to circumvent fear via jelly beans, prosecco and porchside kum ba ya didn’t exactly work in my favour.

Through bad, though, one may learn good. Exempli gratia: how to limit unbidden stress (requests to describe sternotomy in lurid detail) by employing universally understood gestures of holding up one hand, then two, turning aside with an expression of displeasure and uttering STOP! loudly and firmly.