Careful, Or I'll Include You In My Next Novel

Introduction

Yesterday I had another day in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, I won't say why though my close friends know (the thing is if I don't have it done there may be issues later), but there were some good encounters though things did not go exactly as expected.

This may be a bit too mundane for many readers, not just Vocal members. but I am lucky to live in the UK and have the National Health Service there for any Health issues that I might have (and I do have a few). This is a a piece that I wrote on the situation compared with the USA where sick people are seen as cash cows for insurance companies.

I do realise that I have set myself up to write a piece without telling you what it is about, but if you know you will know, and if you don't you will probably guess.

So How Did My Day Really Go?

For the five days prior I had to shower using a special cleansing agent, and this has been many months in preparation making sure my blood sugar is within the required limits and to that end I was put on this monitoring regime which I have found enormously beneficial.

These are recent readings and summaries, though after yesterday my blood sugar shot up, I'm not sure what extras I was given.

The high bits are when I eat anything, remember all that you eat turns to sugar.

So my appointment was at seven AM and when I get an appointment I usually expect to just be seen on a one-to-one basis and get things done.

My first issue was that the earliest bus close to me was ^:15 AM so that meant I could not be sure of getting to the Hospital on time. I could have walked but I felt a bit lazy and ordered an Uber. My driver was Muhammad and was very conversational and had a huge beard so of course he got a tip,

When I got there I found the doors didn't open til seven and there were a lot of people waiting for various treatments. It looked like I wouldn't be out by nine o'clock as I had originally assumed.

The anaesthetists and surgeon came around and said I had the option of local and general anaesthetic. but local may be very painful but being a big softy I went for general. General anaesthetic scares the bejesus out of me but I remember as a kid thinking it was great fun.

It was eleven when I went down after giving loads of details and getting into a gown and removing my contact lenses. My surgeon was impressed and remarked on the ominous nature of my T-shirt (I wore it in case there was a lot of blood). I told her it was inspired by the Nort East's greatest artist John Martin and I had picked it up from the Laing in Newcastle.

When I returned, surgery was completed and I felt sore but fine. I had not eaten or drunk anything since eight o'clock the previous night apart from a glass of water at six AM. I was given toast and jam and a cup of tea and more water. Up to then, my blood sugar had been fine but it shot up quite high, I am not sure why, but it is returning to acceptable levels now.

Conclusion

Back on the ward one guy had a T-shirt with the phrase "Careful, Or I'll Include You In My Next Novel" which I liked and I told him about Vocal and he said he had a still unpublished novel that had won a "work in progress" prize. I said I didn't have the discipline to write a novel but had self-published six books.

They then gave me my leaving letter, and some dressings and let me out to go home.

Later at home, I felt a metal stud on my right shoulder, when I looked it was an ECG connector that had been left on, then I found one on my left shoulder and one on my stomach, so that must have been done when I was under. They did a great job under difficult circumstances and thanks to them my future will be safer and better.

So I am now feeling fine, taking care of myself and ready for work.

If you got this far, thank you for reading and I never said what I went in for!!

The music is "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" by The Pogues which has always struck a chord with me.