Today is my appointment at the RUH in the ENT department to see if my sore throat is just soreness itself or whether it is a sign of some sort of growth. My mother and my sister passed away from cancer so it is in the family so to speak. My appointment was at 10 minutes past ten so I decided to make a morning of it and go off and have breakfast at the hospital. I wondered around after alighting from the 172 bus at the bus station and on my tour first of all went to the  train station. I know our train fares are among the most expensive in Europe but I did not expect this price for a single ticket to London.

I then moved around and saw a very interesting arch made out of baskets; I am showing two details here to show the  intricacy and ambition of the exhibition.

To the hospital and to the restaurant where I was offered very good breakfast for £6.80 which included a coffee. We had a choice of eight of the items that you can see. The portions were generous and the serving lady who I think was from Sri Lanka was very pleasant.

I saw the ENT consultant. She examined me with an endoscope down my nose and did not detect any signs of cancer but said that my Barrett’s was applicable and the associated gush of acid up to my throat has damaged it somewhat. So she did not look at the cause of this as is the tendency with a National Health Service but rather prescribed to me the medicines that you see.
She wanted me to take four times the dose of omaprazole that I am taking at the moment (10 mg) which is a suppression of gastric juices or PPI proton Pump Inhibitor, and also a good gallon or so of Gaviscon.
In the 10 minutes allowed I suppose there is nothing more she can do because she is not a holistic practitioner and she is not a dietitian. I have no intention of taking those medicines.

On the way out of the hospital I saw a post box decorated with knitted objects and outside the bus stop, a very nice advertisement, pleasant, inviting people to work at the hospital.

I have not written much in my diary of recent days because I have been preoccupied with setting up a new venture due to mature late September about encouraging people with the art of conversation. I feel that with the covid and the lockdown and the fear associated with it, our skills have fallen into disuse and we need to make a conscious effort to revive and maintain the art. If anyone is interested, the website is www.art-of-conversation.net and anyone living in the area reading this is very welcome to attend the meeting which is on the 25th of September