Saturday night at the hospital

I spent last Saturday night and Sunday morning at the local hospital with bad back/shoulder pains. The doctor diagnosed shingles this morning but that's not the story.

The waiting room was quite full. 2 kids with breathing problems, an older gent with chest pains (who thankfully jumped the queue) and a young fella with a lacerated hand from work.

The rest was made up of:
2 broken noses (pub fight),
1 stabbing,
and a bloke needing stiches for the 4X2 around the head (that's the woodwork part). He was the walking wounded, his opponent was already in casualty.

The count
5 caused by violence, at least 3 involving booze.
5 "others".

So on a small sample of one night at one hopital, half our casualty dollars goes to fixing up the innocent (or not so innocent) victims of violence. Should I be surprised?

regards

John

John,

My wife spent some time working in A&I and the percentage is much higher....:(( :((

Then there is the money being spent patching up the nurses after the drunk that started the fight wants to continue it with the nurse:(( :(( :no:

Glad she is out of it and into something quiter

Culture of binge drinking added to the top of legislative strangulation of responsibility. IMHO

Hope your feeling OK

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Originally Posted by Gingermick

Culture of binge drinking ......

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Bring back 6pm close of all pubs and clubs.:;

I took a person to emergency a month ago and had a similar experience. Added to the injured drunks were a heap of injured sportspeople. It was Sunday evening.

We had the pleasure of being sprayed with broken glass when a punter, who's partner had just committed suicide, got upset and threw their drink bottle at the glass screen separating us from the staff. The bottle broke not the screen so hopefully they stock their drink machine with plastic bottles from now on.

It is not a place you want to frequent and no doubt this was an average night so my hat goes off to all the staff as they have a lot to deal with.

Sounds like another typcal saturday night in down town Ipswich :doh:

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Originally Posted by DavidG

Bring back 6pm close of all pubs and clubs.:;

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Well alcohol is a drug, so lets make it illegal.

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Originally Posted by Gingermick

Well alcohol is a drug, so lets make it illegal.

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They tried that in the states and it didn't work.

Yes they did, but they hadn't included it in the 'war on drugs' that's been so overwhelmingly successful around the world.

The bloke who attacked me the other week get a bunch of stitches in his head (rub hands smilie) and I think they forgot the anaesthetic and used the large needle as he was being very aggressive

From what I've heard about drugs I don't think they are winning the war.

Of course not, waging war on an idea or desire is as futile as turning a really good vase out of gidgee with one gouge and only sharpening the bloomin thing once:D

Mate's dad was a doctor (now retired). When he was working as an intern at a 'Catholic Hospital' one inebriated customer tried it on with the nuns. When he woke up, all stitched neatly together, he was informed that he had better behave of the doctor would hit him a second time. The customer questioned this, and was advised that the doctor was also the state light weight(?) amateur boxing champion. He went quietly.

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Originally Posted by ivanavitch

I spent last Saturday night and Sunday morning at the local hospital with bad back/shoulder pains. The doctor diagnosed shingles this morning but that's not the story.

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john The waiting list is nothing unusual , Have a brother in law thats an ambo and your experiance is mild

As to the shingles the eldest daughter once got them and the best advice was to cover them with clear nail polish , it stops your clothes touching them and will reduce your problem

Rgds
Russell

Shingles. BTDT...

I had them when we went on a few days sightseeing in Kyoto, lotsa fun that was. Especially trying to find some calamine lotion.

I do have a suggestion however, you can try it if you like but it might be just a little bit 'out there'.

I had a tube of Zovirax, the coldsore cream. Shingles is chicken pox, a viral disease. Coldsores are also a viral thing (thank ^%^&^ I grew out of them!). Zovirax is one of the very few anti-viral medications.

Me feeling pretty itchy and annoyed figured that the anti-viral medicine might just clear up them pesky, virus filled spots.

All treated spots gone within 24 hours. A few I didn't get to hung around for a few days.

Maybe not kosher, maybe not even safe and probably not recommended, but if they come around again I will hit them again the same way.

Take it easy either way, and stay home. No point sharing it around for no good reason if you can avoid it. ;)

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Originally Posted by Bluegum

Sounds like another typcal saturday night in down town Ipswich :doh:

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Bluegum

I wish it was just Ipswich. Then we could just move. The problem seems to be everywhere though.

I know we have a big problem with "chroming" among the street kids, but they did not seem to be represented. They seem to be intent on dissolving their own brains rather than battering others.

The problem can't be solved by banning alchohol. Should we ban booze because a percentage of the population turn in to ****wits when they drink?

Should we ban spray paint because a percentage of the popuation fry their brains?

Should we ban cold syrups with pseudoephedrine because a percentage of the population turn it into "ice"?

I don't have the answer. I just get ****ed when the majority are penalised because of the actions of a minority.

