Back in KGH

I am glad the council sorted out our local road and footpaths earlier this year. If they had left it for a little while longer we would have had to content with the potholes and uneven footpaths. Now Lakshmi whizzes along on her balancing bike on the paths which the children had difficulty previously. The council has also cleared the grass verges where the weeds were getting high enough for Lavinia to get lost in. Now there is space for the grass to grow and it all looks quite neat and nice. I am enjoying my quiet ride to the hospital. These days the radio is only switched on if I feel like it. The peace and tranquility lets my thoughts wander of to where it wants to. A squirrel jumps in front of the car and runs past as fast as it could. The determination and focus meant he got across the road unscathed and I didn’t really need to slow down. A couple of weeks ago I almost ran over a squirrel. I hit the brakes when I saw it and slowed right down. Maybe this manoeuvre startled it and he hesitated for a second. He looked confused, stopped and turned back, which was the wrong decision. The distance back was much longer. I waited for the crunch and squelch as I drove past. It didn’t materialise. I think he made it, but I daren’t look back to see the aftermath. 

It is my second week back at KGH. It is a urology list but not Sandy’s. I worked with him for the first time in 4 months yesterday. As the theatre banter got underway I was reminded of what I had missed in the past few months. Back at KGH it was nice to see all the familiar faces now covered in masks. It was my first general anaesthetic list in 4 months as well. I wondered if I could still give a GA. I had to do my first PPE donned theatre list. The special masks made it difficult to breath and the visors steamed up. I couldn’t see the point as all the patients for the elective procedures are screened and isolated prior to surgery. It was more of a case of protecting them from me rather than the other way round. I have had a swab test done yesterday. A requisite to work in the private sector. It was unpleasant but not as bad as what Rafia described and went through in the UAE. 

Many of the theatre staff were redeployed to the intensive care unit when the theatres were closed. Most have had the illness and narrated their experiences. One almost died he said. He couldn’t remember what had happened to him once he was admitted although luckily he didn’t need to go to the unit. The mortality rate for those who required intubation was very high and only half made it through. 

Tomorrow I make my first trip on the underground. The National Gallery has reopened and I’m going to see the ‘Titian’ exhibition, the date of which has been extended. 

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