By Ian Coates

Last updated 09:25, Saturday, 27 September 2008

It’s just typical isn’t it? Just when you think everything in your life is peachy, one of the kids has to go and do something that has you worried to death.

There was I, waxing lyrical about how good it was to be a Dad – and just two days later I have one of them lying in a hospital bed.

Nathan went home to his mum on Sunday evening, happy as Larry and talking about his ferrets (don’t ask), without a care in the world.

He complained of tummy ache later, but put it down to the meal he had eaten at my house.

Now, the cooking in my household may be not the best in haute cuisine – but I like to pride myself in the fact that it does not kill the consumers.

Despite that, he was ill all day on Monday and so on Tuesday, he went to the doctor’s to get checked out.

I got a call later that day saying he was to be admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis and on Tuesday night he had the operation.

It’s not a nice feeling knowing that your son is in hospital being ‘got at’ by doctors and nurses.

Even though I knew he was in the best of care and that they were making him well again.

Such a feeling of helplessness with my sons was new to me, even after all this time.

I guess I have been lucky. Some parents have it from the birth of their child.

Anyway, Nathan is ok; he called the day after and boasted about having his appendix out.

I’m not sure that he didn’t even ‘enjoy’ the experience.

That’s how it sounded on the phone. It just goes to show: when kids have the most fun they worry you to death.

It makes you glad that we have some of the best doctors and nurses in our NHS and for all its faults, at least the people on the NHS frontline at the Cumberland Infirmary really do care. I’d like to thank them very much.