Not Very Well

Kew Gardens, October 2022

I went to the GP. This is a very infrequent occurrence, thankfully, and I actually can't remember the last time I was there other than to see the nurse for travel vaccinations before I went to Brazil, and that was 2019. I consider myself very lucky in this regard, especially in comparison to the rest of my family and many of my friends.  The only major issue I have is with the stupid teeth. I now seem to spend half my time either eating, cleaning the aligners or brushing my teeth.

Anyway, this isn't about my health, but what struck me was that despite the doctor being very clear in her diagnosis, prognosis and prescribed treatment, as soon as I walked out of the door I became uncertain of what I was supposed to do. How often was the treatment? For how long? When was I supposed to go back for a review? But the miracle of modern technology means that as soon as I got home I looked it up on my online patient record, and there it all was, just as she had typed it, with the consultation notes, treatment, prescription and everything else.

Unfortunately, the health theme continued when mum lost her balance in the kitchen, fell on her back and bumped her head. She got herself to bed and the paramedics found no significant injury, which seems very lucky.

I wrote the previous paragraph very early in the week. Since then, it's been tough.  Mum has been unable to do much except lie in bed, Sister D, Lola II and myself have been doing our best, we really have, but our ignorance of The System combined with other factors have resulted in a very difficult period that has consumed a great deal of time and energy from all of us plus paramedics on two occasions, a dear family friend, a District Nurse (three or four times so far), a Social Worker, the GP and the pharmacist. It continues.

While all this was going on I have had three (count 'em, THREE) dental encounters - one at the orthodontist which I think should have been a telephone consultation because it was just a check-in, then a normal dental appointment with the dentist and hygienist, then the main event at the orthodontist where they fixed 'attachments' to my teeth which I believe will eventually be used to connect elastic bands that pull the teeth about. This wasn't painful, but it was tedious and uncomfortable. They also gave me the remaining retainers for the whole course (37 sets in all) plus a snazzy gadget that holds my mobile phone and a cheek retractor while I run an app that takes pictures which are then sent for review. It is very 21st century and an extraordinary contrast to my teenage braces which were full metal with wires and created open wounds in my mouth as well as destroying my fragile teenage self-esteem. I didn't smile for a year.

All this on top of a funeral yesterday of one of the Buddhists, younger than me, who succumbed to cancer in just a couple of months from diagnosis. It's been a very difficult week, and it's not yet over.