Today

[paul463]

A wee bit of a download fella's hope you don't mind.............

Today started with training on a new analyser, that took most of the morning. Lunch time came and went. Just after 2pm I went in to the lab to chat to my trainees to see how they were doing. There was some discussion abothe hospital holdiing a major incident exercise and they asked if I had heard about it, I hadn't. I left the lab to go back to my office, saw our MO and my boss and said to them as I walked towards them that the lab hadn't been informed about the exercise. The MO looked at me and said " it's real", first indication was a gas explosion in St Andrews. Declared Major Incident 1400Hrs L. I felt the pit of my stomach grip.

My boss left me to organise the lab for incoming casualties, I had literally only just finished re writting the major Incident plan. We have a lot of young staff, gave them a quick brief and asigned them their work stations. Everyone did what they had to do, once we were set I found that all of the bad incidents that I have had to deal with in the last 21 years came flooding back, all of the people who we couldn't save, the blood on the floor. That was the most bizarre of feelings, hoping I can sleep without nightmares tonight. For the BTS lab thankfully we were quickly stood down as it was a leak of Chlorine based gas at a leisure centre.

That was my day, thanks for listening

[Thundershot]

We're always here for you Paul.

[Quickfire]

As a certain Jute botherer once said in an entitrely appropriate context, keep buggering on Herr 463

A wee dram or two and a never did anyone any harm either

[Chopper]

Sounds like a good result, Paul. I'm glad you don't get too much opportunity to exercise your training.

[SteveD]

Sounds like a beast of a day, but the younger ones need solid leadership mate, and I'm sure they got it from your good self!

"When you're going through Hell - keep going".

[SteveD]

Not really connected, but in a similar theme - been having some beastly times at work of late. All goodonger term, I'm sure, but it's hard at the moment.

Late last night I stumbled onto a documentary show "the boy who wants his leg cut off". Not ashamed to say it had me in tears. Basically about an inspirational little lad of 11 whose leg kept getting tumours and was growing faster than his other, makin him deformed and in pain. And he desperately wanted it amputating to stop the deformity and pain, but it was thought they couldn't. Such a brave little lad, and made me re evaluate whether my last number of weeks really had been bad or not. All he wanted was his leg amputating. Track the show down on iplayer. It's not an easy watch, but it really was touching and inspirational.

[Chopper]

Most of what we perceive as drama in our lives is just that, perception. The way I see it you need food, shelter and clothing to survive. Anything more is luxury. I don't mind luxury.

Remember, the sh*t we go through day to day, everyone goes through. We all have medical scares, deaths of loved ones all of that. My Granddad used to say, it'll be all the same in 100 years. Half of what we worry about isn't really a problem, I reckon.