It’s been a long couple of days
Not for any real reason. A couple of minor inconveniences aside, I’d say they’ve actually been quite fruitful days. Days in which I’ve got a bit done. Days in which I’ve prepped for doing more.
But still, the time it flies, but the days they do drag. And of course I know the reason why.
Because once again it’s B12 time.
New Order
In fact it’s probably a little past B12 o'clock. Maybe ten past the hour or something like that. I can tell because the heavy, dragging fatigue has dodged past the excitement of the new car I have coming in September and the holiday that is now only a matter of weeks away. It’s ducked through those temporary rises in my mental make-up to settle over me like a weighted blanket.
My thoughts seem so sluggish (yes, I know, No change there, right?) my concentration is so, um, unconcentrated, and my eyes have taken on that softly boiled from the inside feel. Added to the painless ache I feel throughout my body I must be in need of my injection.
Which, in this case, due to a spectacular lack of planning, meant re-ordering the injection supplies from the local doctor.
Luckily the wonderfully named Doctor Lane Surgery (which came first, the surgery or Doctor Lane?) knows my medical history. They know when I ring for supplies, no argument is to be brokered. This leads me to believe the young lady I spoke to yesterday was new.
Communication Breakdown
A read through of my notes led to crossed wires, the misreading of a date, and my wife, the feisty and formidable Tina, getting involved. I found myself at the centre of two conversations, sharing information back and forth and getting more than a little flummoxed and did what any man would do.
I gave the phone to Tina.
Yes, rather than play interpreter in a literal game of Telephone I gave up, handed responsibility to my erstwhile other half, and let the ladies sort it out. I am nothing if not a coward.
Still, discretion did in fact prove to be the better part of valour, and in a few minutes a new prescription was ordered. A prescription I got a text message about this morning.
It simply said to give the surgery a ring. Immediately a surge of misgiving hit my tired mind. What was wrong? Would it mean another conversation in three parts? Would they tell me I couldn’t have my injections?
Well, yes and no.
Buy Now
You see, the receptionist explained, due to changes with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, I could have my ampoules of Cyanocobalamin, the stuff that turns into iron in the blood, but the trust no longer provided needles or drivers, so I’d need to purchase them myself.
I was gobsmacked.
In a shining example of just how much rampant capitalism, neo-liberalism, and back door privatisation is ruining one of the few things we have left to be proud of in this country I could get my drugs, but would happily be left without the ability to take them (as I have pernicious anaemia oral ingestion is not an option).
Luckily, we still have spares of both needles and drivers so, for now, it’s not that big a personal issue. Being that the advice from the receptionist as to ‘try Amazon’ and the bemused chemist could only suggest the Needle Exchange Program (which I’m sure is both safe and worthy but gives me pause and it’s not a case of not knowing where those needles have been, if you know what I mean) it could well be in the future and, as much as I’d sometimes like to think so, I’m not the most important person in this equation.
Diagnosis Money
Imagine someone with poor mental health. Imagine someone with poor mobility. Imagine someone who doesn’t have the right help to make the right decisions. Those people are immediately disadvantaged for no other reason I can see than saving a few pence.
Sure I could go down to the doctors every three months and get the nurse-practitioner to inject me, or take advantage of the home visits I could get through Locala (would you like some privatisation with that?). How is that helping anything, though? How does it save money, or free appointments, or maximise efficiency in any way shape or form? How is it patient focussed? How does it improve service users’ lives?
As you can probably tell, I’m a little narked at this short-sighted, penny-pinching exercise, so sorry for the rant. The good news is we got the juice, and Tina, using up some of our stock, has administered it. Personally I’m alright for now. I hope the same can be said for others.
Until next time.
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Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
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