I’ve been away for a little bit, but mostly just stuck in my head.
On Saturday I took the last dose of my anxiety medication and have been dealing with the withdrawal process since then. I had been in the process of weaning off the med when I decided enough was enough, so instead of taking the last step down I stopped. Maybe not the best way to handle things but I was already feeling the effects of being on a much lower dose and decided I just needed to be done. I’m hoping I’m through the worst of the acute phase of withdrawals, but I’ve been on this class of medication for a long time and may feel the effects for a long time as well.
I’ve come to realise that medications are not going to fix me (I know shocking that it took me this long to figure it out) and that as much as I want my symptoms to be masked by the effects of pharmaceuticals, I want my mind to be clear to enjoy life. I have been medicated pretty much continuously since I was a teenager and until I landed here in the UK I assumed that meds were the only way to control my symptoms. Since arriving and chipping away at the pile of pills I was taking I’m realising that I need to take some ownership and learn to cope instead of numb. I know that things are good right now, my outside stresses are lower than they have been in a long time, and I have more support than I have ever had. Now is the time to educate myself, learn as many coping skills as possible and conquer the beast not just lull it back to sleep.
I know I will always feel the effects of my past (both physically and mentally) but I’m done trying to hide from it behind a wall of medications and excuses. I’m sure this sounds overly dramatic but when you’ve been fighting a battle silently most of your life sometimes making a declaration of intent to change things is important. I’m not cured by any means, but I’m not broken either and that is a much better place to be in than where I have been recently.
Exciting isn’t it, I sure think so.
Showing posts with label day to day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day to day. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 June 2019
Monday, 1 April 2019
Faces
If you've read through any of my posts, you may have detected a common thread; I am a frequent user of both medical and psychiatric resources in an attempt to get me to a place where life is not just survivable, but maybe even enjoyable. I am a survivor in so many definitions of the word, and I do not doubt that there have been times in my life that I have had some degree of enjoyment; I just don't remember them.
I have been in a state of 'crash' since Fall of 2015, and when all conventional treatments had been exhausted and rendered useless, we turned to ECT to try and get me back to the living. Those treatments have robbed me of the majority of the memories since the time I met my husband, but the memories I would have gladly sacrificed prior to then are still for the most part whole.
What this has left me with is many 'faces', most of varying degrees of depression, some that appear to be happy or at the least content, and many many more lost to the vagaries of memory.
I have been in a state of 'crash' since Fall of 2015, and when all conventional treatments had been exhausted and rendered useless, we turned to ECT to try and get me back to the living. Those treatments have robbed me of the majority of the memories since the time I met my husband, but the memories I would have gladly sacrificed prior to then are still for the most part whole.
What this has left me with is many 'faces', most of varying degrees of depression, some that appear to be happy or at the least content, and many many more lost to the vagaries of memory.
My most recent morning, 12+ hours of sleep and still not enough, my first time on my own in 20+ years and not coping well.
Self-care goes out the window the deeper I dive. My hair is left to tie itself in knots because I could care less how I look to anyone, except sometimes to my husband, and even then it's a struggle.
Finding comfort in anything, even if slightly on the childish side (sometimes it's the child that needs the soothing).
Music, my constant companion. Played loud enough even the noise in my head can be drowned out for a while at least.
A good day where my smile doesn't have to be forced. My family brings out the best in me.
My most genuine smile to date; how could I not smile when my husband, my partner, was pledging himself to me?
The beginning of the crash, trying to hold on for dear life knowing how bad things get, but depression won.
A genuine smile. Things were falling into place, I was going places, and I could breathe.
One of the earliest pictures I have access to. A snapshot taken at the end of football (that's American football of course) practice and turned into buttons for parents to wear at the games. I was a badass and could hold my own on the boy's team, even when it was difficult.
I've been in a lot of places and frames of mind since as far back as I can remember. Depression has always been peering over my shoulder waiting to drag me deeper into itself. On the days when life is just exhausting, I turn to my family, and know that despite everything they have been through with me they are still here, so I have to return the favour.
Today is Mother's Day here in the U.K. and I don't deserve the children I have been given but I thank god for them every day.
Happy Mother's Day from Newcastle!
PS: I am going to work back to some sort of schedule working on my blog. If there is anything of interest you'd like to hear about life here either as a recent transplant or on any topics of life please leave me a comment. I'm also posting a lot of pictures over on Instagram if that sort of thing is intriguing.
Cheers!
