Tag: getting information

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Information overload

How do they expect patients to take so much information in at one time? Is it done that way so they can blame the patient when things go wrong and appointments are missed? Recently my husband had an afternoon admission for spinal injections. He was the first one in theatre because they wouldn’t sedate him. Don’t ask its a long complicated and frustrating situation. I would like to point out this was a private hospital appointment covered by my work’s insurance.

He was back in his room for less than ten minutes when his door became a revolving one. A nurse to check how he was feeling. Another lady asking if he wanted a some water. Then another to see if he was ready for some food. The nurse comes back to tell him he isn’t to get up without her being present.

His food arrives then the physio appears. The poor guy is trying to eat his food as he is hungry but she wants to ask questions. Up I step into carer role to provide her with information. Have you had these injections before? Do you have a history of back problems? I am trying to bite back the sarcasm. No he just thought it would be fun to have a consultant stick needles in his spine for no reason. Then wanting to scream at her to read his notes.

Are you here under medical insurance? Oh good heavens read the information in his file. Yes. I try to take the bite out of my response. Right so we will arrange a physio appointment. That wasn’t part of the approved treatment plan from the insurers. Call them I’m sure it will be fine if not it’s not that expensive… rude darling to assume we can afford it. So I hit back. Don’t bother booking us an appointment with the gentleman as he is useless. I didn’t have to say anymore. Oh OK. That alone told me lots.

She then stands beside me and reads me the information in the suggested exercises. It wasn’t quite finger under the words as she read but not far from it. Get him on the floor. I was having Deja-vu. These are the same exercises he has been given after every back procedure. I just let her talk, then she went off to book an appointment. One that we will cancel. She comes back and starts telling him what he can and can’t do.

Finally she leaves and husband say he needs the toilet. Not a nurse in sight. I go and find one. She stands and watches him get himself upright. I’m there helping him up and she doesn’t seem bothered. He walks to the toilet and comes back. OK you can get dressed. She leaves. Then another nurse appears and starts telling him what he can and can’t do. She tells us the information for his follow up appointment, all while I am helping him get dressed.

By this time my head is spinning. My information retention is usually pretty good but I have been given options for physio appointments and now I am questioning what is what. I know the follow up is in October and I know it is in the evening but that is the only information I retained. Another nurse appears with his discharge paperwork and tells us different time scales for recovery, rest periods after and suggestions for what he should do. To say I was confused would be an understatement. They were all reading from different pages.

All this took less than an hour from when he was back in his room. I have never felt so rushed before. How a patient could take all that information in I have no idea. My husband said he gave up listening. I failed miserably. Mind you there were a few different versions. I think we will listen to his body and I will make some calls when things have settled down. Ex

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Does the medication work?

Does your medication work? That certainly is a question to ponder. I guess asking that can open a can of worms but hey lets do it. Now where should we start? We get a prescription and we know what the drug is supposed to do, help with or prevent. If the drug is for something simple… clearing up an infection. That is easy. Infection has gone. the drug did what it was prescribed to do. Happy days.

Some drugs you can see the work that they do. The swelling has gone down. The itching has stopped. Others the work is hidden but you can tell it is happening. The heart rate is right, the blood pressure lower. You no longer have palpitations. The dizzy spells have stopped. Sometimes you have to wait a while for the effects to become apparent. The dose may need a tweak or two to get it to work but what if it doesn’t?

We have had a few appointments recently. As is the way you get chatting to people. One comment surprised me. My husband was talking to a nurse who was conducting pre-admission tests. She spotted his tremor in his arm and asked if he has Parkinson’s and was he on medication. He said yes but I’m not sure its working. She replied ‘I don’t think it is for my Dad either.’

He has been on medication for months and it has been increased once but I can’t say I have seen any indication it makes a difference. Now obviously without it he could be worse. We don’t know that. My husband says he doesn’t feel like it is helping. In fact he has other problems that we are beginning to question if they are linked. So what do you do?

Does medication work. Can relaxation help

How long do you give a drug time to work? Time to make a difference? How many times do you up the dosage? When do you ask if there is an alternative? Each adjustment is then followed by a six month wait for the next appointment. That is a long time to wait for a drug to work. How many six month cycles does he have left until we get told, sorry there is nothing we can do? In that time we have been buffering, waiting for things to improve. Not fully living because it is not helping in the way they say it will.

