Went to the doctors for an annual review of my prescription (nothing drastic - just Lansoprazole for GERD). Got into trouble with the doctor.
Last week I'd been to Book Group which is held in a room at the local pub. I got myself a drink and went upstairs and on entering the room tripped over a crease in the carpet. I had my arms and hands full of book, study notes, knitting bag, coat, handbag, bottle and glass (non-alcoholic apple and mango juice 'cos I was driving - Honest, guv'nor!) so I fell flat on my face! Pride more hurt than anything else but gave my bad hip a nasty wrench.
When I saw the doctor I let slip that I'd been taking an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug) pain-killer for a few days as p
aracetamol (acetaminophen) doesn't work for me and anyway is dangerous in itself. Did I get it in the neck!! Shouldn't take NSAIDs when you have GERD. Yes, I know. However, since they often prescribe Lansoprazole in tandem with long-term prescribed NSAIDs in order to protect the stomach, and I am very sensible about self-medicating, I was a bit peeved to put it mildly.
Don't like this Doctor (he's rude and patronising and talks down to patients) and usually insist on seeing another one in the practice but I needed my prescription and he was the only one available.
My lovely doctor, who I'd been with for 30-odd years and who treated me like a grown-up, retired a couple of years ago and I'd moved house so had to change practices. Only seen this new chap twice in two years and I have nearly gone for his jugular both times.
The first time I saw him he informed me that I was at a very "dangerous" age (I was 64 and "disgustingly healthy" - quote from my old doctor) and I would die if I got the 'flu so I MUST have a 'flu jab INSTANTLY (I never get 'flu but went along with the jab just to be obliging). Then he said that, due to my "dangerous" age, I would die if I didn't have the pneumonia jab at once (I didn't bother). He rounded it off by telling me that if I had surgery on my foot for an injury that interferes with my wearing shoes (I live in rubber wellingtons at the stables and sheepskin Ugg boots elsewhere even in summer), the general anaesthetic could kill me. Durr! Does he think I'm a complete idiot? They do orthopaedic surgery on feet and hips under epidurals these days rather than general anaesthetics! Doctors should look at the person, not the colour of their hair or the numbers on their birth certificate.
I suspect that the NHS pays the practices for persuading us to take 'flu and pneumonia jabs because that saves money in the long run but the surgery on my foot would be charged to the practice. (The NHS has a very strange accounting system. Treatment is free to the patient at point of service but some arcane system charges it to the doctor's practice, which pays for it out of the money the NHS pays them for running the practice. Don't try to understand this - I don't think anyone does.)
(Incidentally, the Book Group choice for the month was "Jonathon Livingstone Seagull" - now
there's a blast from the past!)
