My reflections… 1. “I had a little nut tree…” 2. I planted it in 2021 in a public field as little more than ‘a twig with potential’! I’ve been nervously willing it on since with weeding and shielding…Suddenly it seems like a walnut tree! 3. If only the fruit came up front?! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. There is interest in epilepsy circles around the +ve effect of this piece 🎶 by Mozart on the brain?🧠 2. I’ve begun to learn it! 3. Amongst the other research questions, why does it have to be so difficult, need to be a duet…& particularly involve 2 pianos! 🎹 🎹 #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. With seizures, 2 things can look similar, but be very different! 2. These are sea whelks with mayonnaise…NOT snails with garlic butter! A relief as I’ve vowed never to eat snails!! 3. The waitress was not impressed with my “Escargot de la mer?” line of enquiry! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Often in health, I see unhelpful compartmentalisation between ages & demographics? 2. I love the age mixing I see here in Italy! 3. This festival caught my eye, specifically to create activities bridging the generations! (It’s too hot to do anything though!) #apaediatrclife

My reflections… 1. I try each Friday ~5pm to post…a juxtaposition of life ‘in & out’ of work! 2. I like the way a reflection signals a border between what’s passed & what’s next! 3. It’s a sign of a good holiday when you realise over a late vin santo you’ve forgotten to post!? #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Growing up in Yorkshire, I love a dry stone wall!! 2. Sometimes things go together ‘cause they’re meant to…Sometimes things that aren’t meant to, still go together. 3. Whatever your shape & size (I’m definitely a misfit!), there’s a way to join up! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. An ambition & cadence realised this week, albeit taking 40yrs! 2. My brother & I were reminiscing about winning a competition in our teens, then playing the Royal Festival Hall! 3. This week heard one of my cello heroes, Steven Isserlis, at the same Southbank! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Capturing experience & outcomes is so important to improve care. 2. Needs to be simple, integrated, qualitative & quantitative, meaningful, diverse in its reach…& responded to! 3. My youngest had no trouble giving this feedback! (particularly when I’m paying!) #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Sometimes you need to take a helicopter 🚁view? 2. Sometimes you need to go higher and take a satellite 🛰️ view…or even an intergalactic 🚀view!! 3. Sometimes you need to eat the blue sweets! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Lovely bake ‘n’ bring ‘n’ share lunch this week with @rcpch.bsky.social audit teams! 2. Obviously there was lots of analysis, evaluation and appreciation! 3. Sometimes you can have 2 types of ‘best practice’?!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. There can be an unspoken undertone in teams (and relationships!) as to who is ‘working the hardest’?! 2. In our epilepsy team we decided to settle this…once and for all…by sharing the size of our ‘black books’! 3. It didn’t go so well for me!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. These are my least favourite socks, I had none others left to wear! 2. No-one ever notices my socks! 3. A teenager ‘high-fived me’ in clinic for the “cool sheep socks!” Do I need to rethink my style radar?! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I climbed a hill… 2. I found this. 3. That’s it! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Usually when flitting around the UK there’s some type of compromise or something missed! 2. This week has been a yo-yo between Nottingham & Glasgow! 3. Magically I’ve managed to sandwich the course I was attending between gigs in both locations!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. There’s so much hidden complexity in health, you never know quite what’s coming & when! 2. It’s lovely to work in an NHS community that’s pushing in the best of directions! 3. A bag of rhubarb (& a successful business case) are welcome surprises this week #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Some things happen naturally…everything slots into place! 2. Other things take toil, mistakes, retrying, pushing towards something that somehow shouldn’t work?! 3. Journeying to play cello in folk session in County Clare, Ireland…is definitely the latter! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Talk of new buildings opened, children finding their voice & identity, singing Scottish folk songs with my oldest! 2. …all had this little flower in their descriptions! 3. I love seeing things blossom! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I’ve been ‘smoke-testing’ apparently this week! 2. Is a new thing for me…can we see health data from ‘your bubble’ securely flow to ‘my bubble’? 3. I’m here for this kind of smokin’! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I’m trying to collect patient feedback in clinic for my appraisal! 2. I keep forgetting to ask…or the signal for the QR code doesn’t work! 3. …I’m always happy for this type of 1 star! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. When our daughters were little, their grandpa built them a ‘secret den’ in the garage loft! 2. It’s small, oddly shaped & a bit inaccessible…we’ve kept it…just in case?! 3. Had the best of weeks, kindness, moving forwards, new connections…now I need to hide!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I’ve spent my whole career colouring in to-do list boxes! 2. I’ve been putting off a chore for too long, lots off tricky little steps, no-one really was going to see my toil & progress! 3. I think only a paediatrician would do this??!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I think coffee must have become my currency! 2. This was a thankyou 18g dose from my youngest after I paid for her car repair (Colombian, natural, jammy dodger notes)! 3. This is going to have to be a good cup! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. My favourite biscuits were Le Petit Beurre! 2. Since Christmas, I was ‘introduced’ to Pepparkakor, a thin spicy Scandinavian number! 3. The vast tin, with inevitable brokenness, has become their appeal…I’ve integrated their consumption into my to-do list! #apaediatriclife

My reflections 1. I live via 3 bags! 2. My ‘work bag’, my (going away) suitcase & my ‘qualy bag’ (quality of life bag…drip coffee, travel spices, paracetamol, sunglasses, frisbee, waterproofs etc!) 3. If I’ve got my ‘qualy bag’ I know I’ll be ok! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Where are all the Littmann stethoscopes? 2. I remember buying my 1st as 3rd yr med student. Lost a few, including lovely children’s one; weirdly accumulate only generics since!!! 3. They’re built to last…is there someone somewhere with thousands of Littmanns??! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I don’t often make single yes/no diagnoses…they are often multi-layered & impact to varying degrees! 2. Many light-bulbs means you don’t really get that light-bulb moment! 3.…anyway this didn’t ‘enlighten’ my daughter’s bedroom. “So we need an electrician dad?!” #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. I like to have something to look forward to at the weekend (ie putting my feet up!) 2.Today my youngest persuaded me to ‘look forward’ to help run double Mmacaron market stalls!! 3. A 2nd market for my 2nd daughter in 2nd rate weather is now my 2nd best option!! #apaediatriclife

My reflections… 1. Presenting multi-centre epilepsy improvement in Glasgow & v aware numbers not always what seem! 2. Only 34 tables at event (no table 13!) 3. This Scottish ‘single’ (25ml) had to become a ‘double’ (50ml) so it could count at least as Irish ‘single’?!! (Also 35!!) #apaediatriclife

It’s a bit drizzly in Glasgow, but our “15 years of Epilepsy12” poster, is gradually getting to closer to our “20 years of BPNA PET” celebration!!

My reflections… 1. One thing leads to another!? 2. Presenting ‘common epilepsies’ in Gatwick led to…transition, mental health, trains to Spain, ambient AI, politics of neuronal discharges, Prodigy firestarter! 3. Travelling from one thing to another is more complicated! #apaediatriclife