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I ended last week in an excellent mood. I felt elated because I had just presented my first webinar and I had really enjoyed the experience. I had also had a very busy but rewarding week and was looking forward to the weekend.
I then received a call from my uncle’s partner to tell me that he had been taken ill and was in hospital. My father was very concerned for his youngest brother and asked me if I would go and visit him.
I decided to cancel my Saturday lessons and make the long trip across London to see him. I don’t know about you, but most people do not enjoy going to hospitals as visitors, let alone as patients. For me it’s those long corridors as you make your way to the wards that make me dread the place.
It’s also the sight of sick patients that makes you feel sad and makes you realise how precious our health is and how we often take our good health for granted. Most hospital wards are extremely busy especially the Accident & Emergency Department (A&E). There is always a long wait to see the doctor when you arrive at A&E. My nephew suffered a football injury yesterday and was in A&E for 5 hours before he was sent home on crutches – poor boy.
Well, there was no long wait for me when I went to visit my uncle on Saturday. I went up to his ward and after washing my hands and using the disinfectant gel, I was allowed to see him in his room. He was lying on the hospital bed fast asleep. He had an arm in a sling and the other hand had cannulas sticking out of his hands. The cannulas were for the nurses to give him antibiotics and saline intravenously. He was wearing the hospital gown which is the most fashionable garment in the world! He looked very frail and I really didn’t recognise my uncle. It was very sad and upsetting.
Whilst I chatted to my uncle’s partner, my husband went to the nurses’ station to get some more information about my uncle’s condition and to know when would we get the results of the tests they had carried out. My uncle has a serious infection and the doctors don’t know what it is and therefore, don’t know how to treat it.
My uncle slowly woke up and after what seemed a long time, he managed to focus and recognised us. We stayed with him for a couple of hours chatting about different things. As we left, my uncle looked at me with real love in his eyes and made a sign for me to approach him. I leant over him and gave him a peck (a kiss) on the cheek and told him I would come back soon.
The journey home was a sad one. I wrote an email to my immediate family telling them the latest news on the tube. I felt very sad that evening and in fact, I still do. My relationship with my uncle has, at times, been stormy over the years and there were periods when I didn’t see or want to see him. However, seeing him in the hospital bed looking so frail and vulnerable made me want to cry. I felt so sorry for him and it made me realise that no matter how annoying some family members can be at times they are always family. And the last thing I would ever wish for is for my uncle to think that he is alone without family.
I hope you don’t mind this less than cheerful post but I needed to share my thoughts with you, my readers. Thank you for reading.
I wish you all a good week.
Ciao for now
Shanthi
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Key to the colours
The expressions in blue relate to health and hospital vocabulary and the phrases in pink are expressions and collocations you can use anytime.
