Monday 10 January 2022

Day 664

Day 664...

A non-working Monday, as is the norm for Simon and I, and Simon's last day of his Christmas break before returning to work tomorrow.

It was lovely to have a relaxed start to the day, although I always make sure to check my phone early on in case I'm needed in work for any reason. But there was no message so slow and steady won the race this morning.

Our first job of the day was to drop a prescription in at our doctors surgery for my dad. The last few times I'd been able to drop it in with the pharmacist rather than the doctors reception but today I was informed they were no longer doing that service and I had to pop into the surgery...'if they'd let me in'. I asked when I would be able to pick up the medications and was told 'oh at least a week' - I must have looked puzzled because this was followed up with 'we have to wait for the doctors to be in'. So not only are we back to covid-crazy entry routines but prescriptions are taking at least a week because the doctors aren't in the surgery often enough?

Sure enough the surgery was no longer operating with an open door and a just walk in and talk to someone on reception system. Instead they have locked the main door and are operating through a side door (up steps...so how is that disabled/old people friendly?) to which you can only gain access by someone opening the door from the inside. So when a patient arrives they ring the doorbell, receptionist has to leave whatever they are doing to open the door. Patient is then told to temperature check and anti-bac hands. Receptionist returns to their desk until she gets disturbed by the next ring of the doorbell. Let's think about this...a doctors receptionist job can be a bit trying at the best of times but now factor in having to get up every few minutes to answer the door while still trying to do paperwork and answer the phone, and we have one irritated receptionist and equally irritated patients at the poor service.

Thankfully I was able to hand the receptionist the prescription at the door (and so avoid the palava of masks!) and confirm the length of time it would take to get the medications. When I said the pharmacist had told me 'at least a week' she looked confused and simply said 'what? no that isn't right'. I told her that my dad was running low on one of his medications and asked if could she tell me when best to collect them. She very kindly went back inside to check and reappeared to say that the doctor was signing it off there and then and it should be a couple of days. So we will see!!

We then headed into Nottingham for a bit of a wander, a change of scenery and of course a coffee. It was simply nice to be out and about and be somewhere different. I'm not feeling myself at the moment and will admit to the whole masks, tests, isolate, cases etc etc etc beginning to get me down way more than it has before now. I am just very tired of it all and am struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel and instead see time slipping away. And then throw in menopause hormones, night sweats and sleepless nights and it's all proving to be a great combination!!

Back home and it was more time to chill and to try and disengage for a while by way of using my current jigsaw as distraction. And while I did get a fair few pieces in I still have some way to go to get this one completed. But it works well as a distraction as I find it easy to lose myself in the task at hand.

And with Monday done I will see you tomorrow.
xx

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