Since I last wrote a blog my wife M has been in hospital, her long standing kidney problems flared up, now those of you who have been reading my blog for some time will remember the "treatment" she received at Mayday "Hospital" in Croydon and I'm here to tell you that the I've found another reason to move to the Isle of Man and it's called Nobles Hospital.
Nobles Hospital is only three years old and is set in lovely grounds just outside Douglas but it's the staff who make it superb, we turned up at 9:30pm on a Sunday and after a wait of 10 minutes a charming doctor came out to get us.
He took us into an examination room and took a look at the lump that had developed on M's side, I'm not exaggerating when I say it was 2 inches tall and about 5 inches across with patches of yellow where the puss was trying to get out.
Immediately he said he would admit her and I was glad to have brought M's emergency bag with me, she keeps a bag packed for going to hospital and I'd remembered to grab it on the way out. He wrote out a letter for the ward, made a call and then, and this I couldn't believe, went and got a wheelchair and wheeled her down to the ward himself !
This was a taster of the treatment to come.
When we arrived the night nurse introduced herself to us both and took us to M's bed, she asked us all the usual questions and then proceeded to tell us about their dignity policy ! and then wonder of wonders about M's proposed treatment ! Sorry for the multiple exclamation marks but I still can't get over it.
M was in some pain as you can imagine and having ascertained that she had a bad reaction to the proscribed pain killers she got the doctor to write M up for a shot of morphine, I say shot but it was a sachet she had to swallow, she had just enough time to tell me it tasted like lemon juice before she was unconscious, I left her then comfortable in the knowledge that she would be well looked after.
I can tell you now this wasn't a one off, M continued to receive excellent treatment from everybody right up till she was discharged today, the wounds in her side, yes the lump exploded and had to be drained, will have to be dressed once a day and they have already arranged for a district nurse to come in and do it.
I probably shouldn't be telling you this in case you all move here and spoil the place ;)
I've been studying someone at work this week, it's immensely amusing to watch them struggle against nature, this individual thinks the world owes them a living like all young adults and it's so funny watching them try all the stuff I did when I was their age, god I feel old lol.
Been having a fascinating argument with one of our suppliers this week, I asked for a fix they said it would break something, I proved that was rubbish they said it couldn't be done, I proved it could, they said it couldn't be done on the hardware we use and that it was them or me, I said I'd hate for them to go on my account, so they won the battle but it's a long war and this isn't the end of the matter by a long shot lol, you can count on me keeping you informed.
You know it's funny how people paint themselves into a corner for the sake of pride, they make one stupid statement and then they feel they have to defend it, and like quicksand they fall deeper and deeper into their own morass defending one stupid argument with another and another until they look like the fools they are.
So how do we avoid that trap? I hear you ask in that quiet but expectant way of yours.
I make mistakes all the time, shocked?
Didn't hurt a bit that, tell ya something else, it's the cure for the above problem too.
"I'm sorry I made a mistake, what I should have said was...."
Now how hard is that, honestly?
Next time you find yourself in a self created untenable position, try it, you'll be amazed how powerful that one little phrase is, it sets you free from your own mistakes and gains credibility, yes admitting that you were wrong actually increases your credibility.
Ok I'm not saying being wrong all the time is the way to go, look at Tony Blair, but when you are wrong a quick admission will actually improve how you are perceived, see Billy Graham for an excellent example.
Ok enough about admitting mistakes and on with some new ones ;)
Take care all,
John
