Diary summary week ending 23rd October

[River Tyne Lass]

Went to get the flu jab and bloods done at the surgery this morning.  My appointment ran over time but I’m on nightshift tonight so not in any particular hurry.

A lovely young nurse, kept popping out for the patients; gentle manner, smiley, using social niceties ‘How are you today?’.  She put me very much in mind of Nurse Edith Todd who I once did a little digging for on the Northumberland board for on behalf of another RootsChatter.

However, when it was my turn another young nurse came out.  She called out my name in a stern tone and when I got up she turned and began to walk away in quite a strident manner.  It was hard to keep up with her, as she strode up the corridors, and then disappeared behind a corner.  However, the room was just around that corner so I found it.
“So, you’re here to have your bloods taken?”
“Yes, and my flu jab” I add.
Then it seems I have to have a little interview with her first.  Perhaps because I have not been for so long.  I don’t know, I find her manner quite brusque, and wonder why it couldn’t have been my luck to have had ‘Nurse Edith’ instead.
This one is looking at the screen “Look at all these covid tests on here, there are millions of them.  Nothing but covid tests!  Are you a new patient?
“No, I’ve been here for years” I say “and I had to have all those covid tests for my job.”
I can hardly believe I am sounding quite defensive.
She scrolls on and them I am asked more questions and then I get my bloods and flu jab done.
She says she will only ring me on a date if there will be anything to discuss.  I think then say, “I will be on nightshift then but it doesn’t matter if you ring then.”
She says “You sound like you think there might be something wrong.” 
I say “Well there might be, I have had anaemia off and on since being a teenager and I am tired all the time.”
I think she gives me a scornful look like I am a malinger.
I don’t know .. if there might be anything “to discuss” it might be a good thing as there could be another reason for this tiredness aside from my shifts and I might get help.  But then again I also feel like it might be a good thing if I don’t get to hear from this Nurse again.  It is hard to explain but in look and manner, I have just found her quite brusque.  Gosh, I hope she isn’t on RootsChat!
I have just had a text from the NHS asking for feedback.  I think I would rather not give it.

[candleflame]

Sorry to hear about your less than positive experience RTL. I can empathise. At least she agreed to do the jabs for blood and flu without you having to make yet another appointment .

There was an article on menopause on the tv this morning and it said if you feel like you are not getting anywhere with your gp, eg being listened to, ask to see another one. Have they any idea how difficult it is to get an appointment to see anyone, let alone ask for a different one!

[sarah]

The last time I checked his profile doesn't seem to reflect he has gone I would like to think there has been a mistake, some misunderstanding.  However, I doubt Bookbox would have posted this if they were not sure

River Tyne Lass, we have been away for a few nights to celebrate Trystan's Birthday, we have just arrived home to hear of the Sad passing of Guy.

Sarah

[louisa maud]

Happy belated birthday greeting Trystan

Louisa Maud

[River Tyne Lass]

Sarah, I hope you both had a very enjoyable break when you were away and belated Birthday greetings Trystan from me too.  I am sorry that you have both come back to such sad news about Guy.

Thank you Candleflame for your supportive words; it feels good to be spoken to in a kind manner after that appointment.
The last time I did get to see a doctor at this practice re anaemia, a good while back he was actually very kind, nice and helpful.  However, this nurse just seemed to come across to me as a 'superior' type.  Manner quite brusque, superior, a tad scornful.  I won't be giving the NHS any feedback but it has felt very cathartic to get things off my chest here about the experience.
Obviously, I condensed things a bit in my first post but I will add that she scrolled back and found more about my history and questioned me about why I had been for breast screening but yet had refused two other routine screenings for other things.  Fair enough to ask but she asked it in a demanding manner like I was being told off "And WHY ...!!?"  However, I know from my own line of work in care that there is such a thing as 'the right to refuse' and that if in capacity, people have the right to make what might be deemed as 'unwise decisions'.
Re: all the covid tests on the screen - I wonder who she thought she had sitting before her?  She seemed a bit flabberghasted.  A person with such paranoia about covid that they keep bombarding the NHS with tests?  I hated doing those tests but I was obliged to do them for work.
She seemed a bit scornful about the anaemia question too.  I agree that I might not have anaemia (it might just be shift work pattern and poor sleep quality which is making me tired)  but I do have a very long history of it so it is justifiable to wonder, I think.  On occasions in the past I have been found to need injections as well as tablets; although I don't feel at that low level right now.
And if she checked she would find out that it was them who contacted me first about bloods (and flu jab) and not me them for help!😒

Gosh! I'm going to be toast now for saying all this if it does turn out she is on RootsChat!      😱

Herr Kommandant Nurse: Are you on RootsChat?

