Tales of a Meandering Medic

By Dr. Simon Gibson

My Memoir. It describes my journey through my working life as a Doctor.

It also describes my experiences as a patient, and the wonderful life saving care I received

from the NHS.

There are also a few lines on my earlier life, as a Medical Studen

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookTrail Publishing
• Release date: Aug 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637671276

Dr. Simon Gibson

My Memoir. It describes my journey through my working life as a Doctor.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Dr. Simon Gibson.

Paperback: 978-1-63767-126-9

eBook: 978-1-63767-126-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021906971

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Ordering Information:

BookTrail Agency

8838 Sleepy Hollow Rd.

Kansas City, MO 64114

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

The Pre-Medic Meanderings (My Early Life)

The Meanderings

My Exam Failures

My Neighbours

Daily Telegraph

My Coventry Years Part 1

The Burglar and the Oily Drainpipe

My Return to Coventry

Whistle in the Wind ?? Yes. Whistle on the Ward ?? Definetly Not !!

My Training Year in General Practice

We Met Across a Dialysis Machine and…

To Swab or Not To Swab?

Malignant Diabetes—The Case of CB

Sticky Backed (Self Adhesive) Patient Identification Labels

Even When the System Does Everything Right...

We Tried and Tried But Could Not Save Her

Dr X

My Patients Who Were My Neighbours

A Legacy of Spina Bifida

No Salt or Lo-Salt. That Was the Question

Festive Fun

Sedbergh

Sleep

The Arterio-Venous Fistula (The Route to Heaven ??)

Renal Failure and Mental Illness

Renal Failure and Mental Illness Contd. Case 2

One Kidney Two Kidneys Three Kidneys Dialysis Transplantation

?? The Correct Choice

Verbal Abuse Threatened Physical Abuse

A Young Man Whose Life Would Never Be The Same Again

The Cadbury’s Cream Egg Saga

Do Not Ever Underestimate the Determination of Patients to Seek Justice

The Tragic Death of a Young Doctor (TDYD1)

The Tragic Death of Another Young Doctor (TDYD2)

Another Macho Manager ??

High Blood Pressure ?? Have You Been Advised to Reduce Salt Intake ??

Another Patient with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Waste of Time… Waste of Trees

The Good - The Bad - The Very Very Ugly Goodpasture’s Syndrome

Interstitial Cystitis

Every Potential Dialysis Patient Is Carefully Assessed

Sometimes It Is Useful to Have a Meandering Medic on the Team

Mid Morning Coffee or Tea ??

Hey Big Spender

The Pearly Gates Purgatory Judgement Day Heaven

Doctor AW or Professor AW ??

A Slip of the Tongue

Urine Dipstix

Sterile Urine Sample Bottles

Mr Tim Farron, MP to the Rescue.

A Mars Bar An Hour

The Porsche Index

Munchausen’s Syndrome

Home-Made Cake in My Royal Preston Renal Clinic

My Admission to Royal Preston Hospital (RPH) For a Lumbar Puncture (LP) and Spinal Fluid Pressure Measurements

The Big Day (4.12.19)

My Recovery Following Neuro-Surgery on 4.12.19

Morbid Obesity

The Essence of Me

Courtesy… I Think It Matters. Do You?

The Proof Positive Evidence

Free Speech? Not With the D-V-L-Autocracy

The Shameful Letter

Another Shameful Letter From The DVLA

Dither and Delay at the DVLA

Addendum 1

Addendum 2

Addendum 3

Addendum 4

THIS WORK IS DEDICATED TO

MY BELOVED DAUGHTER S

AND MY BEST FRIEND TES

THIS WORK IS DEFINETLY NOT

DEDICATED TO THE DVLA AND

THE GMC

Dr S P Gibson BA MB ChB MA MRCP FPCert T(GP) MD

FRCP

RETIRED CONSULTANT

PHYSICIAN and

NEPHROLOGIST

BA = Bachelor of Arts University College Oxford University

MB ChB = Basic medical qualification Sheffield University Medical School

MA = Master of Arts University College Oxford University

MRCP = Member of the Royal College of Physicians

FPCert = Family Planning Certificate

T(GP) = Doctor Trained to work as a GP in general practice

MD = Doctor of Medicine Sheffield University Medical School

FRCP = Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

And the above is what I call my Full Monty

GLOSSARY

Medicine is full of abbreviations and acronyms. Hopefully, the list below is comprehensive.

DEFINITIONS (from Concise Oxford Dictionary 9th Edition)

Autocracy – absolute government by one individual

Charlatan – a person falsely claiming a special knowledge or skill

Charlie – a fool

Mealy-mouthed – afraid to use plain expression

BS – (from Collin’s on-line Dictionary)

1 Countable Noun

A BS or B.S. is a first degree from a college or university. BS is an abbreviation for Bachelor of Science

2 Countable Noun

A BS or B.S. is written after someone’s name to indicate that they have a BS

3 Uncountable Noun

If you describe something as BS or B.S., you are saying that it is nonsense or completely untrue. BS is an abbreviation for bullshit

NEPHROLOGIST = Kidney Doctor

CONSULTANT = a Doctor who has climbed to the top of the greasy pole

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am very grateful to:

My parents for creating me, and sustaining me, and instilling in me values that have sustained me throughout my life (RIP Mum and Dad).

Mr A, Consultant Neurosurgeon, and his team at Royal Preston Hospital for giving me my life back. I have improved progressively since neurosurgery on 4.12.19.

Tes who was there for me in my darkest hours.

S, my beloved daughter. Always an inspiration.

My family. Always supportive.

My neighbours (see vignette My Neighbours).

The NHS for providing me with employment. And when I needed help, was there for me.

Mel and her staff at Lantern over the Lune café, Glasson Dock. As well as excellent food, the environment was therapeutic. Mel also reviewed some of my work. A mother of 5, she had plenty of experience of life.

The Pear Tree café at Ashton Hall Garden Centre. Excellent food in great surroundings.

Mr Les Wilkinson, the truest of true friends. Always there. Always supportive.

Ms