Thursday 19th December 1991 Before morning surgery 08:47 “George Gwilym’s dead!” Dilys had tears in her eyes. Dylan looked shocked. “He died last night,” she continued. “He woke up vomiting blood. It was everywhere by the time we arrived: all over
You are looking quite well.
Thursday 12th December 1991 Morning surgery 10:50 “I’m feeling quite well at the moment, Dr Lewis.” George Gwilym sat down. “I am definitely better than I was. I am eating reasonably. Of course, I have to be careful. I can’t eat
How to catch threadworms.
Thursday 5th December 1991 Thursday morning 12:10 Threadworms live inside your bottom. At night, when you are nice and warm in bed, they come out and lay their eggs on your skin. The
By half time, we both wished we’d brought our homework.
Saturday 30th November 1991 Portmere vs. Newtown 14:10 In the past, we have always tried to go to the first few Portmere matches of each new season. We would arrive at these games with rekindled optimism and, sometimes, even buy programmes. This
Working in harmony.
Thursday 21st November 1991 Morning surgery 11:11 Dylan and Dilys looked sheepishly at each other as they came into the room. “We’ve just seen Adam Andrews for you, Dr Lewis.” They both accidentally spoke in unison and laughed. “You start, Dilys,”
A thin set of notes.
Thursday 14th November 1991 Morning surgery 10:50 Valerie Vaughan stomped into Dad’s room. She sat down and looked angrily at him. She was obviously in a bad mood. “I would like to see my medical notes, Dr Dennis.” “Your medical notes?”
Chest pain 3 ways.
Thursday 7th November 1991 Morning coffee break 12:00 Dr Lewis gave each of us our coffee and sat down. “Right, I would like to discuss 3 different types of chest pain whilst we are having coffee this morning. You can start,
The same blocked nose.
Wednesday 30th October 1991 Morning surgery 10:40 “You’re back . . . with the same blocked nose?” My Dad looked up as Mr Palmer came in. “Yes, doctor. I made sure that I booked a routine appointment when you weren’t on
One of the best things about general practice.
Thursday 24th October 1991 Morning coffee break 12:20 Dylan and Dilys have been telling us about their career plans. Dylan wants to be a cardiac surgeon but Dilys is thinking about general practice. My Dad smiled encouragingly at her. “One of
My nose is blocked.
Thursday 17th October 1991 Morning surgery 09:40 “My nose is blocked.” “Your nose is blocked?” My Dad sounded annoyed. “Yes, doctor.” “Dr Lewis is away. I am on call. I’m very busy and you have come because of a blocked nose?”
It’s not bowel spasm.
Thursday 10th October 1991 Morning surgery 11:00 “It’s not bowel spasm, Dr Dennis.” “It sounds like it.” “I’ve been having bowels spasm since I was 14 years old. This pain is not the same. It’s in a different place. It doesn’t
Fred, Phil and Gregor.
Thursday 3rd October 1991 Morning surgery 10:00 Fred, Phil and Gregor all refused point blank to wait in Casualty for 4 hours and Dr Lewis was away so Dad
A blanching rash.
Thursday 26th September 1991 Morning surgery 08:50 “Thanks for fitting us in at the last minute, Dr Dennis.” Mrs Farley looked very flustered. “I am so worried about this rash. It started yesterday but was much worse this morning.” “That’s alright,
Fragmented care.
Thursday 19th September 1991 Morning surgery 10:10 “Well, at least Mr Lane has taken my joints seriously. He had a good look at my knee. He was extremely thorough. He is arranging a completely new set of x-rays from a variety
Just a bit of wax.
Thursday 12th September 1991 Morning surgery 09:20 “What’s that?” “It’s my auriscope.” Mrs Lightfoot. “I am going to look into your ear.” “No, that yellow thing.” My Dad tilted the auriscope so he could look at the earpiece. “Oh! It’s just
On a knife edge.
Thursday 5th September 1991 Morning surgery 10:50 “We’ve just seen George Gwilym for you, Dr Lewis. He says he’s on a knife edge.” Dylan and Dilys had come to Dr Lewis’ door. “He was bleeding from the tumour,” Dilys said. “It
How bad is that pain, Mr Riley?
Thursday 29th August 1991 Morning surgery 10:20 “How bad is that pain, Mr Riley?” “I would give it a score of 2 out of 10.” “2 out of 10?” My dad looked very surprised. “That’s hardly any pain at all.” “These
Jellyfish stings!!!
Tuesday 20th August 1991 Agia Galini 15:30 Because my Dad was on holiday, he refused to attend to the
Holiday reading.
