It's Tuesday and yes, it's "Yikes!" time again, because I'm going to meet with the surgeon, the man I call "Mr M", the guy who gave me a shiny new hip last month at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.
Why are surgeons always called "Mister" and not "Doctor", in Britain and Ireland at least? Is it a reminder, perhaps, of Georgian or Victorian times, when a surgeon was just some guy with a saw, who mainly lopped branches off trees, but who also popped his head around the door at the local hospital each morning asking if anybody needed an arm or a leg sawing off today?
I think we should be told, don't you?
a typical "gang" of surgeons from Georgian
and Victorian times. - the so-called "lumberjack surgeons"
The days of the lumberjack-surgeon may be over now, but that of the tailor-surgeon lives on, another nice reminder of this glorious old tradition, as a recent story from the local Onion News attests to.
When Lois and I arrive at the Alexandra Hospital's orthopaedic department this afternoon, however, not only are there unexplained delays, but also, I only get a very brief glimpse of "Mr M", the man I call "my surgeon", which is a pity - it turns out that "Mr M" "delegates" most of his appointments to a mere "doctor", who nevertheless, finds that my new hip is doing well, which is a relief.
And you remember that "thing" that Lois and I have been wanting to attempt to do ever since the operation?
Well, we ask the doctor and she says you have to wait 12 weeks after the op before you can do that one safely, but when she checks "chapter and verse", in her index of "waits", she finds that you actually only have to wait 6 weeks for this activity, which is something of a relief, to put it mildly! It's been 7 weeks now since the operation in my case, so there and then she gives us the go-ahead to try this one - although not till we get home, needless to say!
And one final pleasing outcome - the doctor shows me an x-ray of my hips. I've got in the habit of talking about "my shiny new hip". That's partly my "whimsy" - you know what a "wag" I'm inclined to be! [I suggest you take a "straw poll" on that one!- Ed]
All in all, this is a satisfying end to what's been a gruelling day, especially for my poor, long-suffering wife Lois. Since my operation last month I've been leaving all the driving to Lois, who doesn't really care for it except on "quiet country roads with not much traffic".
An interesting programme, focusing not on Betjeman's poetry but on him as a person - his life-story and his personality.
Well, the title of this BBC programme from 2001 was "The Last Laugh", and Betjeman certainly had the last laugh as regards his funeral. Oh dear!
Seeing the x-ray, however, confirm that a new hip really is shiny, which is a pleasing discovery!
typical x-ray of a new hip: in this case somebody's
left hip, showing that new hips really are shiny, at least to start with!
However today she took her courage on both hands and drove us from Malvern to Evesham, to the accountancy firm where our daughter Sarah works. Sarah then drove us from Evesham to Redditch, the really "busy roads" part of the journey.
Lois and I settle ourselves into Sarah's car, somewhat awkwardly,
with me in the front passenger seat and Lois in the back...
...before embarking on the gruelling drive to Redditch
And so that's the way you do it - your 6 week post-hip-replacement-op check-up, in case it ever happens to you, as it probably will sooner or later. Don't forget to drop me a line when it does, and send me a copy of your x-ray picture, if you happen to think of it haha! I'm starting an album dedicated to this theme, just so you know!
And ideally I would want a real "doozy" to put on the front cover - just saying haha !!!
21:00 We go to bed on another programme from BBC4's "Betjeman-fest", marking 40 years since the former poet laureate John Betjeman's death. This one is a 2001 programme from the old BBC "Reputations" series, entitled "John Betjeman: the Last Laugh".
It's fascinating to hear that his parents never really forgave him for not taking over his father's clothing store business as they had both hoped. So like many children, he turned out to be a disappointment to the very people who had brought him into the world.
Poor parents!!!!
Interestingly, it's clear that the secret to his successful life, in his early days at least, was not his poetry, but his ability to make people laugh.
He was obviously a sensitive child, and Lois and I wonder whether joking around was a tactic he perhaps first developed at his private boarding school to protect himself from the bullies. And later, at university, when he found himself mesmerised by the rich and glamorous among his fellow students, he discovered that he was able to attract their company through his witty conversation and general clowning-around, as many contributors to the programme attest:
Betjeman particularly liked aristocratic women, to put it mildly. And he "ran" two high-born "wives" for most of his life: his actual wife the Hon. Penelope Chetwode, to whom he was devoted but with whom he shared few interests, and his mistress Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, who seems to have been his true soulmate.
This kind of "have your cake and eat it" situation, although nice for Betjeman during his lifetime, always tends to make funerals difficult, however, doesn't it.
Who's to get pride of place - the wife or the mistress? Well, luckily Betjeman avoided personal embarrassment here at his little Cornish church, by being firmly dead of course, but others couldn't escape the awkwardness of the occasion, which was a pity!
Naughty Betjeman haha!!!!!
I don't think he would have wanted to have been at his funeral - most people are content to leave that to their relatives, aren't they, and I think that's probably for the best, all in all.
All his life Betjeman had suffered from an intense awareness of death. Although a devoted High Anglican, he nevertheless found it difficult to shake off his doubts and fears. "The Last Laugh" was the final poem in his final collection.
Fascinating stuff, though, isn't it !!!! And let's hope Betjeman was still getting that "bonus of laughter", right up till the moment when he finally "lost hold".
His only regret about his life, he said, was that he "hadn't had enough sex".
Rest in peace, John !!!!
22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment