Head wall bang

You know when you are having just one of those days where nothing you do is going to go to plan. Yes? well mine is one of them. I won't go into it all but just one part of it as if I told you all of it I will still be typing this post next week.

So I had my monthly check in with my GP booked at 2.20, being the good little patient I am I arrived 5 minutes early, thinking he wouldn't be running late two patients in on the afternoon surgery. Yea right! I arrived to the receptionist saying "do you have to see this doctor or would you be happy with another one?" Now if I had phoned as an emergency patient I would been happy to see any old doctor but I booked this appointment a week ago as my monthly review. More importantly this doctor is the one managing my chronic illness and its affects not just on me but the whole family. So naturally I said I would wait till he was free thinking he was running his normal late self. Not that I mind as he is usually running late because he actually cares about his patients and takes time to find out what is really ill.

However an hour later I was really unimpressed when no one had told me what the delay was and to be honest I find sitting in the surgery chairs really painful. It was only when I was in agony I was told the poor doctor had a random review, something all GPs are likely to get, to check they are not becoming the next Dr Shipman. Fine so they have to have these checks, but would it be asking too much to inform the poor waiting patients. Had we known this mum would have left me there and gone to do the shopping instead of sitting there like a class A lemon. Over an hour and 15 minutes later I arrive at my doctors room, him harassed, me exhausted and in agony.

What ever I may say my GP couldn't have been kinder and more apologetic about the wait. He understood I couldn't just see anyone as my combination of medicine is finely tuned and most unusual, but it is a combination that works and causes the least amount of side affects. Any other GP would want me to change this combination based on the addiction risk.. But I have already been through so many risk assessments, psych tests and do on. We have also spent the last 8 months tweaking the dosage and timing of the doses. So the last thing I want to have to do is spend 13 of my allocated 15mins explaining all this to some one else. As it was I had a list of things to whip through not just with my normal issues but other things as I have had a head cold for the last two weeks that has kindly set off my old ear condition and left me with a cold sore that won't shift. Needless to say I left with a book of prescriptions ( only half of my monthly requirements as the other half doesn't need monthly reviews).

Once done there off to the chemist to collect this shopping bag of pills and potions. Problems there? You bet! One prescription got refused as it is an controlled substance and my GP said use as directed not explained the directions. So back to the GP to change prescription and then back to chemist. One bag of prescriptions later and still no pain patches, apparently they are so controlled they have to order them in from the hospital so I now have to wait till Monday for them, good job I have a spare one!

Estimated time to do this whole outing 1 hour and then we were meant to go do the weekly shop. Reality of trip 3 hours and total exhaustion, so shopping is now postponed till early tomorrow.

That is just this afternoon so you can guess how this morning went!