Have you ever been taken by ambulance to hospital A&E?

I've just been in an ambulance the once, on my own account, when I was in labour with DD2. Our NCT class matron had drummed it into us that if our waters broke, we should call an ambulance rather than get ourselves to hospital. Those were the days! It arrived in no time and I had a leisurely ride in for the best of reasons.

Only once, when I heamorraged when I lost my first baby. I don't really remember much.

Yes-in January this year after I fainted and broke my hip. Paramedics were brilliant, turned out one of them knew my late son in law and my daughters so we had a good gossip on the way! Only thing I didn’t enjoy was the inflatable cushion thingy they use to get you off the floor. Very wobbly! A&E was last place I wanted to be as we were in the middle of lockdown but I had no option. I had surgery and was home 4 days later, covid free.

About 9 years ago I trained as a community first responder. A few months later I spent a day with an ambulance crew starting at 6.45am with a guided tour of all the equipment on board etc. At 7am the radio and mobile phone were switched on and we were off on our first blue lights run...........we did not stop until 1.30pm when we had 30 minutes off for a lunch break. Back on call at 2pm and we did not stop until 820pm and the ambulance still had to be cleaned and restocked. I arrived home at 9pm, had a glass of water and went to bed totally exhausted. One patient after another, going everywhere on blue lights the traffic moving out of our way. Respect for all the ambulance crews.

Twice, as ride-along which was nice to be allowed. First time when we brought our 7 month old DS with a bad hernia to a small regional hospital during a summer long weekend. After hours of not being able to do much for him, they finally referred him to a larger hospital 2 hours away. I rode along, the poor little one finally slept after hours of screaming, and the attendants were wonderful. My poor DH drove behind us not knowing what the situation was.

Second time included ambulance, helicopter and then jet-ambulance from our northern town to Vancouver for my DH with heart issues. He was flown down for emergency bypass surgery. I was very lucky to be allowed to go as passenger, since they had no other patients. It was a blur for him, and I admit watching the heart monitor for the whole 3 hour process, but the air ambulance staff were wonderful, and I was impressed with the efficiency of our medial system.

Both incidents turned out well, thank goodness.

Oh Yiayia4 I'm so sorry??

Yes quite a few times when I started with seizures at the age of 80. I had started with Epilepsy at 80 jut like my father had.
When I was 82 they fitted me with a pacemaker. With that and having regular medication for the Epilepsy it has given me more years to my life and helped me look after my hubby who had Dementia. He passed away in 2016 but we had had a good life and 67 years together.
Been rushed in lately too when my blood pressure shot through the roof through a water infection apart from breaking three bones in my back.
Ageing can be a pain at times in more ways than one.

Yes 3 times for 3 heart attacks all in the night while fast asleep. First 2 I called myself. They arrived quickly and were fantastic. I’m still here?

Twice

First: appendicitis at the age of 14.

Second: I had a bench saw accident just over two years ago. DH was close by and got me inside to do an emergency bandaging job. He drove me to the local hospital A&E only 6 minutes away. They immediately redressed my hand and called the ambulance to get me to the main Cornwall hospital. By the time they had redressed it, taken photographs, and given me plenty of morphine, the ambulance was there.

I arrived at A&E and was rushed through to a trauma bay and had x rays They rang the hand surgeon who gave them instructions on how to clean and strap up my hand. She operated on it successfully for nearly three hours the following morning.
The trauma nurse in A&E came to see me on the ward the next day. He'd been so concerned about me.
Everyone I met over those two days were amazing including my darling husband. I thank them all.

I watch some of the ambulance series on TV and fully understand why ambulances are a long time in getting to the scene. I also understand why some operations get cancelled. I took up nearly a whole morning in theatre, that had been previously been reserved for routine procedures.

Yes, I had a multiple pregnancy and miscarried them and was blue lighted. Then once I’d taken my daughter to dance class and started to feel a bit odd as I was driving there. Arrived, got child out of car and into reception then passed out!

Yes, after being a passenger in a car that was in an accident when I was 15 but I don’t remember anything about that, because of concussion. However, with the money I was awarded for damages, I bought my first hipster grey miniskirt, which had a very wide black buckled belt, in Croyden. (Kemps?)

Yes, about 12 years ago. We had just moved house and were putting up shelves. DH plugged in his electric drill, then went to find rawlplugs, calling out as he went 'Don't fall over that cord!' I fell over the cord. I had a badly broken arm and a dislocated shoulder and bled all over the new carpet. DH called 999 and two ambulances and a motorbike turned up (wouldn't happen now!).
The paramedics were brilliant, asked me my pain level on a scale of 1-10 and I said 11, so morphine was pumped into me. DH was treated for shock. I was blue lighted to hospital, DH followed but had to keep up with the ambulance as he didn't know where the hospital was. Had immediate treatment at AnE and kept in for a couple of nights.
Eventually made a full recovery. Thank you, NHS!

Land ambulance overflow 44 years ago when my waters broke. Labour started in ambulance and son was born an hour later.

The 2nd time was 15 years ago in an air ambulance after a riding accident.

Overflow? I meant over

Yes, when my baby decided to come at home and I had complications afterwards.

Yes three times.

The first two were both miscarriages and I was bleeding heavily and rushed into theatre.

Third time I slipped and fell in M&S, cutting my face badly. Remember telling the paramedic that my arm felt funny. An X-ray in hospital showed I had broken my upper arm, and I eventually had to have a shoulder replacement.

After an accident a couple of years ago. I had just landed in the UK and was home to see my mother who was ill in hospital. It was quite a serious crash but I was fine as the airbag had gone off. I was walking around talking to the police and the other witnesses.

I was called to the ambulance to check I was OK, and decided to take up their offer to go to A & E to be checked for concussion etc. The paramedics kept me talking, obviously to make sure I didn't conk out, but we had a lovely chat. The chap who was in charge grinned widely and said we would use "The Blues" which we then did. It didn't seem so loud from inside the ambulance. I was absolutely fine, but very grateful for their company and care.

DD got whisked off in an ambulance to A&E after a road accident that badly damamged her right arm. She had to be cut out of the car and had to be treated for shock.

It was 5 years and numerous operations before she was finally signed off. But the compensation she got, paid for an OU degree that ended in a completely new career, which has taken off like a rockeet.

Decades ago, my mum's leg fell down a manhole in East London and the policeman who attended said he could either call an ambulance or she could go in his police to hospital. Thinking she might always get another chance to go in an ambulance she choose the police car with the lights flashing as they drove across the city.

Yes. In August this year after being discharged from hospital. My husband had to call ambulance as I had chest pains . the crew arrived and were so caring and took as much time as it needed to reassure me and suggested they took me to a and e to be checked over. I couldn't fault the care I received.

A few years ago I suddenly got severe chest pain which radiated round my back and then up into my neck and face. The first responders arrived very quickly and then the paramedics in the ambulance who did an ECG and said I probably wasn't having a heart attack but took me to A & E. Eventually it was concluded that I had gastritis. It was a very scary experience but I realise now that I also had a panic attack because of the pain. It's happened a few times since but never as severe because I carry Gaviscon at all times and a couple of those (sometimes repeated) stops the pain. It does shake me up though!

Just over 3 years ago when I went into septic shock at home. I don't remember much about it just waking up in intensive care a couple of days later. My family were told to expect the worst - DD1 is a nurse and she thought I was not going to make it. But thankfully I lived to tell the tale ?