Hello again world...

Cor blimey so much going on recently its hard to keep up with it all. Dunno where to start, BBM cross platform fail to launch, BB being bought out by a private equity firm, my adventures with the Nexus 4, or closer to home and in the real world, the change of estate agents for the house, or the subsequent almost immediate sale? Hmmm, lets start with real life, then if you get bored reading, you are not missing too much.

So, the house (Willow Close, Wales) went on sale a few months back now and since it did there has been very little progress, a couple of viewings with not the greatest feedback, then nothing more for months now.
So after getting some very unsatisfactory viewing and interest figures once again from the agent, we decided it was time to pull it from Wynne Davies, and move to Sterlings.
Up until this time I had not checked either agent out, as both had equal rating from the solicitor. However on doing a little digging and using my old mate Google to search, I discovered that Wynne Davies runs from a small office near the sea front in Rhos, while Sterlings is on the High St in Colwyn Bay.

Just days after instruction was given, I received a call from Sterlings to say they had an offer in, at just £3k under the asking price. Needless to say, after short consideration it has been accepted, and solicitors instructed. So now the cogs are turning and the clock is ticking. The total and utter end of the Wales connection, gone forever. Just the family grave and 40 years of memories remain there. Which I must say is MORE than enough to keep me going there for years to come. Speaking of which, I am keen to get up there again very soon to tend to matters.

I wont deny that this sudden activity has caused some sleepless nights recently for me. But to counter that I have bucked up my ideas, started using the multigym that I bought and finally put together a couple of weeks ago, and really got back into training, on my own terms this time. Something I can stick to and feel good about. With the help of P90X of course. To say I am aching right now is an understatement, but its a nice ache, and it all contributes to helping me sleep well at night. Now to just keep at it for as long as I can, and regain my fitness AGAIN !!
Speaking of the body, last weekend saw another session in the chair with the one and only Michelle Collenette at Innocent Needle Tattoo, to get some more work done on my Welshanese Dragowl. With some inspiration for the colour scheme found in a dance video by i-Glide, to a Lindsey Stirling track, it is all coming together now, and I am delighted with how its turning out. Getting very addicted to tattoos again now, this could get expensive!
With tattoos in mind, its the London Tattoo Convention this weekend at Tobacco Dock in London, and I am hoping to stalk a couple of my favourite artists on Sunday and see what their work and style is really all about. I just hope they are working when I am there.

In other matters, BBM BlackBerry Messenger, finally got launched as a cross platform IM service last weekend.... And due to lots of issues, was immediately pulled again. Damaging BB's reputation further, harming the chances of it being successful cross platform, and sending stocks tumbling further. As the stocks went to the mid 800's, the investors pounced with a buyout proposal, and BlackBerry is as good as under new management for just 3 billion.
Meanwhile, I am as happy as ever with the Q10, loving what it does and how it does it. And getting along like a house on fire with my Nexus 4 too, so all bases are covered.

Right, things are getting hectic, to I better get on with my day, but watch this space for updates on the house, and fitness amongst other things.

Thanks for reading.

The world is full of idiots!

Clearly it must be. Its 2013, and not only do people still fall for phishing scams, get caught out with skimmers at ATM's but it seems there is a new breed of Internet twat....

To clarify... Clicking LIKE on Facebook or sharing with ALL your friends will NOT make an app work or change the image you can see on the screen.

Rating an App 5* on The Google Play Store will NOT activate or make an app work...

And when the whole world is telling you that BBM is DELAYED... Don't think you have found a secretly stashed app on the Play Store, install it then be surprised that it's FAKE.

Please dear idiots of 2013.... Step away from the technology!!

What's been going on?

While the world around me has been going a little crazy, I have been trying to stay grounded, and may I say, doing pretty well too.

With all the medical issues being taken care of to some degree, life is feeling a little bit 'normal, dare I say.

So here is a quick catch up with me...

Arm issues are being dealt with a combination of physio and Naproxin from the GP. The Allopurinol is going well, so serious side effects at the moments so that's something. The physio uncovered some issues I didn't even know I had, but that is all in good hands. And what a great pair of hands the physio has. Always amazes me how much power comes out of a pair of hands. But feels lovely to feel some relief. 

