— go back one page
— go back to the guide
They used to play this game almost every evening, and kept a running score, usually pretty well equal (e.g. Mum 1238, Dad 1243 games). Inspection of my stomach shows a rash. I go to bed. During the night, my entire body swells up, the itching being almost unbearable, and made worse by any attempt at scratching. In the morning, the GP reckons that this may be a delayed allergic reaction to the serum. He doses me with antihistamine (I presume), and passes by every hour or two in case the swelling might cause asphyxia, and require him to make a hole in my throat in order for me to be able to breathe (tracheotomy). Meanwhile, I sleep most of the weekend and am unconscious of all this. Wake up on Monday not tracheotomized, feeling fine, and go back to work.
For some years after that, I wore a chunky silver bracelet. It bore the inscription ‘allergic to anti-tetanus serum’, but there was also perhaps some vanity in the wearing. Somewhere along the way I lost it.
go to page 1 to print this section
— go back one page
— go back to the guide