Thursday 15th August 1991 Lunchtime Agia Galini 12:00 Like clockwork, at midday on the first Thursday of the holiday, Mum, Dad and I all finished our third Summer blockbusters. Declan was still on the second page of his first novel. Mum
Camping in Scotland.
Friday 9th August 1991 After dinner 20:20 It wasn’t until my Dad found out that the Vaughans were going camping to the Shetlands at the same time as Mum and him, that he decided to go back to Agia Galini. After
Odds or evens?
Thursday 8th August 1991 Morning surgery 10:00 “I just have one remaining problem, doctor. I thought we could discuss it today.” Mildred Mercer sat down and smiled. “I thought that there were two left?” “There were but one is better.” “That’s
Odds or evens?
Monday 5th August 1991 Morning surgery 10:10 “You are back, again, Mrs Mercer. Didn’t Dennis and I see you last Thursday?” “Yes, I couldn’t remember what you said about problem number 4 and I wanted to discuss the remaining problems, if
Odd or evens?
Thursday 1st August 1991 Morning surgery 10:20 Mrs Mercer looked flustered. She sat down and started rummaging through her handbag. “I am just trying to find my list, Doctor Dennis.” “Your list?” My Dad raised his eyebrows. “My list of problems,
Athlete’s foot.
Thursday 25th July 1991 Morning surgery 11:30 “Come on, Phil. When did you last do any exercise?” Phil’s feet were dripping. The skin was macerated and peeling off. His soles
We think he is bleeding from the tumour.
Thursday 18th July 1991 Morning surgery 08:53 “We’ve just seen George Gwilym for you Dr Lewis. He’s not well at all. He’s much weaker.” Dylan and Dilys had come to Dr Lewis’ door. They looked very concerned. “He is really pale:
Pain scales.
Thursday 11th July 1991 Morning surgery 10:20 “Dr Desmond, I’m in agony. I know you don’t like pain scales but the pain in my left ankle is just the same: it’s 6/10 still. The pain in my left buttock is worse:
Projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhoea.
Thursday 4th July 1991 Morning surgery 11:00 We saw a baby this morning with projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhoea. He smiled at us and squealed. He looked perfectly well. I suppose these illnesses always seem worse to the people who change
Cath and Len.
Thursday 27th June 1991 Morning surgery 09:40 Len Logan came in and sat down. His wife, Cath, followed him, clutching a scrunched up hanky over her mouth. Her face was bright red. “We have come about our coughs, doctor.” Len smiled.
Intensive care.
Thursday 20th June 1991 Morning surgery 11:30 “I am sorry, Mrs Baxter. They haven’t even got room along one of the corridors for you.” “I don’t mind, doctor.” “Things seem to be getting worse in that hospital. Sister Salter has looked
Happy birthday?
Friday 14th June 1991 Home alone 21:50 It looks as if everyone really has forgotten my Birthday, this year. Dad’s at a meeting, Mum has gone to Gran’s and Declan’s playing 5-aside.
Three second opinions.
Thursday 13th June 1991 Morning surgery 10:10 Mrs Vaughan did not look too pleased when she saw that Dylan and Dilys were sitting in with us again. “Come on, Valerie,” my Dad encouraged her. “At least you will get three second
Delusional infestation.
Thursday 6th June 1991 Morning surgery 09:10 “Well, that’s another 47 we’ve got rid of today, Caitlin. Do you want to make an appointment to come back tomorrow?” Delusional
Breathing in and breathing out.
Thursday 30th May 1991 Morning surgery 09:30 “I’m not having another spirometry test, Dr Dennis. It’s a waste of time!” “I don’t know why you are saying that, Mrs Vaughan.” “It’s breathing in that I’m interested in, Doctor. I’m not getting
The auscultatory gap.
Thursday 23rd May 1991 Morning surgery 11:20 “I am very worried about this gentleman’s blood pressure, Dr Dennis. It’s 160/100.” “No, it’s not, Dylan. It’s 140/80.” “I checked it in his right arm, Dilys and you checked it in the left
Cerys Bevan’s notes.
Thursday 16th May 1991 Morning surgery 09:39 “Good Morning, Dr Dennis. Thanks for fitting me in at short notice. It’s Malcolm Travis here.” “Yes, of course, Mr Travis.” “I’ve brought you these. They’re Cerys Bevan’s notes. You left them in our
I’ll just get my list, doctor.
Thursday 9th May 1991 Morning surgery 10:00 “I’ll just get my list, doctor.” “List?” “Yes, as you know, I usually see Dr Lewis. She likes me to bring a list of my problems.” “I am afraid that lists don’t work for
Bell’s Palsy.
Thursday 2nd May 1991 Morning surgery 10:40 “This gentleman seems to have had a stroke, Dr Dennis.” “I don’t think so, young man.” Valerie Vaughan ushered Vernon into Dad’s consulting room. “Hmm . . . is this another medical student?” she
Titch, Terry and Rod.