Wales house. This weekend it was decided that a second valuation should be considered, so Sterling's have been requested to go there and value it for quick sale, and report back. So that is happening tomorrow. Hoping that they are as efficient selling as they are at communicating. The email responses have been fantastic. Fingers crossed. With the weather turning, it would be nice to see it sell before the cold weather sets in.

Work. Well work is work, drama, bitching, stress and some downtime just about sums it all up in one sentence. Pay rises just came in, I'm not complaining. My only issue these days with work is get the train or drive into work. As it gets colder and wetter, the idea of getting a train becomes less appealing, but im trying to stay in the right mindset to keep as active as I can.

Speaking of being active... I'm getting VERY fat again now and I'm not happy. with the arm issues clearing up, I am using this week as a starting point to get back to training again. So the multi gym is up, the dip frame is up, and I'm raring to go. All I have to do now is get more and more active, walking the dogs more and things like plyo. Kinda looking forwards to that. So once again, watch this space for any updates or excuses.

Right I'm done. Back to waiting in this boring waiting room before I have my hair chopped at the barbers. Leon on his own today and chatting away, so gonna be a long wait!

Really not feeling too good

I don't know what the cause is, maybe its the new meds, Allopurinol for the gout, maybe its just poor health, I am really not sure right now, but what I do know is, I feel like crap right now.

The past couple of weeks I have had a lot of numbness in my right arm, and aches, as well as pins and needles in my hand. The ache has now reached the stage where even typing causes discomfort in the knuckle joint.Trying to grip the hand rail on the train on the way into work today, I noticed that the ache got worse within seconds, and my grip was quite poor.
Last week while driving, I missed a turn I have been taking for 20 years now, my driveway!  I was just slow turning, which could be to do with the grip.

I'm not going to write too much, as its quite uncomfortable now, but I will list the issues I am currently having. Thankfully I am seeing my GP tomorrow evening, and my physio on Mon, just in case the sensations are to do with the tightness I have in my back and shoulders.

So here goes, oldest symptoms first.

Numbness in right hand and arm (persistent and regular)
Sensation of tightness at top of arm, like pressure on artery
Pins and needles in hand
Crush sensation in index finger
Raising the arm, leaning on arm or using it to carry something causes symptoms to return.
Ache, tenderness in middle knuckle of middle finger
Lots of tension and tightness in right neck, shoulder, back.

More recently....
Blurry headed
Slight occasional confusion, forgetting what I was saying, not thinking straight to write or speak
Coordination hit and miss when doing things like typing.


So that's me, that is how my day is at the moment.
Seriously hoping that its something simple like a trapped nerve causing my arm issues. But the latter issues are really starting to bug me now. Part of it is probably stress from worrying about my arm, and not wanting more CTS surgery.

Either way, my brain is fried right now, so I'm keeping it short and sweet and signing off.
Thanks for reading.

Allopurinol, can it cure it all?

So today is the day, (well last night to be precise) that my gout is under control enough to risk starting the course of Allopurinol.

After a bit of a shocker of a meeting with the company doctor (PHC) the other day, it was recommended that I try and get my GP to prescribe me Allopurinol to try and get my uric acid levels under control, and in turn hopefully reduce the number of flare ups of gout. Sadly one of the side effects of the drug is to seriously aggravate any occurrence of gout that maybe happening at the time.

 

After many many weeks of suffering from this latest outbreak, I can finally walk almost normally, run a little, and function normally. So I decided after careful consultation with work, that I would start the course.

‎This course, if it shows no serious side effects could last for the rest of my life now, as elevated levels of uric acid (Hyperuricemia http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperuricemia) can lead‎ to some pretty painful and long term conditions in the body, not just gout. So as explained by PHC, it's important to get it under control asap. This can mean a life long course of the drug, and regular blood tests etc to see that it's all under control. Similar to diabetes in that levels have to be managed for life, and the levels in the blood with determine the dose of the drug taken.

So last night I popped the first 100mg tablet, along with a Diclofenac which I have been advised to remain on to keep inflammation to a minimum. 

