I've been cared for pretty well all told since my diagnosis of COPD...stage four already...lol
Doctors and nurses and so on have been brilliant...then I decided I'd like a shower rather than a bath and asked would that be possible...and was told it would of course...no problem.
A chap came out to ask a few questions and do a sort of review, I suppose as to whether or not I could benefit from a shower being installed.
He was quite an odd sort of a person actually...not in the least friendly and abrupt in his manner but I didn't mind 'cos everyone's different after all.
He wanted to see the bathroom and that was grand...then he told me to stand by the bath...so I did. And he hummed and hawed and pursed his lips and said he couldn't see the problem...
And I said I can get into the bath but find it awful difficult to get out and he said but you aren't fat...honestly...he did say that.
Then he said they can't install showers anyway and we'd have to pay for it ourselves and how much money did we have in the bank...
Well...I've met some forthright folk in my time, but I thought that took the biscuit so I said ....in a haughty sort of voice...that we have the basic pension...that's all.
Next he went into what we call the back lobby...it's where we feed the dogs and leave rubber boots and that sort of thing...he flung his arms about and said we could make this space into an en-suite bathroom...and I laughed...nervously.
Back into the sitting room where your man noticed the Buddha sitting on the window sill and honest to god he went practically ape-shit so he did...why ever do you have a pagan symbol on display he said...the Buddha...pagan?
Don't you believe in Jesus?
You think I'm making it all up don't you....I'm not...I couldn't if I tried.
I started to edge towards him...wanted to push him out of the front door actually...and we had this sort of complicated dance around the armchair while the dogs grumbled under their breath and I was pushing them with my foot...terrified one of them would take a lump out of his ankle.
He reached the front door and his parting shot was that he loved to talk about Jesus and I ought to get rid of my Buddha...
I was hell bent on complaining about him but found he's the top bloke for prescribing aids...so I left it.
We found a friend of a friend who installed a shower for us with minimum fuss and for a reasonable cost....
Himself was out so he didn't have the doubtful pleasure of meeting this bloke but when I recounted his visit he said...the mad ones always gravitate to you...and then he laughed.