Web Page No 2560

2nd March 2019

1st Picture. Spur Road Cosham

2nd Picture. Original QA Hospital

3rd Picture. Wart Freezing

Foot Care

One of the dreaded words that I remember from my Junior School days is Verruca. For my mother to be told by the school nurse that I had a verruca on my right foot, caused much looking, washing, scrubbing and cleaning with Surgical Spirit all to no avail. After being referred, by the nurse to our local Doctor, Dr. Cheyne, an appointment was made for me to be seen by the foot specialist team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. 

My mother could not drive and my father was away working in Ceylon and so this involved a bus trip into Cosham followed by a climb up the steep concrete steps to the QA. This, of course, was the original QA there had been not new building on the site almost since before the war apart from the odd asbestos hut dotted around the site.

I remember going into that impressive brick façade (is it still there? If so it is well hidden) and down a long corridor to check in. I still did not have much idea what was to come so trotted along quite happily. We entered the department and checked in and my mother, as she always did, made it known that before she married, she was the Assistant Matron in a well-known London Children’s Hospital, so she knew what she was talking about. This was always rather embarrassing when she did this. 

We were called into the surgery and my foot was examined and my mother was told that the verruca would have to come out. The doctor then set about preparing his instruments for the minor operation. I must admit that seeing a tray with a selection of scalpels on it was a bit daunting and when he mentioned dry ice I was really getting concerned. Having prepared my foot the doctor produced an insulated container which, when he removed the lid emitted what looked like smoke (it was actually vapour) all over the room. I watched him withdraw a thin column of dry ice and place it on my foot. I was expecting pain but was too fascinated by the smoking dry ice to notice and the next thing I knew was that the doctor said “All done nurse can you put a dressing on it please”. I was amazed when he explained that the dry ice froze the area around the verruca which enabled him to cut it out with the scalpel which I was still fascinated by the smoke.

It was not an experience that I wished to have again but was quite pleased that I had no pain but I had forgotten those long concrete steps down from the QA into Cosham and the bus stop. Walking along the flat was fine although I hobbled a bit but putting one foot after another down a steep flight of steps when one of the feet has a raw area with a bandage and pad over it under your sandals is certainly something that I really do not recommend   

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Peter

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On this day 3rd March 1960-1965

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