Disturbing omission

No two days are ever quite the same when it comes to managing this complaint while a wait for an operation date. Of this, still no news. I had a follow up appointment for the nurse to take my blood pressure in the surgery this morning. With increased medication, it had been almost what the GPs expected, taken at home. In the surgery, however, it was unusually, worryingly high. My daily dose of acute swelling in the groin had kicked off about an hour before. Having to sit still and ride on this lump while having a reading taken was in my view unlikely to produce a near normal reading. I said this, but I don't think it was noted. I asked the nurse if private treatment might speed things up, and was told there was no guarantee. It's just as I thought. The private sector probably rely on the same pool of MRI technical expertise as the NHS to brief their surgeons, who may in any case be NHS surgeons outside scheduled work hours. 

Later in the afternoon the wound became painfully uncomfortable. To get some relief I sat on a hot pack for half an hour. Then the wound exuded twice the amount of fluid as previously, and settled down, along with the swelling for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, I rang the surgery to ask for a telephone chat with a GP about managing this over the weekend, rather than spending hours of the NHS helpline outlining the problem to someone who doesn't know me and getting no help at all. 

Much to my surprise, I was offered a five thirty appointment slot, the last of the day. I'd planned to walk to St Luke's for the St Andrew's Day Mass, but had to abandon that idea after a twenty minute GP session instead of the usual ten. More GP worries about my blood pressure inexplicably peaking, no hope of getting an analgesic ointment to quench that sudden alarming pain. It's as if nobody really does old fashioned nursing advice these days, not even nurses.  Perversely, these worries may motivate them to keep chasing the hospital surgical team.

Later on, as I went to take my evening medications, I discovered that I had failed to take my usual blood pressure medication at breakfast as I routinely do. Heaven knows why. Juggling so many pills correctly whilst remaining active with other things to give attention to should be a matter of routine, but beware or disruption and distraction, I am learning! I don't think the surgery reading would have been quite so high if I'd kept on course. How embarrassing to have to confess to next week!