Sunshine.

At last we had some blue skies today.

After a not very good night I was up early this morning for two reasons. Firstly in case the builders turned up but they didn't and secondly for a doctor's appointment at 9.00. That appointment didn't go too well. I don't know why so often it seems I have to fight the medical profession, they should be people you can trust to have your best interests at heart. Firstly being taken off naproxen (a while back) which was helping to control my pain levels because I was put on a blood thinner I could understand. But then the blood thinner was stopped because I don't have atrial fibrillation (though the doctor this morning seemed to think I did) so I resumed taking the naproxen as I couldn't sleep even with extra co-codamols. But when I asked to have the naproxen back on my prescription that was refused as there has been some effect on my kidney function. The only solution offered was to take more co-codamol or 'how about paracetamol?' Really? I shall have to keep records, hope for the best and if I'm not able to sleep because of the pain then back to the surgery I'll go. What really annoys me is when they say 'You may be becoming dependent on painkillers.' My answer was that I would like to be able to get to sleep and not to be in so much pain. Is that such a terrible thing? 

I've never had any high or other effect from painkillers apart from pain relief and I wish they would make me sleepy. Would they tell a diabetic person that they were becoming dependent on insulin and should consider doing without. Or tell a person with poor sight that they were becoming dependent on their glasses and should try doing without them? Or more sinisterly is a continuation of the thinking that women make far too much fuss about pain and should manage without pain relief? 

The next niggle came when I asked to be referred back to the NHS for the surgery to remove the cyst from my toe as for a number of reasons I've decided not to go ahead with the private surgery. But no, I have to get in touch with the consultant's secretary at the local hospital to sort it out myself and guess what? No answer each time I've rung the consultant's secretary. 

And finally after discussing physiotherapy I have had to make a self-referral despite both the health authority website and the physiotherapist I saw last time saying that the GP can make the referral. At least I have filled out the form for that on line.

I know that none of these woes are life threatening but they're not helping my quality of life at all.

After all that I was glad I could get out to do some gardening in the back garden. I pulled up the courgette plant which had had a small crop of courgettes and one that turned into a marrow, did some weeding and cutting back of the honeysuckle. Of course I also managed to chop off at least one strand of the clematis that grows through the honeysuckle. 

If I left them the garden would be full of Welsh poppies but I don't mind the odd one or two.