This is how it happened on July 12th 2016
and how I wrote about it afterwards
It began as a rumbling noise like thunder but right here in the room, This is what woke me, then immediately there was a deafening explosion as the ceiling came crashing down. I could see in flashes n, luckily the huge lump of masonry hit the head of the bed and broke up into smaller pieces – one of which landed on my left cheekbone and another on the right side of my temple. The worst after effect though was the pain in my eyes as they were filled with plaster – a stinging …pain. I could see in flashes though it was hard work trying to open then explain to the nurse what had happened. I couldn’t see but as somehow unable to say this, just that the eyes were painful. The ambulance came and took me to the Western eyes hospital where the beautiful doctor took the plaster out of my eyes. I was still unable to see and they got another ambulance to take me home. I could still see in short flashes and I went to sleep on my sofa. My eyeballs had scratches, but the doctor said it would take two weeks to heal up. I am still typing with my eyes shut. Thank goodness I know the keyboard. My eyes are open longer now. Last night it was twelve seconds. them. It was 12.30 and I was afraid to call anyone. I couldn’t control my voice, it was shock I suppose. I called the doctor and got a emergency number to ring 111. I called the number and tried .This morning it is nineteen – lots of blinking but not that heaviness that shuts my eyes with no effort on my part. The worst part is that Julia, the lady downstairs is dying and nobody is in a state to help. A man has collected five sacks of rubble five sacks of masonry. very heavy. I was so lucky, Physically I am in health – apart from the eyes, but mentally I am still in trauma and I keep hearing that noise. It must have been like during the war when the bombs were dropping. I cannot write any more, my body is telling me to lie down.
About 25th September
Some time later I woke with a pain in my chest. I thought maybe I was lying in an awkward position. I turned to lie on the other side, but it was even worse. I arose and wandered about, but the more I tried to soothe it, the worse it got. Not knowing what to do I went to the computer and entered pain under left breast and got the result ‘See your Doctor immediately’ It was 3.15 in the morning – on a Sunday. So again I dialled 111. I told the person who answered the phone what was happening and he asked me lots of questions with no relevance to what was going on and put me through to the nurse who proceeded to ask me all the questions again. She said ‘you must see the doctor’ The doctor arrived quite soon and made me sit still. He asked me all the questions again and did the usual tests. blood pressure, oxygen, temperature and ecgs. Then he range somebody else = a lady who came in and asked me all the questions again and did all the tests again. Then the ambulance came and they took me downstairs into the ambulance and asked me all the question again and did all the tests again. ECGs
Then I was taken to UCH. I told them that if there was any danger I refused to die at the royal Free. and said I would go to the UCH. Surprisingly enough they said OK and I spent the rest of Sunday = until seven in the evening, having the tests and a CT scan and they decided I would live. and all is OK. The pain did go eventually but I had a really good time in the UCH They fed me well and gave me lots of tea and coffee – and jelly.
Its been a strange year. So many lovely people died. Burt, Terry, Jackie Skarvellis, Jimmy Perry. It just goes on. There was the wedding in January and February I launched A Thing Called Joe in Redondo. March we had a rather feeble reading of Flower in your Hand. Then in June another launch of Joe at the Lion and Unicorn.
And now it is November and She That Plays the Queen is at Proof reading stage. We are hoping it will be out by Christmas, but its getting a big late for Christmas presents.
I am supposed to be doing some reviewing but the light has gone and I cannot read the programmes. Did the Sam Shepard one but that was all, the darkness fell.
Goodnight.
pyekan 