John

Schtoo
The doc has me on anti-virals thank you. Covered under PBS so the price was $30.70, not full cost of $212.80 as is written on the box.

The problem is not the rash. That's just annoying. The initial pain seemed to wander out through the nerves of the back, then shoulder joint and is now localised in the upper arm. Now it just feels like Friday night after Friday afternoon needle parade (one for the ex-miltary types). I'm just glad I am not a back pain sufferer. I pity any of you out there that are.

John

Oh that, dunno what to say other than take it easy.

For me, it felt like I'd been beaten to a pulp, but no bruises to show for it. Just really pained everywhere, especially the shoulders/neck.

I got a massage, seemed to help a little bit but I dunno what to do other than rest.

Then again, I don't get laid up for anything. I still keep moving, and the pain at that time was annoying, but not enough to stop me moving about as normal. I guess if I was the type to actually sit in bed, that's what I would do.

Your lucky,
I got the shingles on my eyelid and eye ,plus forehead last year and its still playing me up ater 8 months.

I caught shingles earlier this year whilst staying at Mount Gambier in S.A. I had rashes on my chest shoulders and back which was pretty painful. I was told by my GP on getting back to Melbourne that I had been lucky not having it on my face especially around the eyes - which is the most painful part to have it on your body. I was under the impression you can only get shingles if you have had chicken pox earlier in your life. the virus lies dormant within your bone structure but something can trigger it off (still not known like cancer) and it comes back as shingles.

I read the virus resides in the brain somewhere, and comes out to play in times of stress or generally poor condition.

Whatever it is, it's a PITA.

I think I am pre-disposed to it since grandpa used to get it too. :(

My wife got the shingles a couple of years ago over the eye and it bugged her for a bout six months after. It affects the nerves and can actually send you blind and as Shctoo says it lies dormant and can come back and get you again and again. We have a friend that has had them seven times over the eye and in the scalp which has left scars and each attack is worse than the one before.

If you get to the hospital or the doctor within 72 hours of the first signs of the shingles they have a drug that can just about eliminate all the symtoms but after that nothing works and you have to put up with the pain.

This crap has had me banged up for a week and a half now and I have just been able to get back to the 'pute.

The pain isn't the real problem, though that is bad enough. It's the head. I can always get up and go walking to get the brain thinking about something else. It's when I try to go to bed and can't get comfortable. Just lying there for an hour wishing the pain would subside, then getting up and popping pills and watching absolute rubbish on TV till the rest of the household wakes.

Last night was OK. Spent the night listening to rain on the roof. The first decent rain we have had for months. And I was awake to witness the whole damn thing.

Not knowing when your next 2 hours of broken sleep is going to occur really messes with the brain.

Thanks all for your thoughts.

That it certainly does.

Cant offer any solution to the shingles thing, apart from a stress free laife and a good diet.

But I have always considered you guarantee to reduce your likelyhood of serious injury if you stay away from licenced premises and large sporting gatherings where alcohol is served.

having worked in the entertainment industry and driven cabs I can give this time frame.

probability of violence near licenced venue.
6am to 10am very low.... unless you don't look where you are walking.
10 am to 1.30 pm..... rising risk in some areas.
1.30pm to 3pm....risk still rises
3pm to 6pm.... afterwork fights possible particularly fridays.
6pm to 10pm.... higher liklyhood of unrest.... often no problems at all
10pm to midnight.... is starting to warm up & the early punch ups begin
midnight to 2am..... risk still rises often the lul before the storm.
2 am is where the real trouble often starts and continues till they all fall over or go home.

the highest risk time I recon is between 2am and 4am if the venue remains
open.

many have said it before but I have to agree that alcohol is the most abused drug we have in western society.
It is used to cause more damage that all the other abused drugs combined.

I have no problem with someone having a few quiet drinks, or even getting quietly once in a while.

the big problem is that a large portion of our entertainment industry is housed and controlled by the liquer indusrty.

Apart from large scale concerts and high end theatre almost all live entertainment is in licenced venues that make the vast majority their profit from selling grog.

A large portion of our population are incapable of social interaction without alcahol.

I'll stop now before I realy get wound up.

cheers

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Originally Posted by soundman

A large portion of our population are incapable of social interaction without alcahol.

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That is a sad truth.

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Originally Posted by soundman

A large portion of our population are incapable of social interaction without alcahol.
cheers

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I'd go one further, a large portion of our population are incapable of social interiaction........period:cool:

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Originally Posted by Gingermick

Yes they did, but they hadn't included it in the 'war on drugs' that's been so overwhelmingly successful around the world.
[ ... ]

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I think you meant to type "underwhelmingly" there :-.

Let them abuse drugs, in a year or two they will all be dead and the problem solved. Even buy the damn things for them. Here in the states the average police department is better equipped than a WWII infantry platoon or perhaps even company. Still haven't done anything to solve the problem that I can tell.

Yep, pretty disgusted with it all.