The whole process feels like a barrel load of ‘how long is a bit of string’ questions mixed with a need for a crystal ball sprinkled with a handful of ‘what ifs.’ Should you trust the process? Keep your fingers crossed that suddenly the drug will work? I haven’t reached out to our Parkinson’s nurse as her last comment about ‘not being bothered to adjust our lives to fit the drug’ doesn’t fill me with confidence. We have another appointment soon so we need to decide what to do? Well I don’t because it is not my call to make.

Sometimes I don’t notice his tremor. I’m not sure if that is because I have got used to it. Other times it is so apparent. That is usually when he is stressed. I haven’t notice his lip tremble recently but he says he feels it more. Before this next appointment we are starting new medication for another issue that we have been waiting for for eighteen months. Will that work?

It would be nice to know what to do for the best. You can only go by advice and how you feel. A little improvement. A sign we are heading down the right path. Something would be nice. Lets keep our fingers crossed that something starts to work. Ex

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Does anyone have a clue?

Can someone give me a clue? Devine intervention? A massive sign? No? OK in that case any chance someone can point me in the right direction and quickly because I need information. Information that seems to be lost somewhere in the pits of ‘nobody knows.’

I am at my wits end. You might have guess that already. Let me explain. That new consultant that we crossed paths with who arranged a scan and realised there was something that needed looking at. Well we went back and got the scan results. I will admit I didn’t have a clue what I was looking at but then I was peaking round the side of his screen. So it seems husbands back has deteriorated but we expected that.

Three options were laid before us. Physio – Lowry man (that will only make sense if you have read my book), spinal injections or surgery. There is no guarantee that the injections will prevent the need for surgery but it might delay it. I knew husbands choice. Lets go for door B. Within a matter of minutes we were given a day admission date and details for the insurance company. All good so far.

Two days later husband gets a call. They are supposed to reach out to me but from what husband said this person didn’t have a clue what they were doing. She starts asking for his back history, all of which I filled in via their online form which I was told we had to submit before the first consultation. I still have no clue what happens to that information as no one seems to get it.

Can I hide behind this door until someone has a clue what is going on

She then tells him he can’t have the procedure done and he needs to start the process again via the NHS. Deep breath and don’t swear. Then she says he can have it done but they will only do it under local because of his prior anaphylaxis and the fact he doesn’t have an epi-pen. I have tried to get him one but have been advised he isn’t allergic enough. Yet the allergy specialist said even a small dose will kill him before anyone would reach him. Again does anyone have a clue as to who is right here.

Then she tells him he has this aliment. No I don’t. You are taking this mediation so you have. The medication was prescribed for something different as it can be used for both and I doubled checked his medical notes and the diagnosis she says he had is not showing. The conversation then goes on about his need to fast. First it was yes he did, then at the end of the call, no he didn’t. By this point I had no clue. Hubby was confused as anything and I was even more frustrated.

After he relayed all the conversations. He had no idea. Should he take his tablets. Was he supposed to eat, was he not? He had no clue. I had no clue and the woman from the hospital well I don’t think she had any idea at all. What grated me most was the medication for his Parkinsons hadn’t even been mentioned. Because of the time of his admission what were we supposed to do about that?

So this morning I have been talking to the consultants secretary to get clarification. I now know what we are supposed to do but I feel sorry for the people who don’t have a clue or a full grasp on their situation. One call from a person who doesn’t have all the information and it can all go horribly wrong. No body needs that. Ex

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So much admin

Admin! That word never used to make me scream but at the moment it is being moved into the same bracket as ‘health and safety’ a certain telecommunications company and cold callers. Why? Simply because it is becoming frustrating and annoying.

I’ve always considered myself competent when it comes to admin. There is a lot of it in my job and I will admit that with the progression of technology some of that pressure has eased. The processes have become easier. Please do not think I am talking about AI because I am not. Software packages that have reduced my data entry are amazing. Yet for other parts of life the opposite seems to be true.

Recently after a GP appointment my husband was given a referral letter. Having gone through this process several times we waited for an appointment. Nothing. It now seems we have to take the referral and do the work to get the appointment. At what point was someone going to tell us this. More admin for me. Check out the possible consultants because his usual consultant has vanished. Check with the private insurance company that the one we pick is on their list. Make our choice, get it authorised, book the appointment.

Another clinic said he needed bloods and an X-ray. OK log on book the blood test, my job as husband can’t use a computer. Where has the paperwork for the X-ray been sent? Thankfully it only took a couple of calls to track that down and confirm it can been done during the same visit to the hospital for the bloods.

