Busy week in NHS land. Firstly the long awaited long complicated MRI. Once more I arrived with all implant equipment to hand. Once more nice Consultant in charge of MRI explained the safeguarding aspects. Once more 6 staff assembled to watch me change the implants to ‘off’ and ‘mri compatible’ status. This time it worked. The surgical team apparently needed to change the settings  The assumption was I had seen the surgical team. That is Dipstick, the implant supplier representative and the Clinical Nurse Specialist. Actually I have not seen any of them since before the operation. ( In April) . Who knows who did what. It turns out someone had set the device to implant situation ‘other’. It should have been set to Right Buttock. As luck would have it I was told the passwords over the phone and reset it myself. But let’s not tell anyone that. In the event, the MRI was done. No injury was obvious. No implant was compromised. Indeed the late arrival ( as in after the MRI) rep for spinal implant commented that we had all coped very well. mmmm

Next up was telephone asthma check with new GP surgery. Absolute bollocks. How the hell she was able to ascertain my inhaler technique, my peak flow reading or my breathing rate, over the phone. God only knows. absolutely ridiculous. 

Then it was my father talking to his colorectal surgeon. The surgeon was lovely. But had absolutely no idea how to talk to a patient let alone one of 86 with Alzheimer’s .She had arranged an endoscopic procedure and wanted to know if he could ‘gain clearance ‘ if she sent medication the day before the procedure . Well, Dad replied he had alot of ‘clearance’. I had to intervene and explain that he would certainly be able to get to the loo for laxatives before the procedure .. No one understood anyone. It took awhile for me to calm each side into submission. 

Then it was the GP appointment. Booked two weeks ago. Well I turned up. It was not recorded. No appointment. In contrast to the Rottweilers of my previous surgery the very nice lady apologised and managed to make a new appointment for the beginning of December! But seeing my crestfallen face also organised a nurse appointment. For later that day. I went. I explained I needed a culture. I explained the last one had been rejected or lost. She tried to tell me that I could watch a video of how to do an msu. She explained that whilst symptomatic there was little evidence of infection unless the lab produced results. They had not. I could not even begin to explain to her that really I was more than able to produce a sample. I did not bother to explain I knew what a uti was is and will be. I just walked out. Gave up. 
Now it is fireworks night which my bladder has decided was an opportunity to join. FFS.