Brianna Parkins: What's the secret to being taken seriously the first time by doctors? Is it wearing a suit? Having a strong handshake? Maybe I'll know after my overdue surgery...

"When I broke my wrist I marvelled at the public hospital. "Oh nauurrr, whaddya done ta yaselff?" The triage staff greeted me at the door, giving me the good old green whistle usually reserved for rugby sidelines to suck on for pain relief. Just two hours after going bum over boobs on the pavement, they had me back home with a cast on and a follow-up outpatient clinic appointment the next day."

A wrist injury is framed through precise sentence syntax, contrasting “I fell over” with “I had a fall” to suggest different implications about age, lifestyle, and future needs. The injury is described as a problem because both wrists must function well for decades. After breaking the wrist, the experience of public hospital care is recalled with emphasis on quick triage and pain relief. Triage staff greet the patient at the door and provide a green whistle for pain management. Treatment is delivered rapidly, with a cast applied and a follow-up outpatient clinic appointment scheduled the next day.

Read at Independent