February 4, 2008

My monthly appointment with the nurse for blood tests turned into something of an epic visit - I was in for about an hour.  I can bitch about the NHS all I like, but I must admit that my local surgery does seem to still be interested in patient welfare rather than just statistics.  I can’t imagine that there are many practices out there that would be happy about hour-long appointments.

First we had a chat about the situation with the consultant and the Dermatology department in Aberdeen.  Then a discussion about my various side-effects.  Then can my BP.  My blood pressure was slightly high (133/94) - as it always seems to be when I get it done at the surgery.  Had my blood taken - though as both the nurse and I noted: if I have no consultant, then who gets (and checks) my blood test results?  It’s a mystery.  Then came the stuff that really took up the time.  The nurse asked if my blisters were worse, and they are so I explained about the pain and the ickiness of the open wounds, so she decided to sort me out with dressings (woo!).  It took a fair amount of time to figure out what I needed size-wise, and then we discovered that Tubegauze is not available on the NHS, only on private prescription (which I object to and can’t afford anyway).  The doctor has also prescribed me some heavy-duty painkillers.  A couple of times the nurse asked me about whether I was coping with work.  Hmm.  I’ve appreciated having no work for the past week and not just because of my cough and cold.  The pemphie can be debilitating.

I have been invited to be part of the surgery’s Patient Participation Group.  This is one way for me to be more active and involved in the local community, so I have accepted.  I met the Practice Manager today.  She’s nice and seemed enthusiastic about patients being involved.