For the third time, and each time has required a journey. I can't actually recall how long ago the first time was, it might have been 2010 or 11. I received an invitation through the post. A new medical endeavour supported by the NHS to obtain medical data and samples to be a resource for scientist around the world. It would hold the biological information of hundreds of thousands of volunteers securely but available anonymised to those showing they were doing ethical research. Would I participate. Obviously I said yes and off I went on the bus to a city not too far away, just the one bus ride and duly took various tests, hearing and memory and cognitive stuff, blood and blood pressure weight and circulation, it didn't take long at all.
That was followed up by the occasional questionnaire via e-mail on all sorts of things, sleeping habits, or eating and occasionally ones where once I answered the first question it ruled me out answering any more. Its not worth asking me questions about smoking or alcohol consumption when I have never done either of those things.
Time passed and newsletters arrive noting 500,000 had participated, lots of medical research was benefiting and they had a plan for even more information to be collected. This time they were planning on scans. 2MRI scans, 1 DXA scan, neck artery ultrasound, the first sites were going to be quite a distance from me and not practical to attend and anyway it was by invitation only.
Then seven years ago the invite came, expecting a too distant scanning centre I was all ready to decline but no there was a centre near me so I said yes.
Oddly I recall it being a sunny dry day, as had been the weather for the first one. I had a plan, take a bus to the next town over, catch the metro to the central train station and from there call for the prearranged taxi.
Hmm yes well in this instance I can group myself in with mice and men as all did not go to plan. Bus trip number one did, the metro did not , there was an issue on the line with nothing to say when that would be resolved. Plan B get a bus to the city over the river from my destination, one stop on the metro then taxi. Plan B had its own issues, not as familiar with bus routes as I might be the bus I set off on had a somewhat roaming route and took extra long so I arrived late and was not able to do one of the scans.
Shortly after the Covid restrictions were lifted another invite arrived would I go and repeat the scans. Regretfully at that time I could not take up the offer.
This year it was made again, and I could fit it in. New plan, a don't be late plan. Take the express bus to the city this side of the river to my destination city then one metro stop to the train station. Another sunny dry morning, which considering all the rain we have been having this month was a blessing of which I was suspicious so a rain mac travelled with me.
space that was once my childhood school and the retail park that was once my 6th form college and local library to the bus stop. With doors once more not working and I and the bus were on time.
Spotted the son of a friend (and former boss) getting on the same bus but he didn't recognise me (I did not have a Bob the Builder to hand, and that's a different story) and unusually for me I sat on the back right seat at the top of the bus. It came equipped with a USB post, had I brought a device and the relevant lead, indeed I had let charging commence ah or not this port on this seat was not feeling cooperative.
Ah well new rout, enjoy the journey, first stop a local out of town retail park, mental note that was fast so if I want to come here this is the bus to get.
After that I was not taking much detailed notice just admiring the view.
I got to my departure point so early I could have stayed on to the final stop one city over then walked to the pick up point. But as that had not been the plan I had to get off and do the metro thing. Still arrived at the station super early. So I stopped for a bit and watched the trains, and the transport police and sniffer dog, he did come to sniff a hello but happily for me and perhaps disappointingly for him I had nothing of interest. There were gaggles of children, a school trip perhaps and even orange robed monks.
At what felt like a reasonable time I found somewhere a bit quiet and made the call. It feels a bit like being in a spy movie. Call the number provided, give them the code, then the password and finally my name and they will send a taxi.
The taxi takes me to a little industrial site down by the river. From outside it is indistinguishable from other units with little businesses, but once inside, actually it is very Bond villains lair. Welcoming people in uniforms, they were expecting me Ha! The registration tests then change into our own outfits for the day, trousers and a wrap around top.
Taxi back to the train station, shared this time with another body loaner, he had come much further than me and by train all the way. He had a very late return ticket and plans for an evening out in the city first. I planned to walk to the bus station to enjoy the pretty weather, a look at a local landmark and just one mode of transport home.
I had intended to get the express bus home however, by the time I got to the stop it was not due for over twenty mins, another bus which would at its halfway point be following my old journey home from work (before that changed) would arrive sooner but take longer. Hmm decisions, well thinks I a bum on a bus seat is better than a wait for one that might not arrive as intended. Additionally the extra wait would eat into the shorter time and I can not deny there was a teeny bit of nostalgia at the thought of doing that journey again and seeing what was the same what different.
Bus arrives and is surprisingly a single, on I get oh look UBS port, its lit up ahah charging...pleased.
Get my book out (yea had one of those as well) and read till we get to the stop which in days past would have been where I got on to go home. Put book away with the intent of seeing what was what with the world passing the windows.
I had not accounted for the conditioned response, it may have been years due firstly Covid then the office closing and our relocating, since I made this trip but my body remembers and like a dog to a bell as the bus pulls away conditioning turns on. I go to sleep, oh the delights of a bus nap, and I nap / dose all the way home just like old times, so what has or hasn't changed buildings or shops along the route I don't know, the delights of a successful bus nap were the only things getting a revisit.
Back at my starting point bus stop, the pleasant weather has held, the rain coat has stayed in the bag the whole way, just the walk home and my adventure is done.
In case you were wondering, I don't get to see the scans or any specific results from any research my data contributes to.
