At the Hospital

My brother had an appointment at the Oral and Maxillofacial department at the John Radcliffe hospital today. My mum is still in France so I went along with him for a bit of moral support - not to mention navigating the JR to actually find the Oral and Maxillofacial department!!!
Over the past few years Mr D has let his oral hygiene slip somewhat and the appointment today was a consultation to see which - if any - of his teeth can be saved.
Unfortunately the surgeon said that the best long term option was to take them all out.
She explained that the procedure would be under general anaesthetic and said Mr D would have to go back to the hospital for a pre-op assessment in the next few weeks. 
Then she said to hang on a minute and she'd see if someone was free to do it later on today. If we were OK to wait.
Not more than five minutes later we were ushered into a room over the corridor with a lovely man who looked uncannily like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Mr D was asked so many questions about health, lifestyle, medical history. He had his blood pressure and blood oxygen levels taken, he was weighed and measured and generally given a thorough going over!
Apart from the obvious health issue - a stroke aged twenty six on New Year's Eve 1996/7 - and his manky teeth, he is in remarkably good health. Despite the twenty a day habit (which I did have to point out to Zlatan was probably a conservative estimate!!!) 
After all that he had to have an ECG which, as luck would have it, they could do straightaway too. We had no sooner sat down in the waiting area when the man came out to get him. And in ten minutes it was done!
I was so proud of Mr D. He has a fear of hospitals, doctors, dentists etc which is why his teeth have got so bad, and he was dreading today. 
I had worried about the possibility of him getting slightly arsey and I told him over a cup of tea in the League of Friends cafe before the appointment that I'd abandon him in the hospital if he started getting angry with anyone and it would take him days to find his way out and when mum rang to ask how it went I'd say I didn't know because he was still wandering round the JR trying to get out!
Ha ha, got to love little sisters!!!!
But I couldn't have been more wrong. He was brilliant! Calm, relaxed, polite, answering all the hundreds of questions some of which were fairly heartbreaking - Do you work? Are you married?
I'd asked if he'd prefer privacy for the ECG but he wanted me to go in and despite what must have been very hard for him stripping down in front of me and the ECG man he didn't bat an eyelid and got straight on with it.
The staff were superb all day. Talking to Mr D not me, laughing and joking with him and putting him at his ease. 
He thinks his speech is much worse than it is and that no-one can understand him but that's just paranoia and fear. The only thing he needed me for was getting him to the right place (otherwise he really would still be wandering around the hospital!!!), filling out all the forms and giving details of next of kin.
Obviously having to have all his teeth out is awful but today couldn't have gone any better which is a good start.
Then it was home for a quick cup of tea with Mr D before heading off to get the Little Misses from school for their dentist appointment.
I can't take them into their dental appointments because I'm pathetic it's too hideously traumatic so my lovely husband worked at home today so he was around to take them.
I was late picking them up from school so rather than going home and Mr K taking them in his car we just stopped to pick up Mr K and then I drove them down to town. 
I did tell the Little Misses about Uncle D's teeth and reminded them why it's so important to brush the bloody things properly, eat less sweets and go to the dentist regularly. I may have laid it on a bit thick!!!!!
We parked in Waitrose car park and I had to laugh at my total middle class-ness as I shouted after Mr K dashing off with the Little Misses:
Can I have the fob off my keyring, I need to go to Waitrose and get some Thai basil and a free cup of tea!!
I was disturbed to discover that my Thai basil has gone up 20p to £1.20 but at least my delicious cup of Duchy English breakfast tea was free, woohoo!!
I walked back up the hill to our house and I had just stepped through the front door when the Little Misses and Mr K pulled up on the drive. All went well at the dentist, phew!!
Mr K and I went to vote separately as the Little Misses couldn't be persuaded to come with us. It was a shame as they were very excited about it last time but this evening they were rollerskating around and didn't want to go out.
In Buckingham our MP is John Bercow, the Speaker of the House, and there's a convention that none of the main parties put up a candidate against him so we're totally disenfranchised a bit limited in our choice. The Speaker has no vote in the House which means we don't. 
Anyway, our choice was him, UKIP, Green and an Independent. Last time John Bercow got about 65% of the vote so its a pretty safe seat for him!
I'd read a bit about the Independent - a young local teacher - and I admired the fact that rather than just moan about the lack of choice and the general crapness of being disenfranchised he got up off his arse and ran for parliament.
He got my vote and will hopefully get his deposit back.
I got into bed just before 10pm with my laptop and David Dimbleby and settled in for a long night. 
The Exit Poll came out and predicted a hung parliament. I should have turned it off right then!!
But I didn't! 
I had a terrible night, half awake, half asleep, waking up every now and then to look at all the numbers on the screen but them not making any sense because I wasn't actually awake, feeling like Laura Kuenssberg was chattering away in my ear ALL night.
Uuuughhhh!!!!!
I woke up at 5am and watched it properly.
What a fucking mess.