With a hospital check-in time of midday, she gathered her wits about her and slid out of the flat at twenty minutes before eleven o'clock bound for Charing Cross Hospital and her Day Surgery. She walked to Knightsbridge Station, a sleek shiny silver tube would take her directly to Hammersmith.
Oooh.. what a day! The sky wasn't as dark a blue as it had been on our last fine day, it was paler and the temperature was lower but it was the light element which was brilliant, she stood and remembered the times she had been in Andalucia in February, a glorious month to be there. With the countryside green and lush before the heat of the summer dries everything to a crisp.
Of being in Granada and seeing the snow up on the Sierra Nevada.. oi vey.. very happy times.
Ten minutes later, she was in Hammersmith and walking a short distance to the hospital, the North Wing on the 4th Floor was her destination. She gave the receptionist her appointment letter, confirmed her name and date of birth, sat down and opened a new book.
It was busy but with a book and a tangerine, time passes quickly and soon someone was calling her to come to be scanned so he could do the 'map' of where her proceedure was to be carried out.
He remarked upon her skin saying "apart from what we are dealing with today, your skin is in incredible condition, what do you use on it?" and he laughed when she said "nothing that I wouldn't eat, no chemicals, no poisons", he said "just like my mother and my two sisters".
He wasn't British and so she asked him where he was from, he said "I was born in the Philippines but I am Chinese and our women tend not to use anything chemically based on their skin".
Having marked her up with lots of blue marks, he said "we're running on schedule, in fact, a bit ahead as two patients have decided they don't want their proceedures under local anaesthetic and so they're not being done today, it shouldn't be long, thanks for coming in ahead of your booking time, please wait to be called".
Back to the comfy chair with her book and sure enough, somebody else came and called her, she was shown into a changing room and given a gown and socks. A doctor came who explained exactly what was going to happen and asked her "do you wish to go ahead under local or come back another day for a general anaesthetic."
She smiled and asked him "is it more painful than passing a 2cm kidney stone? If not, I'll have the local?", he looked really shocked and said "You've done that, when?", she pulled aside her gown and showed him the now, almot invisible silver scar which runs from the front of her body in a curve all the way back and around to her left kidney.
He gasped.. and she said "it was a long time ago but that is how I measure pain". And it is true.. she also tells herself 'are you a wimp or a woman, get on with it..' whatever 'it' might be.
He left, then she had another visitor who was a Research Fellow. Would she mind giving samples for the new vascular research work that Imperial are doing? She signed everything, gave her a blood and urine sample and it was time to go and do the deed.
A room full of women! Nice smiley women of all different nationalities! The 'Boss' was gowned up, she swabbed her leg and explained what she was going to do and off she went, there were a couple of 'uncomfortable' times but Boss was clever, she lent on the leg just above where she was injecting and it seemed to lessen the sting a bit. And half an hour later, it was done and her right leg was bound up like an Egyptian mummy.
Boss said "Leave the bandage on for a full 24 hours, then you're good to go, you don't have to use a support hose, your leg has taken the treatment really well but we're amazed at the condition of your feet and your skin, we see dreadful feet and skin in this work, please, what do you use?" and she replied "No chemicals, I do a full body brush towards my heart three times a week with a very stiff short bristle brush starting at my toes and put pure coconut oil on my feet and toes at least four night a week".
She was given a cup of hot sweet tea, two ginger nuts and allowed to rest for a bit, she finished the chapter she'd been reading, got dressed and walked out. Poking her nose into three open doors, she thanked the team that that had taken such good care of her and left the hospital.
A bus came along and up she stepped, no hopping on this trip! And she did one step at a time down our stairs. And then, poor woman, she had to explain her very lengthy absence to me.
Into YumYum HQ we went for sustenance which was badly needed by both of us.. the bird food of which I have two large bowls certainly does not count.. she prepared steamed vegetables with ham and chilli sauce, uncomplicated and quick, oranges and tangerines were picked up and taken into our bedroom.
Tomorrow she's got a dental apointment at 11.00 and having her hair cut at 12.30, she's tired and the sausage leg is a wee bit stiff, she's wrapped from her toes all the way up to her groin in a thick layer of crepe bandage.. somehow I don't think there'll be any burning of the midnight oil tonight!
Goodnight, I know it's very early but there are a couple of slices of clementines to be eaten and then we are off to sleep but we've got several seriously slurpy things for you tomorrow.
