The best General Practitioner ever. FACT.

Writing the last piece and listening to some suitably depressing music has reminded me of the man who I credit with just listening, even though I told him nothing.

Dr K S Patel

(Sheffield. Friend. Above and beyond the calls of duty always.....)

(Retired to live out his days in India. Much missed)

Now. As a child I never used to go to the doctors. I was forever playing this sport or that... When either one of my parents wanted an excuse to throw a sickie off work I think that I may have been used as an excuse when the obligatory diarrhea or tummy bug reason was maybe wearing a little thin. Read on...

I was born at home by my Doctor. Even when I moved away from Sheffield I kept the same GP, even though it meant driving the few miles to see him.

So I have estabilished a brilliant realtionship with him.... I think he must have seen something in me, we often discussed many things outside the medical sphere too. The thing with Dr Patel, you could go to his surgery and always be guaranteed that he would see you, even if you didn't have an appointment. And the '5 minutes and you are out' rule that has been in force for years never applied, with any of his patients. Nor the, 'Do not even attempt to discuss more than one malady at a time rule'..... You really could discuss anything and everything....

So as a child.....

I was taken to the Doctors to get to the bottom of my sudden outbursts of bad language and hyperactivity. This was on request of the doctor, who was obviously concerned with the amount of appearances I was making as I got older and more 'inside myself.'

I alluded to several things... He already knew. But at that time things such as perceived child abuse or whatever was dealt with very differently. Swept under the carpet somewhat.

I thank Dr Patel for being there, always when I needed him. Genuinely and also for the odd sickie here and there, writing a sick note for... "How long do you want Robin and what have you got?" I also must thank him for letting me prescribe my own drugs for much of my life. This sounds awful but in effect worked very well.

I love you Dr Patel, and really was so pleased when you travelled over to Chesterfield on more than one occasion to come a visiting... And in the old Northern General in Sheffield too.

I do hope you and your beautiful wife (sadly in a wheelchair through MS) are enjoying your retirement and are still with us.....

** I wish I could have told you everything, but you already knew.....

And thank~you for being the best doctor a man could ever have wished for..... And if perchance you read this much love.... Let's talk. 8oD

<(ovo)> xx

Robin. 9/12/09 Approx 11-22pm I enjoyed writing this and it bought me happy memories. Feeling the old nostalgia tonight, in a good way now.

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