Monday, 18 March 2019
Perceptions of Health Care
The article I have linked to caught my attention because the headline is;
Satisfaction with NHS 'hits 11-year low'
Being a BBC article I knew it wasn't total clickbait, maybe a little dramatic but I knew there was at least some research behind it. Overall satisfaction has dropped but only by 3% since 2007, but in 2010 the satisfaction rating was 70%, so in the last 7 years there has been a fairly steep drop. Satisfaction with GP services seems to be thing bringing the numbers down the most. People seem to be upset by wait times for appointments and lack of resources, but are happy with the services they receive when they are seen.
Now I read the article trying to imagine what things must feel like if this is your norm and what you've been brought up in and I can see the issues that are caused by lack of funding for a system that absolutely needs government support to remain viable.
I also read the article knowing what a for profit medical system looks like and I wish for just some short period of time people who are able to access a National Health Service, no matter what it's called, could see how good things are.
Until shortly before we left the United States I relied on Health Insurance provided through either my family's workplace or at times based on my working. A large chunk of our wages were taken monthly to pay the 'premium' and then every appointment and prescription had a 'co-pay'. The co-pays ran somewhere between $10 - $50 dollars depending on what service was being used. Regular everyday doctor appointments averaged $25 for each time I was seen, and being chronically ill I was seen a lot. Prescriptions varied depending on the medication and whether or not the insurance company had any sort of deal with the drug company, big Pharma at work. Testing beyond run of the mill blood work usually needed a pre-authorization, where the insurance company could deny the test even if the doctor deemed it necessary. Co-pays for testing could run $100 or more depending on the test being done. The insurance companies typically had hospital systems that they either ran or worked with and so they would dictate where and when tests or even surgical procedures could be done. Many people have run afoul of this system when in an emergency they are taken to the 'wrong hospital' and their insurance will either refuse to pay for the services or only pay the bare minimum. Many people, including our family, are forced to declare bankruptcy at some point because the amount of debt that accrues is unpayable no matter how many payment plans you set up with the hospitals or doctor offices.
Waiting times for appointments seems to be a universal issue. It was not uncommon to wait months to be seen by specialists, and appointments with primary care physicians could run 2-4 weeks at times (my last PCP office was amazing and if it was an urgent type appointment would usually get you seen yet that week, but this was not the norm). I spent 4 years trying to be seen by a pain management doctor and because they are so rare I never even made it on to a waiting list.
Since I have arrived here I have been referred to and been seen by pain management, it took 3 months to be seen but that sure beats 4+ years. I am able to see my psychiatrist on a fairly regular basis and have not gone more than 6 weeks without seeing her, I am also seen by my CPN in between those appointments. I have been seen twice by a GP, one appointment was scheduled within a week of calling and the other took 2 1/2 weeks, I will be seen in the coming week and again it was roughly 2 1/2 weeks between contacting them and an appointment being set. I have been seen twice by a pharmacist to tweak my meds, twice by nurses for blood work, and had a telephone appointment with a GP when there was some concern with my lab work. I have support people who come in 4 days a week to help with different issues and I go to the chemist once a week to pick up my medications which are prepared into a medi-box to allow David to not have to do it for me. I have also had one hospital admission, and two tests to assure that my heart vessels were not clogged because I have a weird variant on my ECG.
Because we are foreigners here, on David's student Visa, we did pay for our access to the NHS, but it was a one time fee that covers the full four years of his student status. He also paid for a prepay card for my prescriptions which will be a yearly expense. All of this has been covered by these two fees and that is something that would never have happened in the United States.
I am not saying that the NHS is perfect or that there are some major issues with it that so need to be fixed so it does not collapse, but it is a whole hell of a lot better than some of the other systems out there that will literally bleed you dry.
Cheers!
Monday, 4 March 2019
Idle Hands
I don't remember growing up and being very artsy. I made the required projects throughout elementary school and may have even attempted an arts class as late as middle school (age 12-14) but always felt I was terrible at it so I tended towards choir to get my requisite credits. After David and I married, and while the kids were young, we became involved in a Native American dance group. There, I learned (with lots of help from the group's sponsors) how to sew and bead in order to make our regalia for the events we participated in (I am unable to find any pictures of any of us in our regalia). Since then, I have turned to arts and crafts as part of my mental health support as well (while inpatient, there is almost always some degree of 'art therapy', even if it's just pages printed out to colour and some crayons).
One of the great things I stumbled on here in Newcastle is an organization called Chilli Studios that is close by (I think I shared the link in my last post), and it does all formats of art, including a choir (I was searching for a community choir when I stumbled upon the website for Chilli's). Right now, I am mainly participating in the pottery/ceramics days but once I figure my schedule out a little more I will try to get more involved. I brought home my first piece on Wednesday and am thrilled that I have 4 or 5 more pieces in line for the kiln, so they may come home soon too. Here are some of what's coming.