With work already having warned me about my attendance (hence the trip to PHC) I have been mindful of the consequences of another period of sickness which could be caused by the starting of this course of drugs. Of course if I have chosen my time right, all will be well. 12 hours later, so far there is no sign of any issues, so let's hope for once that luck is on my side.

I will be sure to keep blogging about my journey with Allopurinol, as I know many people search the Internet for gout daily, but seemingly only a few know about Allopurinol. None of the doctors I have even seen until PHC have ever mentioned it, and I have suffered from gout for about 5 years now.

Right, this was just a quick time marker and intro to the topic, so catch ya later.

Regards

Michael

Sent from my BlackBerry Q10

A fitting ending to an era

Finally at the weekend it was time to carry out the final act in what has been a long 2 years since mum passed away, and 6 months since Joan left us too. As per Joan's written instruction, and mums conversations with Joan previous to them both departing, their final wish was to be scattered at sea. Mum just wanted to be in the water, Joan had been more specific choosing a spot just off the shores of Puffin Island. Arranging it in its entirety, a guest list had be drawn up, a yacht chartered and a sailing plan sorted too. There was nothing for us to do but be carried along on their final journey out to sea.

Chosen for the trip was The Mehalah, a lovely yacht with a great little crew. Amazingly the skipper of the boat was actually Joan's chiropodist, so it had gone from a simple medical service, to a friendship and planned journey. The sad part is that Joan was never able to sail on the Mehalah, so this would be her only trip.

Boarding the boat at Conwy Marina, with a few close friends and family, we soon all found our positions on board, and got comfortable for what would be a nice relaxing and very pretty trip out into what I assume is considered the waters of the Irish Sea. Just off the coast of Anglesey to its most eastern tip where you find Puffin Island. I have added a pic of the starting point, and where we sailed to. A marks the starting point at the marina, the star is where we stopped.

The conversation was general on the way out, not about anything specific, just picking up on topics that came of what we saw as we sailed out. Once we arrived at our destination however it became more focused. With Chris reading a small passage she had written up, before committing Joan's ashes to the sea, followed by my sister and I taking a moment to say goodbye before making sure mums ashes were sent over also in a timely manner to take their final journey with her sister.  Flowers in the form of roses and lilys kindly supplied by Chris and Stephanie accompanied them over.

From the moment the formalities were done with, the mood changed to a more upbeat tempo and one which took the time to remember the ladies, and stories of things they said and did over the many years we all shared with them. This of course was what both wanted, happiness and memories, and no sadness in peoples hearts. Finally arriving back at the marina, and just beating the weather in, suddenly things felt very final, but in a positive way. We had done right by them both, and til their final journey all they had wanted had happened as they wanted it to.

So forever more, there is a final place, a location which is where they now belong, and somewhere I can use in my mind, and in my future tribute tattoo's etc to mark an eternal memory of them both.

The scattering of the ashes was without a doubt the one reason for being in Wales this last weekend, however I have never been one to waste a good opportunity, so I tried to fit in as much as I could. So here in addition to the above is what I got up to over the weekend, and what I saw and did.

Arriving in Wales late on Friday night, the last hour of the journey was filled with a beautiful display from the skies as I drove up the M56 and A55, changing colours, formations and general pretty scenes. On might suggest it was the heavens welcoming the ashes of mums ashes back to her home town for the first time in over a decade. Finally bringing her home to rest and reunite her with her family. Other will simply say coincidence.  Unable to really stop to take pictures, I resisted the best I could until the right opportunity presented itself. Finally on the promenade of Colwyn Bay, I did however manage to take this stunning shot as the sun finally set over the hills of the Orme.

 As pointed out by a friend the main cloud in the sky is almost the formation of an angel spreading its wings across the skies. Either way, its a beautiful welcome home for mum, and a relaxing sight for my now tired eyes. What better way to settle and get some sleep for the big day which lay ahead.

The following morning I was up early, and started the day in the most relaxed way I could think. Breakfast courtesy of McDonalds at the top of the Great Orme in a deserted car park. These were the scenes which greeted me Saturday morning.

