Groundhog day

Just as I thought I’d be coming out of lock-down it seems I must stay indoors for another month. A year ago I found myself in Guys hospital and under the knife, the alternative being most unpleasant. On July 5th I must go back for the same operation but this time at a time of pandemic. This means two weeks isolation before and after and that greatest of luxuries – a COVID-19 test to ensure I don’t have surgery while infected.

I am one of the thousands of people who has treatment delayed and I don’t complain about that at all. My symptoms are sleepless night and abdominal pain but in the context of what’s been happening in hospitals (like Guys) , I have nothing to moan about. But the seriousness with which I have to take the COVID-19 threat prior to and after surgery has come as a reminder of just how immune I have come to the threat that surrounds us.

In practice I will still be working as usual and will simply swap WeWork for homework. If I find I am an asymptomatic COVID carrier, I will thank my strong immune system and start wearing tubes in unusual places.

The person who will bear the strain will be my partner Stella, for whom i have undying love! She has only my irascibility to look forward to!

Having immersed myself in medical science as a result of publishing the COVID-19 actuaries various publications , I now feel much more comfortable with my position. I may have co-morbidities! I may even be of interest to medical science. It is always good to look on positives!

One positive is that I have the kindest and most sensitive of doctors who I find out has got married in the time of the pandemic to a lady who has been working on a COVID ICU. Now that really is quite something.

There are many positives to spending the summer stuck inside and I am going to rehearse them all.

Despite this,  the word that is on the tip of my tongue starts with an f and ends with a k.

Apologies to those who expected to come on the boat!

one day!