What started as a regular stressful holiday season has, by way of my lousy diet while I toil away in Dublin, was made more ‘thrilling’ when in the early morning hours of the Tuesday prior to Christmas I was shocked into awareness of my shortness of breath, and a racing heart rate. As I am not normally in this condition I panicked and began pacing the room.
Knowing this was a dangerous sign, I tried to step through all the conditions that would cause my symptoms, heartburn, blocked sinuses, heart attack, stroke. None of which managed to reduce my heart rate, and the only thing that made me feel better, was standing and pacing the apartment. Believing I could not self-diagnose my problem further, I googled the nearest hospital that I thought I could drive myself to, and found the Tallaght Hospital.
Having managed to get to Tallaght, and finding myself lost in the shopping mall parking lot without signage to the hospital entrance. I did manage to find the A&E entrance by about 4:00AM and into the parking garage which was conveniently located across from the entrance.
I entered, and spoke to the receptionist, and the took my information, and then I sat in the waiting room with a very few others who appeared to be awaiting on other admitted patients. It was really only moments before the duty nurse called me, and I explained my situation. And she attached me to an EKG with more wires that the average computer would need. The appearance of worry on her experienced face did not ease my own concern, but she did manage to explain with confidence what she was doing. I was admitted into a recovery area in the A&E and given several drugs to assist my heart and blood pressure, and monitored for about 6 hours before they were satisfied, and I was moved into a corridor and there I remained for another 6 hours, being fed, and monitored while they found me a room to move to.
And this constitutes the fun part of the visit, from there, the story is more boring than interesting. If you ever get sick, don’t do it during the holidays, between the vacation, and holiday days off, almost no ‘testing’ gets done, and without testing, your treatment does not progress rapidly. Mind you I’m almost certain this has little to do with the staff, as everyone has been all of professional, curious, friendly and even humorous (not in a ‘Scrubs’ way). But I place these delays on the management, as their ‘ability’ to schedule, and resource manage the hospital facilities seems to absent. Perhaps it is just the holidays, but my testing and final treatments could have freed up a bed, and a room, for more than a week of my current two week stay had they scheduled better.
In any case, as a review, I can say, honestly that the Tallaght hospital has proved a positive. I would definitely come again, even if unwillingly, should I require the need again.
