Two Evils

People always tend to talk negative about the health system in the UK but I never had any problems with specialists or hospitals there. They listen to what you’ve got to say and take your complaints serious, they don’t treat you condescendingly or show this annoying superior attitude, they don’t tell you things you already know for years…

In the Lowlands they wouldn’t listen to what I had to say last week about the specialist in the UK and what she recommended, they felt superior and wouldn’t accept her medical opinion. Their reaction was: ‘we’ don’t have that medicine here and ‘we’ feel it doesn’t work. *I feel it does!* ‘We’ have our own methods so ‘we’ are going to do this ‘our’ way…

Gosh… such arrogance!

The specialist in the UK told me that they’ve got much better allergy tests in the Lowlands and that I should have it done there, she was patient, polite and didn’t have the arrogant competitive attitude like the Dutch have. Her treatment had done me good, I wasn’t just a file number, she knew who I was when I visited her six months later.

So now I’m a guinea pig having to deal with people who are not really interested. I’ve been given medication that is kinda new and they don’t know the side effects for longterm use. It burns, stings and it hurts but it seems less damaging to the skin *no hormones*. I can see a difference already but this burning sensation is killing me…

It seems to disappear after two weeks: one week down the road it should be gone. I’m glad it’s winter because the cold numbs it in a way but I’m not looking forward to the summer: let’s hope the problem will be gone by then. I’m not allowed to catch any sunshine either, they’re still doing some serious research on the side effects.

It’s like having to choose the lesser of two evils… I was reminded again of the perfect health system and past frustration with hospitals and so-called specialists.

© Unknown A blank look…

Bad Practice

Noticeable Oddities of the Day:

I have a blocked Eustachian tube for months already causing a cracking sound and earache on and off. I’ve tried to relieve the symptoms with steam inhalation which was ok for a while but not very effective. I need it to be clear since I’ll be on a plane to Amsterdam soon and I really don’t want a perforated eardrum again, that would be the third time.

I’ve been trying to make an appointment with any GP of the surgery I’m registered with since my own seems to be retired in the meantime *so I was told* I had to call the snobby receptionist each day to see if there was an available spot. One can only book an appointment a week ahead, which basically means that I won’t be able to see a doctor before I’ll leave.

It’s an annoying system but I guess that’s the price you pay for free health services. I got so fed up with this that I called the hospital yesterday evening and explained the situation to them. The receptionist told me that a doctor would call me back within the hour. An hour and a half later I was on my way home -after I’d seen the doctor at the hospital- with my medication.

It doesn’t make sense to me that a hospital covers for a practice because the practice is so busy that they can’t cope… but I’m not complaining, I praise this hospital for their excellent service given to me in the past and on this particular day: to me it’s the best in London. The doctor even told me I could see him again this Saturday if I had to… Now… isn’t that nice?

© Zesty Gal, Sweets for my Sweet, sugar for my Honey (never had them in this bright Magenta colour…)