Day 15. Tuesday 13th June 2017. Mileage:
0000 Total: 590
From: Le
Buis, Limoges. To:
Le Buis, Limoges
Weather: Hot sunny. 30C in the shade on Angie's
Terrace.
I awoke refreshed. A good night’s sleep. Jackie was up and
about. I could hear her in the shower. Breakfast on the terrace sat in the sun. We were waiting on the telephone appointment for the surgeon. This came through just prior to lunch. The time was set for 1620hrs. I felt it best to pass on lunch just in case I was to be admitted later with a view to surgery later tonight. I did not really believe that but thought caution might well prevail.
We presented ourselves at Dr Sodji's reception, paid our E28 consultation fee in cash. They didn't accept plastic!
After a short wait we were collected by Maxime Sodji himself. As black as your mothers hat but mercifully spoke pretty good English. I had anticipated some language difficulties and had asked Angie to accompany Jackie and I into his office. This office was more akin to an art gallery than a Doctors 'cubby hole' as we invariably see at home. After a brief examination he confirmed I did indeed have a Hernia and offered me alternatives. One of which was surgery in the hospital. I said I would like to be admitted and he asked when can I attend. "Now." said I. He was amazed but Jackie and I had anticipated such a move and had come prepared with an overnight bag etc. I thought I would be in, operated on the next day and soon thereafter on our way in the camper to continue the holidays.
We were next taken to the anaesthetist, another E28 for a quick but though exam and questionnaire. This time he took plastic. I said, "That was quick." "Well your a healthy man." he replied. "If I was that healthy I wouldn't be here would I?" He laughed. Next I was taken to admissions where I was assigned a room Chambre 2711. Jackie was insistent on staying on board with me so we asked for a put-u-up. No problem. This being a private hospital all rooms are either one or two bedrooms. I had a single. This costs E60 a night and we were levied an extra E20 for Jackie's bed, blankets and linen, towels. Food was inclusive it seems for me but Jackie would need to eat in the café on the ground floor.
Angie, Tom, Mike and Jackie made their way to the second floor room with it's views over the car park and cricket pitch. It was very large, obviously clean with fitted desk, wardrobe vanity unit and walk in wet room. Brilliant. I've paid a lot more to stay in a room with a lot less before this!
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| Typical Stopporton. Always messing about. |
I did tell Jackie shortly after she snapped this photo that it was not for onward transmission. She ignored me and within a few hours I had Paris Match on the phone asking if I would do a photo shoot in Cannes later than week for them. I said "No." Good looks can be a curse at times!
No sooner had we settled in than a couple of nurses appeared and offered me a drink. Took my temperature and blood pressure. I was of course a novelty, being English and soon room 2711 was party central. At one point we had four female nurses, one male nurse, the domestic ancillary and the tea trolley lady in the room not to mention Angie, Tom and Jackie. It was awful very little of this attention was being directed towards me. Tom was hogging the limelight with his 'Allo, Allo' impersonation of the French policeman. Tom's French is straight out of a Peter Sellers film. God bless him. This merriment continued until Dr Sodji arrived then suddenly everyone vanished.
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'It's soup Jim but not as we know it.' |
I was informed he had re-scheduled his ops diary for tomorrow and I should be going into surgery for somewhere between 15/1600 hrs. Gulp! He asked if I had eaten. I said nothing since a light breakfast early am. He rang for a nurse and asked they provide me with some soup. That's more like it I thought. He disappeared saying I'll see you tomorrow. Angie reappeared with some sarnies, cake and water for Jackie. God bless her and disappeared. We were once again on our own. There was not a lot to do except read our books and chill. By 2200hrs we had turned in. Various nurses called in during this time asking if I was OK. Do I need something to help me sleep and taking blood pressure and temperature.
Just as I was about to drop off to sleep a vampire flies into the room. Unzips a black bag, takes out a syringe and proceeds to take five phials of blood. I thought how am I going to translate "Hang on a minute there's very nearly an armful there." into French. Then thought why bother. He flew out of the room and I turned to say goodnight to Jackie on the put-u-up beside me but she was already snoring away. If I could have reached the grapes on the bedside cabinet that Angie had left I'd have lobbed one in her direction.
.
