Nowhere near so cold this week just gone, but milder means damper and grey at this time of year. It was often gloomy by 4pm even if sunset was gradually getting later by a minute or two each day. When you can't see the sun for thick cloud those minutes are really meaningless.
The week hasn't been very exciting ...Dentist, Keep Moving Group, prescription review, bit of gardening, bit of shopping, swimming and snooker on TV.
The trip to the dentist was OK, yet another filling needed so that's another tooth rescued for a while and it didn't take too long. I pondered on going into the town centre or to one of the out of town big supermarkets or Dunelm etc but couldn't be bothered, there's nothing I need so just went home.
Years ago the annual Prescription Review meant actually going into the health centre and speaking with the doctor, then it changed to a phone call with the doctor from the health centre and now it's a phone call with some random person who knows nothing about you or the health centre that you go to. Usually it's quite quick - but this week a doctor(?)pharmacist (?) grilled me for what seemed like ages - but mostly she wanted to know what I would do if I had suicidal thoughts!! I said I'd no idea as that was unlikely to happen but she said I should turn to friends or family or call someone so I had to assure her that I would but as Norfolk and Suffolk Mental Health service is struggling......
30 Oct 2024 — The region's troubled mental health trust is still not meeting the needs of its patients, according to a damning new report.
...................I'm not sure much help is actually available.
Then she got onto the "taking Statins" talk, but I said no thank you and then the "increasing the dose of blood pressure tablets" talk so I had to agree to go and get a check up again.
The call finished eventually but not before she'd told me that statistics show that I have a 15% chance of some sort of trauma (heart attack or similar) in the next 10 years. Well, that's good to know as it means I have an 85% change of NOT having a heart attack or stroke. In 10 years time I'll be almost 80 anyway. If I get to that milestone I'll have done well I reckon, considering the amount of cancer in the family history and anyway I don't want to live forever!
One of the two new people at Keep Moving Group returned for a second week and several others who'd not been regularly for a while turned up so we were 13 in total which is good. I've put a note on the Facebook pages of local villages again as there is still room for more.
Gardening was just cutting down another of the huge Buddleias - only half of what I'd cut fitted into the garden waste bin. They put on 6 foot of new growth in a year whatever the weather!
Swimming wasn't the best experience as there were two women walking (?) up and down the middle of the pool talking non stop and not looking where they were going, and it's not a big pool, and three girls with very severe learning difficulties who were in the pool each with a helper plus another helper too. Good to see them enjoying the water but one of the girls shrieks at the top of her voice - and by golly she's loud!
That's it. An unexciting week, quite boring to write and very boring to read!!
Back Monday
Sue
You’re never boring. Like Jane Austen, you work with a fine brush on two inches of ivory.
ReplyDeleteIngrid
Wish I knew what that meant!
DeleteAgreeing with Ingrid. Except I find your writing more interesting than Miss Austen's (that's probably heretical) our surgery pharmacist has done my meds review for 4 years, over the phone. He has the loveliest voice, with a beautiful Irish accent. I have no idea if he is good looking, but he sounds gorgeous! I never understand these statistics which claim to "reduce your risk of dying by 10%". Everybody dies eventually!
ReplyDeleteI've tried and failed with Jane Austen. At least my posts are shorter!
DeleteI had no idea who the woman was who rang - she wasn't local - that's for sure!
It won’t be long before the prescription review includes offering government assisted dying as an answer to our problems. And theirs. Just think of the money they’ll save without us costly and troublesome pensioners.
ReplyDeleteAnna.
Like the statins, I shall refuse the assisted dying if it ever happens - rather go in my own time!!
DeleteNever boring ! This is real life, and your life. The phone doctor had statistics for you indeed ! At least she took time to explain things, and yes, 85% chance of not having a stroke is good ! Hope the swimming session is better next time. I never learnt to swim, it's a shame as I've always lived close to the ocean. Walking is what I can't do without.
ReplyDeleteMaguy
There are many adult swimming lessons - you still have time!
DeleteObviously the walking and talking 'swimming' women are don't know that if they walked faster without talking they would achieve a better level of fitness?!
