February - let's hope it's better than January!

[eccles]

I have drifted away from using delivery and haven't had one since early January. Instead I wheel my shopping trolley round to the German supermarkets and Asda, all of which are about a mile away.

This is the trolley I got:

www.amazon.co.uk/Hoppa-Lightweight-Shop ... B071WM2X73

You must be strict with Mr M, Merry. He will be mobile quite quickly but will have to take care not to stress the surgery for a couple of weeks as it heals. If he is offered a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) then I would take it as recovery is easier and quicker. It might be worth asking about.

[OurCreature]

Giganet are still there and access to my front door isn't easy, but they have told me that access will be all right by 15:30 - just as well because the Morrisons delivery is due between 17:00-18:00.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day because I'm travelling to Winchester on the bus to have my hair cut.

I completed an IPSOS survey today about GP services. There are no text boxes for you to type what you really think, it is all tick boxes. However, I found a way of saying that waiting more than 2 weeks for a GP appointment is too long.

[eccles]

I have voted today in the Kingswood by-election. The seat became vacant when Chris Skidmarkmore decided he couldn't wait for a few more months for a general election and joined the Chiltern Hundreds, i.e. resigned as an MP. The new MP may just about have time to make his maiden speech in the Commons before the seat disappears due to boundary changes. It's all a waste of money.

Good luck with your Morrison's delivery, OC.

[OurCreature]

I shall not be waiting up for the results unless they come in while I am watching New Zealand v South Africa, where the game is finely balanced. I won't be staying up that late because of catching the buses tomorrow morning - the first one I need to catch leaves my bus stop near home at 09:33 if it is to time.

[eccles]

I shall not be waiting up for the results

Neither will I. I expect the Reform candidate will split the Tory vote and allow Labour to take the seat.

[Furby]

I had almost forgotten there were elections today because all the news has been about the Rochdale one in two weeks time. Every time it's mentioned they have to read out all the candidates names but I haven't heard the ones for Kingswood and welling yet. Might have been on but not 20 times a day to break through into my noticing. Rochdale is a strange one because put up a cabbage and it would win but now the candidate has been sacked and may still win.

I just woke up after my afternoon sleep and it's midnight but they haven't counted the results yet. In a by election when they know news are waiting couldn't they count a bit quicker. Probably cost savings in some of my areas they don't even count overnight now and wait until next day to start. There is some law that people have to be paid extra for working midnight to 5am which was why supermarkets stopped opening 247.

I have a pull hoppa trolley too. I also have a push sholley (old style without a seat) which I prefer but can't use now because the trolley lockers were taken away to make more space in the cafe. Other shops don't have anywhere to leave trolleys either.

[OurCreature]

the trolley lockers were taken away to make more space in the cafe

The trolley lockers were taken away at our Morrisons as well; they used to border the cafe but I don't think they have added more tables there, it was already quite big. People will find it annoying if they are caught short and have to use the toilets there - those lockers were very handy for storing your trolley while you were using the toilets.

Everything seems to be conspiring to spend loadsamoney making life more difficult for ordinary people who would prefer things to stay as they are because it is what they are used to. But no, the convenience of the vendor comes first and to hell with what the customers want.

I notice that at Kingswood the Reform share of the vote at 10.4% was slightly bigger than the difference between Labour and the Tories (10%). That doesn't mean that all those people would have voted Tory if Reform hadn't been there but must worry the Tory leadership nonetheless where the difference between them and Labour might be a bit less in the General Election.

[Patience]

OC you are very right about everything being for the convenience of the vendor and not the customer. This includes phone helplines (now chat bots), booking appointments, many deliveries, shop opening hours (many are closed for lunch). Everything seems much harder these days.

[eccles]

I had no idea trolley lockers were a thing. It's a good idea so it's a shame they've been removed.

I've just got back from a shopping trip to Asda (or Asdal as they say in Bristol and South Glos). I used up a £9 cashpot coupon and got a two-fer on Abbott Ale saving a total of £10 on a £13 shop. Now I'm finding that even carting alcohol and 4 pints of milk back is no problem with the trolley I shall probably abandon deliveries altogether.

The result of the Kingswood by-election is no surprise, and I was almost right about Reform splitting the Tory vote to allow the Labour candidate to win. I suspect that OC is right saying it probably wouldn't have been enough had Reform not contested the seat.
The Conservatives will have to reinvent themselves as right-of-centre to regain their core votes but they will have to lose the general election to make it happen. Kemi Badenock or Penny Mordaunt for next leader anyone?

[Furby]

The Tories fought the last election as conservatives and then proceeded to govern as extreme socialists with a bit of green as a bonus so who will believe them this time. And it's not really up to democratically elected government what happens it's lawyers and civil servants and lords and 900 online sock puppets who successfully object to everything.

Everything is made so difficult now isn't it. Glad to read it's not just me struggling. . Maybe companies have realised there is no competition even when we pretend there is. E.g. all banks close their branches, all energy companies install small display smart meters, all companies have foreign language call centres and refuse to help customers what can anyone do no point saying go elsewhere as not any different.

