Sticks and Crohns

Watched a programme last night called '24 hours in A&E' and it got me thinking about my many visits to the emergency ward since I became ill.
The way some patients treat the doctors and nurses in there most of the time is incredible, and the mainly sorry bunch they have to deal with must be very hard work indeed.
The most memorable of my visits to A&E was when I was taken in an ambulance from my local hospital to a much bigger one in another town. The paramedics talked over my head to the doctors about me and left me lying on a trolley by the front desk at the main door barely clothed and freezing. I'd had nothing but paracetamol through a drip for the past 7 hours and was in agony, starving with a pounding headache. I was so pale one of the nurses called me Snow White. I certainly felt like it, although my 'dwarves' left a lot to be desired; Sweary, Junkie, Drunk, Blood-spattered, Suicidal, Wife-beater and Creepy. ('Doc' is obviously not one of the dwarves in this scenario).
One of the paramedics must have taken pity on me, seeing I was the only woman there, miles away from home and clearly terrified. He got me a blanket as I was getting leered at and put my bag underneath my pillow incase someone tried to rob me if I feel asleep. There was NO chance of that, and that did NOT put me at ease one iota!
The staff have such a hard and relentless job to do with endless injuries and aliments being rushed in through the doors at all times of the day and night. Patients constantly complaining about the length of time they've been waiting to be seen, as if behind those hallowed doors all the staff are wasting time drinking tea and tucking into Hob Nobs whilst the waiting room is filled with those awful sick people!
It's hard not to get frustrated and impatient when you are in pain and sick (or both) but I always feel that the thought there's a light at the end of the poorly tunnel starts to make you feel better already. Yeah.. I know, absolute tosh. But if I do have to spend another night in A&E i'll do my best to remain calm in the face of mild horror.
So to all the nurses, doctors and hospital staff out there, I salute you!
Now make me feel better... :)