One of the great things I stumbled on here in Newcastle is an organization called Chilli Studios that is close by (I think I shared the link in my last post), and it does all formats of art, including a choir (I was searching for a community choir when I stumbled upon the website for Chilli's). Right now, I am mainly participating in the pottery/ceramics days but once I figure my schedule out a little more I will try to get more involved. I brought home my first piece on Wednesday and am thrilled that I have 4 or 5 more pieces in line for the kiln, so they may come home soon too. Here are some of what's coming.
This is the piece I brought home. I hoped it would be a good size for pillar candles and it's perfect.
This was the first piece I made and I used a coil build method for it (this is something David and I studied when we researched the early Southwest Indian Tribes).
This fairly big piece is my most recent effort. It is a slab built vase that I used a roller tool to make the patterns, cut out the shape for the sides, slightly hardened the clay (we use a hairdryer for this) so it would be able to stand up, and once I had the shape I wanted cut a custom piece of clay to act as the bottom and joined it all together. I'll work on the glaze this week and then decide if I want to bring it home or put it out for sale.
This is a collection of the pieces that were constructed this past week (mine is in the front left corner) and was posted on the Studio's Instagram page. I think we did pretty good.
This is a fun set that I made a few weeks ago and is in the line for the kiln. It will be a tea mug for David and a place to rest either a tea bag or tea spoon. I can't wait to see what it looks like finished.
(So I'm a little behind on this one, but it will still be our first ornament since moving here.)
These next photos are a set of boxes that I have decorated using repurposed boxes, washi tape, and packing tape to seal it all up. They are just catch all kind of boxes, and so far I'm okay with the results. I have set aside a couple of boxes that I'm going to try and make a set of memory boxes from to hold all the little things I've collected from our travels.
In our small town in Colorado there was a company that did group facilitated painting nights. So, using provided materials, stencils, and some gentle guidance, you could come in with a group of friends and walk out with a treasure. Both of the times I participated were around Halloween so that explains the topics of the paintings. I enjoy painting but I struggle to let myself just do it and not nitpick and berate myself through the whole process. I have it outlined on my calendar to try out the watercolour sessions at the studio; I just keep chickening out.
When things get dark I tend to pull out pastels and try and visualise the crap circling my brain. So I have lots of pictures that are NSFW, but that did help in the short term.
I've always liked taking photos (better to be behind the camera and not in front of it, lol), but never really thought of it as making art. Now that I'm somewhat obsessed with taking pictures of all the cool stuff we come across and really trying to make them look good, I think it is a new art form for me that I look forward to experimenting with.
So I would not put myself in the category of fine art in any of the forms I've tried, but I'm learning (slowly) that if I enjoy it, and it is helping me work through something, that is all that matters. I am still my worst critic and I'm sure I always will be, but hopefully I can turn the volume down on the critical side and acknowledge the compliments I'm receiving on the things I'm creating.
Cheers!
Monday, 25 February 2019
Welcome to Our Neighbourhood
You've seen the inside of our place so I thought I'd give a brief tour of the neighbourhood we live in. When we moved here I had some apprehension about moving to the big city since for the past 20 years or so we have lived in small towns or fairly rural areas. My husband did a lot of research online looking for good student accommodations that would be at least partly furnished, close to campus, and would be close to doctors and hospitals (just in case). We had a friend in the area who was willing to check out potential locations so we could see beyond the online hype and make sure the flat was as good as it seemed. The flat we are in now was our second choice after our first choice was rejected by the letting company. Thankfully, this flat has turned out to be perfect for us.
We are in an area that is sometimes referred to as Heaton and sometimes Byker (we are kind of on the border between a couple of areas). Even our mail is split between the different names.
We are in an area that is sometimes referred to as Heaton and sometimes Byker (we are kind of on the border between a couple of areas). Even our mail is split between the different names.
Our little corner of Newcastle Upon Tyne is close to all the services I need (and some I had no idea existed), but far enough from the city centre so it doesn't feel overwhelmingly big. We are 0.4 miles from the Molineux Street NHS centre that has my GP (General Practioner), Psych, and pharmacy all in one building (the building also houses a Walk-In Centre, Dentist, Physio, Pain management and a whole list of other things I'm probably forgetting).
Google estimates an 8 minute long walk and I would say that's about average. If I'm walking with David it doesn't take nearly that long, and if I'm by myself it's probably closer to 10 minutes to get there. The art studio (Chilli Studio) is just a bit farther at 0.5 miles but tends to take longer to get there (I average 12-15 minutes to get there).
