1 EAGLETON NOTES: Five Minutes Short

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Friday 10 July 2009

Five Minutes Short

I couldn't decide this morning whether to give the posting the title I've used or 'You've Gotta Laugh'. Anyway the intention of this posting, I assure you, is to make you smile and for absolutely no other reason.

As my regular readers will know, I am in Glasgow during the week at the moment and I fly home to Lewis at the weekends. This evening is fly home time!

Every weekday I have to make the journey across Glasgow from Gaz's flat to the Beatson Cancer Unit for radiotherapy treatment. I was warned of various side effects the treatment could have and I mentioned one of them in Where The Sun Don't Shine. Well so far I'm doing good as they say. The side effects are manageable and people with a headcold are worse off.

However there is one side effect causing a problem. Well, actually it's not necessarily the side effect. Another way of looking at it is that there is a lack of public loos in Glasgow strategically placed on my route home.

One of the requirements for the treatment is a full bladder. No problem. But, of course, it doesn't empty immediately after the treatment and the critical time for me is 35 minutes after I leave the hospital.

The journey home time depends on the wait for the train but apart from that is approximately 6 mins to the train from the treatment area, 14 on the train and 20 from the station to the flat. That equals 40 minutes. And, of course there is usually a wait for the train even to add on to that. So the difference between journey time and time I can hold out is about 5 minutes at minimum and usually more. That can be critical. The mind makes the problem huger and HUGER as I walk up the hill to the flat. And then the three locks needed to undo the front door never open smoothly when one is in such a hurry.

Of course I could wait in the hospital and start the journey later but I'm not sure if that would work. And if I did that sensible thing then I would not have the fun of posting this. Anyway I have discovered a more enjoyable solution. Coffee!

I now stop at one of the cafés between the station and the flat and have a coffee and do the crossword before the walk up the hill. Neat, eh?

8 comments:

  1. :)

    I wondered how coffee changed this for you...it makes my dad have to go instantly (almost)...runs right through him and my husband too, for that matter. It does not have that effect on me.

    I see...you take a short break, rest a minute while enjoying a coffee and a crossword somewhere.

    I envisioned you as a little boy would twist, turn, clutch, hurry, jump and just barely reach the destination through the door locks :)

    Love you, friend!

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  2. All that hassle solved by the purchase of a set of bagpipes, knew there must be a reason for their existence. Glad you are surviving and with humour intact.

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  3. Well done for some damned plain sensible ... and pleasant replanning of the journey.

    Would love to join you for a coffee, only coffee and my innards..... = not renal issues but... (does have me laughing, hope you can share the chuckles)

    Delighted your sense of humour is doing well too. CJ is doing a grand job of looking after your home and letting us now about the splendour of your home's island.

    Please let CJ know that I'm working on a friendly Florentine recipe for him (my *** laptop wont post comments to his main blog grrrrrr)

    Have a splendid and glorious time back home this weekend, enjoy it all,

    care and many huggles,

    Michelle in Wellington, and Zebbycat,

    xxx, and ... silent(!)sleeping, no snoring - yes, I have just checked that he is breathing, then tiptoed away

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  4. The ever resourceful and "Glad Game" attitude Graham...
    ;^)

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  5. Thanks Michelle - there's no logic to these blogs and their tantrums is there!

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  6. I experience this with Hubby too. I had to laugh at how it becomes so much more of a huge deal when you know it's going to be close!

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  7. well done you for keeping a sense of humour about it all!
    i have wondered if there is a way of tricking your brain into believing that there is a not a loo behind the 3 locks and items to trip over once through the door - but it does not seem there is!

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  8. Thanks for your comments all. The problem is that some of them make me laugh. LAUGHING WITH A FULL BLADDER IS NOT GOOD! Even with a bladder that the brain thinks is full and isn't is bad enough. But I was warned this would be a problem and every problem is there to be solved!

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