Another One Bites the Dust!

[speedbird591]

So ... this week's update turns into yet another round of applause for the NHS. Well, my experience of it just gets better and better.

A recap: Last weekend's debilitating pain was brought under control by the co-codamol prescribed by the out-of-hours GP service.

Following a verbal assessment with my Hospice nurse the next thing was to ask my GP for an examination to decide whether it was something that might need further investigation or whether it was just another symptom of my mesothelioma with which I have to live. My GP is a young lad in his 30s with long hair but really high-tec, switched on and pro-active. He decided it was the latter and to ensure I had enough painkillers for it he not only prescribed another 100 highest-strength co-codamol, he also put it on repeat prescription. The cupboard's full of the damn things - nobody here need ever feel anything ever again

And this is what I mean by pro-active. He then had a quick review of the tablets I was taking and identified which ones had stronger side effects that I might try and cut down. He also explained a way of mixing co-codamol and paracetamol in patterns that allow me pain relief in quite a gradual spectrum according to my needs.

Then he thought about what I might be susceptible to next due to weakness caused by the cancer. He warned me that lung infections might occur easily and that at the first symptom I must go to him for antibiotics. The disease could possibly spread to my kidneys or liver so he decided to do blood tests now so that if we suspect problems later we've got a base reading to compare to. He's brilliant and shows what can be done if you have a GP who knows how to use the system and has the interest of his patients at heart.

The other great thing I've just discovered is that my GP surgery is part of SystmOnline which allows patients access to the appointments and prescriptions service. I can log on and see all the available doctors' and practice nurses' appointments for 2 weeks ahead and book and cancel online. I can also see all my repeat prescriptions and order them for pick up from the pharmacy.

Only a couple of years ago, trying to get access to a GP surgery was a nightmare. Now I have all the access I need via my iPad. I know there are a lot of horror stories about the inpatient hospital side of the NHS and I can't comment on that but there's nothing much wrong with the outpatient side of it in Wiltshire! Certainly, Graham has nothing but praise for York hospital inpatient service.

So, this week, in a nutshell, a very bad start which turned into a very good finish!

Ian

[Filonian]

Glad your experiences of the NHS continue on the positive side Ian. Long may that continue along with the pain control.

Graham

[dodger]

Hi Ian,

Good news for you and perhaps you could send your young Doctor to our surgery we certainly need it!!

Joking aside, i had a yearly meet with one of our doc's two weeks ago to check on my pills that i take and i use {amongst others} Simvastatin for cholesterol and have suffered with pains here and there so i mentioned this to him and straight away he changed them for another sort which [touch wood] seems to have made a difference, in the past when i have said about these pills another Doc said "Yes this can happen" but nothing was changed!

I suppose we moan and groan about things but i'm thankful that i was born last Century and not the one before it!!!

Keep at it Ian,

Best Regards,

Roger.

[Airspeed]

Thanks for the update, Ian.
Glad they're doing stuff for you; we can only think of you and your Family.

[speedbird591]

This week the thread turns to the promise of salvation!

An interesting development has been an email from a work colleague who I knew only vaguely and had little interaction with. I knew that he's a Christian but of a slightly eccentric branch. He would only be seen reading the Bible and occasionally offering brief warnings about what Jesus would think of certain misbehaviour. Sometimes he would leave cryptic flyers around about forthcoming domesday events which never happened. He was generally ignored but considered harmless.

After my diagnosis became known a lot of people kindly wanted to know the best way to contact me to pass on their thoughts and ask after my health - so I made my email address available to everybody who wanted it.

Richard took the opportunity to email me and made an offer to meet me to urgently discuss eternal matters and my relationship with God, in view of my impending demise. He told me that God was able to cure 'teminal' illnesses if I turned to Him.

I don't have a religion but, in case you don't know, I do enjoy a good debate and I sensed the possibility of exploring a good exchange of views.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, Richard and I have been batting emails back and forth and a lot of my friends and family have asked to be copied in and updated and passed them on to others outside that circle. It's become quite an entertainment with dramas and tears at bedtime.

Of course, as far as the 'argument' goes it all comes down to Creationism or Evolution and it is impossible for either side to ever disprove the claims of the other. So we eventually reached that point at which we could go no further and I closed the door on it inconclusively as there was nothing more to be said.

I know religion is not something to be discussed here and some people might take offence but on the other hand I know many will enjoy the entertainment derived from a decent debate. If you think you might be offended then please don't read it.

So I've put the whole email exchange on to two pdfs in a zip folder which you can download and read if you want to. There are two because I thought we'd finished once but he came back unexpectedly for another round!

http://www.speedbird747.com/downloads/Blessings.zip

Ian

[TSR2]

Now that's sport!

I'll tell you what really tickled me mate, you included a "ReadMe"

That seems to have certainly kept you busy! Hows things otherwise?

[Tonks]

Hi Ian,

Thank you for posting that link... it has made me smile very much as I have had theses very same conversations over the years (as I am a committed non-believer)and again very recently after the break up of my marriage. I have to say your outlook on life is outstanding and I could not agree more with your conclusions. I truly wish you all the best and I am going to go back and read that all again.

Thanks... and stay strong (though I have no doubt that you will no matter what!)

Andy... and I toast your salvation

Edit...

Having re-read them I have to say I am very impressed with your attitude to the conversation... I have no doubt I would have terminated it earlier, but I am glad you didn't. Your arguments are sound! End of discussion for me Thanks again Ian... all the very best.

[Airspeed]

G'day Ian,
I've yet to read your discussion, but am looking forward to it.
I have no religion either, but to add to the mix:
Before we moved up country, a neighbour sold his house to a teacher who was moving his family closer to town because he was dying of cancer, and wanted them to have local facilities. The vendor was deeply into prayer healing. As he told it to me during the final clearing out of his possessions, the purchaser had already improved. He went on to relate several tales of complete cures. I never got to see whether the teacher lived to enjoy his new home, as we left for the country soon after.
Good wishes as always.

[Jon.M]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for making your debate with Richard available. I enjoyed reading it and I also checked out answersingenesis.org and opened the bible my father gave me for the first time in many years as well. I was a bit disappointed with Richard's arguments, the only good one he came up with was Pascal's Wager which fall's down on the premise that you can choose whether to believe or not. Belief doesn't work like that.
I agree with what you wrote and I hope you've given him something to think about. I suspect though that he will carry on as before.

Jon

[speedbird591]

Thanks, guys, for your comments on the email exchange. I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. I know it's not new or original and it's a debate that has been chewed and shouted over by impassioned folks for many years and will continue to be so for many many more. But I rather liked that version of it as it was on a personal level as well as providing some entertainment. The argument always ends up at the same place in the end, though.

There's an amusing afterword. I received an email from Richard this morning. He accepts that I've closed the door to further approaches but I wonder if he hasn't managed to slip in a hand grenade just before the door slammed! My 'clever' retort about accepting the existence of God if He knocked on my door and performed a miracle might just have backfired on me.

Richard says he prays that my wish may come true and that God will indeed make himself known to me before it is too late

How am I going to sleep at night, now?

Ian