Post 293: No coffee. No counselling. No nothing in the tanks.
If there was ever a day that defined my luck it was this casual Thursday that went to the dogs.
I mean it. This has been a long and tiring day and to be honest, a bit of a stinker.
I got up and smelt my armpits. Do I really need a shower? It’s not like I’m on the pull, or visiting the relations. Sniff, sniff, naa, I’m good to go.
I grabbed the blue badge from the worktop in the kitchen (by all the keys) and set off to see the counsellor.
This was the fourth one so I still have two left.
I was hobbling badly and didn’t feel wonderful as I reached the reception desk.
After the usual hellos the receptionist said that there is no meeting today. I looked at her a bit queerly. She said to give her a call to check it’s on, which I did.
Her lovely voice didn’t match the news that unfolded. She would be away from work due to her bad back. She had been told by her doctor that she would be referred to a spinal specialist and it would be a long while before she’s back. But then she continued, but it’s all in the email I sent you, did you not get it?
I replied that I would check the junk bin just in case it was sent there. It wasn’t!
I then heard a slow and mournful “I’m sorry” as she explained that the email was still in her Drafts box but not yet sent.
Damn.
When I heard her again I was dazed, and as she sent the letter my phone vibrated. There it was, today’s session cancelled.
We left the large glass Hospice entrance doors just me and my Darling and set off back home in the car.
We were a little shell-shocked and confused as to what to do next with the remaining three counselling sessions (which was really a question for another day) as we sped across the winter scene on the wet road without too much chatter.
I said, “can we stop off for pills in town?”
She replied, “yep, around the back in the six-hour parking?”
“Great”. “Anywhere will do” I responded half heartedly.
We parked up in blue badge land and as we walked away from the car she grabbed me like I was an errant child going to school and needed the safety and security of mama’s hand for the short trip to my pharmacy.
As she left me, she said, “whatever you do, stay here, I’ll only be a minute at Iceland and I’ll be back”, with the forcefulness of Arnold in that ancient film.
I knew where my bread was buttered so as I went in and hobbled to the counter I knew it was more than my life’s worth if I didn’t stay here so I got comfortable by taking off the beanie and scarf and mitts and waited in the one-person queue at the desk.
“Hello, can I help you?” She asked brightly.
I replied**,** “yes, two things please”, a prescription for Mr U and a recommendation for something to soothe my throat?”.
I continued, “I’ve already got some pain relief prescribed so I can’t really imagine why I can feel this at all”, and I laughed at my own incredulity.
She said, “oh I see, I agree, sit down but you might have a long wait”, “the pharmacist has a long list aged of you”.
“That’s the least of my worries”, I’ll stay put, thank you”, and I sat down comfortably.
My Darling was back before I had any advice for my sore throat on the one side only (on the left). I was struggling to swallow and it was hard to know what I could have that would touch this unruly gland.
The assistant came out with the prescription and the advice from the busy, hidden pharmacist.
He says It’s a GP’s decision to make — due to your condition and prescriptions.
I said thanks and we headed out for a coffee after I had written an Anima request for my throat issue and hoped there would be an answer today.
We had our drinks in the usual eatery and before heading home I popped into the Boots opticians opposite, just to have a tweak to my brand-new glasses.
They were pleased to have me ask them and in minutes the tweak was done. Lovely jubbly.
And off we went, back home for a rest.
A while later I was checking emails when I had the Anima response.
We have booked you a 5:00 pm appointment (today) with Dr Pearl at the usual surgery.
I was lifted.
I turned to my Darling and said it’s at 5 pm tonight, can you take me?
We drove back to town and met with the doctor. Although he was new to me he knew what he had to do.
I was given tongue thrush drops to help the whitish yeasty tongue. But my temperature and slightly swollen left-hand gland was given a 10-day course of penicillin, with the proviso that if you feel worse and your temperature is still up then go straight to A&E.
Another big thank you for your help was followed by my walk to the car and my Darling’s walk across town to get more prescriptions.
What a day.
I could barely walk, I was confused by the new drugs and so tired.
The integrated timetable for old and new drugs was a complete and utter nightmare, as we found out after dinner with a brain teaser with all the timings to help me get these new food-related meds into my daily routine.
And here it is.
Ta-da.
New (food-oriented) medication timetable 2026
7:00 am – Omeprazole x1
8:00 am – Apixaban 5 mg x1 – Paracetamol x2 – Gabapentin 300 mg x3 – Sotalol 80 mg x2
9:00 am – Penicillin x2 (Dose 1) – empty stomach
10:00 am (Breakfast) – Morphine 30 mg capsule x1 – Nystatin (Dose 1 – after food)
12:00 pm – Paracetamol x2 – Penicillin x2 (Dose 2)
14:00 pm (Lunch) – Gabapentin 300 mg x3 – Nystatin (Dose 2 – after food)
16:00 pm – Penicillin (Dose 3)
18:00 pm (Dinner) – Nystatin (Dose 3 – after food)
20:00 pm – Apixaban 5 mg – Gabapentin 300 mg x3 – Sotalol 80 mg x2 – Penicillin x2 (Dose 4)
22:00 pm (Bedtime – after last food/drink of the day)
Morphine 30 mg capsule x1 – Paracetamol x2 – Nystatin (Dose 4)
(End of day)
————
So there it is…
That’s all there is to it.
It nearly led to divorce this evening due to my meltdowns and frustration.
This is a properly awkward set-out and even with the help of a chat-bot to help set it out I’m struggling to believe now that everyone in Britain is taking their tablets correctly. It’s bloody hard work.
By the time I collapsed into bed exhausted, even with a great deal of help from my Darling and pain from everywhere on my body, tissues from these tired eyes and waveringly complex list.
This was a very bad day.
It’s unknown as yet how much we should worry about our holiday on the 18th, but we are obviously, very worried.
Hopefully I’ll be back to normal by then.
What more can go wrong?
Let’s hope this is the end of the silly season. I wanted rest, that’s all.
All I get is complication and pain.
Other than the above there’s nothing going on so I’m hoping for an easy start to the new pills regime tomorrow.
So goodnight for now. Sleep well.