A small group of Starling were hanging around in the car park, occasionally taking flight for a short moment, then settling again. As I sat on the wall in front of the car, a large wooshing sound erupted from down the hill, and in a flash, a whole flock of starlings raced up the hillside in flight, and as they did so, the small group took flight, and were carried away in the much larger flock. Taking to the skies, they flew down the other hillside and out towards the bay. Like collecting a spirit. You can see all my thoughts and emotions this weekend had double meanings. Not being a spiritual or religious person, sometimes its hard to understand why so many almost meaningful things happen at a time like this. Or another way to see it is that at times of emotion, you look for other meanings in happenings to help cope and deal with what is happening in your life (that's far more me)

After getting some breakfast in my stomach and waking up a little, the next destination was back at the house to meet the estate agent. After recent discussions it was agreed we would meet up at the house to discuss the plan for selling it, and make some decisions on what the best strategy was. 9am is early for a meeting at the best of times, especially after a long drive the night before. But arriving a little early I was pleased to see Karen had also, so we got underway.  Lots was talked about and decided, so hopefully things are all heading in the right direction there.
The house is currently listed here....

Next on the list for the busy day Mochdre, or the Colwyn Bay Crematorium / Cemetery to be precise.

As I say, far from being spiritual, it was more moral duty and desire that brought me here. Now the self appointed keeper of the family grave site, I decided that I would take some time to make sure all was well with it, and at the same time have a little chat with mum and Joan's mum and dad who are laid to rest there. Sadly I never met them, however I thought it would be fitting to let them know their girls were coming home to be with them, and to let their sister Mary know the same, who is also laid to rest there.
Sadly the grave doesn't get too many visitors these days as family is few and far between, so I made sure things were tidy and presentable, adding a small mini rose plant there for some colour.

Forgive the slightly strange pictures included in this blog. No offence is meant to be caused by them, and they are mainly there for my memories, and for anyone interest. Not to in anyway glorify anything.

Once that was done, it was time to take a breather and some time to myself, getting mentally ready for the little trip ahead. Heading off to Conwy for a relaxing walk to the marina, I enjoyed a scenic drive, then took some time to get everything sorted (and mum in a bag) for the journey. Of course we know what happened next, its all written at the top :)

The following day, Sunday, I was up early again, and decided it would be nice to take a trip to Llanberis and Snowdonia for a relaxing drive, and some peaceful scenery for the morning. So off I went up the A55 and turning off to head into Llanberis to take a seat by the lake, and breathe some lovely fresh air, to the sounds of birds and sheep. The scenery around there has always been stunning, and is somewhere I like to spend time when time allows for it. Its one of those places I can happily be with or without company, and spend hours just looking out into the hills. So here are a few shots for you to share, and a couple of videos of the trip up and back down the winding mountain roads up to the Pyg Track path.

Up the A4086 http://youtu.be/yrDICbIbBZM
And back down the hills... http://youtu.be/oetpSgnVN6o

The last port of call for the day, quite literally, was Caernarfon and its wonderful castle. Still early in the morning I decided I would get there, park in the grounds and grab some breakfast, before taking a walk around and taking some snaps, as well as taking in the sights. So here are those snaps. I have to say, Caernarfon is probably one of the most beautiful and bold, in tact castles in the UK. Make your own mind up. With the tide low, and the boats stranded, it looks a little bizarre, but a pretty sight all the same.

So, in reality, here ends another little chapter in my life. Mum is laid to rest, Aunty Joan also. The whole Lunt family legacy is complete, and the family is once again back together in North Wales where it all begun 113 years ago with the birth of my grandfather John.
So, to John and Mary Lunt, my grandparents, Joan, Mary and Ann (mum) Lunt, may you all rest in peace for an eternity back in your home together again. R.I.P x

Helping a stranger.

Tonight while walking to the station talking to a friend on the phone on handsfree (headphones in) I came across a very sad situation. As I walked out of the park, I heard someone shout quickly, perfectly normal for London. Moments later 3 people on mountain bikes rode past. An instant later a young girl ran around the corner shouting and crying, pointing at the guys on the bike. The bikes were now 50 metres or so down the road.

Realising something was clearly wrong, myself and two other girls stopped the girl to find out what was going on. Call ended, headphones off and dialling 999 I asked her to explain what had happened. In quite a calm manner she briefly said they had snatched her iPhone from her hand while she had been speaking on it. She had thankfully come to no harm, but was very shaken.

