6/25 Sick in Hotel & My Experience with the UK Medical System

No photos for this posting, but I thought I would share my experience with being really, really sick in a hotel.  Basically, I last night, Friday, after getting home from Jersey Boys, I took my evening pills, and it felt like one was stuck in my throat. Drank water and had a bite of cookie, but it got worse.Then two things started happening--diarrhea and vomiting all night. (Tip: taking several ziplock bags for emergencies are a great idea.)

Anyway, my whole system let loose, and my stomach was hurting, plus I got no sleep and was exhausted after the end of this long day. Had to keep getting up to bathroom, and every time I laid down I would get nauseated again. Spent night watching British TV and partially sitting up in bed. My thoughts were "Oh, no, I finally got COVID," and by morning was feeling so lousy, I decided I needed to see a doctor. Other issue was I had to check out at noon and change to another London hotel--very stressful. (This trip has been terrific until last week!) Figured in my condition and not wanting to pass on disease, I could not take taxi to next hotel and really needed medical help. 

I was really panicky all night because I knew I was supposed to fly out on Tuesday, so having COVID would really mess things up, as would spending a few days in the hospital!  What a mess!! 

However, I went down to hotel desk at 9 am and told them I needed to see a doctor. They called an ambulance and handed me the phone so i could tell ambulance staff what my symptoms were. They said they would get there when they could but had to wait for a free ambulance since I was not really an emergency. I went back to room and tried to rest, but ambulance people (lady and man) came knocking on my door about 10 am. 

What was interesting was that unlike in the U.S., they do not just check vitals and rush you to a hospital. They spent over half an hour giving me a complete workup, including blood test, blood pressure, oxygen level, EKG, and a lot of prodding and poking, as well as asking a ton of questions. (Did not do a COVID test because they said my symptoms did not warrant it, and it would probably not show positive anyway this soon.) The decision was that I likely had food poisoning, NOT COVID, and so did not need to go to a hospital. 

So, they wrote out notes, gave me copies of EKG, and recommended I go to pharmacy and pick up drug for nausea, plus get a few more COVID tests and do one each day for a few days. They said I was clear to take the taxi to the new hotel, but I should wear mask and be careful about what to eat over next couple of days, sticking to bland food. I felt horrible with huge headache by now because of dehydration and lack of sleep. I managed to walk to pharmacy, picked up anti-nausea stuff, then retrieved bags from hotel, had hotel call taxi, then checked into new hotel. Too early, but the desk person could see how wobbly I was from lack of sleep, and found me a room in a few minutes. Also gave me a glass of milk and bottle of water. 

Cost of the ambulance coming and evaluation??? Absolutely zero!! I was really pleased with that and the fact that they had done pretty much the same workup as an emergency room would have done, but without the long wait and cost!! Compare this to what my experience would have been in the US where they take you to hospital no matter what so they don't get sued.

Anyway, drank a little milk after taking the anti-nausea stuff and fell asleep for almost four hours, and felt MUCH better.  Also took a COVID test, and it was negative. Will take one each night for a while, just to make sure.  Went out tonight and got a croissant and a Coke. Am eating and drinking slowly because I don't want to upset my system again. Hard to find bland foods like rice when you are traveling, so this was best i could do.

So, the really good news is that COVID had NOT finally caught up with me, and that I could head home as planned.  Whew!