Once again, Andrew and I were up early. This time, it was so that we could catch the 07:07 train to Dublin to get to Beaumont Hospital in time for an appointment at 09:40. Yes, we could have got a slightly later train, but the earlier one meant we could eat breakfast in Dublin city centre en route.

This morning’s appointment had nothing to do with a transplant or renal disease but was a neurology one. When I transferred my HIV care from St James’s Hospital to Beaumont a few years ago, the doctor taking my history heard about my “wee Michael episodes”. Therefore, being a dutiful doctor, he referred me to the Neurology department to investigate. A similar investigation had been done previously in Belfast. Still, as we now live in the Republic of Ireland, synching medical notes across an international frontier seems tricky: a new referral was the more straightforward way.

Last year, I had the first couple of appointments, with a referral to neuropsychology, and today was the follow-up to the MRI scan last week. The doctor called me from the waiting room, Andrew followed me, and we were asked if it was ok to have a medical student with us. I always let medical students attend as they have to learn somewhere.

We learned that the “wee Michael episodes” are not epilepsy or any other organic issue. Andrew talked, at length, with the doctor about the wee Michael episodes, how they seem to be triggered, and so on. No further action is needed from the hospital. The doctor suggested talking this through with a counsellor. Unfortunately, the referral to the neuropsychology team at Beaumont Hospital was unsuccessful last year as that team as an extremely long waiting list.

So, I can take Neurology off the list of departments at Beaumont Hospital, where I attend. Still on the list are: Infectious Diseases (for HIV), Renal Transplant team, and Dermatology. Ensuring that they all talk to one another is quite tricky, so when the neurologist today said he would write to the consultant in ID, I hope that he does.