[OurCreature]

i agree, Eccs - the Tories will think they were insufficiently right-wing and drift over there.

Penny Mordaunt as Leader? She looks good wearing semi-Ancient Greek green dresses while holding a big sword, but I don't think she has sufficient between the ears for the top job.

Kemi Badenoch...........now she's more of a runner for the top job. She would be ideal to lead a drive for computer security in both the public and private sectors as she knows how to hack into other peoples' websites as Harriet Harman knows. Southern Water recently have had to confess to being a hacking victim as some hacking outfit has stolen details (including bank account numbers) of about 5-10% of their customers and quite a lot of their staff. And as we all remember, I'm sure, the NHS was hit with a ransomware hack a few years ago. So plenty for Kemi to get her teeth into there.

I'm sure Kemi can do a PM job. Whether I would like what she got up to while in the job is a completely different matter.

And now for something different. I caught my 09:33 bus and they all went right for me. I had time to go to the NAAFI cafe near the hairdresser shop in Winchester and have a cappuccino and nice slice of chocolate cake with a coffee filling before having my hair cut, and the bus back to Southampton arrived 3 minutes after I reached the bus stop. I had to wait only a few minutes in Southampton for a late (which was why I was able to catch it) bus to get back home at just before 14:00. So it was a successful day.

[Patience]

It’s fair to say I m not a happy bunny today. Firstly, I’m not very well. After a few days of a grumbly stomach on Monday / Tuesday which both me and the pharmacist thought might be trapped wind and got the appropriate medication, On Wednesday afternoon and evening, it was very very very painful. Just under my ribcage and slightly on the RHS. After a very disturbed sleep, I called the GP the next day and miraculously got an appointment for that afternoon. Some routine tests and bloods taken and some cocodamol and Omezepine (other spellings are available). The GP wasn’t sure what it was but suspected Gall Stones and advised if it flared up again to call the GP during GP hours or 111 after hours. Before I went to bed on Friday night, I thought “ah ha, I’ll take a couple of co codamol and get a good night’s sleep”. I’m very clever.
Well 11pm and the intense pain is back so I phone 111. But the time you have hung on for the call screener, then the nurse, 90 mins have passed. I then need to wait until 1:10am for a call back from the out of hours appointment which is at 4:20am and includes directions to the Out of Hours service at the main hospital. I can’t drive and there are no taxis available. Fortunately I get hold of a friend who takes me through.
Unfortunately he didn’t listen to me saying, it’s rights and the roundabout and apparently knew where it was (at the main entrance). Well, no. It’s at the back of the main entrance which is closed and so ensued 20 mins of walking slowly round the building to find it the night entrance. Turns out this wasn’t it either but someone gave us directions and we found it bang on time.
My vitals were taken about 10 mins later then another 20 or 30 mins later, I was asked for a wee sample. Not ideal when you went before you came. Water was drunk and 15 mins later, sample was produced. sample was tested and around 5:10am I saw someone. This was roughly 6 hours after phoning (note the time). I was beginning to feel better and the lovely chap that I saw did remark that I looked so much better than when I came in. Over the next 20 mins when he looked at the bloods (all major organs good and a very low level infection kicking around). Poked and prided, but most of the pain had gone. He did prescribe MUCH stronger painkillers (apparently I had been sobbing when on the phone to 111) and something else whose name I forget.
He thinks it’s probably gall stones (intense pain can last up to 5 hours). Again if it comes back, I’ve to phone GP or 111 but unless they see me when the pain is intense it is difficult to confirm without a scan. Apparently that is not available at Out of Hours, etc. he will write to my GP and recommend a referral to a scan.
How long will this last? Will there be an attack every few days?

Will I be OK for the World Indoor Championships?



I thought that I had dragged my friend out of bed in the small hours so I wouldn’t ask them to get in my weekly shop. I can get my first delivery from MR TESCO.


Well. After 3 hours, it all falls down when I try to verify my card. It just sits at the “we may need to get in touch with your bank to confirm, etc, etc”. I try 3 different cards with 3 different apps. Same thing. I log out and update the APP. Same thing.
Phone Tesco. After 30 mins of trying Everything I’ve already tried (and obvs it’s all my fault). I’m asked to log out the app and into the website.

Guess what?

My order is gone. Apparently this is my fault for not saving it! . Well how come it was there every time I logged in and out of the APP? It’s my fault and must be using a different email address (I’m not) or password (excuse me Mr TESCO, surely they should sync).

Here I am, tired, in a bit of pain and frustrated beyond belief.

Thank you for listening

[OurCreature]

Patience, that sounds like a horrible time for you, so I am giving you a

I hope it gets sorted out for you very quickly so that you can be at the Championships.

[Wildrover]

That sounds miserable Patience. I had a colleague with gallstones and although her attacks were infrequent (maybe a couple a year) they were crippling when they did happen. She was put on a low cholesterol diet and statins which seemed to work insomuch as the attacks didn't get worse and became even more infrequent. I haven't spoken to her for several years so I don't know whether she ended up having surgery but she's still at the company. Hopefully this will be a one off.

