Funky light fitting – not so funky day

It's been an up and down day. I had an appointment with my vascular consultant in the morning to discuss my options after the failed angioplasty procedure. I arrived with copious notes about the ten-year history behind my blocked artery problem, prepared some some plain talking. It turned into a good session, but the outcome wasn't encouraging.

AT least a got an apology for being left high and dry without anybody coming to talk to me on the day after the procedure was aborted. Apart from that, I got straight answers to my many concerns (mostly about why the blockage had been allowed to get worse and worse without any intervention). What I got in return was a promise to carry out some more tests, beginning with blood flow within a week followed with another session with the consultant. Word was't good when it comes to tackling the actual blockage ("if we were able to do that we'd be doing it for everybody'").

A basic reluctance to intervene remains. With the failure of the angioplasty, the only remaining option is a bypass, but that's complicated because a vein in the leg was already used for my heart bypass and an operation for an aneurysm involved using plastic sheathing and using more would bring with it a high risk of infection. So it's wait and see for another few weeks and then 'the team' will put their heads together and further tests will follow.

Carl met me afterwards and we went to a café for some consolation It's new, part of the recent expansion of Nolan's supermarket in Clontarf. It's quickly become a very popular spot with the local ladies especially but this was our first time there. The finishes and décor are really good. I was especially taken by the rather spectacular light fitting hanging from the ceiling.

We parted company afterwards and I was almost home when the car suddenly lost power. I managed to pull in to the side of the road and called my insurance company for roadside assistance. A very helpful guy appeared, opened the bonnet and fiddled around a bit. He got the car going again and told me I need a new crankshaft sensor. I phoned my mechanic and I'm to bring the car over to him tomorrow for him to run diagnostics on it (he's not convinced that the crankshaft sensor is the problem).