These two are in opposite directions from each other, so that I take a left turn for the studio and a right turn for the medical building. Both walks are relatively easy with not much in the way of hills between here and there. The worst part of the walk to the studio is having to cross a bridge that is very busy, so it's really noisy, but even that isn't too bad.
Looking right, up the road
Looking left
The next great thing in this area, that we visit a couple of times a week, is our local grocers. For most of our weekly shopping we use the local Morrison's, which is also about 0.4 miles from our flat, so when traveling empty-handed its about 8-10 minutes to get there. On the return with our bags full, it does take a little longer, but still not more than 15 minutes at our slowest. Our Morrisons is huge, at about the size of the Walmart where we lived before, but this is almost all food stuff.
David will also stop on his way between campus and home at smaller stores to pick up something essential for that evening's dinner. We both carry bags with us at all times just in case we need to pop in and get something so we don't have to pay for a bag (single-use plastic bags are not used in larger stores and there is a nominal charge for reusable bags depending on size) just to get something home.
As a quick run in, run out and to get a very random assortment of products, Wilko can't be beaten. It's kind of like a high-end dollar store. The prices are very reasonable, and while the quality isn't top shelf, it's decent, and you never know what you'll find if you spend any sort of time wandering the aisles. So far Wilko is the main shop I can handle on my own without having a huge panic attack, because it's not as crowded and not as big, but I have my eye on Morrisons and I will conquer it.
Something I didn't imagine we would come to claim but this is our go-to pub, that serves decent food, has vegetarian options for David, and is quite reasonable. It is basically next door to Wilko and not even a parking lot away from the GP surgery, meaning it's perfect. It's called The High Main, but it is part of a chain called Wetherspoons, so there are lots of them with each having unique characteristics but being basically the same.
There are multiple historical markers throughout our area mainly marking spots that relate to the coal mining that was done right under our feet early on in Newcastle's history.
Most neighborhoods we travel through have play areas for kids that can be used for multiple sports (but my guess is they are mostly used for football practice). The one closest to us has basketball hoops as well. There are more traditional playgrounds for younger kids that have some very cool activities beyond just basic swings and slides.
The park we walk through to get to the city centre has exercise equipment along the walking path with things like an elliptical machine and multiple ways to work out your abs. Down along Quayside they have a similar set of equipment, but their equipment looks much newer. I keep telling myself that I will go check it out, but for now walking through the neighbourhood is plenty.
This gate is at the very end of our street, and is closed most of the time, but if we leave the flat at just the right time we will find groups of mums (and dads too) dropping off their children to the school that is through there. Such a beautiful schoolyard and during the day you can see lots of blue dots running around in the field (bright blue is the colour of the jumpers the kids wear as part of their uniforms).
If you exit the flat via the backdoor our gate opens into an alley, this lineup is what you will find. We are amazed at how much easier and accessible recycling is here, and this group shows that. The little blue bins are for glass, the big black bin with the multi-colour sticker on it is for recycling everything else (cans, aluminium, plastic bottles, etc), and the next big bin is for all of the things that don't seem to fit in any of the other categories. This makes keeping up with and taking care of the recycling so easy; other nations need to get on top of this too.
At the end of our row of houses these pretty little flowers are already growing so well. It's hard to believe that February is not over yet, but new growth is coming through.
This ring of flowers is in the green space around a high-rise set of flats and I can't wait for it to finish coming in, it will be beautiful.
Coming up the path from the studio at the end of the row of houses directly behind ours this famous face will greet you. I haven't been able to find out a whole lot about Mr. Shakespeare and how he came to oversee our area, but you have to admit he is pretty cool looking and some serious work went into arranging the bricks into his likeness. I've been told that during the Summer there are people who gather in the grassy area here and do yoga at least once a week, so I'll keep my eyes open for that.
In one of my earlier posts I talked about one of the reasons for not being interested in driving is all of the roundabouts. This one here is outside of the Morrisons and is the smaller of the 2 that seem to be right on top of each other. I had hoped to catch a shot of when the multiple busses will work their way around this at the same time with cars weaving in and out, but this is what I got. Even without busses coming through there is way too much going on and I'm thoroughly impressed by anyone who can drive these things on a daily basis.
There is so much more I could show you all within an easy walk of our flat. We have all of these amazing things at our disposal and we aren't even in the middle of the city. We have found our perfect little nook of Newcastle Upon Tyne and we will stay here for as long as possible.
