It was Nat’s 16th birthday. He had received presents and good wishes from his parents, told that ‘No he wasn’t going to be allowed to buy a motor bike’ and was receiving advice from his medical father about the dangers of drugs. ‘Listen, Son,’ said his Dad, ‘if you can come to me on your 18th birthday, […] Read more
When I was a child, our next door neighbours were Greg and Mary Stratton. They had a daughter called Heidi who was much the same age as I. Neither of us had brothers or sisters and as a result we spent a lot of time playing together, becoming great friends. Our parents were friends too […] Read more
In recent years I’ve started to rise early and go for a run before going to work. The exercise does me good and after a long soak in the shower, I feel invigorated and ready to face whatever challenges await me when I arrive at the surgery. Recently though I’ve moderated my physical activity as […] Read more
In modern times it seems to me that when a young man asks a girl for a date, he expects her to be stork-proof and willing to stay for breakfast. But before the pill, free love and flower power, things were very different. Courting was a sedate affair; relationships progressing far more slowly than is […] Read more
Working as a trainee in the Accident and Emergency Medical Department, I treated 3 young lads whose wrists had been broken as they stood with their hands on the barrier whilst watching a football match. Their wrists had been overextended as the crowd behind them surged down the terraces when a goal had been scored. […] Read more
A few years ago, I was on the front line in our Accident and Emergency Department when a kid of about 17 attended. He looked anxious but also had a shifty look on his face. He said he had been ‘out on the town’ and might have swallowed some gas. He was cagey about the circumstances but I […] Read more
Working in the casualty department on the day that City played United at Old Trafford, I treated 3 young lads who had been injured whilst on the terraces watching the match. Their wrists had been over stretched and broken when there had been a surge down the terraces during an exciting moment during a match. […] Read more
Maisie and Michael Simpson were ten year old twins. Both were good looking kids but there the similarity ended. Michael was bright, always near the top of the class, getting good reports at school. He was also a promising athlete and sportsman. He played for the school teams at football and cricket and as a result […] Read more
My patient came through the door, waddled into the room, then slowly, and with a sigh, eased himself into the chair. It groaned under his weight and I feared for its safety. One look at him told me he was obese, but the protocol insisted that I had to calculate his Body Mass Index, and […] Read more
Hans Schmidt had lived all his life in the village of Tutzing, on the shores of Lake Starnberg, in Southern Germany. At the age of 21, he had married his childhood sweetheart, Gerda, and opened a small bakery, supplying bread and cakes to the local community. When his working days were over, the couple had […] Read more