"Bad Fall"

I fell over when walking dog and as it was totally unexpected landed on my front - hard on my chest on dry compacted soil bit like falling on concrete and the feeling was like someone had thumped me hard in my chest and knocked me out- it was agony and later that day my sternum area was extremely painful making it agony to bend and move in certain directions and if I coughed or breathed deeply Id get a sharp stabbing pain.

I phoned my doctor who had no appointments and the local A & E Yetminster hospital who both said I would have to go to Yeovil Hospital as they wouldn't be able to do Xrays etc Referencing Google it seemed I probably had bruised my sternum and should leave it to heal for 2 - 4 weeks which I planned to do. The breastbone area protects your heart & lungs but as I wasn't pierced by anything it seemed unlikely I had damaged those. However that evening I felt as I walked slowly ( no bending) as though my heart was trying to push out of my chest and worried I had done something really bad. I went to A & E and felt from the start that because I wasn't dripping with blood they felt there was nothing wrong with me and I shouldn't have bothered them After 2 hours or so of I have to say thorough heart ECG and x-ray but no real structure to the process i.e left by nurse for half an hour who then said "Oh haven't you had your x ray yet?" I had it and then was told to wait in reception again, seeing people who had come in after me leaving. After about 40 minutes

I started to feel as though I was going to be sick and asked the receptionist if I was in the right place. She said I had to wait for a Doctor and I guessed there obviously wasn't anything serious as the wait was so long - it would have been nice to have that confirmed but I had to leave because I felt I was going to be sick any minute with the pain and came home. What next? I don't know.

I guess as no one has been in touch it is just what I thought - I am still in pain, prescribing myself painkillers and at 66 years old having last visited a doctor 8 years ago for an ear infection don't feel I have been a strain on the NHS.

I admire what the staff do for people who have extreme emergencies but looking around I could see lots of people like me who (hopefully) had more minor issues like cut toes, sprained ankles etc and if we aren't meant to go to A & E and your Dr has no appointments what are you meant to do when you have an accident and are worried about pain & possible damage to internal organs?