While I spoke with the police and gave them details, the other two kind girls let Emma (the victim) call her family who she had been speaking to at the time of the robbery. With the police on their way, and details passed to them, I turned my attention to Emma. Sadly the girls had to rush off but left their number in case they were needed.

The police arrived pretty quickly, over shooting the first time unfortunately, but came back around very swiftly. Two superb cops from robbery came to take details, and we're very calming and comforting to Emma, who after speaking to her family was really starting to show signs of shock (understandably)

I left my details with the cops, and passed them all the info I had for them, and bid Emma farewell. As I walked to the station I did a cheeky redial of the number she had called, just to make sure whoever she had spoken to were reassured she was ok and unhurt. And that she was safely with the police now.

It's amazing how much of an impact such a brief but emotionally charged moment can have on you. It's times like this I remember why I bother to get involved, and help with situations like this, and sadly reminds me why I wanted to join the Met so badly, for so long! Helping people is such a rewarding thing. I'm just gutted I didn't see things a little quicker so I could have grabbed one of them, or done a little more.

So Emma, I hope you get over this quickly, and don't let the fear of this incident affect you. You are a brave girl coping so well. As for the cowardly little pricks that did this.... Fall in a river you wastes of space!

Regards
Michael

Sent from my BlackBerry Q10

A little self pity...

...ok maybe quite a lot, but hey I deserve it I'm sure.

About 3 weeks ago my foot became very sensitive, with what seemed an irritated bunion. For the first week I did the true Brit thing, gritted my teeth, moaned a bit, and got on with day to day life the best I could.

By the end of that first week, the final trip home on the Friday night had me near to tears. Taking tiny steps I hobbled through the park to the station and got on the train to go home. Once home my trainers came off the second I walked in the door... and they have sat there ever since.

Some days walking is agony, others days it's just very painful! Since that Friday the only footware to come near my foot has been flip flops (Nike of course lol) It took a week to even get those on, and that was just for a trip to the doctors. 

With the foot heavily swollen for the first trip to the doctors, it was obvious that I had gout in the joint, so I was prescribed tablets to deal with this. Instead of my usual Diclofenac I was given Indometacin which is similar in its treatment of gout. With some quite strong side effects, for the first week I mixed the Indo with Paracetamol to keep the pain down. Strangely, unlike usual flare ups of gout the pills seemed to have very little effect at all. The swelling went down a bit, but the pain remained.

By that weekend I decided I was going to have to see the doctor again, so the following Tuesday I went to see the doctor again. With no swelling left, but heat and tenderness in the joint I was told it's still gout, and told to keep taking the tablets. This time to counter the side effects I was given Omeprazol to calm my stomach a little. If they have worked or not is a matter of opinion.

So here I am gone is the end of the second week on medication and here is the third, and I have to say..... No different really. Occasionally I will get an afternoon or evening of little discomfort, get my hopes up, the POW it's back like a mofo! So this morning I booked an appointment to see the doctor again, and this time will ask for Diclofenac if they wish to continue treating me for gout.

This is effectively the 4th week of a single flare up, 6th if you count the occurrence shortly before. For me this is unheard of. At worst I have had 10 days worth at this level before.

So now I am left in a predicament. This is the start of my 3rd week off work, and I honestly am sick of it. Sitting around all day every day, from bed to settee and back again as a daily routine, it's driving me frickin mad here. So I have ordered some crutches off the Internet, and unless explicitly instructed by my GP to stay resting, I will return to work on Wednesday.

The biggest issue for me is footwear. I physically cannot get any form of closed footwear on. A flip flop right now is pushing my luck due to the swelling.  Trying to put a very soft Nike trainer on yesterday left me punching the bed in pain. The slightest amount of pressure on the side of the joint of the big toe reduces me to a sobbing mess (almost). Walking out and about in flip flops is unnerving, especially the thought of being on a busy train with my toes exposed. Yes I know people do it daily, but more fool them I say!

