Tuesday, October 03, 2006

sleepy

A week and a bit ago, as I was lying in bed at night, my whole right arm started going all pins and needles. "Hmm" I thought "Thats not good. But it could be worse. It could be my left arm." The next day my arm was still all pins and needles and I remembered what my massage therapist had said about me being at risk of RSI in my right arm. So I did a web search on pins and needles, forearm, symptoms....a whole page of carpal tunnel syndrome later I decided to call my doctor and make an appointment. Now heres a whole nuther story;

I have a doctors surgery I've been going to since I was a teenager. I've outlasted several doctors there. I'm generally very healthy so I don't go often. In the last few years, I've had a few times where I didn't want to/couldn't wait 1/2 a week or more to get in (eg I was travelling), so I've gone to the Unihealth doctor. So its not that I hadn't rung them to get in, they just couldn't get me in in the time required. Earlier this year during the possible whooping cough episode, I rang and wanted to get in and they said that since I hadn't been in over two years, I was no longer considered a "regular" and would not be able to get in for at least two weeks. So I, once again, went elsewhere. Which brings us back to the present possible carpal tunnel issue. I think, "Heres something rather chronic that isn't requiring an immediate fix. I'll ring up, get an appointment for 2-3 weeks away and get back on their regular list" So I ring, get an appointment and then they find I haven't been for over two years, and tell me "sorry our policy says if you haven't been for over two years, you must be considered a new patient and we can't get you in...at all."

"What!" says I, "Not at all!" All disbelieving that I have been dissed by my GP to whom I've been going for over 15 years. "Well then, I guess I'll be throwing away your card and looking for a new GP. Good day." I would take it further, but since the last Doctor I went to there has moved on, I'd be seeing someone new no matter where I went and this Surgery is actually out of my way.

So now I'm looking for a new GP so I can have my medical records transferred to someone who cares...or at least doesn't turf me for being too healthy for their bottom line.

Anyhoo, back to the possible carpal tunnel. The unihealth doctor I went to did some probing, asked some questions and thinks its more likely I did something to my neck. She put me on an anti-inflammatory for a week and said if that doesn't settle it down, come back and she'll get neck x-rays done. See! I can make money for the GP! I'm not getting any younger or healthier you know. But to get back to the title, I think the anti-inflammatories are making me..zzzzzz

2 comments:

Marco Parigi said...

For anything remotely associated with muscles or pain, I book myself into the physio. But then, I've never believed in doctors. I have had so many good experiences with physio that I will only go to a doctor in an ambulance.

Jenny said...

Hmm, now theres a thought. I could go to my physio