@drcolindunkley.bsky.social
#apaediatriclife reflections! | Children seen & heard...better outcomes | More baking | Consultant Paediatrician Sherwood Forest | Epilepsy12 Lead | BPNA course content Mx | Views own
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!!
27.01.2026 11:54 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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
My reflections…
1. Not everything needs fixing?!
2. I have a favourite armchair; It’s comfy, hard to get out of and no-one else sits in it!
3. I’m torn as to whether mending it is a good idea!
#apaediatriclife
Yes always funny when you have to row back in a consultation when you discover too much of a shared interest. You end talking about everything except why they’re there! 😆
16.01.2026 08:37 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
My reflections…
1. I’m still not ‘out of Christmas’?!
2. I’ve been puzzling whether 1 triangle* of a large @Toblerone is equivalent to a whole small @Toblerone!
3. …pondering 1 triangle at a time!
#apaediatriclife
(*weirdly a patient this week said “square of Toblerone!”)
My reflections...
1. The woman at the till today said my superfood salad wouldn't scan was because the barcode was 'squooshed!'
2. This is my favourite new word this year!
3. This yearly montage shows how I have 'squooshed' my work life imbalance for 2025!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. There’s so much variation in “what’s right” at Christmas…an evolving complex blend of localisation, continuity and ‘consensus’!
2. I ‘must do’ fondant, my mum ‘always’ formed snowy peaks with royal.
3. Santa was this year’s first casualty!
#apaediatriclife
“Christmas on a stick!”
Sausage, bacon rolls, turkey, maple-glazed veg, port dipping gravy.
Bit all over the place this Christmas, so this was 60 mins tops!!
Children’s Epilepsy Specialist Nurse post, Band 6 out for advert in Derby
👀
www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jo...
…Wisdom right there!!!
20.12.2025 08:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0You could have gone down the “it’s more of a fruit” route to grasp at some credibility??!
19.12.2025 17:07 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
My reflections…
1. Some mornings it’s hard to get started?!
2. Can’t find my glasses, cough is bad in the cold, windscreen needs de-icing, still dark!
3. A morning like this makes me thankful!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. Spot my mistake?!
2. I was explaining childhood absence epilepsy to a child. “5, 6, 7, 8 years may be typical starting ages…”
3. The child made a strange noise, then a flurry of up & down non-synchronous waves of both arms, palms upwards!!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. A bit under the weather this week!
2. Coincidentally discussing work on seasonal influences on seizures and epilepsies, whilst fighting my own viruses!
3. Anyway a big chicken pie turned out to be my main ‘flu-busting’ intervention!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. I’m not particularly good at high drama!
2. I prefer to stand back, process, reflect!
3. This is how I’m planning to watch all episodes of Stranger Things!?
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. My mum’s not well these days…it’s hard to find common ground when chatting!
2. We managed to spend a good 1/2 hour this week painting leaves (& ourselves!)
3. It’s humbling to find ‘play’ can be so vital in our autumn as in our childhood?!
#apaediatriclife
…and can it?!
17.11.2025 23:42 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
My reflections…
1. I am always being left messages…emails, post-its, voicemails…
2. Some are asks, some are for information, some are ‘now it’s your problem’!
3. This type of message is always welcome!!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. Things aren’t always what they seem!
2. Some things are a rare variation of something common rather than something rare or different?
3. This is a Bramley apple and the reddest one I’ve ever seen! (Can be 🍏 vs 🍎 rather than 🍏 vs🍐!)
#apaediatriclife
Yes is begging for a secure online process…overdue!
31.10.2025 18:59 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Yes I would support speeding up the process and making it easier for people and clinicians alike.
31.10.2025 18:28 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
My reflections…
1. I gave a talk on randomness using my data series showing Rowntrees Randoms ‘always’ had an🍦so couldn’t be truly random!
2. In the talk we all opened packets, found an🍦=0 packet, rendering my talk laughable!
3. I’ve moved on since then!
#apaediatriclife
If you have a paediatric relevant research idea - look up my email and we can have a chat.
Heck - if you have any ideas on improving the lives of kids in whatever way - let me know.
We want a big tent, with lots of ideas, people and expertise.
Join us!
👀
Lovely Community Paediatric Consultant post out for advert with us over in @SFHFT Sherwood Forest Hospitals…
www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jo...
My reflections…
1. My youngest is a little gluten intolerant!
2. Lots around equity and connections this week. Just because something or someone’s different, doesn’t mean adjustment, involvement & integration can’t happen!
3. The integration…!!
#apaediatriclife
My reflections…
1. It’s all getting a bit cooler & autumnal?
2. Came across lots of attempts at snugness this week, blankets in meetings, camping with heating, beef stew lunch mug, wearing my winter cap!
3. Harley found his own way to stay warm on the move!!
#apaediatriclife
Great day in @bpna.bsky.social Atrium offices ‘up north’ in Bolton, capturing parent & child voices, to inject more impact and experience into our global PET (Paediatric Epilepsy Training) courses…
And what a ceiling…
…so much light, so many steps to climb!!!
