A few weeks ago I mentioned in my I Am Me: Positive Affirmations and Happiness Tips blog post (here), that I was preparing to go to hospital and today seemed a good time to share with you my experience of visiting a hospital for the first time since the pandemic started.

I wanted to share this blog post not only because I wanted to share my health journey, but because I wanted to help others like myself who may find their face to face appointments have started up again, and who are therefore scared at the prospect of attending, in the hope it can can give you some peace of mind with what is to come.

Firstly let me point out this is my experience at a hospital – this doesn’t mean you will have the same experience as me, and therefore you should contact your place of appointment with any concerns you may have.

The Last 16 Months

Like many people for the last 16 months or so, my consultations with my specialists have altered dramatically. In the early days of the pandemic the hospitals requested I had telephone appointments as opposed to my normal face to face ones, which provided major relief knowing I didn’t have to attend in person. During this time one of my newer conditions developed rather rapidly and I was placed on medication with more regular contact with the consultants, turning my review from every 6 months to 3. It was then they said they wanted to see me face to face.

Face to face appointments quite frankly filled me with absolute dread, I have hardly been out of my home for the past 16 months so the thought of going to hospital where there would be sick people was not something I was volunteering for. So, I kept putting it off and getting around it by changing them to phone appointments (which I managed to do for a while) until I had no choice but to go.

My Hospital Trip

The first obstacle for me in my hospital trip was getting to the hospital itself. I do not drive and neither do those close to me. To make matters worst I do not go to a hospital in my local area due to my requirements. So, it was organised that I would go in a community car – essentially like a taxi – which is run by volunteers and that you pay for, but who sit and wait for you in the car. My driver wore a mask which was reassuring on the long drive, as did I, then I got to the hospital.

It was rather strange turning up at a hospital and seeing so many people for the first time in over a year. I won’t lie, I was a little startled especially as some people were maskless on the walking up to the front doors, and instantly taking their masks off on their way out – no thought of the people coming towards them. Nevertheless, once inside the hospital there was a sanitiser station and masks you could take if you didn’t have one (maybe that was why there were people without them), and markings on the floor for a one way system.

Of course, my clinic couldn’t be on the first floor so I had to go in the lift (which luckily was empty), but nonetheless had markings on the floor to give you space and to face away from others if needed. Once inside my clinic there was another sanitiser station and the seating was for a max of 8 spaced out. Thus giving reasonable amounts of space away from other patients. The staff were all wearing masks as were the other patients, and people respected other peoples’ space without complaint.

I had felt really nervous going into the hospital, especially as I knew I would have to remove my mask in the appointment due to one of my symptoms, but I was surprised by how comfortable I was in the end due to the kindness of the staff and the patience of those around me. Probably my most uncomfortable part of the experience was going into the hospital and walking through the corridors (as there always has to be one or two who cannot follow simple instructions of a one way system!), but overall my stress levels subsided as the trip went on.

What I found helpful is my particular hospital (I am not sure if this is the case everywhere), had a video you could access online beforehand which showed you what to expect at the hospital – from the layout of the floor markings to the sanitiser points – which helped in showing me things were in place. If you have this facility, I would recommend using it just for peace of mind. I would also recommend taking your own sanitiser, face masks etc. because if you are like me it is nice to have your own things as a way of feeling prepared.

FYI – Make sure to check your face mask is the right type of mask to have in a hospital environment, so you don’t have to change when you get there.

My Health

So, while we are talking all things hospital, my appointment went well. Well as well as a chronic illness appointment where there is no cure can go. I have received another two diagnoses (woo hoo – I am collecting diagnoses like some people collect stamps!), and I am being sent for a scan and more bloods. Oh and a whole lot of monitoring!

At this moment in time I am not ready to discuss these new diagnoses. I think for now I would like to let this sink in for myself, because as much as social media and blogging may make you believe – you really don’t have to share everything.

Aside from some missing blood results and a lost letter to my GP (cannot wait to have to sort this out!), for me this was a good appointment. Not because I want these things to be the case, but because my suspicions were confirmed and therefore I am not losing my mind. But more than that my consultant listened and was kind and those things count for a lot. It really is something when you get to a point in your health where feeling listened to is all you want and need – it really makes the difference – now if only I could get my GP to do the same….

In conclusion..

The reason for this post today was to help anyone feeling anxious about any upcoming hospital visits to feel more positive and relaxed. I hope I could do that and show it is not half as scary as you might have first thought, but to recap..

• See if there is any info online before you go such as videos to give you an idea of what to expect

• Take your own bits and pieces such as hospital approved masks and sanitisers

• Follow any guidelines

• Practice those positive affirmations – see start of this post

• Focus on what you are doing not everyone else! I didn’t mention this earlier, but I really think you need to remember the only person you can control is yourself. Don’t worry about what others are doing, just focus on what you need to do and that is more than enough!

I also wanted to take this moment to thank anyone who wished me well before my appointment – your kind words mean the world 🌍❤ !

Sarah xx