And the reason I'm back on blood thinners is I'm a genetic mutant. Three times over!
I'm currently taking suggestions for my X-Men name.
Friday 30 January 2009
The love/hate for the NHS
I absolutely love the NHS, specifically that I get great health care at no price. However, with socialized medicine there are some minor set backs, which, while minor, can really annoy the hell out of you.
Today, I went to the doctor to get put back onto the Anti-Coagulant clinic's roster as I "hadn't been attending" since I had been removed from blood thinners (b t dubs, I'm back on them for what looks like the rest of my life), and the only way is to have my doctor call in for me. I tell the receptionist at my local doctor's that I need to talk about my warfarin and INR as soon as possible with the doctor and she gives me an appointment for the following Friday (mind you this is a whole week away at the time). Fine, whatever.
I wait it out, and go to the doctor today only to get lectured that I should have come to them sooner, that my INR might dangerously high, and I could have to spend the night in the hospital hooked up to a Vitamin K drip. Sounds like a stellar Friday, right?
My doctor asks me to call back at 5 PM to find out what my INR levels are. I call, the receptionist tells me they will call me Monday. I try to explain that I have to talk to the doctor on call tonight as my doctor instructed me to do so, she tells me to call back Monday (as that MUST be what my doctor really meant). Finally, I tell her that I need to talk to him to see if I have to spend the night in the hospital and that it's a near emergency at this point. Finally, she puts me through. I'm fine. No hospital tonight!
I think my major problem is that I don't know the magic words to get around the receptionist. I think I'm saying things to express the urgency, but it doesn't seem to work, and in order to get an urgent appointment, I apparently need to convince her it's really important. If anyone has some tips, please let me know. I've tried warfarin, i've tried INR, I've tried "the doctor told me to call back at this time" and yet it doesn't seem to work. Grr.
Okay, that complaint was more about the receptionist than the NHS, but it's kind of the same problem that I have with the whole NHS. It's not that you have to wait so long for the appointments as most people think, it's the bureaucracy of it all. You have to walk through so much red tape (hence the "I HAVE to see the doctor to get onto the clinic's list again but then I get in trouble for not getting the INR checked earlier"), that it slows down the process.
Many people have asked me about the NHS and socialized medicine as it was a hot topic during the election. As I've put it, if I feel I need something done quickly (that isn't an emergency) I'll get it done when I'm in the States. However, when I spent a week in the hospital for my stroke, I didn't have to pay a dime! Or I guess a 10p. So really, I shouldn't complain so much, but it's bureaucracy that's so prevalant in every day life in the UK that drives me nuts some times.
Today, I went to the doctor to get put back onto the Anti-Coagulant clinic's roster as I "hadn't been attending" since I had been removed from blood thinners (b t dubs, I'm back on them for what looks like the rest of my life), and the only way is to have my doctor call in for me. I tell the receptionist at my local doctor's that I need to talk about my warfarin and INR as soon as possible with the doctor and she gives me an appointment for the following Friday (mind you this is a whole week away at the time). Fine, whatever.
I wait it out, and go to the doctor today only to get lectured that I should have come to them sooner, that my INR might dangerously high, and I could have to spend the night in the hospital hooked up to a Vitamin K drip. Sounds like a stellar Friday, right?
My doctor asks me to call back at 5 PM to find out what my INR levels are. I call, the receptionist tells me they will call me Monday. I try to explain that I have to talk to the doctor on call tonight as my doctor instructed me to do so, she tells me to call back Monday (as that MUST be what my doctor really meant). Finally, I tell her that I need to talk to him to see if I have to spend the night in the hospital and that it's a near emergency at this point. Finally, she puts me through. I'm fine. No hospital tonight!
I think my major problem is that I don't know the magic words to get around the receptionist. I think I'm saying things to express the urgency, but it doesn't seem to work, and in order to get an urgent appointment, I apparently need to convince her it's really important. If anyone has some tips, please let me know. I've tried warfarin, i've tried INR, I've tried "the doctor told me to call back at this time" and yet it doesn't seem to work. Grr.
