Post 302: ENT consult and bloods before driving home.
I haven’t driven the car since before the infamous Xmas-day back flip, due to not being fit enough to and my Darling picking up the slack, driving me everywhere.
There was a time in our lives when only one car meant that we “worked” one after the other using the car as a pool car. But times changed when a little more cash under the belt meant that two cars were better than one and the overlap could happen and the independence for my Darling allowed her to either work or play while I was too.
I’m saying this because most of our married lives we have been inseparable and that definitely includes the car driving.
My Darling is a great driver but hates me sitting passenger and commenting on and criticising her skills. It is always taken as a slight on her abilities, which I suppose it is, but it was, on my part, just a natural way of helping her improve her driving.
In fact, part of my incessant chatter while being in the passenger seat is nerves brought on by my controlling abilities being taken from me and leaving me feeling anything but ok about it.
I’m not a good passenger on a bike or in the car with anyone.
So the last two months of me being the delightful passenger in “my Darlings-Taxi Services” it has made me a quieter and more grateful passenger and her a tired and frustrated driver. Today was no exception.
So I stepped in to help out…
The 110 or so miles my Darling was to drive today was a double hospital drop and a walk on the wild side on the cold and lonely beach; starting with the local hospital for the ENT appointment.
The appointment letter didn’t arrive before we set off (but was on the door mat when we got home) so we had only our nervous minds to thank for a wrong direction to the clinic. Plus, we were so early — over 40 minutes early — I couldn’t check in on the worn-out touch screens in the entrance foyer that have become punch screens and more like an anger (miss) management device.
So we trudged upstairs and back as far as we could go passing photos of landscapes on our way, but no people. By the time we ran out of corridors to pound we met a couple of “workers” who told us to go all the way back to the punch-screens and turn left and you’re there.
Great!
So we trudged back past the landscapes till we got to the punch screens where we could now punch in the necessary and very unnecessary answers to everything until we eventually got given the location of the clinic we needed and obviously found it in two minutes flat.
Letter to self: do not get to an appointment over 30 minutes before its scheduled time. Especially on Saturdays.
With that I had walked an unscheduled quarter of a mile or more than I ought to have. This left me tired in the leggies, and this was only the first walk of the day. Phew — I’m going to hold everyone up today. Bugger this weakness in walking!
Although we were still early for the appointment we were not called until the desired time. In fact it was a refreshing change to the usual delays.
We were guided into our seats in the little clinic room and my chair was more like a dentist’s chair than a relaxing listening chair so I knew I could be in for an examination or two, which was eventually the case.
A wooden finger placed on my tongue at the point at which all I could do was gag — and gag again — was the first, and the long white snake-like endoscope was the second, right up my nose, again. Bloody hell, this is horrible.
The following quiet time the consultant had reading the screens and looking at all the images of the inside of my snotty nose and the slices through my neck of the latest CT scan meant that the pronouncement that followed was fantastic.
“Unless you have any pains in your throat and neck, you are free to go,” he said, “but if you do get any pains, speak to your GP and we will see you again asap.”
“Good-bye.”
That was it for the first clinic and I can now hear the Jet-which-is-easy warming up on the get-away runway.
Fantastic.
We immediately picked up sticks and headed for the car park where another long tortuous walk was ahead of me.
Damn, I’m tired of this malarkey. “My likkle legs are too tired, can I hold your hand Darling?” I said from 14 paces behind her due to my enforced slow pace. Sometimes she forgets how slow I am walking from here to there, bless her.
Naturally my Darling jumped in the driver’s seat and manoeuvred the car to a place where I could swing the passenger door wide open to get my jellified leggies in.
The 20-mile drive to the infusion ward was pretty quiet on the road and in the car. Something to do with the fact that my Darling wanted to use her memory from the same trip yesterday to get her to the other hospital again.
We are rarely asked to go there and today’s drive was peachy.
My Darling’s memory had got us there and her confidence was soaring. Good job me-lady.
Here we were at the infusion suite and all the hangers-on were not allowed inside. So we hugged and kissed at the unlocked door and said our goodbyes then I washed my hands and sat in the designated chair, for the next 4 hours.
I had a great time talking to a nurse dealing with my needles, tubes and observations while a similar history of how we met each of our Darlings was shared between us. It was amazing to hear how our memories were so similar, especially about innocent courting at the beginning and the first trips to Ireland to see the family etc.
Scary.
As it happened, by the time I was back in the hands of my Darling the plans for this afternoon had changed and our youngest and fiancée had decided to come to us for a take-out to ease our tiring day. Sadly Byron would not be coming but that would mean a more peaceful, relaxing time at home for Byron’s masters.
But before we welcomed them into our humble abode we had to get home and I wanted to drive for a change.
“Well, that was a piece of cake”. I’m not only glad I did drive home, to ease my Darling’s load, but for me to get some miles under my belt was brilliant and confidence building.
My Darling was mentally exhausted after the last two weeks of agony I had put us through, but the tests and test results were now on our side and I had a boost of new blood to enjoy now.
Time will tell what effect the new blood has had but it must be good for our holiday surely — less anaemia anyway.
Our guests arrived and we chatted away the rest of the day. The curry take-out was lovely even if our son did forget to order his selection. Ha ha. But we all clubbed together and filled his plate with spare food, which is proof, if it was needed, that we always order too much food.
Anyway we all four had a great time celebrating St Valentine’s Day with each other and the huge box of Hotel Chocolat selections was enough to round off our night with style. It’s good to share.
It was time they went and with hugs all around and the holiday wishes wished they headed home with full bellies.
Another lovely evening passed by beautifully thanks mainly to my lovely Darling who I can’t love any more than I do.
She seems to be always paying for food lately but that will change in Tenerife when I will be in charge of the bills.
I can’t wait.
The time is flying by and it’s now only three sleeps till the flight. 
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I hope time slows down while we are on holiday.
Sleep well my friends, all is well, good night.
