Series of unfortunate events

What can I tell you about yesterday?

Started with a 140 mile journey through heavy traffic and rain up to Birmingham. After lunch I drove Dad to the hospital which is currently undergoing a major rebuilding programme. As you can imagine parking was not much fun, especially thanks to the brainless moron who blocked everyone into and out of the only disabled parking bay near to the Cancer Clinic.

Whoever they were, I hope they erupt in painful suppurating boils over their entire posterior.

We got into the clinic at 3pm, in plenty of time for his 3.20 appointment. Dad had his blood test. Then we waited....and waited....and waited. No-one seemed to be going into or out of any of the consulting rooms. We knew that Dad was checked in so it was just a matter of waiting ....and waiting.
At just after 4.30pm the nurse came over to apologise for the delay. Apparently there was just one registrar on duty instead of two or three plus the consultant. I happened to enquire when the chemo suite closed, as Dad was due for his chemo injection. Blank look from nurse. Nurse ran off to check. Ushered us in to see registrar who told us three times that Dad was in for an injection and tablets. Three times we corrected him and said 'No, this week is just an injection.'
Registrar then tried to tell us twice that Dad was booked in for a different chemo, to do with bone density or somesuch. We queried this. It was wrong.

Eventually it was ascertained that someone had ticked the wrong boxes on one of the three million forms in Dad's folder. The upshot being that Dad had not gone onto the chemo list for the day, his drugs could not be made up as the pharmacy had just closed, and my brother now has to take him in later in the week.

The lovely nurses in the chemo suite were so horrified that Dad had been messed about so much. Now, I am not going to knock the National Health Service as my family has had the greatest care from Birmingham's hospitals. They saved Dad's life in 1977 when he nearly bled to death from stomach cancer. However, these poor people who work within the Health Service must get so cheesed off with the multitude of paperwork and illegible forms they have to use on a daily basis. They are forced to spend so much time form filling that they are taken away from their actual jobs of caring for sick, frightened and confused people.

There, I said it. Sorry I went on so much but sometimes a blog is a very useful way to offload. If I didn't offload here I'd have to kick the dog and that just wouldn't do!!

Here's a worrying thing. Last week my cousin had his op to remove the tumour from his leg muscle. All has gone well so far, thank goodness.

He was sharing a side ward with a man who was due to have a leg amputated. One morning a group of doctors grouped around this poor man's bed for a chat about his treatment. They were discussing the removal of the leg in some detail.

My cousin gently interrupted them to point out that maybe they should double check the notes as they were in fact talking about removing the wrong leg. Mmmmmmmm!

I think I'd better get back to crafty stuff!!!

In an effort to keep up with this crafty lady I thought I'd better get some sewing done.

I have an order for a bag and purse for a little 3 year old girl. A rummage through the fabric found the right bits.

A couple of hours later and they were finished - tick.


Ruby has a decision to make! There is some amazing Monkee loveliness going on at Monkee Maker and Ruby loves all of them. Even after a much closer look she can't decide which one she loves the most. What do you think?


I've been getting some goodies ready to post this week and now I have to go back a few days and check my lists again.

List for tomorrow:

Make a revised list of jobs to do!
Sew

Sew

Sew

Blog about sewing

Now I must run as it's time to fetch the bubbsies. Thanks for all your lovely good luck wishes for yesterday. Heavens knows what the day would have been like without them!!!