14 October 2011

What a shambles. I was supposed to attend the Rank Hospice in Cambridge today for a meeting with Dr Saunders and her pain relief experts. We got ourselves ready for the ambulance,, outside in the electric wheelchair, but when it arrived it seemed to us at it was too small to get the electric wheelchair into it. Despite this, the driver insisted that I drive onto the ramp and see what it looked like when I got to the top. He suggested that I bent my head down in order to get in. It was quite clear to me that had I done so I would have been in the same position as I found myself a couple of weeks ago at Adenbrookes when they thought I could have been taken home in a black cab. Even had I been able to bend my head over and get into the vehicle it woy head would have been hard against a roof and the first pothole I went over would probably have broken my neck.

The driver then suggested we tried the non-electric wheelchair but when I got to the top of the ramp in this one it was no lower than the electric wheelchair, I was faced with the same problem. We rang the Hospice and suggested that we came with Ollie but the receptionist Alice spoke to said that they had no facility for paying for a private ambulance, so we had no choice but to say we would reschedule the appointment.

I spoke to Dr Saunders this afternoon and explained what had happened about the ambulance and she suggested that she came here to the house with one of her colleagues and then if they both decided that it would be worthwhile me attending the Hospice for some treatment with the anaesthetist then she would make the necessary arrangements. Fortunately, I’m not in dire agony so a few days delay would make little difference.

I then returned to my study to deal with the day’s post, only to discover a letter about the contract for the update of my book, which, if not handled properly, could put the whole business back into the melting pot and threaten the up-date, the draft which is due to be delivered to the publishers no later than 30 November. One of the parties involved has left for Australia for three weeks so until he gets back there is little I can do except worry. Not a good day.

Here is a picture you are most unlikely to see any lifetime. Appropriately, like my day yesterday, everything on hold! Click here.