Chapter Two Excerpt
Last will and testament
… Also as part of the preparation, I had planned to write my will before going into hospital. This part of the story might make you laugh; it always brings a smile to my face. Once I was registered at the hospital and I had unpacked, I realised I had forgotten to get a will made for me. Forgetfulness played a major part in my journey.

I panicked as I really wanted to leave everything in order in the event I did not survive the operation. I asked my nurse if I could pop out but she was not overly happy to let me out of the hospital because she had registered me. I explained that I had not written a will and needed to get a do-it-yourself will kit from the newsagents. The nurse was very understanding and gave me 30 minutes to undertake this task. On reflection, her understanding of my need to write a will could have meant many of her patients had needed one! Thankfully I did not make that connection.

I was really grateful to the nurse for bending the rules and I dashed out to the nearest newsagent, who seemed to have lots of these kits on sale, which was not reassuring. The question, ‘should I be worried about the easily accessible will kits?’ passed through my mind.

I bought a will kit and returned to the ward within the 30 minutes. I was sitting writing my will when this very handsome surgeon came along with 5 students. He asked me to pop on to the bed and then he noticed the partially written will sitting on the table. He declared ‘I had better do a good job as this lady seems to have a very low opinion of my skills!’ I was so embarrassed I could not find words to excuse myself. He laughed and saw the funny side of it.

Once he had moved on to the next patient I continued to sheepishly complete my will. The action of completing the will and putting ‘my house in order’ gave me peace of mind and I felt ready for the future, albeit with trepidation.