Test

Just a test.

Retirement

Hello to anyone who is left looking at these meanderings. It is 3 years since I last posted - about the Scottish Independence Referendum.

So just a short note to tell you I have finally retired - I am now an Ex Nurse.

Still too soon to tell what it is like but I am looking forward to getting over the extended holiday feel of it.

I have said before that I like building period ships so I can hopefully finally get down to doing that and catching up with my reading. I may even do some voluntary work once I find someone or some organisation who wants me. Who knows? I may even take up blogging again!

Freeeeeeeeedom

Hello all, or anyone who is still around. It appears to have been 2 years since I last posted - doesn't time fly?

As you will be aware, there is a referendum coming up in Scotland and in 2 weeks we all get to decide if we want to stay in the union or get rid of the b*****d English.

I have kept my opinions to myself over the last while but we are getting closer to the big day so I thought I would give you my thoughts.

I think Scotland would do well on its own, I think we could handle independence with only a few problems. I believe that the monetary nonsense and membership of the EU will all sort itself out eventually.

The thing is though, I DON'T WANT IT! 

I want to continue as part of the UK. I like England, as I have said before, my wife is English, I have family in England. So it finally came to me today - I will vote no. Not because I don't believe Scotland can make it but because I believe we ARE better together.

Still a muppet.

I see Fabrice Muamba has decided to retire from football after his cardiac arrest earlier this year. I wish him well in the future and hope he can go on to have a long and happy life.

Unfortunately he is still thanking god for saving him "I thank God that I am alive" although in fairness he is also thanking the team who saved him, "I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me."

So he is thanking god for saving him but I don't see anywhere that he is thanking god for giving him his arrest in the first place.
The ability of the religious mind to fail to make any connections to reality never fails to amaze me. So we have to assume that it was a devil or some bad fairy that caused the initial collapse.

Swine Flu Redux

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/768654?src=nldne

Here we go again. Swine flu making a come back? Difference this year it has started off further North so has less distance to go before it becomes international.

Did anyone keep any of the anti virals from last time? All ours went out of date.

Now, where did I put my mask?

Petition

The catholic church doesn't like it's "miracles" debunked. So much so that in this case they have even set the law on someone who has done just that.

Please sign this petition.

Waiting times

Yes, I know you have to pick up 3, or was it 4 children in 10 minutes. I know that you need to be 'somewhere' in an hour. I know that you are meeting your long lost pen pal from Outer Mongolia and the only time you can meet is in the next half hour. I know that you have had nothing to eat for 4 hours - guess what, it is now 5:00 o'clock and I haven't managed to have a toilet break since 10:00 o'clock. Do you have any other sob story that you think will get you seen faster than the people in the waiting room who have been waiting for 2 hours now? Go for it, I have heard them all. Don't try emotional blackmail, stories of cancer and heart problems while tragic and upsetting have nothing to do with your sprained ankle. Telling me you think you 'might' have a seizure is always fun - can you pseudo-seize better than I can diagnose it? Bear in mind I have years of experience of pseudo-seizures. All I will do is embarrass you in front of the waiting room - yes I am a cruel and heartless b*st*rd but I have a very low BS threshold.

Before you think I have a heart of stone, I do have some weak spots - if you are getting married, I will try to get you seen quicker (I'm a grumpy old romantic), also if you are graduating or sitting exams I see these as genuine reasons to jump the queue. Even if you are a tourist and need to catch transport to continue your holiday I will try to accomodate that. But seriously, when you are unemployed telling me that 1 hour is too long to wait is laughable - where else do you have to be?

Wandering around shouting loudly that "It's as well you're not dying" just makes you look a dick as the whole point is that if you are dying or ill or if you are genuinely exanguinating in front of me you will already be on a trolley with us doing our thing to try to stop you.

You can always tell someone who has been in or at a hospital before, they are the ones with the books or kindles or ipads who sit quietly waiting for their turn.

A "miracle"....? No it was science you muppet.

It has been a long time since I posted but this has annoyed me, although when dealing with religion I should be used to stupidity by now. This has really pissed me off. God has protected him and saved his life. Really? I thought it was prompt, effective CPR followed by good ICU/CCU care. Did god put the "zapper" in his chest? No, it was a skilled cardiologist. Did god guide the cardiologists hands? No it was years and years of study and experience.
I'm sure some religious nut will tell met that god put all those people there just for the purpose of saving Muamba. If so why, if he is so special, did he go to the bother of trying to kill him in the first place. I know god is supposed to 'move in a mysterious manner, his wonders to perform' but this is not just mysterious it is completely opaque.
The comments are even more entertaining, apparantly Muamba is a special person. No, he is an overpaid footballer, that is it. He is no better or worse than anyone else.

I wish him well and a full speedy recovery, but to give god the credit for saving him is just nonsense.



Update.

I have twice tried to comment on the Sun's page after the article but surprise, surprise they won't publish what I write. Seems if you cannot say that god or some superior force saved Muamba you are not going to get published.

I am going to say it again; SCIENCE SAVED MUAMBA. His fitness levels, fast effective CPR and the skills, knowledge and experience of the medical team are what has allowed him to be speaking to newspapers today. God does not exist and to allow some imaginary being to be given the credit for this is niave, childish and shows a gross lack of understanding of the world as it is.

Pain

As a parent it is not OK for you to tell me that your child has a high pain threshold and that's why you did not give them analgesia for their fractured ankle/wrist. It is equally not OK to refuse my offer of analgesia for said child while under my care because they are "tough". This is bordering on child abuse.

As an adult you should not tell me in triage that you have (insert major surgical emergency here) that you have severe pain while a) smiling and joking with me, b) have normal vital signs and c) look and sound in normal health. Oh, and asking me to carry your bag that you have carried from the main door of the hospital because "you just can't manage" is just pathetic.

My thanks to Julie at Campaigning for health for this. Although it does not directly affect Scotland I still think it is wrong and privatisation.