Plodding along


Image by πŸŽ„Merry Christmas πŸŽ„ from Pixabay

Apologies for going AWOL for a few days. I’ve been plodding along, working steadily, and then by the end of each day, I’ve realised I haven’t blogged yet – usually right after switching everything off.

We had the entire weekend off. The only errand I had to run was to the supermarket, and I had to go on my own due to Tesco ramping up their social distancing rules. It’s probably just as well as the poet was full of man-flu, and we don’t want to be spreading that around.

My former GP has been trying to get me to have a flu jab, but as I don’t ever get flu, I’ve never bothered with it. A letter was redirected from the old address reminding me about the flu jab, and that prompted me to change to our local surgery, which I did around 2 weeks ago.

Last week I had to take in my one and only repeat prescription to the new GP. In order to get me onto the system quickly, they needed to see the box with my name on and scan it to my file. Then they had to check with one of the doctors that I didn’t need a review before sticking it onto their prescription service.

On Wednesday (yesterday), I had to call the new surgery to see (a) if I needed that review, and (b) if it was ready. It’s a dispensing surgery, which means I only have to go to the end of our road and collect it. Unfortunately, the whole of the GP IT system was down for all of Doncaster on Wednesday, and I had to call back the next day, today.

We’re going to move the poet over once he’s had a chest x-ray next week and after he’s got a month’s-worth of his own prescription safely in the bag. They’re reviewing his asthma medication and making sure he hasn’t developed COPD.

I’ve been waiting for a non-urgent two-part procedure since June of last year, but with the current Covid situation, I’m only a Priority 4, so I was advised not to hold my breath.

When the poet’s chest x-ray letter came through yesterday, redirected from the old address, I thought it was probably time I also changed my address with the hospital, particularly as I was now registered with a different doctor. Then they checked that they hadn’t sent out any letters recently that had been lost in our redirection. (They hadn’t.)

I had to speak to 2 different departments – outpatients and secretaries – and the secretary said that she would speak to a 3rd department, as they might know whether or not they have an appointment for me.

Within an hour, the hospital was calling me back. How did I feel about having my first procedure now? Well, in a few days, as they have to check me for Covid first. Of course, I said yes. So now I’m unavailable for work from Friday (tomorrow) until Tuesday (inclusive). Although I have to have my test first, or they won’t let me into the hospital.

I’ve been working for three clients this week: Greece, Hong Kong and Pakistan. Writing, editing and proofreading. So those were my 3 emails sent out yesterday, just to keep them in the loop.

I’m pretty much on top of everything, but as I’m effectively losing 3 days of ghostwriting, Greece has agreed to move their deadline along by 3 days. Hong Kong managed to get the pdf of the March magazine I edited to me this morning for proofreading, and that has already gone back. And Pakistan told me not to worry until after it’s all over.

Obviously, I’ll still do what writing I can, both before I have the op and afterwards.

The GP IT system was up and running again this morning, and that meant I was able to check if they’d done my repeat prescription or if I had to go in for a review. It was dispensed on Tuesday, the day before the system crashed, so I can go and collect it as soon as I want. I’ll probably do that on my way to or from the Covid test centre.

But that means that’s me done (after today) until next Wednesday. Keep everything crossed for me (that my test comes back negative and that the procedure goes well), and have a great weekend!

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