Thursday 25th April 1991 Morning surgery 10:50 Titch Mitchelson, Terry Talbot and Rodney Masters had all started smoking together in the second year in Grammar School. At lunchtime, they would nip
Cross purposes.
Thursday 18th April 1991 Morning surgery 09:10 “I’ve got this awful pain in my tummy, doctor. It’s right up here.” Mrs Carter pressed her clenched fist up against the bottom of her breastbone. “When did it start?” “I can’t eat a
Lots of small clots.
Friday 12th April 1991 Home visit 10:00 “Good morning, Dr Lewis.” “Good morning, George. When did you come home?” “On Tuesday . . . you were right, I was having clots.” “It’s Dilys and Dylan you need to thank, George. They
Not quite ready for oxygen.
Thursday 11th April 1991 Morning surgery 11:20 “Despite being younger and giving up smoking a few years ago, Emrys Evans is quite a lot further along the road than his brother, Eifion.” My Dad had just finished examining Emrys. “I don’t
Chronic bronchitis.
Thursday 4th April 1991 Morning surgery 09:00 “Well, this is how it usually starts, Mr Evans. A smoker’s cough. Bronchitis once or twice a year. You have probably noticed that you are slightly out of breath walking to the Newsagent’s in
Mrs Eleri Goldman.
Thursday 28th March 1991 Lunchtime 13:07 My Dad must have ducked into the newsagent’s at exactly the same second that Mrs Eleri Goldman collapsed. He had picked up The Times and was so intent on the front page that he heard
We’re worried he’s having clots, Dr Lewis.
Thursday 21st March 1991 Morning surgery 10:05 “We’ve just seen George Gwilym for you Dr Lewis. He’s not well at all. He’s much more breathless than last time.” Dylan had come to Dr Lewis’ door. He looked very concerned. “His lips
A little bit breathless.
Thursday 14th March 1991 Morning surgery 09:30 “How are you, Mr Gwilym?” “Well, I’ve been quite good really, Dr Lewis. The stent seems to be working. I am still eating quite well. The only thing is, I’ve been feeling a little
Dylan and Dilys.
Thursday 7th March 1991 Morning surgery 11:59 By the end of their first surgery, it was obvious to Dr Lewis and I that Dylan and Dilys, our new medical students, were in
Testicular torsion.
Thursday 28th February 1991 Morning surgery 11:40 After Dr Lewis had finished examining Arthur Rowe’s tummy, she took a peek down his trousers. I thought his mum might call the police. “There we are, Dennis,” she said, “a very painful, swollen,
Her heart is going like the clappers!
Thursday 21st February 1991 Morning surgery 10:05 My Dad scowled and picked up the phone. He hates being interrupted in the middle of a consultation. “It’s Penny from reception, Dr Dennis. I am sorry to disturb you. I have just had
Safety netting.
Wednesday 13th February 1991 After dinner 19:45 “What’s safety netting, Dennis?” “It’s a fancy, medical term that doctors use when they explain how they ask patients to come back to see them if they are not getting better.” “Isn’t that just
Cardiac arrest!
Thursday 7th February 1991 Morning coffee break 12:40 “Cardiac arrest! Cardiac arrest!” Dr Lewis and Harriet went flying out of the staff room and down the stairs. I jumped up to follow them but Dad stopped me. “Hang on, Dennis, Isobel
Fish hook removal.
Thursday 31st January 1991 Morning surgery 11:20 The difficult thing about removing a fish hook from a patient’s finger is the barb. You can’t just pull the hook out. The barb is there to
Three funerals.
Thursday 24th January 1991 Morning surgery 09:40 “Good morning, Mrs Vaughan.” “Good morning, Dr Dennis. I’m just here for my review.” “How are you, then?” “I’m fine. However, I’ve been to three funerals in the last few weeks. I was at
Two tricky telephone calls.
Thursday 17th January 1991 Morning surgery 09:20 Ryan Ellis had celebrated his 18th birthday on New Year’s Eve. Now he had severe pain every time he went for a wee and ‘two swollen balls that hurt like hell’. After a bit
A mince pie with custard and clotted cream.
Thursday 10th January 1991 Morning surgery 10:40 “How are you, Mr Gwilym?” “I’ve been good, Dr Lewis. The stent seems to be working. I’m eating quite well, mostly soft foods. I’ve had lots of soups. We had turkey soup every day
Hypothermia.
Tuesday 1st January 1991 At home 09:07 At 9 o’clock on New Year’s Day, Gary and Maisy Wilkins found Fred slumped against their snowman. Maisy lifted his hat. Fred was