUMBER 2 was really kind. She said she couldn’t really help much unless I stayed in the area for tests, but suggested…. painkillers.
Later that afternoon, the pain was worse, so I telephoned the national medical helpline thing. Which is notoriously hopeless, but they were also very kind, and suggested another emergency clinic I could visit.
DOCTOR NUMBER 3 was also very kind. She suggested that maybe I’d picked up an infection on location (I do work in some extraordinarily grubby places) and gave me an antibiotic. I was very, very happy.
The next day, I drove West to meet up with the BDM for a big, week-long location shoot for http://www.restrainedelegance.com . There were multiple models arriving, and a big crew. I was meant to be both (whoop, am enjoying learning to rig!) Two days in, I was in more pain, so the BDM took me to hospital after we’d finished work for the day (thank you, and I’m so sorry to the models and crew who we abandoned for the evening)
DOCTOR NUMBER 4 thought I should be properly examined so kept me in hospital for a few hours. After doing blood tests they weren’t sure what was wrong, so gave me another antibiotic. Which I was very grateful for, but started to wonder whether it was actually going to help.
We finished our shoot, I managed to model on the last day (painkillers!) and we set off to celebrate the BDM’s birthday at a hotel I’d booked near to the UK Space Centre, which we were visiting the next day. By midnight, I was in so much pain that the BDM called an ambulance and we went to hospital again….
DOCTOR NUMBER 5 decided I should have an ultrasound scan, so I stayed in hospital overnight, and had a scan the next morning. It didn’t work properly, and they didn’t have the equipment to do all the tests they needed to do, so they sent me home, and said they’d send me an appointment through the post. We drove back home (no Space Centre visit, boo) and I went to bed with some painkillers.
Two days later, the pain was so bad (and spreading, rather alarmingly, upwards) that the BDM took me to our local hospital’s emergency department. DOCTOR NUMBER 6 took blood tests (I hate them, HATE THEM) and was, I’m sorry to say, not very helpful. She went off to talk to someone more senior, and came back to say that I should, umm, take painkillers. And that my brain might be sending random pain signals to my abdomen for no reason, and that it might stop on it’s own. I started to feel rather despairing, especially because the BDM’s birthday party was the next day, and we were having lots of people to stay….
At lunchtime the next day, the painkillers weren’t working, and after hiding from the birthday party for a couple of hours I went back to hospital (this time, in case it’s useful for you in the future, to the out-of-hours GP service). Thank heavens for DOCTOR NUMBER 7. She got me admitted to hospital properly, and after being there for a couple of days, they discovered a ruptured ovarian cyst. I was so, so relieved that there was a reason for all the pain, and very grateful that I didn’t have to pay for all those hospital visits. I’m a bit disappointed that it took so many visits before someone helped properly – I’m not fabulously assertive, but I’m thinking that if I’d been even less so, I might still be at home, taking painkillers and being scared of bothering any more doctors.
Thank you, and sorry to the following people;-
To Pet-and-Ponygirls.com for taking me to a doctor in the first place, and for a shoot that managed to still be fun despite not being super well. I do hope the videos don’t reflect that.
To my sister, who was lovely, as always, and helped me find telephone numbers.
To all the models and crew on the Restrained Elegance shoot, who were fab to work with, and forgiving of my regular disappearances. Thanks for still letting me tie you up, Sophia, Janey and Fi.
To the staff of Coventry University Hospital (who, I’m thinking, probably don’t read this blog)
To my friend P, who’d booked me for a spanking shoot, and couldn’t have been kinder about reassuring me that it was ok to cancel. I’m so sorry, especially since you’d worked on a lovely script.
To my friend J, who was also fabulous about my letting him down at pretty short notice. Thank you again for your concern and courtesy.
To all the other photographers and models who’ve missed shoots because of me this week and next week. Thank you for being so generous about it, and I hope not to let you down again.
To the crew of http://www.firmhandspanking.com who’d assembled a cast and location for our shoot next week. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for not insisting we go ahead with the shoot.
To my Mum (who also probably doesn’t read this blog, but you never know!) who abandoned her goats, dogs, husband, and house move to come and visit me in hospital.
To the staff of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, for not just sending me home with more painkillers, and giving me so much jam sponge and custard. Brilliant!
To everyone who sent texts, emails and cards. I didn’t tell anyone I didn’t have to for work reasons, because I was too upset and scared, so sorry to everyone I didn’t contact.