It's not impossible, and people with far greater mobility issues manage on crutches daily, so I'm not saying I can't do it. But my biggest issue all along has been having the leg vertical. Be it sitting or standing, a prolonged period with the leg not elevated starts to hurt like hell. Including the commute to work, and the 6 hours at work, that will be about 8 hours a day of NON elevated leg. Hopefully the Diclofenac can ease the issues this will cause.

So fingers crossed tomorrow the GP will give me the pills I'm more familiar with, they will start to work, the crutches will turn up on time, and by Wed I will be back at work :)

Speaking of delivery of the crutches... they are being delivered by Yodel... God help me! I have instructed them to be left should I be out at the doctors, but im confident that some issue of sorts will arise to mess my plan up. I just don't want to have to hobble the 3/4 of a mile thru the park each way, as that's what starts to cause a bad day. The thought of hobbling all that way, then not being able to elevate my foot is making my foot ache! 

Right, thats all that off my chest. 

Oh re the pic at the beginning. On any given normal day, the veins in the foot are visible to the front, running into the toes and around the big toe... you can see from the pic where the swelling currently starts as the veins disappear. 

I'm done :)

Regards
Michael

Sent from my BlackBerry Q10

A&E at breaking point

I am the first to admit that I have probably spent more time than some in hospital A&E departments, so coming from me this might all be a little hypocritical I know. But stick with me for this one, and see the subtle differences.

From an early age I have been 'unluckly' shall we say, and managed to find myself in many situations which have resulted in trips to the hospital. In the 80's growing up, I was so well known in fact at Sydenham Children's Hospital (now flats) that Sister Bell could get most of the paperwork done without asking my mum a single question. Broken arms (plural!), knocked down by a car, and referrals from the GP for various things like ingrowing toe nails, ruptured testicle (sorry I had to include that one)  etc. It all happened there.

But in my defence, as a child 'shit happens' Seemingly more to me than others, but kids just have accidents, fact.

As I have got older, I have managed to take the stupidity a bit, and my visits have become less and less frequent. Which I have to say is a blessing for two reasons. Firstly I'm not hurting myself as much, and secondly the kind of people you get in these places is alarming. And it's this point that it all really starts with.

For those lucky enough not to have visited an A&E or an ER, it will all be a little alien to them, seeing these shows like 24hours in A&E, and 999 what's your emergency. How it all works, what the system deals with, and who uses it.

Let's look at the name Accident and Emergency.

An accident which causes you harm requiring immediate attention, or an emergency situation where your physical well being is for some reason jeopardised. Now that's a wide spectrum and does indeed have scope for everyone and everything in there. But apply a little common sense for starters.

The TV shows occasionally show us scenes where someone has done something really quite minor and has chosen to blow it out of proportion, and turn it into a drama. Deciding that their situation is so horrific and unbearable, that they require IMMEDIATE attention. And I mean immediate. You see, for some reason, the more trivial the injury, the lesser the need for attention, the MORE irritation, anger and impatience oozes from these people.

'I have only sprained my finger and you want me to wait 4 hours?'... you know, you're right... FUCK OFF HOME THEN!

For anyone who has not visited an A&E dept, for you lucky people, allow me to tell you one thing for a fact... Certainly in London, if you visit one between 8pm and 6am, you can be sure that a LOT of the people seeking attention are under some level of influence of drink. And will see things like black eyes, sprained wrists and ankles, bumped heads, and other stupid falling over drunk kind of accidents.

Now of course, any incident causing injury to yourself which may require attention should be attended to, no doubt there. But maybe there needs to be some adjudication here, and maybe compare it to car insurance. Most of us pay PAYE tax and National Insurance which is our contribution towards health care, so consider this a third party insurance policy. Anyone making a genuine claim would be covered.

But... if you are a drunk who always likes to spend the early hours in A&E because you fell over for the 5th time this year, then maybe you need to be fully comp, or pay for your own repairs. I use drunks as an example, there are of course many more people who fall into the time wasting or self inflicted categories, as well as the pure time wasters.

Anyone visiting A&E is booked in, and 90% are at least seen by triage. People who think A&E is just like a GP but is a walk in clinic are clearly stupid, and people like this should be charged, or at least warned that charges may apply for further misuse. There are specific walk in clinics around the country, which are NOT A&E departments. Having just waited 2 days to get an appointment to see a GP, and having spent the end of last week and whole weekend in agony, with no sleep and in lots of pain, YES, I know it's not ideal, but sometimes you just have to wait your turn, plain and simple.