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Originally Posted by ivanavitch

Bluegum

I wish it was just Ipswich. Then we could just move. The problem seems to be everywhere though.

I know we have a big problem with "chroming" among the street kids, but they did not seem to be represented. They seem to be intent on dissolving their own brains rather than battering others.

The problem can't be solved by banning alchohol. Should we ban booze because a percentage of the population turn in to ****wits when they drink?

Should we ban spray paint because a percentage of the popuation fry their brains?

Should we ban cold syrups with pseudoephedrine because a percentage of the population turn it into "ice"?

I don't have the answer. I just get ****ed when the majority are penalised because of the actions of a minority.

John

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Hear! Hear!

Now if we could get the politicians to get out of the loop and quit just passing "feel good" legislation that does nothing for the problem other than "mean well" then we might get a handle on this stuff.

Here in WA (Oops Washington USA) state I have to show a drivers license and sign forms to get sudafed for a cold. Haven't noticed it slowing down the crack makers much if any - if so they just moved on to something else (and probably nastier) that was easier to make and sell... treating the symptoms rather than the problem has never worked and never will.

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Originally Posted by Big Shed

I'd go one further, a large portion of our population are incapable of social interiaction........period:cool:

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No real penalties for acting however offensively one wants to act?

Being a student of history I find it interesting to note that places and times that people were generally armed (not just the authorities) seemed a lot more peaceable. Wonder why that was :-)?

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Originally Posted by Fox3

No real penalties for acting however offensively one wants to act?

Being a student of history I find it interesting to note that places and times that people were generally armed (not just the authorities) seemed a lot more peaceable. Wonder why that was :-)?

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Not quite sure what you are trying to say here. Virginia Tech wasn't that "peaceable", was it? I don't think arming the general population will improve social interaction, probably more the reverse.:cool:

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Originally Posted by Fox3

No real penalties for acting however offensively one wants to act?

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Been attempting to deal with that at home these last three weeks.
The only problem with your suggestion re drugs are that the ones that cause these sorts of issues are very unlikely to cause expiration. (Though I have little knowledge about crack, cept that OD can cause expiration, and it's a minor issue compared to amphetamines here)

Iknow one thing for sure... while the "major drugs of adiction" are illegal and profitable for criminals they will remain plentifull as will drug associated violence.

I don't know what the answer is but having a war on drugs sure ain't.


oh oh this thread seems to be decending into something completely different.
it might even get into the orange room.

cheers

Hard to say soundman as there was a report on TV a month or so ago about ice. A doctor was saying that they wished that they could go back to drugs that were easier to to treat and the example he gave was heroin.

crystal meth' is a bastard drug all on its own.
It's effects and consequences stand alone.

But its the criminalisation of drugs that drives their development.

for instance the move from raw opium to heroin was driven by a need to make the drug more compact and easier to smuggle.

It is very hard to kill yourself with raw opium.... it is very easy to do so with heroin.

cocane isn't a particulary dangerous substance.... but the related chemicaly altered drugs and the chemicaly manufactured drugs are extreemly dangerous and unprodictable.

All not good for you or those around you but

you will never stop the drug trade or drug taking but the whole drug economy would colapse if it ceased to be profitable to trade in drugs.

anyway..... which world problem will we solve next.

On a more cheerfull note I have never met a woodie that was into anythinh harder than the odd bit of "wacy bacy"


now heres a silly thing.
the consiquences of getting caught with a quantity of chop chop (untaxed tobaco) is far worse than getting caught with a similar quantity of weed.

cheers

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Originally Posted by soundman

now heres a silly thing.
the consiquences of getting caught with a quantity of chop chop (untaxed tobaco) is far worse than getting caught with a similar quantity of weed.

cheers

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No it isn't, with chop chop you are stealing taxes from the govt, and the govt doesn't like you stealing, as it is competition.

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Originally Posted by Big Shed

Not quite sure what you are trying to say here. Virginia Tech wasn't that "peaceable", was it? I don't think arming the general population will improve social interaction, probably more the reverse.:cool:

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Virginia tech was quite peaceful (better choice of word, yes) until some warped loon discovered he could wander in and have at his demented agenda with no one there able to do anything about it. And he did, quite successfully. And this type of defectioid will always seek those unable to oppose his cowardice. The don't go places where they might be stopped.

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Originally Posted by Bluegum

Hard to say soundman as there was a report on TV a month or so ago about ice. A doctor was saying that they wished that they could go back to drugs that were easier to to treat and the example he gave was heroin.

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Yes, too much heroin and you just stop breathing (however, emergency wrokers giving doses of narcan are often subject to abuse afterward because the junkie wakes up and is hanging out again, "So what if I was dying, at least I wasn't hanging" , too much crystal meth or indeed any, mixed with sufficient alcohol and a persons latent violence, if they have any, comes out, along with the psychosis.
Soundman it is a bastard drug