Me: RootsChat?  What's that?

HKN: Family History Forum!😠

Me: Oh, I'm not into family history at all .. I like to look forward and not back .. Mein Herr Kommandant Nurse!😅
 

[Roobarb]

Well if she is perhaps she'll take the hint RTL! You do have my sympathy, I've found a big difference amongst some of the nursing staff at my GP surgery.
The receptionists will often try to persuade you to take an appointment with a nurse practitioner rather than the GP. I once succumbed to their persuasion and the practitioner turned out to be like yours, brusque and rather cold in her manner. She was about to prescribe something for me when I asked if it was suitable for someone with a medical condition I have. She read the details on the computer and the answer was no, it wasn't suitable. Good job I'm on the ball! Since then I've always held out for a GP appointment. That's not to say that all practitioners are the same but I'm not taking any chances.

I'm amazed that your nurse hadn't considered the possibility of you being in a job that required Covid tests. As for the anaemia, you know your own body better than anyone and she should recognise that and give serious consideration to the possibility that you might be right. If your test proves negative for anaemia and you are still experiencing the same tiredness it might be a good idea to persist until you see a GP. You have as much right to an appointment as anyone else.

[louisa maud]

Manners  cost  nothing, she was very rude, don't think about her anymore,  my twin brother,  who is rather forthright would have asked her if she enjoyed her job, doesn't sound as if she does enjoy her job at all, no people skills

I might have been brought up in what could be called a poor family in those days we always had manners and we were brought up with respect, not harshly but we were always polite and I would like  to think i still am

As Roobarb suggested If you still  feel unwell try to see your GP

Like the humour   RTL

On a lighter note it has been another beautiful day

LM

[Rena]

With several chatters mentioning Christmas, I thought I ought to sort out my Xmas card list and also see what knitting patterns I had that are suitable for family tots who are shooting up so fast that they're quickly outgrowing their clothes.

My memory is definitely failing me as I was surprised to see how many boxes of Xmas cards I'd bought in the January sales.  The reason I need to make an early start is that I always write tidbits of news to everyone back home. 

I haven't knitted for two decades and I was extremely surprised at seeing the bags of unused wool that I'd accumulated - and what on earth had I started to knit with many balls of white wool that must have been so large that the needles could scarcely accommodate the stitches?  I have scores of knitting patterns and the late 1990s fashion was large baggy jumpers.... now that I've typed that last sentence, I think the men's fashion at the time was for wearing jumpers styled on white cricket jumpers.

Another sunny day today and yet another day when the roofer didn't turn up.  The reason he didn't turn up on prior promised dates was because he had other jobs to do.(!)    One tradesman who did turn up today was the gas maintenance boilerman, who has been installing, upgrading and maintaining my central heating for over 30 days..  He phoned yesterday, said he'd be arriving at 1.00 pm today and true to his word he walked through the door promptly at 1.00 pm.

P.S. I meant he'd been maintaining my central heating for THIRTY YEARS not 30 DAYS 

[pharmaT]

Happy birthday Trystan.

If she is on RC RTL then I hope it helps improve her practice. There is no need to be rude.  I admit I would ask why you were concerned about anaemia. Not because I thought you were imagining it but to cover differentials and check if any other tests over and above FBCs

It's been some week so far. Covid outbreak at work growing. On Monday there were so many ambulances (14) queuing to off load that there was not enough room in the ambulance bay so they were out into the roadway.  Complaint against me at work part in relation to something that happened when I was not on shift, part about things I have zero control over.  They have accused me of a lot of heinous crimes.  I am now stressed that I will lose my job and fail the girls even more than I already have.

Had horizontal rain here on Monday, weather not so bad Tuesday.  Haven't ventured to open the blinds yet this morning.  Been up since before 5 because I can't sleep.

Sunday, someone knocked my door and said "your dog got out".  I don't have a dog.  Looked down and there was a wee chihuahua puppy cowering on my doorstep.  Had a few moments of frantically trying to figure out how i would find it's owner.  Then someone came around the corner calling for him.  He had slipped his collar and sneaked out