The Bigger Picture
Sometimes it helps to be in possession of all the facts. Last year I took a call from a woman in her mid-thirties, she had mild lower back pain but excruciating thigh pain. She sounded intelligent, funny, one of those callers who make the job a pleasure. Something didn't seem right to me though, I occasionally get these hunches and like to act on them, just in case I'm right. Thigh pain and mild lower back pain only got her a P3, but I had the niggling feeling this was more urgent. Was she sure she hadn't had a recent accident? Could she please try and think of any prior conditions she'd had with similar symptoms? Was there anything at all out of the ordinary that I should know about? She couldn't think. I toddled off and discussed it with the CS, that's how weird I felt. CS said if it was just thigh pain, no calf pain, no shortness of breath or difficulty urinating/defecating then she should be fine to wait for a callback.
Got back to my desk, got the caller back, wrapped up the call and just as I was about to finish the call she came out with this gem:
"Actually, I knew I'd forgotten something! I was supposed to have a baby two weeks ago. Could that have anything to do with it?"
Supposed to? Er... So I asked her "Um.. what happened?", carefully leaving the question open in case the baby had died or something.:
" My due date was weeks ago, stubborn little bugger this one!"
WHAT? NO! If you miss your due date it doesn't just roll round to the next month, it has to come out! So, as calmly as possible I asked if it would be alright if I transferred her straight to one of our nurses for a 'chat'. Lovely, sweet, very-pregnant lady said:
"Thank you so much. Maybe she'll be able to explain this weird pressure sensation too. You've been so helpful"
I'll blame the hormones. Thank heavens for hunches.
I get tons of pregnancy related calls. The following scenario has happened at least ten times to me. Another friendly, polite caller, very calm and complaining of severe lower back/abdo. cramps, passed a mucus plug, felt 'wet', alternating constipation and diarrhoea, 40 weeks pregnant. I asked, as is my job, if there was any chance she was in labour? Her reply almost knocked me off my chair:
"Oh heavens no, don't worry, it's not due till Monday!"
What could I say to that? I pointed out that it was Saturday, and also not uncommon for babies to arrive a couple of weeks either side of their estimated arrival date. She said:
"But it can't come today, who'll look after my other three?"
Wow. I know nature can make some women blank out the trauma of childbirth, but just.. wow. She was the first caller like that, not the last by a long-shot. I transferred her to a nurse, gave a run-down of the symptoms, and hoped we wouldn't have a telephone delivery on our hands!
Got back to my desk, got the caller back, wrapped up the call and just as I was about to finish the call she came out with this gem:
"Actually, I knew I'd forgotten something! I was supposed to have a baby two weeks ago. Could that have anything to do with it?"
Supposed to? Er... So I asked her "Um.. what happened?", carefully leaving the question open in case the baby had died or something.:
" My due date was weeks ago, stubborn little bugger this one!"
WHAT? NO! If you miss your due date it doesn't just roll round to the next month, it has to come out! So, as calmly as possible I asked if it would be alright if I transferred her straight to one of our nurses for a 'chat'. Lovely, sweet, very-pregnant lady said:
"Thank you so much. Maybe she'll be able to explain this weird pressure sensation too. You've been so helpful"
I'll blame the hormones. Thank heavens for hunches.
I get tons of pregnancy related calls. The following scenario has happened at least ten times to me. Another friendly, polite caller, very calm and complaining of severe lower back/abdo. cramps, passed a mucus plug, felt 'wet', alternating constipation and diarrhoea, 40 weeks pregnant. I asked, as is my job, if there was any chance she was in labour? Her reply almost knocked me off my chair:
"Oh heavens no, don't worry, it's not due till Monday!"
What could I say to that? I pointed out that it was Saturday, and also not uncommon for babies to arrive a couple of weeks either side of their estimated arrival date. She said:
"But it can't come today, who'll look after my other three?"
Wow. I know nature can make some women blank out the trauma of childbirth, but just.. wow. She was the first caller like that, not the last by a long-shot. I transferred her to a nurse, gave a run-down of the symptoms, and hoped we wouldn't have a telephone delivery on our hands!
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