ADVICE FOR SICK PEOPLE

Got to the follow-up on time, well on time. And spent nearly twenty five minutes meditating before the cardiologist came in. He's a busy man, and as the population gets older and more decrepit, he will be busier. Went over the recent procedure, looked at the incisions, discussed my future as a continuing smoker. Was given a praescription for a fourth medicine, one which helps prevents strokes and thrombosis after an angioplasty, and reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events. It inhibits the clotting protein.
And is classified as a blood thinner.

I shan't mention what it is on Facebook, because the last time I listed one of my medications there (six years ago) I got unwanted medical advice from someone who "knows a doctor".
I also know a doctor. I know five of them. Two of them are in the cardiovascular field. I want their advice more than random words of wisdom from the ginger and turmeric crowd.

Of course that does not mean that I am obedient. After picking up my new pills I went and had a pastry and a cup of milk tea, then lit up a pipe for a slow quiet stroll to the bus stop.
So it's been a good afternoon.

Just in case I needed to explain why I wasn't there last week, I memorized the term 血管成形術 ('huet gun sing ying sut'). Which isn't one that normally crops up in civilian conversations, and most folks won't have a clue anyway. I could've just said 病咗嘅老鬼 ('peng jo ge lou gwai'), but one seeks to be precise. Even if it baffles.

The above illustration (done between my appointment and the pharmacy) is a view of a canal in Utrecht. Autumnal. Haven't been there in years. It's one of my favourite cities in the Netherlands. Note the subtle value shift in the blue of the sky.


Besides Utrecht, other cities well-worth visiting are Amsterdam, Den Haag, 'sHertogenbosch, and Maastricht. Dutch cuisine is odd and not exceptional, but the Indonesian food in both A'dam and the Hague is stellar and infinitely varied.
The Chinese food is okay, lah.


Tilburg and Eindhoven, though I have a fondness for them, are not particularly exciting. That last has a good football team (PSV), and one can have an enjoyable time there, but really, they're a little provincial. Except for their drug scene. World-class.
If that's your bag, you are probably American.
Go for it.




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