First - Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish readers.
I had a medical today. It's my annual follow-up from my serious accident of a few years ago. They check out my shoulder - just to make sure there's no deterioration in the bones the plates are screwed into. They don't expect any more improvement with that, it's as good as it's ever going to get. The examinations always leave me aching like blazes though.
They also - much more important this - give me a scan to check that there are no new clots forming in my brain. They hope that someday they'll be able to see improvement on that. That maybe someday my short-term memory will return. And I won't muddle words when I talk.
I got the all-clear on both counts, but no real improvements.
Of course - my concentration wasn't as good as it could have been, largely because I was in a great deal of pain.
This year's review, unlike in previous years, wasn't held at the main hospital, This time it was held at a specialist clinic over the road and round the corner from the hospital. They sent me a map and directions with my appointment letter. Just as well because I wasn't sure where it was.
I got off the bus, crossed the road and entered the car-park. This was made of ornamental brick rather than tarmac. There were five sections to the building, each with a different entrance. I got out my appointment letter to check which unit number I needed. Now any sensible person would have stood still to read the letter. But over the years we have established that I am not a sensible person.
I did not stop. I kept walking. Had the car-park been entirely on one level this would not have been catastrophic.
Unfortunately the car-park was not. There was a 5cm (about 2 inches) difference between the top half and the bottom. There was a kerb running along this but as that was ornamental brick too it wasn't that visible. Especially as I wasn't looking.
My left-foot discovered the discrepancy. I felt it slip. My first thought was that I didn't want to break my ankle again, so I quickly took my weight off that leg. This was not a roaring success. It did nothing to halt my nose-dive. In order to protect my shoulder I twisted in mid-fall and landed on my back.
With my left foot beneath me.
And that, your worships, is how I came to break three toes.
Ze
