Wednesday, 14 April, 2021
It’s been quite a year for Krish. During his eye ‘adventures,’ which I now realise I haven’t really talked about much, he developed plaque psoriasis.
No one is quite sure what cases psoriasis. Stress is a trigger, but so too is steroid use (from his eye treatment) which also means his vitamin D level was compromised. Darker skinned people naturally have lower vitamin D because of their skin pigmentation. The darker your skin the more protection you have from the sun’s UV radiation, and that protection limits your ability to absorb VitD. Both stress and low VitD contribute to suppressing the immune system. Psoriasis is an immune-driven, hyperactive response.
It started with a small patch and within weeks, it covered his scalp his trunk and legs. Lots of home skin slatherings from several ointments and lotions later, he was referred to Guys Dermatology Centre for some serious treatment. At first he saw a consultant, and the 13th he started in the clinic. I decided to go with him for this appointment. We made plans to go for what looked like a 90-minute session and then do a bit of exploring.
It didn’t quite go that way! More foiled plans…
Maybe it’s the pandemic and lack of chaos, but I kept noticing things on Bishopsgate that I’ve not seen before. I must have been there hundreds of times, so how could I have overlooked so much?
So much to see hear but the appointment time was getting closer, so we got the bus over to London Bridge Station, a stone’s throw from Guy’s Hospital.
Pandemic or not, I’m always excited to see the river. In my travels I’ve realised that I need to live in (or at the edge, at least) of a city but that city must be on a river, by the ocean, or a lake. A coastal city would be ideal for me were I able to afford to live there. Today, circumstances didn’t allow me to gaze at the Thames for too long, but I loved knowing I was there.
Instead, we headed straight for the Dermatology Clinic at Guy’s. First we had to head towards the new London Bridge station entrance, right at the Shard, and down an escalator to St Thomas Street and the beginning of Great Maze Pond – what a great street name!
The plaque reads ‘The “Maze” Pond, which used to be situated at the southern end of the Guy’s site, was fed by a tributary of the River Thames, now known as ‘Guy’s Creek’. Archaeological excavation of the site has unearthed an early Romano-British boat and Roman timbers edging the creek.
In the Middle Ages farmers from Kent and Surrey used to drive their cattle up to London for sale at Smithfield Market. The fields around the Maze Pond were a focal point where the cattle were grazed and watered.
“Mr Guy’s Hospital for Incurables” was built on this site in 1725. John Rocque’s 1746 Map of London shows the pond still in existence. The local street-names then included “Maze Pond”, ” Little Maze Pond” and “The Maze pond”, which subsequently became Great Maze Pond – the name it still has today.’
The hospital itself has an interesting history as does the Dermatology Centre. The hospital was founded in 1721 by philanthropist Thomas Guy, who had made a fortune as a printer of Bibles and then speculated his money in the South Sea Bubble. At first the hospital was established to treat “incurables” discharged from St Thomas’ Hospital.
The dermatology department is the largest clinical dermatology department in the UK. John Milton founded St John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in 1863. He was a surgeon who suffered from hand eczema so severe it ended his career. His personal experience with skin disease triggered his interest in dermatology. St John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin moved to St Thomas’ Hospital in the mid-1980s. Soon after, it was formally renamed St John’s Institute of Dermatology.
There’s not a lot of fuss at Guy’s Hospital compared to my visit to Barts. There are a few banks of hand cleaners and a table with a few people in attendance. No one checked if I had an appointment and no one offered me a new mask, asked me symptoms questions or took my temperature. This surprised me. We went through this casual ‘barrier’ and on to Bermondsey Wing where the Dermatology Centre is.
Again, there’s a simple table and a guard but she doesn’t ask us anything, so Krish checks in at the desk, and we sit down in the atrium waiting area and start looking for Krish’s name to appear on the board.
And wait we did. Eventually a nurse came looking for him – his name had never appeared. Off he went, while I waited. After a bit the messages started to arrive
-I’m sitting waiting now
-Totally covered
-Sticky
-Head to toe
-Wrapped head
I thought about this for a minute then I said
-Take a selfie
It occurred to me that social media phobic Krish may not know how to take a selfie, but he did. I’ll spare his dignity and your eyes by not posting those photos here but his treatment will be head to toe emollient, one hour wait, applied pure coal tar (which he described and sounded like a hot wax treatment complete with popsicle sticks), one hour wait, then a shower, then steroid ointment before leaving. He’ll be going back for this three times a week for three weeks (minimum). So, if you get severe psoriasis, expect some or all of the same.
His appointment is five hours and the plan to walk about afterwards is vanishing. Walking painfully with a crutch means I really won’t attempt it alone, but I’m OK. Instead I go for a very short look outside and to try to find a snack. I didn’t find one out there but I did take a look for as long as my legs would carry me. And there’s a lot including a reference to a buried Roman boat under the Cancer Care Centre, and some fantastic ironwork opposite the main entrance. Otherwise, it’s a bland council estate area with nothing remarkable, at first glance anyway.The Roman boat sculpture didn’t capture my interest right away. I didn’t like it. Then I saw a woman and a little boy reading the plaque, so I took another look.
In 1958 and 1960, two portions of a well-preserved Roman sailing barge were uncovered at Guy’s Hospital. In 1965 an excavation revealed an ex-situ frame. The barge had been abandoned in AD 190-225, and stayed there preserved by burial under the sediment from the river. In 2010 they discovered more of the mid-ships section. By 1746, there were a series of landlocked pools (Great Maze Pond), which were filled in by huge amounts of domestic rubbish (early landfill – I now understand why there are so many archaeological finds when building is started). By 1799, the pools had disappeared and by 1875 Hop Warehouses (serving local breweries) had been built on the land and were later destroyed during the Blitz.
The decorative metalwork panels on the railings opposite the main entrance were also interesting. They were made by the Blacksmiths George James and Sons. I couldn’t find a date for these panels but the blacksmiths have been around since the 1840s. In almost certainly the wrong order, the panels are below.
Another represents how staff give to the hospital. The hands are for the care given by the nurses and doctors, the hourglass for the time people give, the book signifies medical knowledge, the microscope, scientific endeavour, and the mortar and pestle the medicines made from the herbs shown, Rosemary, Thyme and Basil.
One represents the motto of the hospital “It is better to give than to receive. Dare Quam Accupere”. It shows giving by visitors. A patient has received so many grapes that they have taken root in his bedside cabinet.
Another represents Sir Thomas Guy’s generosity. Thomas Guy paid for the building of the original hospital in 1725. It shows Thomas handing over the plans of the building.
For such a small radius and short amount of time, thanks to my painful knee, I was pleased to have explored this much and found out some history.
A glowing, good-smelling, Krish emerged eventually. We briefly considered doing something in the area or close by, but it was after 4pm and time to go home. The good sunlight had disappeared and photo opportunities weren’t really going to entice me. And we’re fortunate that you can get from our area to Guy’s by one bus, the 149.
Before going, I’d thought about visiting the George Inn, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral, the South Bank, maybe even Tower Bridge – not all of them but one or perhaps two – but none of these would happen – not now. Maybe another time.