"Earth’s distant orb appeared the smallest light that twinkles in the heaven; whilst round the chariot’s way innumerable systems rolled and countless spheres diffused an ever-varying glory. It was a sight of wonder: some were hornèd like the crescent moon; some shed a mild and silver beam like Hesperus o'er the western sea; some dashed athwart with trains of flame, like worlds to death and ruin driven; some shone like suns, and as the chariot passed, eclipsed all other light." From "Queen Mab" by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1813)

Wednesday 5 May 2010

State Of The Art

Well it’s been just over seven weeks since my MRI scan and I’m still waiting for the results. I rang what I believed was the neurologist’s office last week and had to leave a message on an answer phone. They didn’t bother calling back, so today I thought I’d try again.

After speaking to a human being this time I was told he would chase it up but I could try ringing the neurologist’s secretary myself as that might speed things up. He gave me the number but when I rang of course it was an answer phone. However, she did call me back within an hour or so, apologised that nothing had been done and said she would chase it up. Could she not just give me the results over the phone? No, it looks like no-one has bothered to even look at the scan results. She suggested I make a complaint to the hospital as that might speed things up. Wouldn’t they just sort it out without my making a complaint, surely if no-one has bothered looking at my scans after all this time, wouldn’t I just jump to the front of the queue? Apparently not, apparently making a complaint is the best thing to do. She gave me a number which I rang and of course it was an answer machine.

So I’ve left a message saying I didn’t really want to complain, that all I want are my test results but that if I have to make a complaint to get them, then I was prepared to do that. So, I’m still waiting. I first went to the doctor about this in February and it’s now May. It’s a good job I’m not in a lot of pain.

On the plus side, and if I live long enough, l start my new job on June 1st getting gigs and events streamed over the internet. I’m not entirely sure of all my duties but it’s a three month trial and if I haven’t picked it up by that time there’s always selling the Big Issue to fall back on. Or I might be in intensive care by then.

Suggested listening: “Hope Is Important” by Idlewild

9 comments:

  1. re : wouldn’t I just jump to the front of the queue?

    The answer is "No", not with a bad toe you wouldn't........

    : )

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  2. Yes, well, if they had done a scan of my toe rather than my brain and spine then I wouldn't be so desperate for the results. I think I've been patient enough.

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  3. I think there may have been a mis-understanding here. I was being ironic, as in not physically being able to "jump" because of a bad toe ? Sorry if you thought otherwise.xx

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  4. Oh, right. I get it now. Have you thought about going on Britains Got Talent? I wouldn't bother. Now that's funny!

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  5. UPDATE: After all those phone calls it looks like they are at last rushing into action, pulling out all the stops, not letting anything else distract them from the job at hand and putting me to the head of the queue. I should have the results in two weeks. If I don't have them by them I should ring them up again and they'll get right on to it. Gee thanks, but don't let me put you to any trouble or anything. With any luck I'll live long enough to see the results for myself.

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  6. The NHS, the sacred cow of British politics, it's crap.

    I say get rid of it and lets all go private. After all its just Darwin's theory, the strongest will survive. As for the poor and the sick, then let them eat cake etc.

    Hang about I'm being kicked out of the Liberal party and I sound like a Tory. That's not right, its just the NHS is crap and full of crap staff but its like immigration, you can't say anything without someone calling you a bigoted old woman.

    Anyway hows your foot?

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  7. Thanks for asking, the foot is much the same. I’ve got another appointment with the neurologist next month and should have the MRI scan results before then.

    I have to take you to task on one point though, Darwin's theory, and indeed the fact of evolution, is not that “the strongest will survive” rather that those best adapted to their environment will survive. Think about it, a mouse is not stronger than an elephant but both survive pretty well. Unless you take them both and leave them in the Arctic in which case they’d both do pretty badly, unlike a polar bear. The dinosaurs were also stronger than the mammals who survived them. Evolution is all about adaptation, not being strong. What you are suggesting is more akin to the totally discredited policy of eugenics, a horrific distortion of Darwin’s theory often advocated by political extremists for their own corrupt ends. So right up your street then.

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  8. OK, so I didn't quite get the theory right but have a go at the bloody NHS and instantly everyone has a go at you.

    But back to theory and disbanding the NHS, those that can adapt to the new style of health care (get your own) will survive, whilst those that can't (your thinking the poor and the sick) wont. OK so that sounds a bit harsh and I admit needs a bit of tweaking but it could work.

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  9. I could not disagree with you more. The whole point of the NHS is that it is there to serve those who can not afford private health care, which is the majority of people. I don’t mind that it costs so much and is wasteful, where I do have a problem with it is where it is poorly run, e.g. not having a sufficiently effective system in place to prevent someone’s MRI scans from going unchecked. That’s not to do with money, that’s crap administration.
    It’s like the post office. I don’t care that it runs at a loss. I want to be able to post a letter in a letter box not too far from my home; be able to buy a stamp from or send a parcel at a post office, not too far from my home; and have post delivered to me once a day, where ever I live. It’s a service not a business, run for all and not for a few. Not everything needs to make money.
    I know you saw a side of the NHS that most of us don’t get to see but you shouldn’t let that colour your whole view of it. It really is a great achievement and something this country should be proud of. Look how hard they had to fight for it in America.
    One more thought. There’s been a lot of talk about troops not getting all the equipment they need to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan but you never see the army or the air force having a jumble sale to raise money for a new tank or a plane. And with limited funds maybe sometimes they should just be expected to make do with what they have, which sometimes just won’t be enough and yes people will be killed and injured because of it. But when hospitals and schools need extra funds, it’s get out the trestle tables and bric-a-brac and hope for the best. There’s no public enquiries, no front page headlines in the press, no grieving parents on the nightly news. No, it seems it’s just fine to expect that our troops should have every single piece of kit they want to make killing people in foreign countries easier but if the local hospital is short of incubators for premature babies, well obviously, there is only so much money available to the health service, that’s just how it is. How does that work exactly? Yes, it is crap that some troops have died because of lack of the right equipment but lack of equipment is a daily situation for every state run school and hospital in the country. And it is a pretty safe bet that while cuts are going to be made all through the public sector over the next few years you will still not see any of our armed forces having a jumble sale for equipment for front line troops.
    And I’m still waiting for my bloody test results!

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