ReplyDeleteThey started off swimming and talking, then were walking - can't see the point at all
DeleteIt’s the boring that’s interesting in years to come Sue! June
ReplyDeleteMaybe!
DeleteSounds like you got a Practitioners Assistant. They like to masquerade as doctors.
ReplyDeleteMight have been a pharmacist - it was a year ago - she wasn't local for sure.
DeleteI use shrub cuttings like Buddleia to half fill my repurposed raised beds. Hugelkultur gardening.
ReplyDeleteThat's a new word I've never heard
DeleteI have never had a prescription review since living here in 22 years! I don't even know my doctors name as they seem to come and go, and have not seen a doctor in 10 years, only a nurse taking bloods once or twice, taking my BP, and I've seen the diabetic nurse once and since I've lost 2.5 stone and got my blood sugars down to pre-diabetic levels by diet only I haven't had to see her. Not sure that's good or bad but I'm still here so guess that's a plus. Your blog is never boring and I really enjoy reading ut, thank you. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteWell done for getting blood sugars down and well done for avoiding all doctors - probably very wise
DeleteI imagine that some folk who were not depressed would definitely be feeling a bit down after having a phone call like that - not really the aim of the anti-suicide chat.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I felt my blood pressure rising as she asked two or three times what I would do!
DeleteWhen one thinks that 'may you live in exciting times' is Chinese curse, not a blessing, then it is easier to be thankful for the quieter weeks that occasionally come our way!
ReplyDeleteLess involvement with health and teeth next week I hope - just a hair cut planned!
DeleteAhhh Health Care Professionals ...theyve done the course they have the certificate but cant read your notes further than the page theyre on , perscription reviews are now outsourced to companies who get a bonus for pushing certain drugs
ReplyDeleteThey really want to add to the drugs everyone is taking rather than reduce - it's all about money
DeleteThat’s certainly not the experience I’ve had with our local health centre. I have an annual review with a nurse practitioner, which I find reassuring and am always grateful for. There’s a separate review with a pharmacist who is attached to the practice and has our notes to hand. She tries to ensure that we’re on the lowest effective dosage of medication. J’nan
DeleteYour blog is never boring, it’s real life. The prescription review sounds disappointing and unhelpful. It sounds to me like the suicide prevention talk was a ticking the box exercise, especially as mental health services in this country have been declining due to severe under funding thanks to the previous government. I like your thinking on reversing the statistics on your chances of not having a cardiac episode, it sounds so much better.
ReplyDeleteI once started some sort of group for people depressed but it began with a film about people with drug problems in Scotland - and I left PDQ!
DeleteOur doctor does call once a year for a medication review, at least he understands any medical issues I may have. I regularly go once a year for blood test, which they do in your birthday month, so easy to remember.
ReplyDeleteThe doctors here are all part time and gave up medication reviews a few years ago
DeleteI’m going for my annual review on Friday at a local treatment centre and it’s a complete waste of time! BP taken, bloods taken and urine tested it no cholesterol test. I’ll then phone the GP practice, after 2pm, in about two weeks time and the receptionist will tell me that everything is fine. Waste of resources and the last twice I went it took 3 different nurses to get the blood whereas the healthcare assistant at my own practice knew that I had problems with getting a blood sample. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to avoid any more trips to the doctors for blood pressure checks but suppose I'd better go - cheaper than buying a thing of my own
DeleteNot boring at all! How strange to ask about suicidal thoughts - and insensitive, too. Barry has just had the statins talk - again! - and declined the offer. Just ask the doctors if they take them, though, of course, this wasn't a doctor, just someone with a script to follow. He's also had the Smart Meter chat - again, declined. Just waiting now for the solar panels chat repetition . . .
ReplyDeleteI can usually do meter reading and pay electric by phone without speaking to anyone but sometimes it goes through to a person and then I get the Smart Meter talk too - still refusing.
DeleteActually I would have solar panels if they were offered me cheap but the bungalow faces the wrong way
This kind of detail is very interesting to read, not at all boring! I wonder if the prescription lady wanted to go to medical school and is inflating her knowledge to patients. I think I'd be pretty depressed if I had to deal with her!
