Saturday 16th December 2006

I intensely dislike the patient next door. He does nothing for my opinion of priests.

He has a chest infection and I know this is not his fault and it must be v painful but the noise when he coughs is so annoying. He is profoundly deaf, but never turns his f'ing hearing aid on, preferring to shout at people, have them shout back and have his TV on full volume. The phone is rarely detached from his ear where he demands things to be brought in for him in the most bossy way, seemingly uncaring about his flock as I never hear him mention any work he needs doing, or parishioners he wants contacting.

Mostly I dislike him because he is SO rude - especially to the care assistants (who he obviously doesn't see as being as important as nurses) and woe betide you if you are black. He hardly ever says please and thank you. Last night his nebuliser ran out of the water cartridge that produces the steam so he pushed his call bell. A black care assistant (I should add the word 'female' here) came. Big mistake. 'It's run out of steam. Get me another one. Now.' That was what he said. I was fuming. He dares to call himself Christian. Disgusting.

There is a lovely care assistant here from Belgium. We were talking this morning about me going home and how she feels so much for Mum because her son is 24 and she can only dread to imagine how Mum feels about me being in here. Anyway, she reminds me of Shelagh - rarely a bad word to say about anyone and if she does say something it's incredibly understated i.e. Hitler went a little bit crazy - and she said that I make a lovely patient, while others don't. She pointed to next door and said 'He can be a bit cruel sometimes, but he's ill and I think, what would I be like in his position?' Well, I'm sorry, but I'm obviously not as kind-minded as that. We're all ill here, some more than others, but if it wasn't for these Earthbound angels we'd all be a lot iller...plus he's a sodding priest...he should have some bloody manners and humility. Sermon over. God bless!