Practice What you Preach

I've been off work for a week now.  Not the best of breaks, can't seem to shake off the tiredness or melancholy.  I've crammed in sleep... very important, nurses appointment, tell you about that later, had blood tests and made a doctor's appointment for the results, that's weeks away, as usual.  Had dinner out with Jan, followed by biggest Christmas tree in Europe being lit followed by fireworks display, visit to see the Poppy display at St. George's Hall, (thought about Grandad,) and follow-up appointment with sister who had op for cancer this year, had physio, coffee with cousin and baby cousin... highlight, that was pretty much it.

Quite a week I suppose.  So, nurses appointment was funny.  I had to wait four weeks for the appointment.  Arrived at 7.15pm, fifteen minutes early, to be told that the nurse was running 16 minutes late.  I made the appointment, firstly because my blood pressure check was due and secondly, because I can't help feeling that something is out of kilter somewhere.

Despite being told there was a sixteen minute delay, within two minutes, I heard my name called.  I stood up, briefly spotted a figure in blue who raced off ahead of me.  I kept up, just, and followed the nurse into the exam room.  To say that the nurse looked dishevelled, is being kind.  But I felt for her.  She had probably been on duty for about ten hours at this point.  I'm sure her hair was all up at the beginning, now, we have a... half up, half sticking out at 90 degrees scenario going on. 

"So you're new to the practice?"
"No, I've been coming here since I was a child."
"But you haven't been here for over twelve months."
"I last came for a BP check in July this year."
"You're not on BP meds yet though."
"I'm on Lisinopril."

It went on like that for a while, but God love her, I was probably the sixty-something patient she'd seen that day.

In the five minutes that I was actually in there, I tried to convey that I'd been very tired for a while, that I understood that this was due to either work, early starts or hormones, and after initially telling me that she couldn't authorise blood tests, in the end, she ticked every box for me to be checked; liver, renal, cholesterol, thyroid, iron, B12 etc.

"You're OK with a fasting blood test?"
"No" (I was joking... partly.)
"You may as well go tomorrow, while you're off, they open at 8.30am."

So after having woken early with thoughts of coffee, coffee and more coffee, I settle for boiled water and leave early to avoid the school traffic and to get there early.

I arrive at the hospital at 8.20am, only to read the sign to say that they begin the phlebotomy sessions at 9am.  Luckily, I'd brought a magazine with me.

At 8.58am, my number clicked onto the screen, come on down, number 83.  The nurse aims for my right arm, "you won't get anything out of there."  Nurse smiles and moves over to my left arm, and I look away.