ReplyDeleteShe certainly made me depressed!
DeleteMy Zumba class was so full this week and one woman I spoke to said it is because of New Year's resolutions! I will turn 75 this year and I notice obits of people dying that are not that far from my age. I don't think I will mind dying, although, I sure would like to go in my sleep so I don't feel anything. That looks weird to me now that I have typed it out! But I have had a good life.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be 90 and decrepit - although I might change my mind when/if I get to 80!
DeleteI have never had a review of my meds either ( on very low dose of Omeprazole for acid reflux ) I reduced the dose a couple of years ago after some advice following a gastroscopy .I know I can't go any lower without problems so I'm quite happy to keep out of the system ,
ReplyDeleteRe dentists , we had a private one for a while during the lockdowns but then managed to get an NHS one again .The private one wanted to redo most of our teeth whereas the NHS one said I that although have a problem with one tooth , she would only be able to take it out and as it's not causing any problems at the moment she will leave it and it could well see me out .Much more sensible !We know that these bodies are not going to last forever even if other people seem to forget . Helen
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ReplyDeleteHealth care is dysfunctional in many ways. The phone call to review health/meds was enough to depress anyone. All I can think is they have a script, and they simply follow it. Waste of time and money.
ReplyDeleteYour weeks are never boring to me. I love learning about the differences between our two countries. I have never had a phone call to go over prescriptions and since I am once again minus a doctor, that could be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you for doing your stats the way you do -- very half-full approach, and I love that. Fifteen percent seems like a lot till you realize what it isn't. I think you and I are on the same page!
ReplyDeleteYour response to the drug review person had me chuckling. Why warn you about something that may never happen. Common sense and knowing your own body are a blessing most times.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. The medical stuff gets a bit tedious when you're of a certain age. I've had a flurry of appointments lately and have been averaging 2-3 a week since the end of the year. And at every single one, they run down their list of questions. Every single time, I let them know that I am still continent, that I can still handle my own activities of daily living, and no, I'm not falling down. Good grief!
ReplyDeleteQuestion and answer seems to be the only brief for annual reviews, got mine as well. What I would like is the ability to talk about any other problems. Why do they want us on statins anyway? it is not the new wonder drug anyway and has side effects.
ReplyDeletethey've stopped doing the annual medicines review here. It's crazy not to do it. Our pharmacist used to do ours. It didn't take him long to pick up on the fact that my mother had been prescribed a drug in the hospital that she should never have been prescribed with the other drugs she was on. It could have killed her.
ReplyDeleteThat medical review must have really cheered you up Sue…hope you succumbed to some nice treats after the ordeal…I know in clinic we have to ask all sorts of questions which are written in such medical terms that the patient usually wouldn’t know what we were talking about if we didn’t translate…progress…sigh. X
ReplyDeleteThe medicines review is really important but is sometimes just a tick box exercise. I was kept on a prescription drug for too long and as I've got older my body had metabolised it differently and It was causing me potential harm. My GP has conducted an annual telephone review for years and it still wasn't picked up!
ReplyDeletePenny
I'm so glad that people refuse statins because I fully intend to if diet hasn't sorted my cholesterol and it gives me courage. Thanks, Sue.
ReplyDeleteMind you - they should have called me back for a repeat blood test at the beginning of December but all I have heard is silence so it can't be that urgent. :-)
That doesn't sound like a very cheerful conversation with the medical person! I suppose there is a checklist they need to follow.
ReplyDeleteHopefully swimming will be better this week!
My annual review is in April, but I've had that many additional ones this year for hypertension it's been a bit ridiculous. It's crazy that they usually seem to be offering services that they haven't the time or staff to be able to deal with.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get an annual review at all and Graham is on so many different meds that I think he needs one. On every prescription of his it mentions a review is due in December 2022 😏
ReplyDeleteNone is forthcoming it seems, and he's waited almost a year already for a hospital appointment for his spinal issues. Very frustrating.
Angie