I rang Ashfield Medical Centre several times after 8a.m this morning. The first couple of times I just got an engaged tone. It was obvious that their phone system is taken off the hook (you might say) until around 8.15, by which time I did at last get through and was in a queue of 5 other callers and the eventually got to speak to a receptionist. I explained why I needed a doctor to ring me back (not really needing a face-to-face appointment at the surgery) to get a doctor to change my medication from Ramapril to anything similar (probably Candesartan), because the Ramapril is causing an unpleasant cough that will not go away.
So, here I am, well over two hours later, still waiting for the call from Ashfield. I just hope it isn't going to be much longer, although I was told it could be anytime, morning or afternoon.
11.20a.m. I had a call from Doctor Haye from Ashfield. I explained what I needed, to possibly change the medication from Ramapril to something that doesn't cause a cough and he said he wanted to see me and I now have an appointment booked for 2.30p.m. I can understand why, as it would be a dereliction of duty if something happened to me, considering I've recently had a heart attack. So, hopefully this matter can be sorted out and a prescription produced so the cough can be reduced and hopefully eliminated so I can get a good night's sleep.
Later. I had gone upstairs to have a rest, but fell asleep and woke in something of a start. I looked at my watch to see it was 1.50. I needed to be at Ashfield Medical Centre for 2.30 and decided to leave at around 2.10 as I always think there is always a vague chance I'll be seen before the allotted time if I manage to get there sooner. Having parked in the rear carpark, which is far easier to get in and out of than the carpark at the front of the surgery, although coming out it fraught with the possibility of hitting another vehicle because the entry is very narrow and you can't see what's coming in. They ought to have a mirror so you can see round the corner.
Well, I walked to the surgery and signed in using the computer and I found I was seeing one of the practice nurses and not a doctor. Well, at least they can write prescriptions so there was no problem. It was the nurse who did my blood test a few weeks ago.
Then a lady came to talk to me. It took me a while for me to recognise her, I couldn't for the life of me remember her name, but Carol used to tutor her daughter. The lady worked at the Academy. She had been a cleaner and worked her way up to be supervisor. I'm not sure if she didn't still work there, but Carol used to go to her house in Oldbrook, just a short walk from M.K.C.C., usually on a Saturday morning, to tutor her daughter with English so she could get into college, or something. Carol had to stop because of her contract with the Academy for some reason or other. Anyway, the lady was with the daughter, who knew about Carol being in hospital. No doubt this was learned as these things do, via the 'grapevine.' Anyway, I didn't have time to talk, because my name came up on the digital display, so I had to leave them and go in to see the nurse. But she said she would telephone so she could visit Carol.
I left them in the waiting room and walked along the corridor to the nurse's room. I discussed why I'd come for the appointment, about how I'd had the heart attack barely three weeks previously and how I'd been discharged from the John Radcliffe with new medications, one of which was Ramapril, which appeared to be going me the awful cough. She took my blood pressure, which appeared fairly normal, considering. She viewed my notes on the computer, copies of letters from the hospital to Ashfield and then a list of the medications prescribed. I have to come back to the surgery to have my blood pressure checked in two week's time.
Candesartan was one of my medications before I had the recent heart attack. It does the same job as Ramapril. It seems odd that I was taken off it when it had no side effects, whilst Ramapril gives me such an unpleasant cough, or so it seems. I have no other symptoms which you'd have if you had, say, a cold, such as a temperature, feeling feverish, although I have a runny nose, but certainly not as a result of a cold. The nurse went to speak to a doctor and came back and said that I should be put back of Candesartan and to stop the Ramapril. So she printed out a prescription which I took to Cox and Robinson, the pharmacy which is a short walk from the surgery. I had to wait about 10 minutes for it to be made up.
I drove home, and parked the car on the drive and then walked to the hospital, because, by now, it was gone 3 o'clock and I knew for certain that I wouldn't be able to park. It is only a ten-minute walk and I'm surprised how close the unit in the hospital is, just a walk along the Redway which runs through the grounds.
11.20a.m. I had a call from Doctor Haye from Ashfield. I explained what I needed, to possibly change the medication from Ramapril to something that doesn't cause a cough and he said he wanted to see me and I now have an appointment booked for 2.30p.m. I can understand why, as it would be a dereliction of duty if something happened to me, considering I've recently had a heart attack. So, hopefully this matter can be sorted out and a prescription produced so the cough can be reduced and hopefully eliminated so I can get a good night's sleep.
Later. I had gone upstairs to have a rest, but fell asleep and woke in something of a start. I looked at my watch to see it was 1.50. I needed to be at Ashfield Medical Centre for 2.30 and decided to leave at around 2.10 as I always think there is always a vague chance I'll be seen before the allotted time if I manage to get there sooner. Having parked in the rear carpark, which is far easier to get in and out of than the carpark at the front of the surgery, although coming out it fraught with the possibility of hitting another vehicle because the entry is very narrow and you can't see what's coming in. They ought to have a mirror so you can see round the corner.
Well, I walked to the surgery and signed in using the computer and I found I was seeing one of the practice nurses and not a doctor. Well, at least they can write prescriptions so there was no problem. It was the nurse who did my blood test a few weeks ago.
Then a lady came to talk to me. It took me a while for me to recognise her, I couldn't for the life of me remember her name, but Carol used to tutor her daughter. The lady worked at the Academy. She had been a cleaner and worked her way up to be supervisor. I'm not sure if she didn't still work there, but Carol used to go to her house in Oldbrook, just a short walk from M.K.C.C., usually on a Saturday morning, to tutor her daughter with English so she could get into college, or something. Carol had to stop because of her contract with the Academy for some reason or other. Anyway, the lady was with the daughter, who knew about Carol being in hospital. No doubt this was learned as these things do, via the 'grapevine.' Anyway, I didn't have time to talk, because my name came up on the digital display, so I had to leave them and go in to see the nurse. But she said she would telephone so she could visit Carol.
I left them in the waiting room and walked along the corridor to the nurse's room. I discussed why I'd come for the appointment, about how I'd had the heart attack barely three weeks previously and how I'd been discharged from the John Radcliffe with new medications, one of which was Ramapril, which appeared to be going me the awful cough. She took my blood pressure, which appeared fairly normal, considering. She viewed my notes on the computer, copies of letters from the hospital to Ashfield and then a list of the medications prescribed. I have to come back to the surgery to have my blood pressure checked in two week's time.
Candesartan was one of my medications before I had the recent heart attack. It does the same job as Ramapril. It seems odd that I was taken off it when it had no side effects, whilst Ramapril gives me such an unpleasant cough, or so it seems. I have no other symptoms which you'd have if you had, say, a cold, such as a temperature, feeling feverish, although I have a runny nose, but certainly not as a result of a cold. The nurse went to speak to a doctor and came back and said that I should be put back of Candesartan and to stop the Ramapril. So she printed out a prescription which I took to Cox and Robinson, the pharmacy which is a short walk from the surgery. I had to wait about 10 minutes for it to be made up.
I drove home, and parked the car on the drive and then walked to the hospital, because, by now, it was gone 3 o'clock and I knew for certain that I wouldn't be able to park. It is only a ten-minute walk and I'm surprised how close the unit in the hospital is, just a walk along the Redway which runs through the grounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment