The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

6 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Just off to take Jill to a clinic in Shrewsbury to have a cataract operation. She’s not looking forward to it but the sight in her left eye has become so bad that there is really little choice.

Back later

 

Dave

I had both mine done in quick succession some years back.

 

It's a very minor surgical procedure where you are in and out in a morning/afternoon, compared to the fortnight or so my grandmother was in hospital when she had hers done back in the middle ages.

 

The only problem I had was in the car when travelling home.  It was dark and with an eye that was seriously out of focus and a bit out of control due to the after effects of the local anaesthetic, all I could 'see' of the street and car lighting around me, were huge bursts of flashlight, and it was quite disorientating.  Not able to close my eye with any great success, I ended up having to put a shopping bag over my head to stop the flashes.  (One day I might take it off🤣)

 

The difference in vision, after the op, especially the clarity and brightness with a new clear lens, rather than an old yellowing and cloudy lens, was incredible.

 

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

Like you Richard I have had both my cataracts seen to and apart from the shopping bag trick 😂 my experience was like yours.

 

Dave

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

. We haven’t booked anything for Lisbon yet as we plan to just wander about as the cruise terminal isn’t miles from the city. Otherwise there is a tram excursion where you get served with port and cakes. 
Tony

 

Whilst in Lisbon, get yourself a Viva Viagem ticket for one day.

https://www.lisbonguru.com/viva-viagem-card-metro-bus-tram-ferry-train/

6.60 Euro for all trams and the funiculars.

Make sure you ride the #28 tram.

 

You will be spoilt for cake shops.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

ended up having to put a shopping bag over my head to stop the flashes.  (

It must have worried your passengers too.

[Happy Hippo]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It must have worried your passengers too.

No, my passengers were fine:

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

On 13/07/2023 at 08:56, SM42 said:

 

Steady on. 

 

I've only just found out where my liver and kidneys are and they are a lot higher up  than I expected. 

 

Andy

Your post reminded me of an incident during my probationary teaching year. I had a year 1 secondary General Science class (now would be year 7) and we were studying “our body “. We had a plastic model that various organs could be removed from.  Suddenly two girls just went over after the lungs came out. Fortunately they had collapsed elegantly. The lab technician (proper first aider) immediately dealt with it and they went off to the medical room. While there the head of year interrogated them about whether I had used scary or upsetting language. They apparently said I had not, that I was very nice and they were most concerned/embarrassed  that I would consider them to be silly. 
Just realised they would be about 60 now!

Edited July 14, 2023 by Tony_S

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

Supposed to be raining here, but isn't at present.  However, when I go out to do some shopping in a while....

 

 

It did!

 

[Dave Hunt]

Currently enjoying sitting in the car in the rain waiting for Jill’s operation to be completed (“Sorry Mr. Hunt, we don’t allow visitors [??] to use the waiting room. We will ring you when Mrs. Hunt is ready for collection”). Luckily there is a coffee shop nearby so I’m passing the estimated two hours drinking a large cappuccino, listening to the Eagles and reading s book about the West Highland Railway. It’s a full, rich life.

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

25 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

listening to the Eagles a

I have always rather liked The Eagles though I do recall that if I offered to put music on in the car when driving Matthew somewhere , either university or an airport, his usual answer was “anything except The Eagles”. 
I can’t imagine ever seeing the real band but we were persuaded to go to see an Eagles tribute band in Hornchurch. They must have been very accomplished musicians as they recreated the Eagles songs/sound perfectly. 

[Happy Hippo]

When DH says he's listening to the Eagles:

 

 

 

But they do tend to fly a lot higher than the light blue jobs. 

[Rugd1022]

On 12/07/2023 at 17:48, Northmoor said:

I've just been watching a repeat of "Not Only But Also".  A few regulars on this thread would enjoy the opening and closing sketches/credits which were shot on the deck of the HMS Ark Royal (that's #4 of the five that have carried the name).  It ended with "Pete & Dud" on piano being supposedly catapult-launched off the deck, with a large "Fly Navy" sticker on the piano.  Referring to Richard Johnson-Bryden's book; it mentions the filming and the ship's crew getting one over on the TV crew who didn't want to add the sticker.

 

I've got that on dvd somewhere! I was listening to this sketch compilation in the car last week, it contains some proper classics...

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

I hope that Jill is OK Dave. 

 

Jamie, we are off to a drinkathon shortly. 

[Compound2632]

5 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

and reading s book about the West Highland Railway. It’s a full, rich life.

 

The John Thomas classic, I hope.

[Canal Digger]

I'm of to Larkrail (see separate thread) tomorrow. Apart from NHY 581, anyone else here going?

[Oldddudders]

5 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Currently enjoying sitting in the car in the rain waiting for Jill’s operation to be completed (“Sorry Mr. Hunt, we don’t allow visitors [??] to use the waiting room. We will ring you when Mrs. Hunt is ready for collection”). Luckily there is a coffee shop nearby so I’m passing the estimated two hours drinking a large cappuccino, listening to the Eagles and reading s book about the West Highland Railway. It’s a full, rich life.

At age 2, Sherry required surgery for a hernia, probably caused at birth due to her umbilical being wrapped around her. She was in hospital for a fortnight, and her parents were not allowed to visit. Good to see the poxy NHS hasn't moved on. That has nothing to do with resources or costs. You pay their wages. Create merry hell with the NHS Trust.

[BoD]

5 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I’m passing the estimated two hours drinking a large cappuccino, listening to the Eagles and reading s book about the West Highland Railway.

… a man of impeccable taste.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Good to see the poxy NHS hasn't moved on.

I have to attend a few medical procedures. For one of them, you can have your carer/spouse/ friend come up with you to the patient waiting area. Then they have to go. Before this was introduced, you would have the patients companion taking up seating space. Unbelievably when most patients had been fasting for a few days there would be someone getting out their sandwiches. I think the NHS has moved on quite nicely by ringing when they are ready for you. When Aditi last had to wait for me she just sat and read her book in the hospital foyer and bought herself coffee until they phoned. The old 1950s strict visitors rules were probably based on infection control. The wonder drugs of antibiotics changed a lot of things. Thanks to antibiotic misuse we may have to go back to former infection control measure. 

The so called poxy NHS staff at the hospital I attend regularly are so well trained, I have seen them cope with many frightened anxious patients so well. 

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Good to see the poxy NHS hasn't moved on.

 

Let's hope that you never find yourself reliant upon the "poxy NHS" to save your life!

 

CJI.

[bbishop]

Two T20 games should have been played today at Lord's.  An internal MCC game, in which a friend was playing, then Middlesex CC v Surrey CC.  Both were Ladies matches.   Sadly the rain won and I spent the afternoon in the First Aid room watching the Tour de France.  But lovely to be in the Long Room when it was 90% occupied by the fair sex. Bill 

[Oldddudders]

2 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Let's hope that you never find yourself reliant upon the "poxy NHS" to save your life!

 

CJI.

The NHS is arrogant. Why do you never see the results of blood-tests or other documentation pertaining to your health? Do you get a copy of x-rays? No of course not. People are not "patients" - they are paying clients! Stop the NHS sycophancy! Many in the NHS are caring practitioners, but the underlying atmosphere is that the "patient" is an expensive nuisance. 

 

When Sherry had open-heart surgery, the expertise was enormous, and the recovery ward care was spot-on. But when she was sent to the heart ward the staff were under-qualified and had no care at all. They prescribed a med that her notes said gave her an adverse reaction. When I remonstrated with the nurse I was ignored - how could the "patient" or family know anything? She was bullied. Many months later she is receiving counselling.

 

I hope you don't have to go Derriford, John, but it is your local venue for major stuff, I think.....

[polybear]

3 minutes ago, bbishop said:

But lovely to be in the Long Room when it was 90% occupied by the fair sex. Bill 

 

Were you sitting there hoping that some of them were "into" men in uniforms by any chance?

[Hroth]

Just coming to the end of listening to the First Night of the Proms on Radio 3....

 

Something that can be done while scanning RMweb on a tablet!

 

[polybear]

2 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

The NHS is arrogant. Why do you never see the results of blood-tests or other documentation pertaining to your health? Do you get a copy of x-rays? No of course not. People are not "patients" - they are paying clients! Stop the NHS sycophancy! Many in the NHS are caring practitioners, but the underlying atmosphere is that the "patient" is an expensive nuisance. 

 

 

All are available on request; if the NHS were to routinely send copies of everything to every Patient (much of which they probably wouldn't understand anyway) the cost would be astronomical.

[cctransuk]

22 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I hope you don't have to go Derriford, John, but it is your local venue for major stuff, I think.....

 

Treliske, Derriford, Newquay, St. Austell, Bodmin, Torpoint, etc., etc. - if it's NHS in Cornwall, we've probably been to it during the eleven years we've been here in Cornwall.

 

WITHOUT EXCEPTION, we have been treated with the utmost civility, kindness and care on all occasions.

 

My wife and I make a point of asking questions during consultations - indeed, we go in with a mental note of the information we wish to come out with.

 

Far too many patients sit through consultations like zombies and then, when they come out, complain that they've been told nothing!

 

We are both very grateful to have had the NHS, both here in Cornwall and previously in Cambridgeshire, to provide us with wonderful health-care.

 

Sorry your experience was so different.

 

CJI.

[Northmoor]

3 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

Far too many patients sit through consultations like zombies and then, when they come out, complain that they've been told nothing!

It's strange how few people don't treat a medical consultation like a work meeting, where at the end you recap to ensure a common understanding of what's been agreed.  However, the better GP/specialist will check you understand what you've been told by asking you to tell them.