General Chat

whatever will you do with yourself?

what about the bacon butty's on Sunday?

who's going to make coffee?

and pander to your every whim?

you're an abandoned woman :-D :-D :-D

I know, I saw it :-D

It has been a nice day here as well

I am on my own, OH has gone fence building and wont be back until Sunday or Monday

Yes - I was only gone twenty minutes.

Not like it's Tesco's :-D

Are you back from the shops yet?

Oh dear Linda - how frustrating.

As you say, a waste of time really.
It will be interesting to see what the consultant has to say, although the Registrar will have made her notes for him to peruse.

I was once told by a Registrar that I was too old for a certain course of action. That annoyed me. I was in my sixties at the time. I insisted on seeing the consultant, who on that occasion was working in the next room. They were sharing the clinic.
The consultant saw me, and had a completely different attitude.
He arranged for me to have the treatment I needed.

You may not be a young person, into sport, but anything that can be done to alleviate suffering and give you a better quality of life is worth it, regardless of your age.
Goodness me, it's not as if you're 95.

Registrars have to learn and gain experience, I appreciate that, but having dealt with them over many years, I am not impressed, and would always insist on seeing the consultant, which you will do in due course, just a shame that it didn't work out today.

Chin up - best foot forward..................

I am off to the shop now - it's a beautiful day here.

Grr and double grr

When I got to the hospital the consultant was off sick, so his registrar was running the clinic.

An hour late, I finally saw a very young girl, who obviously couldn't make any decisions on her own. She looked at my knee, then told me what the MRI scan showed.

Apparently, I have a few small tears in the cartilage(meniscus) inside my knee, but I have a much bigger tear in the cruciate ligament on the outside of my knee, plus one of the other ligaments is sprained.

She said they normally only repair the meniscus for much younger people who are playing sports. Also as I have the other damage to my knee, it might only make a fifty percent improvement,so in her eyes it probably isn't worth it.

I have to make another appointment for two or three weeks time to see the consultant once he is back. So basically today was just a complete waste of time

here you pay for ambulances ............... whether it is after an accident or transfer between hospitals. They don't take you home.

At the moment, I think the fee is $80 no matter the distance .................. that is about 10% of the actual cost. Our provincial medical plan covers the remaining 90%. Anyone not covered by the provincial medical plan has to pay the full cost.

The provincial government does provide some monetary help for people who have to travel long distances ........... eg, free flights on special planes, or a contribution to the fare.

The volunteer car service is provided by one or more of the men's service clubs, such as the Freemasons. They don't charge (although they welcome donations), but you have to make arrangements 24 hours in advance for the service ................ there is a special phone at the Cancer Agency or hospital for one to phone the service for pick-up after treatment to get home.


They don't seem to offer the service to patients being released ............. I guess they won't serve as the "responsible person" required by the hospital regulations.

good luck tomorrow with the specialist, Linda xxx

Sue has abandoned us again :-(

I must go to bed now as I have to go to see the specialist in the morning

Goodnight Tec, sleep well

Poor old lady - it is very frustrating when the say you can go home, but have no means of getting home.
I have seen a lot of this on hospital wards.

Well I am off to bed now,

Good luck tomorrow Linda,

Goodnight,
Tec :-)

The red lady just grumbled all the way back because she had been sitting around since dinner time waiting to be taken home

It sounds like a good service, though I can appreciate the down side for the volunteer drivers.
It makes sense, as it helps to free up beds that would be occupied unnecessarily for the night.

The take home on discharge service is just new this winter, it is a joint venture between Age UK and the local voluntary care association. They usually use drivers who live closer to the hospital, but They try to use women for old ladies in red dressing gowns and I think there were no nearer lady volunteers available. It is a bit of a trouble because you get no warning, you have to go as soon as they ring you

We don't have that service here.

I was only twice taken for a scenic tour around the mountains to collect someone else. Usually I was the only one.

They don't charge mileage here, and there is no facility to pay if you wanted to,

other than hiring a taxi privately that is.

I often drive people to hospital appointments during the day, they are charged mileage . They can use the hospital transport during the day, but that can mean they get ferried around the countryside, but it stops by late afternoon

This scheme is for over sixties from late afternoon to early evening, we just settle them in

Last summer, while Archie was being fitted, I travelled, sometimes twice a week to a town 65 miles away.
Sometimes an ambulance, the type used to ferry outpatients about, would take me, and bring me home.
Several times a proper service ambulance and crew took.
Mostly a volunteer driver took me, and waited to bring me home.

Sometimes if they were short of drivers, a taxi firm would be used. These were the worse trips, as some of the drivers left a lot to be desired. Especially on the way home, as they had other commitments, like the school run. I had several hair raising journeys with them

OH has just walked in ...................



I'll read back later



sleep tight xxxx

Linda ......


we have similar service here, run by a couple of "service organisations" ................. I know one of our coffee friends used them last year to get home after chemo treatments ..............


but the "responsible person" is needed after a stay in the hospital or anaesthetic for day surgery ................ for example, after OH has his colonoscopies, he has to be released by the nurse into the hands of "responsible" me!

No we just drive them home and take their bags in etc. this lady lives on her own, so I assume she had been passed as fit to be alone, though given the way she was breathing I don't think she will be at home for long.

It is for people who can't use public transport and gave no one to collect them

Good Afternoon Sylvia,

Enjoy your coffee - stay dry :-D