Twiggie

I need some help please as the blasted railway workers have decided to call a strike the week I'm due at the hosptial for my pre-op

I'm going to have no alternative but to drive down and I know there isn't any parking at the Whitt so will need to find somewhere else to park

If there's anywhere near High Barnet tube station to park I can get the tube to the hospital. I'd preferably want an all day car park that isn't going to cost me a small fortune if possible

LisaG

Hi Twiggie. I live in North Finchley and there are places you can park there and in East Finchley then jump on the 263 straight there...15-20 mins. Hope that helps x

LisaG

In North Finchley there is a car park on Lodge Lane (just off high road) that will cost you £3 for the day x

Twiggie

That's perfect, thank you, found it on the map!

Next question, how long does it take to get from A1M/M25 South Mimms junction coming down the A1081/A1000 via Barnet into N Finchley?

Will be in rush hour traffic as need to be at the hospital by 10am. I'm anticipating roads being extra busy with the rail strike too so I'm dreading it as it's been years since I've driven so far, or on the A1M

LisaG

Hi Twiggie,

Doesn't take too long really. That's the way I go from M25 - I'd give it half hour to get to Finchley if you're unsure of the area. However, I'd always give it much more time than that anyway. I'd aim to be getting off the M25 by 8.00 if it were me. Then I'd know I had a couple of hours to get to finchley, park the car and get the bus.

Hope that helps

L x

Twiggie

Heck, that means leaving home around 5am and then I've still got to get back home again after the appt, so will be a v long day. Not sure I can cope with that. Will have to cancel the appt

thinnerangela

You must be relieved the strike has been called off - didn't relish you the journey by car that time of the day!!

Hope it goes well

Angela xx

LisaG

Strike's off! Strike's off! You didn't cancel did you? Please tell me you didn't.

Twiggie

Thank you, no I hadn't cancelled but only because there was no one in that dept on Thursday afternoon!

Mind you, after reading of Lisa's horrendous experiences at this hospital last week I think I'm going to cancel the whole thing anyway and start again elsewhere. I've been feeling sick with anxiety since reading it and had terrible nightmares last night

LisaG

Oh Twiggie that's not what I wanted at all I just wanted people to know there IS another side to it and it DOESN'T always go as well as we hear. I don't feel I was at all prepared for what might happen and I think it might help people if they understand all the possibilities. Compared to other people at the Whit my story was quite different and the treatment was perhaps a bit unusual. My friend came to see me whilst I was there and she is still having hers there in May...it hasn't put her off.

Please don't cancel your op!

Roch

Hun pls dont do that, i think it all depends on the staff, my stay was ok and i had really good care on Betty mansel ward.
Pls think really carefully b u cancel as u might be waiting a year to get through the procedure again.
Take care and chat soon xxx

__________________

Twiggie

Hun, please don't feel bad about posting your experience, as you say it helps others to know that it's not always rosy. I'm just feeling ultra sensitive at the moment and reacting badly to all manner of different things. Perhaps if I'd read your story in a better frame of mind I would have been absolutely fine about it.

I'm not going to make any decisions now and will go for my pre-op next week as planned. I will however be asking certain questions about immediate post-op care that perhaps I'd never have thought of before reading your account, so thank you for that hun

Take care & hope you start feeling better soon xxx

Twiggie

Hi hun, I know you mentioned you'd been looked after well, but am I right in recalling that Ellen also had post-op problems? I know they weren't on the scale of Lisa's awful treatment but it's still a worry all the same.

As I said to Lisa though, I won't make any rash decisions but I'll be asking lots of questions at my pre-op next week.

How are things going for you? Well I hope! Not had chance to catch up with everyone's threads yet as I've been all over the place last couple of weeks.

Take care & speak soon xxx

LisaG

Hi Twiggie,

I'm glad you're not going to make any rash decisions. I think my story might have come at a bad time. It seems everyone gets really nervous as close as you are to surgery and I probably made it worse for you. I'm glad you are going to ask lots of questions at your pre-op...I hope it will help reassure you that experiences like mine don't happen that often xx