Okay, that complaint was more about the receptionist than the NHS, but it's kind of the same problem that I have with the whole NHS. It's not that you have to wait so long for the appointments as most people think, it's the bureaucracy of it all. You have to walk through so much red tape (hence the "I HAVE to see the doctor to get onto the clinic's list again but then I get in trouble for not getting the INR checked earlier"), that it slows down the process.
Many people have asked me about the NHS and socialized medicine as it was a hot topic during the election. As I've put it, if I feel I need something done quickly (that isn't an emergency) I'll get it done when I'm in the States. However, when I spent a week in the hospital for my stroke, I didn't have to pay a dime! Or I guess a 10p. So really, I shouldn't complain so much, but it's bureaucracy that's so prevalant in every day life in the UK that drives me nuts some times.
Thursday 29 January 2009
Update (and things i don't like)
I'm trying to start this back up. The film festival is coming up so that might get me to blog a bit more. They're doing a retrospective of Audrey Hepburn (last year was Bette Davis), and although I was against the idea of going to Audrey Hepburn movies (she's a great actress but the fandom full of edgy hipsters/fashionistas is annoying), but I was talked into seeing Sabrina on Valentine's with my friend, then The Unforgiven (a less popular Audrey film), and ending the festival with MY FAIR LADY!!! I'm so excited to see that on the big screen. The costumes, the scenery, the ascot opening day! It's going to be brilliant to see it the way it was meant to be.
So far I also have tickets to see Drama/Mex (they're doing a whole strand on Mexican films and this one sounded the most interesting--next to my mexican shiva, I might have to check that out soon), Bronson (youtube it, it looks interesting, brutal, and theatrical), and finally Let the Right One In. Now I saw Let the Right One In back in Kansas over the holidays, BUT, this time the director is supposed to be coming to answer questions and introduce it. I'm very excited for that night.
B T Dubs, it was fun going to the volunteer induction and those in charge remembered me! Even Allison, one of the programmers and a such a fun lady. This year I plan on networking more. Going to the gala, working events, etc. I'm really going to try to get out there and do more. I told the women in charge I'm just doing research so I have a basically free schedule, that I'll help out prior to festival, and I might end up as a volunteer co-ordinator. They needed some more and they liked the idea of having someone who had volunteered before to 'run the show,' in that sense.
Anyway, as the title suggests I have a mini rant of one of the things don't like, and that would be Sky. We canceled our service in time that we wouldn't be charged, and yet they keep saying I owe them. Although, every time I would call about this they would say there is no debt on our account. So now they sent some debt collectors after me. I still call sky, they still say it's a mistake...
I ended up paying it. I don't need this over my head while they are deciding my visa. I'll talk to sky, but I'll at least get my name away from that. I don't need legal action taken against me while my passport is at the border agency. However, I ain't too happy about this, and someone will be getting a piece of my mind.
So far I also have tickets to see Drama/Mex (they're doing a whole strand on Mexican films and this one sounded the most interesting--next to my mexican shiva, I might have to check that out soon), Bronson (youtube it, it looks interesting, brutal, and theatrical), and finally Let the Right One In. Now I saw Let the Right One In back in Kansas over the holidays, BUT, this time the director is supposed to be coming to answer questions and introduce it. I'm very excited for that night.
B T Dubs, it was fun going to the volunteer induction and those in charge remembered me! Even Allison, one of the programmers and a such a fun lady. This year I plan on networking more. Going to the gala, working events, etc. I'm really going to try to get out there and do more. I told the women in charge I'm just doing research so I have a basically free schedule, that I'll help out prior to festival, and I might end up as a volunteer co-ordinator. They needed some more and they liked the idea of having someone who had volunteered before to 'run the show,' in that sense.
Anyway, as the title suggests I have a mini rant of one of the things don't like, and that would be Sky. We canceled our service in time that we wouldn't be charged, and yet they keep saying I owe them. Although, every time I would call about this they would say there is no debt on our account. So now they sent some debt collectors after me. I still call sky, they still say it's a mistake...
I ended up paying it. I don't need this over my head while they are deciding my visa. I'll talk to sky, but I'll at least get my name away from that. I don't need legal action taken against me while my passport is at the border agency. However, I ain't too happy about this, and someone will be getting a piece of my mind.
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