Isn't it nice when you finally get a couple of bits of good news in a row without the barrage of doom and gloom in between?
After the dramatic envelope opening just over a week ago (see part 18) we were bimbling along trying to approach 2012 with a sense of optimism. Friday was my wife's next appointment with the back doctor and we were a little apprehensive as she had been in some pain of the previous few days - this was obviously being masked by the 'discomfort' of the operation up until that point - so, as I left her awaiting the hospital transport and headed off to work, there was some tension in the air.
The tension was not improved when, having arrived at the hospital at 8.20am, she presented herself to reception as, with an appointment at 9am and the need for an x-ray beforehand, she thought it would help if she went for that early. The assumption being that they would be pleased to get someone out of the way. Oh how wrong she was. She was basically told that it was ridiculous being there that early (she was dictated to by the hospital transport), who on earth told her that she needed an x-ray first (it was in the letter she received) and there was no way that anyone would see her before 9am. Now, as she was in her going-out back brace, she was unable to sit down (this chops across her windpipe - the problem with only being 5ft 1 and a half inches tall) so, she asked if there was anywhere she could stand without being in the way. To this she received the reply NO! My wife's response?...'I'll go and play with the traffic then shall I?'
It was at this point that she phoned me at work and vented her spleen to me for 5 minutes about the stupidity of the NHS and the lack of empathy from the staff. This did not bode well for her appointment especially when she started threatening to get the next transport home! Anyway, she rang off rather abruptly and I assumed the worst. This was re-enforced at about 10am when the number that flashed on my phone as it rang was our home number. However, it seemed that, subsequent to her run in with officialdom, she was soon packed off for an x-ray and almost immediately seen by the doctor who pronounced himself satisfied with her progress. He prescribed some physiotherapy and said that she would only need to wear the contraption when in public. So, when she arrived at the front door of the hospital to find her transport waiting for her and having had a reasonably smooth journey home, she was much happier with life and suddenly things didn't look so bad.
So, onwards and upwards again and much more hope for the future. I'll be back soon (I know you can't wait!)
Keep loving
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