SUCH A MEAN OLD MAN

 MEAN MR MUSTARD

I went to see my doctor last week because for a while I've been getting frequent sore throats. She checked me out and said that there was a redness at the back of my throat but my lymph nodes seemed fine. To be on the safe side, which is why I went to her - better to be safe than sorry - she scheduled me for some blood tests and wrote a referral letter to a specialist at the ear, Nose and Throat clinic (ENT) at the hospital.

The next morning I went to the blood clinic for the tests (all OK) and on the way home received a call from ENT scheduling a visit for the next week (yesterday). I was flabbergasted. This was so quick. we are lucky in this country to have a functional and efficient free health system staffed by competent and dedicated people. Sure, every now and then there are problems but, in nearly 70 years of personal experience of my own my family's and friends' health problems the positives far outweigh the negatives. I get pissed off at the knockers of our health industry who have had a poor experience (maybe because they haven't explained their case properly or haven't communicated well) and then run to the media to broadcast their personal problems. Sheesh!

I went to my appointment at ENT, checked in and was directed to a seating area that was surrounded by four doors each  with signs on: 'Treatment Room ' numbered 1 to 4. I was the only visitor at this stage and saw a tradesman enter Treatment Room 4. fter a few minutes I heard a drill working so concluded that some building work was underway. 

After a few minutes some other visitors arrived, checked in and were seated to wait for their calls to treatment. From Treatment room 4 there came the loud sounds of drilling, sawing, and some horrendous screeching. I noticed a couple of the visitors looking at the door of Treatment Room 4 with alarm. They hadn't seen the tradesman in the high-vis vest go in there.

"I wouldn't want to be the person in Treatment Room 4" I said.

A comment which didn't at all calm the nervousness and which, I think actually added to it.

Oh well, I thought it was funny.

The testing I underwent was a bit like a colonoscopy but at the other end. Some kind of camera device was stuck up my nose and down my throat which was uncomfortable but they had used a mild anaesthetic so it didn't hurt. The result was positive. I mean negative. I always get those mixed up. The specialist said all was OK which was reassuring. 

It didn't help those nervous-looking people in the waiting room though.