And finally, thank you to the BDM, who’s shoot I disrupted, who’s birthday I ruined, who’s party I missed, and who’s driven me from hospital to hospital, always being calm and rational. And who’s suspended all dom-lyness in order to be the best sort of boyfriend for a rather weepy, ill girlfriend.
I’m still on drugs, but hopefully on the mend, and shall post again when I’m ok. Sorry for the non-hot post!
Non-hot post? No need to apologise, you are a person first (ok, a seriously beautiful one, but still a person). The important thing is that you’re on the mend, and it’s great to hear that you are.
L.
ps: Don’t think he’s suspended all Domlyness, once you’re fully recovered I bet you’ll find that he’s been keeping a list for “discussion” (if you’re lucky 😉 )
My goodness, that’s a lot of rather painful adventures. So glad they found out what was wrong with you.
Feel better soon, honey. *many hugs*
Amelia,
Just glad you are doing better!
Mark
Saw this just after watching your cheerleader shoot with Dallas where you were spanked for not looking after your health! As said in that shoot, your health is number one priority – so much as I love to see your shoots, take as much time off as needed or you may be getting summoned back to LA. 😉
Tyke
Greetings from New Jersey,
Sorry sorry to hear about both the base line health issue and also about the number of trips to hospitals and clinics before someone actually got it right. Of course getting it right is the important thing and I’m glad to hear you are now on the mend. No need to apologise for the post and all your freinds and fans will understand about missing shoots and parties.
Take it easy and be sure you get back to 100% before returning to work. We want you around for a long time to come.
Also a belated “Happy Birthday” to the BDM.
Best to you both,
Jeff
Oh you poor darling! That’s just awful. Can totally empathise with crying with relief that there was something wrong btw, I do that too!
Big, big hugs and hope you feel completely better soon. xx
Goodness! Now that we have traffic again and can see people coming from you to us we’ve read this. I wish you had let us know how bad you were feeling – we would have made sure you got home (even if we’d had to drive you all the way down there) rather than putting you outside in our garden in a kennel!
7 doctors to get a diagnosis says little for our health service but at least you are on the mend now. 🙂
Glad you are “on the mend” as the others say such a shame it took seven Doctors to arrive at the problem.
Hope that you are on the mend now. I am glad that I have the Belgian health service to rely on, it is loads better than the NHS.
Prefectdt
Incompetent doctors never cease to amaze me. Unfortunately, I have learned that one must go online and search for your symptoms, narrow it down and report this to your doctor- basically diagnose yourself! CRAZY. I know there are some good doctors with a brain, but it seems to get harder and harder to find one. Okay enough rant dear Amelia! I’m so sorry to hear of your ordeal. Dallas and I are sending you some cyber chicken soup and hope you get lots of rest so you can recover completely.
Big hugs!
Sabrina
Whoa, lady, you’re very brave. Well done for soldiering through so many shoots and social events, and for persisting in seeking help. I’m very glad you finally found someone useful! Hope you feel better soon. xx
Poor you! Get well soon…
Oh you poor poor thing! I had one of those a few years ago and it was excruciating–I fainted at work! I can’t IMAGINE doing multiple shoots with that kind of pain. You are incredible! Please please mind yourself.
Sorry you’ve had such a tough time: not surprised at the failure to get a correct diagnosis though (my mother died of cancer which needn’t have happened the way it did if they’d been a bit smarter). Hope the BDM will line you up for an extra special session (and a decent meal out afterwards) when you are properly ok!
BIG BIG hug from me darling. Take care of yourself and I truly hope you feel better soon.
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I’m overwhelmed by the loveliness of your comments, everyone. I’m very, very grateful, and thank you very much – it’s been hugely helpful while I’ve been stuck at home feeling absolutely cut off from everything, From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I’d never have believed that having a fetish blog would have put me into contact with such a lovely bunch of people.
Here’s a brief update for anyone who makes it this far – I thought I was recovering but had to go back into hospital last week and now I’m home again, on a different set of antibiotics and hoping desperately that something works!
A/a xx
Also I discovered I’ve been writing ‘who’s’ instead of ‘whose’ all my life. I’ve just realised. I’m so happy to have learnt this!
This is terrible. I am very sorry about what happened to you, but sadly it is a familiar story. The NHS is indeed wonderful, but increasingly medical staff seem overburdened and unable to do their job adequately. Serious abdominal pain *always* requires investigation with several ‘red flags’ to this symptom (I won’t go into details here). Antibiotics should not be prescribed without good reason (e.g. from blood test) to suspect bacterial infection. In my view (effective) ultrasound examination is mandatory in this situation. You will know to ask for it next time (quoting this episode). Incidentally, having some sort of medical professional that you trust is far better than internet.