My response to admin

The paperwork I have in relation to my husband is behaving like that Gremlin who was fed after midnight. My current folder will now need to be split as it is busting at the seams. In that simple task is an admin dilemma. How do you decide which sections to group together? I know from experience which ever way I do it, the question I get asked will have the answer in the other file. We won’t mention it is information that should be held in his medical records. That is another gripe altogether.

For the appointment for the referral I think it best if I step up my admin and put together a specific folder as from experience usually a new consultant means a whole load of pain starting from scratch. Better I go armed with all the information as I know full well that lovely screen on his desk, linked to that big ole computer will not tell him anything relevant. I’m not sure it tells him anything correct.

It’s hard work, another ball that we shouldn’t really need to be juggling. I’m trying to figure out if these are problems due to people not doing their jobs properly, people not caring or the systems being upgraded ineffectively. Failsafe procedures not being put in place or perhaps this is just a way to reduce the figures.

Yes I sound cynical but I don’t understand why admin is being pushed onto the patient. How far will this go? Will we eventually be responsible for generating our own discharge papers? That might be beneficial as in my husbands case there never seems to be anyone to sign them.

I do fear for the people who are dire with paperwork. Perhaps we need to hire a PA when we get sick. I know that if the boot was on the other foot I would be doomed: husband is not an admin demon. His theory is shred it, we won’t need it. My suggestion is brush up on your office admin skills, you never know when you will need them. Just don’t ask me, I’m drowning under paperwork. Ex

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The Power of a Letter

What would you say is more effective, a telephone call, an email or a letter? In these days of technology, instant messages and online chat you would think that to get anything done a letter would be ineffective. Redundant. Obsolete. Well let me tell you I think it is still the most powerful and efficient tool at our disposal.

Over the last several years I have come to realize that modern technology is great when the system is working properly. If there are no bugs. It’s not overloaded and the people using it are good at their jobs. The information loaded on the big PC is current and regularly updated then wonderful. Online is the way to go.

We are advised that to contact a department you leave a message. Send an email, you might want to attach a letter to that mail. Log on to that wonderful app they have said it is imperative to have and you will find the information you need. Someone will get back to you. Its all there. Everything is easy and fast. I call bull!

A year, well almost, we waited for test results. An application for funding for treatment was going to be made and we would hear back in three months as to what was going to happen. Tumbleweed. Radio silence. We reach out. Leave a message. Ask for updates. Complete a questionnaire to ensure we are still on the waiting list… and nothing.

The GP was no help. It takes time. The department is over stretched. They are busy. They will get to you? But how long do you wait? Is a year not long enough? Can you chase them us for us. See if you can get the results. An indication as to where we are at? No! Well thanks for that.

I sit. I stew. Someone else in my life stirs up some brown smelly stuff: unrelated but it pokes the bear. Enough is enough. Time to start making waves. The laptop gets powered up and my sarcastic mode has engaged. Letters to various companies penned then comes the hospital. Now I am never rude. My language maybe colourful in my head as I am composing the letter but what goes into print is polite.

Bingo. A response a few days later. Oh sorry. We installed a new system and you fell through the cracks. Seriously? How many patients did they ‘remove’ from the waiting list by shoving them down that crack. Was it in fact a version of the Grand Canyon? My husband must be the unluckiest person as this is not the first time a new system saw him being forgotten or misplaced. How can that happen so often?

So now we have to redo some of those tests. The application for funding will be submitted as that never happened. Once the results are back, if the funding is approved we can move forward. We have been given a telephone number to call if we have a problem. Now why is that? A different number. Direct contact? Is this a way to keep us quiet for a while longer?

Three months is what I will give them. Then one call to that new number. If that gets no response I will stick to my trusted letter. Effective. Powerful and satisfying. The old ways still have their uses. So if you find that you are not getting a response from a department. Try a letter. It might surprise you. For a little more effort it seems to get a lot more results. Maybe the old ways still have their place in todays world. It works for me. Ex

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Been There, Done That

Hindsight is a great thing don’t you think? That moment of clarity when you realise you have been there, done that and come through the other side. You can see the signs. Those behaviours, that at the time ,you were living but didn’t see. The nose in front of your face if you will. That when you see it in others you ponder how to help. If in deed you can.

