Nippy morning, after a hard frost. I had a hard job opening the gate on our pontoon, because the latch had frozen it solid. Paddy had his legs crossed, while I wrestled with the latch, which finally gave in and undid. Crossed legs on Paddy is not a good look and neither was the look on his face. Because it was early we just walked around the Arm.
Why early you ask?
It was early because I wanted to walk to the surgery to get an appointment with a GP. Here in Warwick, you can either ring up at 8.30 am and try and get through on a busy line, or like we do walk to the surgery for 8 am and speak to lady at the desk and ask for the GP to ring. You usually get asked if it is for a phone consultation or for an appointment. This morning I wanted an appointment. The same is done after lunch to get an afternoon appointment. Having booked my phone call, I walked back home and waited for the phone call, which came and I had an appointment to see another doctor.
This system actually works really well, because it means if the GP feels they can sort your problem out on the phone, it saves a visit to the GP and frees up an appointment for someone who needs it.
Whilst I wanted for my appointment, Keith and I made boxes for posting off my broken camera and lens, which have both sold on Ebay. Yes the camera that had gone to the murky depths of the canal in the Arm has sold and so has the lens. We put them on as spares or repair, plus all the relevant information, on the fact it was water damaged and yet they both still sold. Great news for me, because it means my replacement camera, which was also bought on Ebay, has cost me very little.
Time came to walk to the surgery and see the GP, who is a new registrar at the practice and will be there until at least August. He examined me and then was puzzled. So as I have tried all the other remedies for Costochondritis, he was then thinking outside of the box, as he put it. So I have Amitriptyline 10mg to take. Amitriptyline is a type of drug called a tricyclic antidepressant. Although these are used for anxiety and depression, lower doses are also widely used to block the long-term (chronic) pain of some rheumatic conditions such as Costochondritis. Amitriptyline can be prescribed by a consultant rheumatologist for chronic pain caused by:
Arthritis
Back pain and neck painF
Fibromyalgia
Chronic (tension) headaches
Damage to nerve endings in the limbs (peripheral neuropathy).
He has also increased my Omeprazole from 1 to 2 tablets a day, to see if that also helps, because he is worried of my tenderness around my stomach, which is probably due to my Hiatus Hernia. So we will give it a go and see what happens. The GP was very nice and I hope he stays, because trying to see a GP you like is incredibly difficult these days.
When I was growing up you had a family GP, our was called Dr Walker and you always saw him and the same thing when my children were growing up they always saw the same GP Dr Styles. These days because they surgeries are now medical centres, you end up seeing any GP who is available. I do wonder about the continuity of care.
Having left the surgery, we walked into town to pick up the prescriptions, which now cost an arm and a leg, especially when you have three items to collect. Keith is fine because he gets his free, but needs must and I would rather be pain free. We decided to go into Wetherspoons for some lunch and with it being Fishy Friday, we both had the fish and chips. They both duly arrived at the table looking fabulous and the battered fish looked lovely. The batter on my fish was beautiful, but sadly the fish was not cooked properly, it was still swimming in the sea I think as it was raw in places, so it had to go back and I was sent another one, which was much better, but by then I was somewhat put off. I did however finish most of it.
Back home and it was time to put my feet up and relax for the afternoon, I was actually feeling pooped, which is all to do with this condition I have and have been struggling with all year.
Marmite was taking a leaf out of my book and was chilling out above the saloon stove. She knows where all the warmest places are.
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