Best of luck with your recovery.
Best of luck with your recovery… 🙂
Maybe not anyone at Coventry Hospital, but certainly someone who knows several people there! I’ll pass on the link…
sad to hear you’ve had struggles. Hope you’re well soon!
ruptured cysts are rough. But at least they are generally not hard to recover from.
Do take care, though
Sometimes a professional attitude may become dangerous to your health. 😉
I’ve had heard some weird things about the NHS but this sounds like a mere nightmare. Poor girl…
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
“Free healthcare” has to be paid by somebody anyway and the NHS seems to be a relict of a rather socialistic system. So I’m definitely devoted to the idea of paying doctors, hospitals etc. for their achievements and cover risks by an insurance. Paying someone for his work directly put you into a much better position to ask for good service and express demands.
Eh… and by the way…
Taking care of somebody does not decrease “dom-lyness”.
Quite the contrary: real, “true” dominance shows up in a case of emergency. That sorts the wheat from the chaff… 😉
“Paying someone for his work directly put you into a much better position to ask for good service and express demands.”
This is of course why the American health-care system is known world-wide for being accessible, functional and fair, while American health insurance companies are almost a by-word for trustworthy behaviour and prompt payment.
Wait. What?
Capitalism isn’t the best answer to everything.
On a much more important note: best of luck with your operation, Ariel. You are a fantastic model and a witty and charming commentator.
my first comment on one of these ‘things’.
Oh my gosh, it sounds like you came close to some serious health issues.
As my mum keeps banging into my head, if you dont look after yourself, no one else will.
Back in 1994, I had a lot of discomfort in the belly. It was near my birthday, and a couple of doctors said that I had ‘gutted’ myself, and to drink this bottle of mylanta, and call me in a couple of days. Thanks very much, the callout fee is $AU300. It got bad, and finally in desperation mum called my doctor and said she thought I was really ill. He came out, and after a few questions, and a poke or two, he made a beeline to the end of the hall to ring an ambulance. (Mum said later that she had never seen a doctor move so quick). The ambulance duly arrived, but they couldnt get the stretcher-thingy to fit in the hallway, so i had to walk to the front door to be loaded onto the stretcher. I was plonked on the thing, and, in the process of getting me down the stairs, the bottom step being a bit long, the front ambulance-person tripped, and I, the other ambulance person, the stretcher thingy all landed on top of him. Moving on.. They shot me up with pethedine in the ambulance, and by the time I got to hospital I was ‘flying’. I was operated on as an emergency patient at 7pm that night. The operating doctor said the next day, that he felt I wouldnt have seen another day. I was in hospital for almost 3 weeks. A ruptured appendix and the associated peretinetis with post operative depression as well. The radio station where i worked as a dj, was concerned that I wasnt able to do my shift starting at 1pm, and what was i going to do to find a replacement announcer. This coming from the people that I trusted and respected. It was a big wakeup call. Eventually, I took leave, even though it was a voluntary position, and never returned. All in all, with all the tests, and so forth, i was out of action almost 6 months. Some city folk take the availability of ER services as a given, but here in the country, there might be only 6 doctors per 20,000 people. I thought it was an anomily, that getting a doctor who wasnt afraid to ask the tough questions, and do the tests to find out what was wrong, was only because there wasnt enuff doctors in the country areas. But alas, its more widespread that I imagined.
Everything costs money. Sometimes a lot. And whilstever money is the key, peoples abilities to be able to properly diagnose medically related problems will be curtailed.
Please, make sure you are fully ready before continuing with the activities that your blog promotes.
Else, perhaps we, your fans, all put a bit into the hat, and send you over to LA to visit Mr Dallas??? (Return trip, of course 🙂 )
Holy NHS.
In Canada it’s not any better, but one ultrasound should have seen it, without much ado. Until ultrasound nobody had a chance to guess.
On the other hand in beuatiful US of A, you would get ultrasound in the spot and be done with it.
Good you feel good now so we can see you again.
Good you feel good now.
Your pointe…Well you must be 7′ tall in them, and it was long time since you’ve done it, wasn’t it?
Exactly as anonymous just put it, it might be “free” healthcare, but it doesn’t sound that great to me. I have Canadian friends as well, who has told us the same kind of stories. You don’t get treated the first time around, or you have to wait a couple of months for surgery depending on the how urgent they deem it. She broke her hip here in the US and was in surgery that night. She said had she been at home in Canada, they would not have done the surgery right away and who knows what would’ve happened. Y’all can keep it.
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