As I have said previously that I feel that I have grown a lot as a person this last year. Some of that I’m sure is the been there, done that mindset. Being able to learn from those situations. Also finding the ability to take a step back and realise that, in the grand scheme of things, not everything, that in the heat of the moment, is actually that earth shatteringly important. Funny how life throws hurdles your way that makes you re-evaluate everything. Giving you a different perspective. Parkinson’s has certainly been one of them. Maybe mix that a little with age.

This blog has been so eye opening for me. Taking that time to reflect and be openly honest about me, my feelings, the things that scare the crap out of me, all from the safety of my laptop. Things that, face to face, I wouldn’t be able to put into words. Not even want to address. Again for those that have been with me on this journey; thank you. I do think without this therapy I wouldn’t be able to deal with things as well as I find I can these days. It’s not perfect but certainly a lot better. This my lot and I have to make the most of it.

Been there, done that

So when you see someone in that place, struggling with their lot, can you actually give them the benefit of your been there revelations? I’m not sure that you can. That is sad. However I’m a realist. Would I have listened? Maybe, but not necessarily with both ears. I don’t think you can move on, I guess, until you want to. You need to have reached that point when you know, deep down, something has to change. You are ready to work on making it change. Do something to help yourself.

Are you more aware of the signs when you have lived it? The constant sighing. The repeating of depressive phrases. The moaning about not seeing anything good to look forward too. I want to apologise for all the times I did that. I’m profoundly sorry. I’ll admit I still sigh a lot but now I think that is more out of exasperation of other peoples stupid behaviour. Sadly it’s more often than I’d like.

You also then have to throw hormones into the female mix. That period of our lives when mother nature is really not playing nice. When up is down and we have no idea where we are in that equation. We need to empower ourselves, research and see what works for us because if we don’t no one else will help. Trial and error. Been there and done that, and this worked for me has never been more relevant.

I guess I used to be the no, not for me person. It’s different. That’s not what I’m saying. Chalk is cheese female. Now I still have my strong views but I’m finding myself more willing to listen to suggestions. That, this might work for you, look into it comment. Please do not tell me I have to do something. That still will not work. My stubborn DNA has not vanished. However if you can offer a word or two of wisdom, I’ll take it.

Going forward being supportive is all you can do. Repeat your been there, done that revelations in a nice way and keep your fingers crossed. I’m not saying that you have to do it indefinitely. At the end of the day, you have to put yourself first, when things get tough. Maybe, like me, they’ll find a way through to the other side in unexpected ways. My goodness, in that sense, I have been lucky. E x

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Dream on.

Let’s talk dreams. Now I’m not talking about your aspirations and plans as much as they are important and probably very interesting. I’m talking about those dreams we have whilst asleep. We have all had the ones which have been vivid and have woken us with a start. Those that you can’t remember. I’ve had recurring ones. Ones that I can still remember from when I was young.

I mentioned previously that my husband has vivid dreams and I’ve had random conversations with him while he has been fast asleep. The best recent one was him asking if I could hot wire his tractor because he couldn’t find his key. Don’t ask. These got worse due to the side effect of one tablet.

So it seems that these dreams and the lashing out which sometimes comes with them are a side effect of Parkinson’s. They can be so vivid for the sufferer that medication is required to take the edge off the dreams. Some couples have reverted to separate rooms because of the severity of the problem. As things are for us at this moment that isn’t a solution unless I want to sleep in the bath.

Thankfully his dreams, while sometimes are vivid, haven’t got to the stage that I fear for my safety. Some of the stories I have read are worrying. Some funny too; they probably weren’t at the time. I have become tuned into his fidgeting which usually happens before he starts lashing out. Most of the time me talking to him sternly stops it. Worse case I turn my back as a smack to the back of the head is preferable to a bloody lip.

Dream on

It got me to wondering if these side effects materialise way before the diagnosis but we just don’t pick up on them. I remember one occasion and it hasn’t happened since. The main link road which our flat overlooks had been resurfaced during the two previous nights. I was woken by a rattling. Realising my husband wasn’t in bed I called out. I could hear him by the front door. I asked him what he was doing. ‘Just going to check out the tarmac’ was his reply. Thankfully me telling him to get back into bed stopped him.

We laugh about it now but what if he had gone onto the main road in the night. How far would he have got if I hadn’t woken up? What if a lorry driver had taken his attention off his driving and hit him? He has never done anything like it since but was that an early sign? Is this something that we will have to deal with going forward?

