Can I just say that I hate being in hospital? It’s always too hot (turning the thermostat down a few degrees would make it more comfortable for the patients, and reduce the reproduction rate of bacteria,) and there are machines going BEEP all night, with no-one bothering to turn them off, so you can’t get any sleep.

They admitted me, put me in traction (which I thought had been dispensed with), gave me some heavy drugs, ran a battery of tests, and kept me there until today, with — you guessed it — more analgesics to take. I asked to see a neurosurgery team, but that was refused: apparently surgery’s not indicated yet. I’ve got a referral to a physio clinic in a fortnight, though.

So now I’m taking the same drugs my gp prescribed plus two new ones from the hospital, and I’m still in excruciating pain 24 hours a day.

DA: I got your email; thank you. I’m sorry I haven’t replied: my phone credit expired Thursday night, and (for complicated reasons) I couldn’t recharge until today.