Ireland day 1088. Friday 20 September 2024- Medical

Today’s summary	Started the day by putting waterproofing wax on my new hiking trousers. Then most of the rest of the day was devoted to medical matters. First, Val went to the chemist to get her shingles (Shingrix) vaccination (hooray!) Then after lunch, Val drove me down to the Beaumont hospital to get the stitches removed from my chin. A lot of waiting around!   Eventually sorted out after an hour and three quarters.   A quiet evening.
Today’s weather	Overcast but dry all day. Moderate north easterly wind. Appx 17c
Today’s overview location (The red mark shows the location of our route)			Close-up location (The red mark shows where we walked) (No GPX today)

Commentary

(Summary blog only.   Last full blog was Day 0368).

Today definitely had very medical overtones. But before diving into the world of Irish healthcare, I decided to apply the waterproofing wax that I got yesterday, to my new Fjallraven hiking trousers.

It took a lot of YouTube videos and a lot of elbow-grease to complete the task – rubbing in an even layer round all the seams took time – but finally melting it in with a hairdryer was strangely satisfying. It’s quite remarkable how the wax simply disappears but I am assured by the kind lady on the video that my “pants” would be waterproof for at least a year now, provided I didn’t wash them. Well that bit should be easy enough to manage. I just need a thunderous downpour now, to try them out. But I’m not sure I completely trust my waxing skills, so I think I’ll be carrying my overtrousers as well, as an insurance policy.

While I was hard at work with my hairdryer, Val embarked on her medical journey. Actually it only involved walking as far as the chemists to get her shingles vaccine. I was very relieved that she had decided to bite the bullet and get immunised, as I really didn’t went her to have to go through the same pain that I’ve been suffering with this unpleasant condition. I was doubly pleased that she got the Shingrix vaccine, which is the more effective of the two currently available. She has to go back for stage 2 of the vaccination in November.

After lunch, it was time for me to start my engagement with the medical profession. It’s eight days since I had the operation on my chin, and now it was time to get the stitches out. Actually a couple of them were falling out of their own accord and I’m pretty sure I could have got the rest out with just a pair of tweezers. Still, that would probably have confused the system, so Val drove me to the Beaumont hospital out patients clinic to get them out.

When I’d originally made the appointment for today’s visit, I had been advised that although the clinic started at 1:30, I might have to wait an hour actually to get seen. By the time I checked in, that had extended itself to “around two hours”. So I settled into the waiting room with Dublin’s ill and injured, and aimlessly watched the quiz shows on the continuously-streaming daytime TV on the wall mounted monitor.

Eventually, my name was called – after a bit less than two hours. I was shown into a side room and asked for the twenty eighth time what my name and date of birth was, and the nurse deftly removed the stitches in about ten seconds flat.

All was well until after the nurse had finished, when they announced that they had cataracts and couldn’t see very well (you couldn’t make it up). So a doctor to was called to give a second opinion and check that they had indeed all been removed. He duly arrived, took out two more, and I was good to go.

I was glad to get away from the clutches of the medical profession at last and was grateful to Val for giving me a lift back to the flat.

But by the time we got back, Val’s shoulder was aching from the injection so we are both rather walking wounded at the moment. A rather relaxed evening beckons – some more fish for dinner, then another episode of “House of the Dragon” perhaps (although I have to say I find it a bit incomprehensible and wooden). Then it’s an early night, as I have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Oh, and I’ve just remembered I still have some more Spanish deberes to do, so my evening at least won’t be one of total relaxation just yet.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)

Attractive displays of miniature cyclamen on the approach to the Beaumont Hospital	Chin recovering well
Vanishing before my very eyes (and toes).   The satisfying smell of melting wax!

Interactive map

(No map today)

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