Life in the Now

Still here, still with little voice and sore throat. On Monday I had a letter inviting me to contact the local health services to arrange an appointment at an Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. I was delighted to see an on-line option (because of the aforementioned voice problem) for the more convenient clinic location, only to discover that there were no appointments available. So that was very helpful, and I had to resort to the telephone and the other location. After five calls resulting in the engaged tone, I got through. Silent cheer! Held on for ages, trying not to mind the muzak regularly interrupted by the electronic lady telling me that their operatives were all busy and I could either hold on or call back later. After all the engaged tones earlier calls had resulted in, I decided to keep with it and eventually the phone gave me the voice of a real person who told me that I needed to call another number and ask for Clare! So I call the other number, get through first time, speak to not-Clare lady and then - oh joy! - Clare herself. Who tells me that there are no appointments available for the next five weeks, so they cannot give me an appointment until the consultants arrange more clinics.

:-(

In my innocence I assume this means I will not see a specialist for the next five weeks and that means perhaps another five-plus weeks of voicelessness. I wonder what to do, research local private provision and resolve to discuss this with my beloved.

I happened to need to visit my GP surgery, and decided to (whisperingly) tell them my tale of woe, as I understand the strangely random-seeming magic five weeks is associated with the contract requirements that currently govern our health services.
The lovely administration ladies tell me that, in fact, I should now be contacted within two weeks with an appointment, or their contract will have been broken and I should then let them know so that they can complain/sort it out. I also discuss (hoarsely) the possibility of writing to complain to the powers-that-be.

The very next day, I received a phone call from a lady from appointments to offer me an appointment on Saturday morning (today) as an extra clinic has been set up. What time would I like to attend?!

Yesterday was a miserable day as Anna and her Dad went off to Nottingham University for an open day and Ben had an in-service day off school, and wanted to be out doing which his Mum didn't feel up to. We got through all that, then I had a meeting in a pub in Worle about next year's North Somerset Arts Week, which was very good but very hard on my voice(lessness) and I returned home with an outrageously sore throat and a pain in the neck, too.

Last night I had lots of those strange, rambling dreams, involving strange but familiar-in-my-dreams houses and difficult situations, and my beloved says I was crying in my sleep. I presume, therefore, that I am in fact feeling anxious in respect of the appointment at 12.30.

One valuable displacement activity is consulting Google Reader to visit my favourite, updated Blogs. On one, Patty's Autumn's Meadow, I found a quiz to do, another useful distraction. The result was:

124 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Although I must admit I cheated, in the sense that I was best-guessing what would be expected of a wife in the Thirties. It's an amazing commentary on society then vs now.

Better go get breakfasted and washed and dressed, in readiness for finding out if I can get my voice back soon!