It’s a waiting game….

John brought me a cup of tea. “Thank you, darling, that’s lovely,” I said, as I sat up, plumped the pillows and picked my book up to settle down to read in bed for a bit. No need to get up yet. The run across to Heartlands isn’t for a while…….wrong. John popped back about fifteen minutes later to ask if I was actually getting up. I yawned. “Yes, in a bit,” I replied, stretching out. “Well,” John said, “we’ve got to be there for nine o’clock.” Oh…… ah….. Mad scramble to ablute, get dressed and grab some breakfast. Well, actually, just a banana on the hoof, if truth be told.

Once we arrived at the hospital, we were bang on time – in the car park. It took John another ten minutes to walk to the ward. He was struggling to breath as he walked. “Are you sure you don’t want me to get a wheelchair, John?” He shook his head. “No.”

Anyway, we got there, but of course they won’t let me into the ward, so I sat outside for a bit. A very nice nurse brought me a cup of tea. “Well, he’s having one, so why shouldn’t you?” she said, cheerfully. To be honest, I had thought that John would be in the clinic for an hour tops. After 40 minutes, I thought maybe I could go and drop the Moses basket off at a charity for babies, but realised that they didn’t open until 11.00, so that wasn’t an option. In the end, I went and bought a paper and sat in the car to read it and do the puzzles….and wait……and wait…..and wait.

At 11.30 I thought I may as well shoot over to the Pershore Road and drop the Moses basket off as I was still waiting. I checked with the nurse and told her I’d be about an hour. “Yes, fine,” she said airily. Heavens, what are they doing to the ol’ man? “We’re just waiting for the blood and urine test results that’s all.” Ah. OK. I texted John to let him know what I was doing. His reply? ‘Just sleeping on the bed. About to have dinner!!”

Fortunately, when I got back just before one o’clock, John said he was just about to come out, so there was no more waiting. That was a relief. But now more waiting as he has to go back in a couple of weeks for more tests. They are baffled as to why his kidneys are pooped. The latest theory is that it was the infection that did for them. Other than that, a great shrugging of shoulders. Keep up with drinking plenty of water, Mr Sleath.

This afternoon then, was a bit of a wash-out. We got back home and drank oodles of tea, watched the news and a bit of Judge Rinder before I realised the time. At three o’clock I was supposed to be logging on to the Crem Webcam to follow the funeral of Mum’s dear and most long-standing friend, Hazel Cantes (nee Dawson). Fortunately, I got there in time and thus had my first experience of a remote funeral.

It was good to be part of it even if it was only as an observer and not a partaker. I shall share it with Mum shortly, but because there is no signal for my phone at Mum’s flat, I wasn’t able to share it live. I am hoping to find some way of sharing it when it’s posted on the Crem’s website in a day or two.

As the day wore on, we both felt less and less inclined to do anything of note, so I plumped for reading my book again. And John plumped for more poker. Jobs? Maybe tomorrow.

Regarding the news, there has been a great kerfuffle over the ‘interview’ with the Sussexes, which has now culminated in Piers Morgan flouncing off the ‘Good Morning Britain’ set and jacking in his job. Honestly, you can’t make it up, can you? Handbags at dawn, eh?

The news on the COVID front isn’t as positive as yesterday, with cases and deaths higher today; and the scientists casting a gloomy picture over the possibility of another surge at the end of the summer. I think we’d better tread lightly as we lift the lockdown, don’t you? I am not really keen to remain locked down, locked up and climbing the walls for another twelve months.

• 5,766 people tested positive for the virus today
• 231 people died in the community with the virus in the last 24 hours
• 70 people died in hospitals with the virus on 7 & 8 March.

And we are on Day XXX of Lockdown XXX. I’m minded to stop counting……it’s all getting a bit much. However, I shall certainly tell you when we reach the year mark next week, folks!

Take care everyone. God bless.