GeeGee Parrot.
February 2nd, 2016.
PostScript: Chinese New Year is on Februry 8th. It is the year of the Metal Monkey!
Oooh.. what a day! The sky wasn't as dark a blue as it had been on our last fine day, it was paler and the temperature was lower but it was the light element which was brilliant, she stood and remembered the times she had been in Andalucia in February, a glorious month to be there. With the countryside green and lush before the heat of the summer dries everything to a crisp.
Of being in Granada and seeing the snow up on the Sierra Nevada.. oi vey.. very happy times.
Ten minutes later, she was in Hammersmith and walking a short distance to the hospital, the North Wing on the 4th Floor was her destination. She gave the receptionist her appointment letter, confirmed her name and date of birth, sat down and opened a new book.
It was busy but with a book and a tangerine, time passes quickly and soon someone was calling her to come to be scanned so he could do the 'map' of where her proceedure was to be carried out.
He remarked upon her skin saying "apart from what we are dealing with today, your skin is in incredible condition, what do you use on it?" and he laughed when she said "nothing that I wouldn't eat, no chemicals, no poisons", he said "just like my mother and my two sisters".
He wasn't British and so she asked him where he was from, he said "I was born in the Philippines but I am Chinese and our women tend not to use anything chemically based on their skin".
Having marked her up with lots of blue marks, he said "we're running on schedule, in fact, a bit ahead as two patients have decided they don't want their proceedures under local anaesthetic and so they're not being done today, it shouldn't be long, thanks for coming in ahead of your booking time, please wait to be called".
Back to the comfy chair with her book and sure enough, somebody else came and called her, she was shown into a changing room and given a gown and socks. A doctor came who explained exactly what was going to happen and asked her "do you wish to go ahead under local or come back another day for a general anaesthetic."
She smiled and asked him "is it more painful than passing a 2cm kidney stone? If not, I'll have the local?", he looked really shocked and said "You've done that, when?", she pulled aside her gown and showed him the now, almot invisible silver scar which runs from the front of her body in a curve all the way back and around to her left kidney.
He gasped.. and she said "it was a long time ago but that is how I measure pain". And it is true.. she also tells herself 'are you a wimp or a woman, get on with it..' whatever 'it' might be.
He left, then she had another visitor who was a Research Fellow. Would she mind giving samples for the new vascular research work that Imperial are doing? She signed everything, gave her a blood and urine sample and it was time to go and do the deed.
A room full of women! Nice smiley women of all different nationalities! The 'Boss' was gowned up, she swabbed her leg and explained what she was going to do and off she went, there were a couple of 'uncomfortable' times but Boss was clever, she lent on the leg just above where she was injecting and it seemed to lessen the sting a bit. And half an hour later, it was done and her right leg was bound up like an Egyptian mummy.
Boss said "Leave the bandage on for a full 24 hours, then you're good to go, you don't have to use a support hose, your leg has taken the treatment really well but we're amazed at the condition of your feet and your skin, we see dreadful feet and skin in this work, please, what do you use?" and she replied "No chemicals, I do a full body brush towards my heart three times a week with a very stiff short bristle brush starting at my toes and put pure coconut oil on my feet and toes at least four night a week".
She was given a cup of hot sweet tea, two ginger nuts and allowed to rest for a bit, she finished the chapter she'd been reading, got dressed and walked out. Poking her nose into three open doors, she thanked the team that that had taken such good care of her and left the hospital.
A bus came along and up she stepped, no hopping on this trip! And she did one step at a time down our stairs. And then, poor woman, she had to explain her very lengthy absence to me.
Into YumYum HQ we went for sustenance which was badly needed by both of us.. the bird food of which I have two large bowls certainly does not count.. she prepared steamed vegetables with ham and chilli sauce, uncomplicated and quick, oranges and tangerines were picked up and taken into our bedroom.
Tomorrow she's got a dental apointment at 11.00 and having her hair cut at 12.30, she's tired and the sausage leg is a wee bit stiff, she's wrapped from her toes all the way up to her groin in a thick layer of crepe bandage.. somehow I don't think there'll be any burning of the midnight oil tonight!
Goodnight, I know it's very early but there are a couple of slices of clementines to be eaten and then we are off to sleep but we've got several seriously slurpy things for you tomorrow.
GeeGee Parrot.
February 2nd, 2016.
PostScript: Chinese New Year is on Februry 8th. It is the year of the Metal Monkey!
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