I Feel Free

The monstrosity that is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham looks more like an airport departure lounge when you walk into the main reception. There was even a Costa Coffee in there!

I started writing this while sat in Outpatients Area 3, Reception 2 in the red chair area not the purple chair area. Someone was told off for being in the red area when they should have been in the purple area.

The chap sat opposite me in a wheelchair in hospital pyjamas (the man is wearing pyjamas, not the wheelchair) sneezed and clearly found it agonising, touching his open heart surgery scar. I felt quite queasy I must admit.

Lots of people were checking themselves in on consoles dotted around and got flashy directions on screens to follow. I didn't have a letter with a bar code on to scan. I had to ask the humanoids a couple of times but it wasn't too dreadful at all.

In the future, it would be good if you were anaesthetised for the whole time since you had a first appointment to the very glittering end. You'd be moved around on conveyor belts and when it's all finished, after all the tests and operations etc. you'd either wake up in your own bed, you'd be singing with the angels or you'd be finding it very hot and a guy with horns and a big belly would be flogging you while you shovelled shit.

Home, heaven or work hell.

Firstly I can't sing like an angel and secondly I wouldn't know anyone else up there so I guess it's home or hell for me...

I had an Echo and an ECG and then saw two different doctors who told me my Echo looked pretty good and much the same as it was 13 years ago. Both doctors remembered me from then and told me I hadn't changed a bit. I was most surprised and felt a bit like some memorable superstar - with a groovy echo? - Hmmmm...perhaps not...

Anyway, the great news is they don't want to see me for another 12 months! They want to keep an eye on me from a distance. Clearly, they do know me well after all! Just keep taking the tablets was the only advice. Back to normal then for me!

Track? Here's Cream - I Feel Free!