Letting you know where I've been

Been out of action for the last few days, a reluctant guest at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. This post is to scotch any rumours there might be of an early by-election in Montgomeryshire.

Truth is, the engine hasn't been running too smoothly for best part of a year - short of breath, urinary infections and occasionally conking out completely. I suppose the night of the General Election was an example of 'hitting a wall'. Several people have told me I looked a bit 'zonked'. Anyway, decided to call on Dr Ryan in Welshpool last Monday afternoon. It was all I could do to stop him ordering a 'blue light' to rush me to Shrewsbury as an emergency. Pleaded with him that I'd never live it down. In fact I had to tell a little white lie by letting him think Mrs D was going to drive me in.

It seems that long term severe infections can have a nasty impact on the heart, and mine was thundering along like a steam train off the rails - fast and erratic. I'd been expecting a box of pills and home. No way. Couldn't believe it. I was first up at PMQs on Wed, and had planned my maiden speech. Instead I would by on my back, with a drip in my arm pumping antibiotics and glucose into my system. I pleaded that I could come back on Thursday. Consultant said "Of course you can self-discharge if you want Mr Davies, but I strongly advise against it, and you will be taking a big risk with your life". A grown men weeping is not a pretty sight. Don't suppose I will ever come up in PMQs again.

I was allowed out earlier today. Hopefully the infection has been annihilated by the deluge of antibiotics. I'm on a few weeks of Warfarin to prepare me for being plugged into a power source of some sort to jump start my heart in the proper rhythm. Told them I've probably got a tin of Warfarin somewhere in a shed on the farm. I used it as a rat poison. Very effective until Montgomeryshire rats developed an immunity and were so sexually rampant that by today, most of the British rat population is immune. Won't be back on four cylinders until the shock treatment's done, but feeling more sparky than I have for months.

I could have said nothing of course. But the RSH is full of people I know, and if I'd said nothing, there would have been rumours of a by-election by the weekend. Even the nurse that pushed me from my ward to the heart scanning machine turned out to the daughter of a good friend of mine. Really nice to be home.