Lovely and friendly time getting the jab
IGHT I’ve had my jab. Well the first one anyway. I didn’t wait for the surgery to contact me just booked online. It was easy enough just pick a date and time slot for the first and second vaccinations for my husband and myself. Ticked the boxes and the message came back,
‘One of the dates you have chosen is now not available.’
That was it. There was no clue as to which date so just had to keep ticking till the computer said: “Yes”!
Our chosen destination was Westpoint, home of the Devon County Show and less than 20 minutes away with plenty of parking. Typical me with appointments at 6 and at 5 past, pathologically unable to be late for anything, left home at 5 – just in case the Devon Air Ambulance had to land on the A38 and a herd of Ruby Reds managed to wander across the carriageways – and got there at 12 minutes past!
It was just getting dimpsy and the car park was filling with a comfortable amount of cars so it looked like it was going to be the first time I would be able to find my car at Westpoint.
Many a Devon County Show I have still been wandering through muddy fields hunting for my motor as the gates were being closed for the night! Spotting a coffee and snack van, my husband couldn’t get to it quick enough, eager to turn it into an evening out, and was all up for asking one of the fellas where the flower tent was!
I just wanted to get in and get it over with so I went in early whilst he was determined to wait for his allotted slot. This of course meant by the time I was being seen he was twenty people behind me. He’s just the same when we fly. I remember having to queue to check in for over an hour once only to find just as we reached the desk that he had wandered off for a coffee and a magazine!
I must say I found it an extremely thought-provoking occasion. Queuing in lines in a huge industrial hanger, it felt like a scene from some post apocalyptic film.
I kept imagining how it must have been for my father in the army. Him and his mates all standing in their shorts and singlets waiting for some stern faced Carry On type matron to jab them none too gently as fast as she could. It was nothing like that.
It was efficient and friendly and lovely to see a lot of smiling faces, even a few tears of relief. I had to laugh the next day when I heard a friend’s elderly mother’s experience. Being house bound she had two nurses visit her at her home to vaccinate her.
“Just want to check a few things,” they said. “What year were you born?” “1920” she replied.
“Oh you’re 101 this May?” they said somewhat shocked.
“Can we just go through your medication?” “I’m not on any,” said Thora.
Laughing, they came back with: “Oh no point in asking how much you smoke and drink then?”
To which she replied: “I smoke 12 cigarettes a day, have a glass of wine with lunch, a whisky at 6 and glass of wine with dinner every evening.”
“That’s 21 units a week?!” said a somewhat perplexed nurse.
At that they gave up, administered the injection and departed shaking their heads, leaving Thora to read her Western Morning News…. without glasses!
I smoke 12 cigarettes a day, have a glass of wine with lunch, a whisky at 6 and a glass of wine with dinner every evening