Learning

We all learn in different ways,

We all see the world in different ways,

We look at things in our own unique way,

Diversity is the path to cover everyone.

One track thought leads down the same path,

When you look outside the box,

All sorts of new possibilities can be seen,

New directions and solutions can be found.

Whitewashing thoughts are no use,

The world is colourful let's embrace it,

Learning from all angles, lets embrace it,

Discrimination lets all face it, it's disgraceful. 

I'm inspired by the greatness I surround myself with,

Doesn't matter the colour, gender, religion or any other label,

What I care about is the skills, energy and talent they bring,

It's their greatness I seek, whether it be word or deed.

I've made so many friends through my work,

Listening to my words, my actions and my cause,

Inspired by all they do, every act, every deed,

Awesome people every single one, saving lives as if its nothing.

Learning from each other at every stage,

Seeing flaws in our ways,

Working together to improve our methods

Elevating each other to new heights.

I wrote this coming back from my meeting as part of the group making the patient booklet of SIGN's delirium guideline. I was feeling really creative and the juices were flowing. Wrote a few poems that day, was a very good day. I hope you enjoy. 

Realisation

Clarifying our goals, seeing where to go,

Seeing the path forward, progression,

Over words, we argue, our obsession,

Goals aimed for to be achieved.

Seeing reality ever changing,

Facts and aims ever moving back and forth,

Life gives us new challenges to overcome,

New missions to go on and complete.

Clarity forming vagueness going,

Crystal clear is how I’m seeing,

Threads of fate now in-front of me,

Endless path we go walking,

Overcoming what’s in front of me.

My history revealed new goal apparent,

Helping others my drive on my journey,

Life unfolding with it’s new scars,

Looking at how far I’ve come,

Not yet done in my achieving.

This was written after I had been to SIGN guideline patient booklet development, I hand wrote it on the train. The train is a great place to write as in my case it’s often a quiet time before you go do something exciting or have come back from doing something exciting. It’s when my creative juices and anxiety are in full bloom which leads to some excellent work. I hope you all enjoy it, feel free to comment or reply to the tweet about this :)

Help

Why do we help those we don't know,

Because we're all human isn't enough?

Because it stops suffering isn't that great,

Why do we all live in fear?

Why can't we hold people we don't know near?

I don't offer you my aid out of sympathy,

I offer out of joint misery,

What you have gone through so have I,

Just look at me and what I survived.

If we do to others as we'd have done to us,

Life would be much better, a whole lot of fun,

A world filled with joy until the rising sun,

No more need for knives or guns.

So if you read this please remember this,

You have the power to change someone's world,

You have it in you to make it a better place,

If we all help each other we'll make the world great

Bravery

To be brave is not doing something,

It's doing something you know is right,

It's doing it even when there is great risk,

It's doing it while everyone tells you it's wrong,

It's sharing the darkness that you have fought.

Every patient volunteer is as brave as can be,

Sharing their scars that you can't see,

Showing you the reality of what life is to them,

Giving up a piece of them for all to see.

So in these words, I wind the truth,

Patients are more important than their diagnosis,

Remember the facts as I show you them,

We are people like you so remember that,

We all play our parts in advancing healthcare,

Without patient involvement it's without purpose,

After all, in the end, it affects us.

I hope this shines a light on something’s and hope that they bring comfort to some. I hope they help understanding between everyone. Feel free to comment here, on twitter or through the email part of this site.

Pam’s Birthday

Birthday Wishes

My dear friend Dr Pam Ramsay,

It is today your birthday,

So I wrote this to give you my best wishes,

Every year we’re alive is a gift,

You live every year to the max,

Doing so much good with your work.

It is strange to think we have known each other exactly 8 months,

It feels like we have known each other for years,

I consider myself fortunate to have you as a friend,

Even if we have only met twice,

I’m a good judge of people and I know you’re great,

An elevator, raising those around you,

Every single day. 