Only time will tell if we will have to deal with this issue and it does become more common place. Most of the time it doesn’t affect me as it’s only a short period of broken sleep in the night but if that becomes more than once a night then I may be hiring scaffold to keep the eyes open at the day job. That or investing in a futon and duvet for my office. I think if I suggest that to my boss he will be telling me to dream on.

I suppose if nothing else, if husband is true to form his dreams will provide plenty of things for me to write about as I am constantly sniggering at the comments he comes out with in his sleep. Sometimes I wonder if I should record him as he doesn’t always believe me. Maybe not, just in case I do it too and he doesn’t remember. E x

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Is Nature the answer?

Why do we not turn to nature more for answers to life’s problems? I swear this is not going to be a deep, happy clappy blog. This is actually inspired by my best friends, friend who is going through a rough time, but that is not my tale to tell. She has been doing research to help with her journey and has kindly offered me and hubby some pointers. Words of wisdom from her finds to date.

Let me set the tone right now. I’m in no way saying forgo medical advice and medication to find answers in the larder that nature has to offer. However, can we not make use of that supply to assist and make the drugs work better. Reduce the side effects. A short call to my friend and the few things that were mentioned, I swear, it was like a light bulb moment. Yeah, that makes sense.

A drug you take affects a balance in your body. So you counteract that and reset the balance with specific food. You need to take your tablets with food so it makes perfect sense to eat something that enhances them. Makes it work better. My goodness it’s not rocket science. So why doesn’t medicine use nature to help patients treatments. Please don’t tell me it’s just down to being no profit in it for them. That sucks and is just so wrong. If it is the case. Shame on you drug geeks!

Me, personally, I would happily use natural remedies. Let’s face it, people swear by hot lemon for colds. Chicken soup. Spices to relieve toothache. Oils for aches. Woman have been passing on their remedies for dealing with morning sickness for years. I wanted to slap myself for not considering this sooner. It’s obvious when you think about it. People have been doing it for centuries. Nature is great that way.

the beauty of nature

The Parkinson’s medication can cause nausea, so what can nature offer us to help. Sure I’ll have to dig into my science lessons that are stuffed somewhere in the brain cells. Read the tablet gumph, then do some research. From that point on it’s trial and error. I mean ,what is there to lose? Nothing, as far as I can see. If we can get it right, surely that is a win for all parties. If I can make husband feel a little better and get the full benefit of his medication then I’ll do the study.

Now I get what will work for one may not work for another. We are all individual. This may not be something you are comfortable with. That’s fine. We all have the right to our own opinion. For me though, if doing this leg work and finding something in the larder nature has to offer that eases side effects has to be a bonus. Some have been horrid and put a limit on daily activities. Medication is supposed to help you live, not make you housebound.

We might find that something he can eat to help is something he can grow on the allotment. That would be a double win. A reason to get out and a fresh supply. Home grown tastes so much better. There’s a lot of medication that he is on, so this could be a long process. The Parkinson’s drug will be my starting point. One medication at a time. It could be a waste of time, but that’s a chance I’m prepared to take. Just in case it works.

So now I’m off research carefully. Double checking my findings. Looking for new recipes. Who knows where it’ll lead us. If nothing else, we might come across some new dishes. I’ll let you know how it goes. Hopefully you won’t smell any burning. I make no promises. Ex

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Open to Interpretation

Interpretation on the whole makes me smile. I love how people can use it to justify how they do things. Their way is correct and anything else is wrong. It might not be but that is how they see it. That’s why life is interesting. You and I can read the same thing and take it to mean different things. It opens the door to debate. I think it’s a good thing; a great way to learn.

Yet interpretation can be so extremely frustrating. When I was at school it was something a couple of my teachers drilled into me. One teacher said that my answer might not be correct according to the set answers but if you explain your interpretation of the question to back up how you got to your answer it can’t be marked as incorrect. That lesson has proved useful more than once.

Recently we had our first meeting with our specialist Parkinson’s consultant. This, it turned out, was a new clinic that was being set up so there were a few teething problems. Both the consultant and nurse were lovely. Both explaining that things may take a little longer while the system is getting up on it’s feet. Not a problem. Hiccups are to be expected with these things.

We go through all the back ground information and set the groundwork for his record. Then we start talking about medication. I will hold my hand up and say I expected to have the same conversation with the consultant as I’d had with the Parkinson’s nurse earlier in the week but I was pleasantly surprised.

