DISCO Inferno......

Not really a good week in the world of disco icons. First Donna's summer turned to winter, and next Robin Gibb was hustled off the disco floor. In the late 70's both were symbols of an exciting and pulsating world of dance and sophistication from the USA. A vast gulf away from my life, growing up as I did, a suburban boy, in Northampton, UK.


New York had Tony Manero,          










Northampton had me.....

Whilst the U.S. boogied with "Saturday Night Fever", we Brits were titillated by "Come Dancing"

Stateside they enjoyed the wit and humour of Kermit and the Muppets. The UK was stuck with Keith Harris and Orville.

And as the US gave us Star Wars with its multi million dollar budget leading to innovative strides in sci-fi film production, we had Dr Who with the glories of the BBC special effects department.

However one of the clearest differences between our friends across the pond was our attitudes to healthcare. Since 1948 the UK's cherished National Health Service has often been maligned and lambasted, but inherently a very good idea. Universal healthcare free at the point of delivery. Introduced in the post war years it grew to be an institution so engrained in the UK psyche that it became an object of fun and affection, rather like the dear old British Rail sandwich, the BBC and our renowned civil service.

The USA provides a user pays system, that encompasses most of the working population. Insurance companies pay for the majority of the fees, linked to a persons employment.  With the onset on the global recession, workers lost their jobs and with it the benefit of their health insurance. An underfunded, overstretched public system picks up the pieces when the premiums run out.

Luckily the UK system has been adopted by New Zealand, so we too have a publicly funded and widely available free healthcare, which has been generous to me in the extreme. Over the years I have been a high user of services, both as a diabetic, a dialysis recipient and of course for providing me with the transplant organs and all the attendant post transplant care.

I feel lucky  to live in a society that operates universal free at the point of service healthcare, that is constantly criticised in the press and media.

To misquote the 1979 single by Ottawan:  D.I.S.C.O, the NHS and NZ system is:

She is D:                               Dependable,

She is I:                                 Irreplaceable,

She is S:                                Super Special,

She is C:                                Caring Caring,

She is Oooohhhhh:               D.I.S.C.O             



And the inferno in the title?

Having had my Ranitidine dosage dropped down by 1/3 the esophageal pain has returned when eating. Not a violent as before, but as noticeable as a power cut on a disco dance floor.
Mainly restricted to hot food, the constriction at the back of my throat flares up like a white suited Travolta, causing a spasmodic reflux gobbling turkey like on the dancefloor.
Gagging on a mouthful of mashed potato is not a look I like to present to the world.
I will mention this to my renal team and see if we can get the old dosage reinstated.

I used to enjoy Hot Stuff, but since the pain has crept back it is time to say No more Tears (Enough is enough). Then I can strut my funky stuff and get down on it once again.