A Gloucester Hospital visit
(Gloucester November 2021)
Awaiting an ENT Department staff member at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital,
Sat quietly in the A & E waiting room,
I’m here to get part of an ear pug out of my right ear,
It’s been a bit of a journey so far:
A & E with Mumma in London – 2am (fortunately, blissfully quiet).
Cycling to an ENT Dept waiting for an hour, then with no joy, cycling home.
Several phone calls
A GP appointment
I do a quick scan, there’s six others here waiting with face coverings on,
The rooms about 10m by 10m with rows of sky blue and navy blue seats,
It’s fairly bright and simple.
Wahoo, I’m getting there..!
Breathing now, a conscious and mindful sip of Classic Yogi Tea.
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It’s 10:30 now, I was introducing my sister to a friend and Iyengar Yoga Teacher in London, but then my phone ran out of battery & my portable charger wasn’t in it’s home, its habitat.
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Up to 4-5 hours says the A & E receptionist,
I doodle to help me stay calm.
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Yay, my phone’s charging behind the reception glass screen and I’ve found the vending machine!
Back from a fresh-air break, walking across the grass to my car- picked up a book to read and now back in my chair on the back row. It’s 11:20
I’m reading my car owners manual!
Whoops, it says ‘read before you drive’. Anyway, I’m learning about parts of the car I’m aware of and parts I thought only other cars had!
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I do another scan- there’s ten others and me- including a toddler with curly fair hair with good balance.
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I’ve gone through the first section of labelled illustrations of the car manual.
That’s enough for now. 11:55 and I recall a sign saying “packed meals are distributed at meal times for long waits”… hoping I’ll be seen before then, though.
The vending machine drew the toddler in like a wealthy mother to John Lewis! Two or three crisp packers later and he’d like more (stood at the vending machine and pointing)!
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12:40,
I went through to a Nurse reception to chase things up,
A proactive Nurse directed me to a ward bed and said he’d try in a couple of minutes.. Back he came with a metal tool, but then sent me back to the same seat- waiting for an ear specialist.I felt sad!
(No vegetarian lunches) but a delightful lunch from a shop and a banana as I had some more fresh air in the hospital grasslands. I’m digesting on a different seat for a moment before going back to chase up.
12 breaths…I’ll be updated says a Nurse…
I have patience…5 hours it’s been (almost) but I’ve got needs to be met a home so, I’ll chase them up again!
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Ok, upstairs I go to the ward to be seen..!
“Please take a seat” – Sure thing! This ward’s very long, 50m thereabouts in the Tower. Just two of us sat waiting. Touching wood to be seen!
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Dr. Chris and the student medic (observing with supportive conversation) did the job!
