DOCTOR SPOOK

Just back from the hospital. A real downer of a day. Waiting for the taxi, felt sick. Shaking with nerves. Mouth dry, heart beating dreading this journey.

 Hub at work and teen in house. I didn’t take Waggatail as she is so naughty and would cry the whole time. So me and the stick.

 

The taxi pulled up. Well, I presumed it was the taxi? I walked towards the engine. I have got into a strangers car before. I heard a hello. I found the place his voice was coming from and thought he was in the driving seat at the other side, so I asked if this was the right side to get into and he replied in what he thought was a funny voice.

“Not unless you want to sit on my knee love!”

Ha ha, bloody ha!

So found the car door and got in the back. Only to learn how fat this man was and how much he likes chocolate. Right, very interesting.

 

So, then we got to the hospital after passing through loads of busy traffic. I asked him would I be able to get a taxi easily on the way back as it will be at five o clock. He replied, well it won’t be me as I will be at home.

 Stupid man.

I know they all know if it’s going to be busy and that is why I was asking.

 

Well, this driver walked me to reception without making comments about how his wife worked with special needs and so on, so this was an improvement to last driver.

 

And then my visit started. It was hell.

 

First a Polish nurse took me into a room. Her words

“I don’t know what to do with you.

I don’t think I can do anything with you as your eyes are too bad!

Are you totally blind?”

Me, “Yes.

 

OK I will ask another nurse as really you shouldn’t be in here!”

I thought, well, I didn’t ask to pigging well be in here, you called my name!

She came back in.  And this is what she said

“I will shine the light in your eyes just to make sure you are really blind!”

Me. “Oh right, do you think I’m pretending?”

No answer. She Shon her stupid light waving it around then told me something I really didn’t know?

“You are blind!”

Me. “No, really?”

I didn’t really say that, but felt like it.

Out of there, what is it about eye hospitals? Every time I have been they insist I sit in a chair with arms? Do they think I’m going to fall out? I mean, why not strap me in?

 

Another room, this time to see the Doctor. Well, he ran down the corridor with me attached to him. Really I’m not joking, it must have looked comical. We ran. I wondered when people were going to follow us thinking there was a fire.

 

In his room

“Have you heard from the hospital yet?”

Me. No

Him. “Oh I will remind him and I doubt they will be able to give you genetic advice as you don’t know anything about your family as you are adopted.”

Again spotting the obvious. They only know that as they asked about my history and I had to say I have none. So rub a bit more salt?

Oh, to be honest I very much doubt we will ever know what kind of RP you have because of this.

Well, what I thought was how come they can dig up a pigging Mummy and know what she ate for her last meal? Or other things about her, but they can’t tell me what kind of RP I have? How can they dig up the dead/murdered and now learn who killed them?

He told me the last doctor spoke nonsense as what she diagnosed was not right. I in fact, had, now, wait for it, not pockets of fluid in my eyes, but

“Loose lenses!”

Say what? Who took the screw out?

Also he told me I had a wobbly eye, well, yes I told him that was because I had Nystagmatism. He obviously didn’t have a clue what that was. Had this man gone to University, or the local college? For gardening?

I asked questions he answered

“Yeah, or “don know

What? This man was English too. One thing he was sure on, I was to throw away my tablets and I was never going to be able to get any sight back. There was nothing even close to a cure or any kind of treatment.

I sat in the waiting room in a chair with arms of course, hearing a lady saying to her Husband she thought it was odd me, being there as I was blind.

Obviously she thought I was deaf too!

I got home, and just broke down on my own of course, as how can I cry to my Husband, he is in the same boat and someone has stolen our awes.

 

I really do think that eye Doctors have to have one qualification only, that is a degree in nastiness! They have a knack in making you feel so very very sad and incredibly bottom of the pile, you know if you had a broken arm, they would fix it, OK, they can’t fix my eyes just yet, and who knows they may never be able to, but at least explain what is wrong with my blurry spot on my eye? Why have I gone from a lump that I had for five years, to a mark on my lensed? What is it? Two different diagnoses from two Doctors in five weeks. One gave me tablets; the other said it was ridiculous giving me such pills. And when I asked, if my lens is “Loos, then why does it feel like an elastic band?” His answer?

“Don knows!”

Stupid individual.

I’m hurt, disappointed, and really fed up that because it’s our eyes the Doctors just don’t care. When I went to the Doctors with my Husband as he could pass out with pain in his eyes, the Doctor asked my Husband

“Well, what do you expect at the end of the day? We can’t get your sight back!”

No, but to be without pain would be good! You can’t see, so live with it.

Now I wonder is it worth going to the big eye hospital? It’s an hour away on the train. To be treat like that?

So tonight, the Doctor, may go home, have his fine wine, nice meal, go out somewhere lovely, perhaps watch some theatre? Or just a walk through a beautiful park, taking in the sights, a weekend with his family, laughing and being quotes, normal. For me tonight, I will go to bed with his words, there is nothing going to work for you. Don knows what is wrong with your eyes apart from your normal eye condition and you will have to live with it all.

Thanks Doctor Spook