Pam is one of the kindest people I know,

Inviting me to speak when I was unknown,

When I was just a guy who wrote 2 or 3 poems,

Never spoke about my experience in public,

Took a risk on me when others wouldn’t,

Brought me from the west to the east,

Showed me love in spite not knowing me.

Brought me into their fold without a price,

Those people in Edinburgh where beyond nice,

So kind each one was, accepted like I never ever was.

So on this your (redacted) birthday,

I have but one thing to say,

May you have the best one, 

Filled with much love,

Because it is what you deserve,

 For the love you have shown,

For the people you have helped and the groups you have grown,

In conclusion these are my final words,

I wish on you only the best for you are my friend 

And one of the finest humans I know.

Recovery

Three years on and still in recovery,

Still on my grind to recover me,

Taking more steps on my journey of discovery,

Trying to dig down to uncover what I can see.

Lots of love coming at me,

From around the globe I’m seen,

Everyone knows what my journey has been,

Everyone helped me be the best I can be.

New friends for support ignited my cause,

Pushing me forward to my end goal,

Giving me means to help others out,

And on that path help me recover,

And rediscover what it’s like to be me.

Maybe I’ll never be whole again,

That’s ok because I like the new me,

I really like him he throws caution to the wind,

Doesn’t care what you think,

But comfortable in his own skin

Thanks for reading guys, I wrote this on the trip to my immunology appointment, I was thinking about what I have been through because I was going to a new Dr as mine has left. I knew I was going to have to explain nearly 15 years of medical history in an hour appointment. They said what every Dr ever says to me when they take over my care, "You're very complex." or "You have a lot of things going on" or "Your immune system is very complicated." Anyway I hope you enjoy, if you have any idea or topic you want me to have a pop at writing a poem about leave a comment or DM me on twitter. I love a challenger so feel free to contact me.

Medical Truth

Medical Truth

Lack of knowledge is not shame,

Shame is knowing there is a problem and doing nothing,

Shame is knowing you can shine a light but remaining dark,

Never Apologise for not knowing something,

You will never know everything,

But effect change when you know you can.

I am burning bright, shining the light on the darkness,

I will show you the problem but you need to carry it to victory,

I’m not capable but you can affect the change we need,

I will show you the effect and the aftermath,

You know me, know my truth, know my scars,

Make those who come after not suffer like me.

‘This is how it's always be done’ isn’t good enough,

Change is coming so paddle with me,

Join me in the journey to make things better,

Never should a patient be met by ignorance and lack of understanding,

Little changes make big differences,

You are not too small to make a huge impact,

In two minutes, you can reassure a Delirious patient,

That will change their world, make it a little less dark.

How you act, how you speak affects the world around you,

People will look up to you, people will model themselves after you,

How you carry yourself will be mimicked in those you train,

As a Consultant, you will train hundreds or thousands of juniors,

You will impact them and their patients which will total in the hundred thousands,

Changing your practice will impact on those around you.

When you ask for my forgiveness, I can’t give it,

There is no blame for you to bear,

You did what you were trained to but changed when reality showed you differently,

I bear nothing but love for you, people like you have saved my life more than once.

Life is hard I’ve had it tough at times being wore down by life,

I was smashed by the hammer of fate more than a few times,

But you are ground down by sandpaper taking from you a little each day,

I see you, respect you and hold you in my heart,

Together we can make an impact but it is only a start.

Hey, guys so it came to my attention that after delirium awareness day and all the new insights that came with it including things like my story that there was a lot of guilt going about. Guilt because people started to reflect and think perhaps how they had treated people, how they had acted and the impact that had on those people. So, I am here to share some more truths, I don’t hold anyone responsible for anything in my delirium time, if you don’t know it has an impact then how can I be mad. I am mad at how poor education was about it, I am mad that you were not prepared properly. All that said, I’ll be mad if in the face of these revelations you don’t change how things are done. I am not saying things should change overnight, I am not naive but things need to change.