Wheels on fire...

Lily and I were due at the doctor's at 9.15am this morning. As I was due to push the "old yin" in the wheelchair I calculated a 15 minute or so walk (some of it uphill) from her house to the doctors. I arrived at Lily's at 8.45 as planned, to find Mrs. Faff still in her nightie, on her way to the bathroom following her morning fag. And I wonder where her son gets it from. Anyway I called the surgery to say we were running late due to "technical difficulties" and they just laughed and said it was fine.

Finally arriving 10 minutes late for our appointment, the receptionist (obviously a different one) glared at me when I checked in. Luckily "nice receptionist" came to my rescue and we were called into the nurses room straight away. There are about three "nurses rooms," so of course I wheeled Lily into the wrong one, inside which two fat ugly nurses were deep in conversation about, I don't know, what they were having for lunch. They turned to me with utter disdain and fat ugly nurse no.1 barked, "sorry but I think you're in the wrong room." I said nothing, but with great difficulty attempted to back the chair (twice) out of the room, trying not to knock over silver trays and urine samples as I went. These two individuals sat on their arses and watched me and Lily struggle, my hands on the wheelchair and Lily's frail hands pushing the swinging door with all of her 79 year-old might. Finally back in the hallway I barked "thanks for your help, ladies" and slammed the door. Why is it I often feel like Erin Brokovich on a bad day with these people?

So we found our way to the right nurse, who was lovely. She took Lily's blood pressure and blood sample and after about 5 minues we were finished. Would you believe we even had the door held for us on the way out?

Oh, wheelchair life... We took our time on the way back, as my palms were red and sore from the frantic walk up. It's funny how pushing a mere 8-stone person up a slight incline can knacker you. Oh, and you have to beware of dogs too - my poor charge almost got pounced on by a black woolly mammoth on the way home. No doubt the pup had nothing but love in it's heart, but what seemed cute to me must have been terrifying to someone strapped to a moving vehicle saying 'hello' at eye level.