She asked husband how he was getting on with the tablets. Had he experienced the nausea he had been warned about? Thankfully not but he mentioned the rigid times he had been given in the letter from our first appointment with the nurse and how it wasn’t fitting in with everyday life. The consultant listened to his concerns then smiled. That is a very exact interpretation of the use of the medication but there is wiggle room.

The path of life is open to interpretation

I am pretty sure we both let out a sigh of relief. You fit the medication into your life, you don’t change your life to fit the medication. The days you are starting earlier, if you feel you need an additional tablet at the end of the day, have one. You don’t have to eat exactly thirty minutes after taking your tablet just as long as it is after half an hour. If it’s an hour or more it’s not a problem.

The local nurse had given us her interpretation of the guidelines for getting the best from the medication. It was rigid and set in stone. The last discussion I had with her made me feel like it was this way or nothing. If you can’t change to fit the medication into your life there is no point you taking it. Wow I’m sure the employers of everyone who works while on this medication are going to be really accommodating to this regime… not!

The consultants interpretation was much more relaxed. This is the ideal set up but life isn’t ideal so we do the best we can to get the best from the tablets without tying your hands. You don’t need to get up as early at the weekends. As a rule of thumb you need to allow about four to five hours between each tablet. Thank you this we can work with. The nurse’s interpretation would have either seen me missing dinner four nights a week or looking for alternative employment. I think the diet would have won.

I suppose it goes to show that sometimes a second opinion or view point is beneficial. Life isn’t set in stone and interpretation should always allow for a little wiggle room. Ex

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Medication madness.

Have you seen the news articles over the months about medication supply issues? The sourcing difficulties for the drugs themselves and ingredients used to manufacture them. Then throw in the import restrictions that are now in play. What does a patient do in these circumstances? Scream in frustration; that’s what. Maybe cry too.

It has happened to us before. You get your repeat prescription and the pharmacist informs you that unfortunately they haven’t been able to get the usual brand but there is an alternative in your bag of medication goodies. It’s the drug equivalent to the supermarket substitution but hopefully for the same item. No one needs to be dispensed antiseptic cream instead of blood thinners.

Joking aside, what happens when the medication is critical and you can’t get it? When my husband was first prescribed new heart tablets we had problems getting them. Not ideal but at least he hadn’t actually started taking the drug. The pharmacist managed to fill the prescription in batches. It wasn’t really an issue but it should have set off warnings for the future.

We had been told that he couldn’t just stop taking them without prior discussions with the consultant. Taking the prior issue into consideration I placed the repeat prescription early. Low and behold they were out of stock. I pop back a week later. Still not available so I asked what we should do. You need to go back to the prescribing doctor. Great. Now to try and speak to the consultant. That is never a walk in the park.

medication madness is enough to make you need a wine

Luckily for me I was able to get email details for all the departments. So I send an email apologising for reaching out and explain the situation. Could he give us some advice or prescribe an alternative. If not was he OK with my husband coming off the drug. Radio silence. Tumbleweed. What do we do now? There is only enough medication for another few days. I call the cardiology department and leave a message.

They call my husband. Even though in my message I stated I was his carer and wife, they won’t talk to me. Why? I’ve completed all the forms, more times than I care to remember. He tells them to ring me. They do and I explain. I’ll email the consultant and get back to you. At the time of writing we are still waiting but luckily the drugs arrived with the pharmacist. So now we start the process again.

While this was going on with have a similar issue with the new Parkinson’s medication. The first prescription is nearly used up. We haven’t seen the specialist and if he is to stop them he has to ween off them but we don’t have enough to do that. I can’t order them as they have yet to be put on his repeat prescription. Why people? So I reach out to the Parkinson’s nurse.

I’m not sure if one or both of us was having a bad day when she called. I came off that call angry, upset and down right frustrated. I actually felt like I was an inconvenience trying to get some answers about the medication, results and a few things my husband wanted to know. It’s hard dealing with these things when you can’t be totally sure what drug is or isn’t causing the problems.

Now we have to wait for the paperwork to go through to the doctors and the prescription to be up dated. I can’t see medication supply issues being resolved overnight so it’s just one more thing to remember to stay on top of. I’m sure the pharmacist will get fed up with seeing my face at the end of the day when I pop in on the off chance the drugs have arrived. I must remember to smile sweetly. Ex