I really can't believe it's been close on a month since I updated, but things have been so busy of late. Obviously as I said before we had a bereavement in the family last month, and that upset life a little. This past week hasn't been such a good one either, I started a new placement - which always seems to mean I catch either a cold, sore throat or the flu. This time it was a cold that knocked me for 6, with only the energy to very weakly work on lsb's heel less socks (of which the first one is finally finished - never again. The pattern's lovely, but 3 pairs of socks in a row in the same pattern is a bit much. I want a rest) as always picture to follow when the camera's working which of course it's not, as I've still been unable to replace the battery.

It's also been a bad week as I was recently told by someone I worked with last year that my favourite patient has died. I know it's probably unprofessional to admit to having a "favourite" patient, but I don't know how else to describe this man, and I'd just like to pay tribute to him if I may. This man was a very unique individual, a mellowed out former hell raiser left over from the asylum days who had more scars from fights and scrapes than your average boxer, who always had a story to tell, he'd seen it all in his time and stood as a testament to how the so called "good old days" weren't actually that good at all for the patients who were subjected to what we would now consider barbaric and inhumane treatments. He always had something entertaining to say and whether it made sense or not he always brought a smile to my face and he knew it. He had no real family who cared about him which always upset me, but given that he'd spent most of his adult life hidden away in an asylum it shouldn't have really surprised me. He had the most beautiful singing voice I've ever heard, and his renditions of Danny Boy brought a tear to my eye. I was genuinely upset when I was told of his death because it was so sudden and he'd been so very young in my eyes to go, but I feel so blessed and so fortunate to have known this man because I know there'll never be a character like him again. And with the existence now of newer drugs and better therapies I'll never again see someone with the level of long lasting side effects as I saw both in this man and in his peers. I will genuinely miss this gentleman and will always remember the lessons that I learned from him.