Things going right for once

After breakfast this morning, Clare's study group arrived, so I went out for a small amount of shopping, and then went for a walk until the group finished. We had an early lunch so I could drive over the the Heath hospital for a General Surgery appointment. The letter wasn't informative, so I presumed it would be to evaluate my need for gall bladder surgery.

At the reception desk, I found I wasn't on the list of people to be seen. The appointment for today was cancelled on 13th February. That was when Clare rang up to cancel an appointment made for me on a date March which arrived when I was still in Fuengirola. Another appointment letter for today's date arrived while I was away, but instead of adding me anew to their database my case was taken off unintentionally. The new letter revealed the mistake, so I was inserted into today's appointment list and n ot turned away. I only had to wait twenty minutes, and then called in to see one of the Consultant's deputies. While I waited I worked on next week's Morning Prayer text using my phone, and got two thirds of the job done, which I then don't have to do at home.

He asked me if I was in pain, and I explained that my dairy free diet had kept me trouble free since it was discovered that I had one big gallstone, rather than a collection of tiny bits which can leak out painfully one after another. It was the size of the stone that attracted his stone, and he said it was better to get it done sooner rather than later at my age, and take advantage from the fact that I'm still pretty fit and well.

He sent me off with a form in hand to the new pre-op assessment clinic where I filled in my part of the form, marked 'Urgent level 2', then interviewed by a nurse and given a full health 'MOT' as it's known. ECG, blood pressure, blood test etc. I'll need to have a cardiac fitness review to see if my small heart murmur is any better or worse than it was last time, before one of my bum surgery ops. I should hear in the next week or so. Then there'll be a wait time until there's a slot for keyhole surgery. How long that'll be we'll just have to see.

I was delighted at this burst of progress. I didn't expect to get priority treatment, but it's an easy win for the surgical team if I'm healthy and there's no inflammation or infection to deal with, so here's hoping.

I drove home, then took the bus, then took a 61 bus to Pentrebane for a bereavement visit. Fortunately I didn't have to wait long for a bus coming and going, so I was back by half past seven, but before Clare came in from her meditation group. I spent the rest of the evening after supper writing, recording and editing a reflection for next week's Morning Prayer. One way and another, a fruitful day.