The End of Inchcock’s Year

24th December

Popped around to visit Olive and sat there in the chair,

Moments it seemed later back in my flat, how did I get there?

Olive’s son was with me, then the paramedic appeared,

The ambulance came as I began to feel less weird,

I’d no idea what had happened to be fair,

Just glad that Roger was there,

Off to the hospital, joined the other patients in the ginormous queue,

Warfarin levels checked and the BP too,

They told me it was far too low, but by then I felt alright,

On a trolley and into the patient filled corridor till midnight,

Tests continued as I waited through the night,

Nice nurses shuffled me along as patients were admitted or released to their delight,

Making more room for us awaiting, some bloodied, a terrible sight.

Got to see the doctor, as Christmas Day dawned,

The poor man looked so weary, and he yawned,

More INR and blood tests were done first,

They gave me a drink of water, to stem my thirst,

Then I waited in a side room, fearing the worst,

Two doctors joined me later in that bay,

One said he thought I’d had a mini-stroke,

He looked so tired, he was a kind natured bloke,

The other smiled at me and he began to say,

We can’t let you go, we must book you in some way,

Your BP is so low, your INR too high, we need to monitor your meds,

Overnight at least, sorry you can’t go home now, but we’re short of beds,

So, I joined the queue of patients on trolleys waiting for admission,

I felt whatever had happened to me, was now in full remission,

So I lay waited in the corridor, feeling in good condition,

An hour later some people appeared to say they had no beds available,

No surprise to me, I found this understandable,

“We’re releasing you, so you can go home!”

So out of the hospital, I did roam.

I went to catch a bus, although it was well past midnight,

I’d got no money or bus pass with me, oh, what a fright!

Can’t catch a taxi – the only option left… Hobble the five miles to the flat,

I felt such a clot, but pressed on… maybe the walk will help me lose some fat?

Got home shattered, porcelain attended fell asleep and that was that!

Wednesday 27th December 2016

Awoke; no memories of any of me dreams,

Lost forever, sadly, it seems,

Life feels far less confusing and not, so affictitious,

Even the medications with the morning cuppa tasted delicious,

Time to make plans, designs, maybe a cunning scheme?

But the evening nosh was tasty in the extreme!

 —

Thursday 29th December 2016

Up at 0245hrs, porcelain duties and medications tended to,

Down to the laundry room, freezing cold it was too.

The washing machine left all my clothes very wet,

Had to use the dryer twice, clothes not proper dry yet,

Back up to the flat, clothes on the dryer flat,

Then noticed a fire in the distance that,

Looked a nasty one, hope no one injured.