The culture of 24 hour shopping, banking, car washes and a life of convenience seems to have gone a little too far now, and people seems to misunderstand the role of these vital A&E departments.

They are over stretched, under staffed, and over run with time wasting morons who are drunk and think they are funny, bored and think it's a pass time, or people who are far too important to wait their turn. Meanwhile ambulances are stacking up, serious cases are being kept waiting, and seriously ill people are being left for hours undiagnosed or untreated, while 2 more stupid people have their little boo boos attended to.

Seriously now, WAKE UP BRITAIN!

It's the same time wasters and arrogant people who choke up these services with petty things, that sit there complaining that their toe nail which is torn needs URGENT attention, and that 3 hours is too long to wait, and how ridiculous is it. Stating that there should be more staff working, seeing people quicker, and then make sharp intakes of breath when they read the latest waiting time figures.

Don't you get it.... IT'S YOU! You are the cause of these issues. The staff are adequate on most shifts to deal with the genuine cases that come through the door. It's the time and resource wasting antics of stupid and arrogant people that cause these figures to skyrocket.

Responsibility for our actions was shunned a long time ago, and now society demands that whatever the cause, whatever the issue, public services should bow to your needs, and you should be given the attention you demand of it. Well, tell you what, NO! It needs to stop. 

Refuse collection used to be one bin fits all, now it's broken up, and people who don't comply end up with unemptied bins. Drink driving used to be tolerated, but now it is frowned upon.

So maybe it's time for the NHS to have bouncers at the reception desk, and to turn away anyone who is not an A or an E, and refer them to another service. 

Oh hold on, I can hear it now....'but its my human right'.... well that can fuck off too! Stop the pandering, ease up on the pussy footing around, and just get hard with it. Fast track these people the hell out the door, and give the people who deserve and need the attention, every second they need.

And while I'm on the matter.. If you rock up to an A&E with a genuine case, and the waiting time is a bit long, text a mate, slap it on Facebook, hell send a whiny tweet.... don't take it out on the staff eh!

I think that's my rant over for now. But will finish up by saying this.

The NHS as a whole is an amazing system, providing health care in a way that some countries envy. For someone who has spent a lot of time in the system both as a patient and as a carer, I think the NHS and all its staff are fantastic. From call centre staff right down to surgeons, and everything in between, I salute you and thank you for you choice in life to help others and work in some horrible conditions, with some truly foul and undeserving people.

Rant over :)

Thanks for reading.

PS, if you know a time wasting arsehole that likes to chew up the NHS's time, push them down a flight of stairs and show them the difference between a boo boo and a real emergency!

Regards
Michael

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The four seasons of my foot

So after accepting recently that I have a bunion developing, my body thought it would be hilarious to quite clearly throw Gout into the mix too, and flare up on the very same joint.

To be honest I'm not sure if it's better or worse that way, as having something in both feet would be horrific. Only had that once before, and was totally unable to move at all.

So for the second time in a short period I am off work again. Seeing a doctor at my local GP's tomorrow, and seeing what they make of it.

One issue is going to exist though, which will irritate me no end. The bunion was causing me great pain on its own on Thurs and Fri, but the gout showed up and got going at the weekend.

As it is still here, trying to explain to a doctor that this is the SECOND phase of the issue, and the gout is NOT the underlying issue will be near on impossible. Which means, once the gout is back under control, a second trip to the GP may be needed if the bunion persists.

Obviously I have the pictures of the foot before the redness and swelling, but whipping my phone out in the middle of diagnosis is a little cheeky, and to be fair won't tell them much, other than showing them the bunion in its normal state.

All in all I'm sick and tired of it all now, as is anyone who reads my blog I'm sure.

But for the record, the pics from top left, 

TL Friday evening, extreme pain from bunion

TR Sat and Sun Gout showed up, LOTS of pain
BL This morning, after rest, painful but calm

BR This evening, swollen, hot and hurts like hell.

Regards
Michael

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