Today I decided to become a patient. Well I say decided, actually just as I was walking from my car to the office my heart somehow decided to beat in a kind of rapid Supraventicular Tacycardic way. This has happened to me before, a couple of times when pregnant and once or twice since, but on each of those occasions it has lasted a few minutes and being a nursey type I have never sought medical treatment or advice. Today was different. After an hour at  my desk it was getting increasingly difficult to get on with any work. 20 minutes later I had consulted with a colleague (well my director) and got myself driven to the local hospital by her PA.

So followed my first experience of resus as a patient and a two hour engagement with a trolley, ECG machine and associated other monitoring equipment and a very good but unpleasant drug which needed to be administered twice for effect. I had a great nurse and a wonderful doctor, who got on with the job efficiently, cheerfully and who made me feel like I was no trouble at all (of course all in a days work).

Now I feel fine, if weary. Have some tablets to take if it happens again and I am to await a cardiology appointment. I am toying with a day off tomorrow to recuperate, but we’ll see.

So there you have it, Julie experiencing life in the NHS from the other end of things!