Sketching while waiting

There's nothing like a visit to a hospital to bring out the urban sketcher in me! Well, it's a good way to calm the nerves anyway.

So, the last time I had a surgery, I was three, and I was getting my tonsils out. I remember the mask coming over my face while I cried out for my mummy, and the icecream my granny made for us to eat afterwards. I'm not good with syringes and things like that, so I wasn't looking forward to it. But having my sketchbook with me helped to steady my nerves. The surgeon wasn't too impressed when he took a look at what I was drawing when he came to the room to get me to sign the consent form. He thought I should be drawing my feelings before surgery, rather than my toes on the bed. But what would he know? Maybe he's a very talented surgeon, even an artist, but he's not an urban sketcher. And he spoke French to me the first time he met me. What is it about Irish medical consultants and the need to show off their language skills when they find out I'm a French speaker. I bet himself and the anaesthetist spoke French through the whole surgery! But hey, I wasn't going to give out to them at that point!!

This one was done a few days before my operation. I had to go in to get a Covid swab test and an ECG. I had a bit of time between the two appointments and I didn't want to stay inside the hospital, so I just went out. The people who live on that street must be so fed up with cars driving up and down and double-parking while waiting to pick up someone from the hospital

I didn't have very long to wait at registration. Enough time to get lost in the ceiling lines. 

I had a nice view. There's a very posh golf course at the back of the hospital. 

Was taken to a waiting area for a scan to be done before the operation. These things always take longer than you think, but then, that wheelchair was whisked away before I had a chance to finish sketching it. Typical! And yes, I am long enough in the tooth to know I should have started with the wheelchair!!

Waiting, waiting, waiting. Not much to look outside the window as the sun is shining right at me. But my toes are always available! And that jug of water I'm not allowed to drink from!

Same view. Different light. The passing of time.

What I would really have loved to sketch was the operating theatre, but I was asleep before the anaesthetist bored me to tears with his fluent French. That said, he's the first person who's ever managed to insert a cannula in my hand without causing any bruising, so he gets douze points for that!

I rarely think of taking the urban sketcher photos, but I managed to capture two this time!