"Regional heath care experience: so impressed, so grateful and so lucky."

Treatment

What started as a relatively simple family group holiday, turned into quite a significant medical experience journey for me, and like many of us, I never quite appreciated how fortunate I was to have such a great regional medical system & the multiple levels of support and talented caring staff contained within, until the day things didn't quite go to plan on my birthday.

So, on the morning of my birthday, our extended family holiday group (5 adults & 7 children) departed in 3 cars from towards Denmark, stopping at some of our favourite beach spot along the way. Later, as we approached Williams Bay turn-off, the decision was made to bypass the busy/overcrowded carpark of Greens Pool and to go onto the equally delightful but generally much less frequented Madfish Bay. The Grandchildren and their parents all rushed down, and I separated parking further up to what turned out to be a fateful decision point. Walking down to the beach, carrying supplies, and not fully paying attention to the risks, I managed to fall just prior to the golden sands and crystal blue water that mesmerised me at that exact last step. What followed was a painful injury that subsequent much later scans would confirm was a full ruptured quadricep tendon in my right leg.

So technically my medical support journey started in the Madfish carpark, with three wonderful Ambulance officers (Leslie, Baz & Fiona) who with great care and skill, in what seemed to me as a very modern equipped ambulance commenced the recovery process, stretchered me on and transported me to Denmark Hospital. From there Dr Brett and his broader ED team (sorry couldn’t remember all the names) again exuded care and kindness and started the deeper diagnosis arranged a x-ray and subsequently conferred with other online specialist that no broken bones where likely, but significant tendon damage had occurred and further diagnosis and scans at the bigger Albany regional Hospital would be required. From that point the decision, given the splint stabilisation, self-transportation would be more expedient over an external patient transportation service. Forward co-ordination to Albany ED and the relevant orthopaedic department was arranged by Denmark Hospital staff.

On arrival to Albany Hospital ED, the triage/registration was again very caring, well communicated, and expedient. A further highlight we then encountered was our interaction with the ED Nurse practitioner, Sonia, who passed on both her experience, confidence, and assurance that the Orthopaedics team and Surgeon, Dave, was highly recommended and as lead a team as good as any, if I was to contemplate surgery later in Perth. Hospital Orderlies, and next my experience with the CT scan process was again amazingly smooth and efficient. Nursing staff & teams overnight were again excellent to the point of faultless processes and attentive monitoring. The next day explanation by the Surgical team prior to finding an MRI scan slot opportunity to assist with surgical method plan followed shortly after by the surgery all occurred. Continuing the process, recovery monitoring, transportation back to the ward and monitoring by the surgical Nursing team headed by Lisa and supported Nickia, plus others was again fantastic, with attentive care and pain management give,

The following day, Orthopaedic/Surgical team debriefing/feedback occurred and a follow-up with a metropolitan hospital had been arranged, and soon after an OT specialist visited me to guide and discuss if my support structure and home set-up was suitable as a place of recovery and within a short time a Physio fitted me a superior Richard splint/brace and then also with appropriate crutches and passed on/practiced invaluable technic for navigating steps/stairs (ups & down methods). Discharge that afternoon was smooth, as the paperwork was ready and prefilled, and I found myself in a somewhat state of disbelief that in just over 48hrs the whole process had occurred and whilst the somewhat lengthy rehabilitation process was about to start, I felt so impressed, so grateful and so lucky.

Thank you, each and every one within the Great Southern Regional Hospitals and Health Service teams.