[Furby]

Poor patience. The NHS does seem a system to keep people away from help for long enough that any work for NHS goes away. If they can't tell what it is unless see people within 5 hours and waiting times are more than 5 hours that seems a hopeless system for fixing that illness whatever it turns out to be.

And the internet it's all very well doing everything online but if the security systems are getting so tough people can't log on and stay logged on and pay for things that's quite frightening because can be used as a way of rationing food and other essentials can't it. There is a lot of pressure to make people use the app for many things these days but now they are saying don't bother with app use the website instead it's mad. With computer systems would be more honest if they just closed down on certain days and times because I suspect they are doing housekeeping tasks that at one time everyone had to logout to do and trying to just keep systems open 247 and then pretend it's customers faults if anyone complains. Don't be fooled into thinking it's your fault.

[eccles]

Gosh Patience, what a horrible time you've had. I think you deserve a very gentle

[OurCreature]

Today I received a rations delivery for Them - 12 kg of Felix wet food. Zooplus have started to use EVRI so when they asked me to complete a survey at the end of placing the order I had a moan about that because of all the bad publicity that EVRI has attracted since its re-branding.

However, the parcel arrived within its 2 hour time slot and the delivery man was polite and friendly, placing it by the redundant cat flap on the wide bottom stair. My only quibble is that EVRI don't seem to have a tracking map so that you can see where the driver is, nor do they tell you what number delivery you are and how many deliveries have already been made. Yodel and, IIRC, DPD used to show you that info on a map. But overall I'm happy with the service provided.

[merry]

I'm so sorry Patience, that does sound absolutely miserable. I hope the Good Drugs work and keep the pain away and that it doesn't come back.

I'm off to London tomorrow with STPD and Jay, for another tour of Troy at 1, Cartridge Place. It will bring back such happy memories, albeit rather sad. One thing I DONT miss about not going weekly is the Getting Ready part! clothes, preps, food and water packed, train tickets printed, Mr M primed to run the gaffe in my absence etc etc with NOTES to remind him of things. Plus the early start! arrgh. How did I used to do this multiple times a week in September/October?

We have a Handy Man coming this week to do Jobs. No idea what he is like but he's 'a local lad' (self-described) so we know where to find him if the gutters fall off... the estimate not including materials was £1300 and I've literally no idea how that compares, except I was expecting about £1000 so it's probably not too far off. For that he is mending a gutter, replacing raised stones in our drive (possibly caused by gutter problem and water), patching up broken tiling around two baths, fixing that damned big hole in the kitchen ceiling, and waterproof painting the sundeck, plus all the balustrades.

Mr M had said that WE could paint those curly balustrades and be Free Labour. My answer was, ummm, firm.

[eccles]

I don't like Evri very much either, OC. I think the reason why they don't track their deliveries is that they frequently use zero hours contractors who have their own transport which won't be tracked.

My phone weather app says "light rain". It is chucking it down.

Windy.com is a useful PC website. If you click on "Weather radar" you can get an idea when the rain will stop. Currently it suggests not for a while.

[OurCreature]

I have had my phone chat with the GP under whose bit of the practice register I have come - the GP who I was with is leaving the practice.

Several interesting things emerged. Firstly, it's my call as to whether I go on the river cruise in April, but I must inform the travel insurance people - no doubt to be asked to pay more money to be covered.

Secondly, she had the results of the 24 hr ECG. They confirm the initial heart block diagnosis made in A&E; she is writing back to cardiology but I forgot to ask whether that was for more tests or an appointment for me to see a specialist. She seemed to be more worried about my pulse than anything else - it is a bit low, as Eccs said in an earlier post. Apparently it should be in the high 60s; my pulse is rarely 60 or above and usually in the mid 50s. It has been as low as 48, and the GP told me that the ECG showed it dropping at times to as low as 41. I told her my BP figures for this month and she said those are OK. I think she also said I should stop taking one of my BP drugs as well, but I'm not sure about that.

Tomorrow I shall phone the surgery to ask if the GP can send me a text message to confirm I should cease taking the BP drug, and also to clarify what she is asking cardiology to do - if it is to see a consultant I shall make clear that I'm very happy to pay for a private consultation and see what she says. Not taking the BP drug makes sense - it's called Atenolol and is a beta-blocker and reduces your heart rate to make it easier to pump your blood round your body.

So that is where I am at the moment.

Update 23/2:- I am no longer taking Atenolol, and we'll see what happens to my pulse. I went to the more-difficult-to-get-to surgery (have to change buses in Totton) to collect a copy of the letter the GP sent to Cardiology. It is headed up URGENT and basically requests that they see me to decide whether a pacemaker is the answer or can they do anything else to put me right. The tape recorded 180 instances of low pulse in 24 hours, and overall it ranged from 39 beats per minute to 86. BP is stable at present (138/74 mornings, slightly higher afternoons).

I shall phone Cardiology on Monday to find out how quickly they are able to respond and decide whether to go down the private road after that. I don't really want to wait more than 2 or 3 weeks for their initial response.