More to come soon. Cheers!
Thursday, 14 February 2019
GP Surgeries and Hospital visits
If you asked anyone who knows me for a description of me, I think most would say I'm complicated, especially when it comes to anything (and everything) medical. We knew that in coming here the medical system would be completely and drastically different from anything previously experienced, starting with the reality of a National Health Service (NHS). Imagine having almost everything to do with the body included within one system that does not require separate and expensive insurance policies. As a citizen of the UK, a person is automatically included in the program and care is provided at no cost (except for some prescription and dental charges). As guests here my husband and I had to pay for access, as part of our visa fees. Once we did that, though, all of my GP visits, psych team visits, and hospital testing and stays are included. So far I have more than gotten my money's worth with the care I've received and it's only been since September.
To be seen by a GP you must register with their practice. Once registered, a primary GP is assigned to you even though you may or may not see them most of the time (seems to be a NHS requirement). Most GP surgeries (offices) have multiple doctors of varying levels and specialties, and many have nurse practitioners that can be seen as well. The GP acts very much like a primary care doctor does in the United States. They are the hub for all of the specialists to work through, and they approve or send in referrals, and handle/manage the prescriptions. The practice I'm a part of has more than 13 GPs (spread over two locations) and has a few Nurse Practitioners as well. There are also 2 pharmacists that work with the doctors and patients to manage medications but they can also prescribe medications when appropriate. There is an online portal that can be used to request appointments and medication refills, and it also allows you to see who has accessed your medical records. If you are really adventurous you can also request an e-consult. By answering some basic questions they decide what to do and promise to call back within 24 hours to tell you if you need to be seen, get a prescription, or just follow their advice. Because the number of patients is so high and appointments are at a premium, they are scheduled in 10 minute intervals and if more than one topic needs to be discussed you must request a double time slot. So far I have not run afoul of the time limit but I have not had too many appointments with a GP yet. Routine appointments may be scheduled a few weeks out, but the staff have the ability to triage you into a sooner appointment if your condition warrants it. Treatment by the GP is fully covered by the NHS so no copays are required. Most of the time the appointments are right on time or very slightly late. The only exception seems to be if you come into the office and request a same day appointment then the wait can be quite long because they will be slotting you in when a break in the schedule allows it.
Included in the building that holds my GP surgery is a walk-in clinic that can be used if you are experiencing something very basic that can be treated by either an advanced practice nurse or their equivalent. This sure beats going to an A&E (ER) and waiting for a really long time to get the same treatment. Like any government service, the NHS is underfunded and overwhelmed but it also has better service than I experienced in the United States. Universal healthcare seems to be a dirty phrase in the US but so far the advantages far outweigh any drawbacks.
I have had a quick 1 day/2 night hospital stay relating to my mental health that required me to be monitored while IV medications were given. Because of the NHS all of this was done at no cost to me, including a chest CT, many vials of blood, constant monitoring of heart rhythm and blood pressure. The results of my ECGs were abnormal and because I had been experiencing intermittent chest pain a cardiologist was called in and decided to do further testing on my heart. Within a couple of weeks of my discharge I received a letter telling me to report to one of the many hospitals in the area and have an echocardiogram done. Later that week another letter came with an appointment set up for more specific CT's of my heart and the vessels leading into and out of it. Both rounds of testing have been completed at this point and again all of this was done at no cost to me (other than the Uber to get to and from the hospitals). Fortunately all tests look great and I can be done worrying about my heart and just worry more about other things. My tests were completed at Freeman Hospital, and my original stay was at The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). It seems that with multiple hospitals in a relatively small area they specialise in certain things instead of having all of them doing the same things. So for an emergency I was taken by ambulance to RVI because of it's A&E, but the testing on my heart was done at Freeman because they have a specialised cardiothoracic centre. I know if it becomes necessary to have an inpatient psychiatric stay that will be at another hospital. This is so much better than having multiple hospitals in an area all doing the same things and trying to one up each other instead of focusing on what they do best and working together. So for both inpatient and outpatient treatment I have had amazing experiences, and the waits are no longer than what it would take to be seen by most US specialists.
My next big encounter with medicine will be at my evaluation by the Pain Clinic at RVI in mid-March. I've been counting down to this appointment pretty much since we received a letter saying where and when to show up and a packets of papers to complete before the appointment. In our corner of Colorado there were no pain specialists and my various doctors did their best to help me cope with chronic pain from multiple sources. I hope I'm not putting too much hope for answers and treatments into this centre.
I'm happy to keep my experiencing of the hospitals in this area to the three I've been to or know about. The other six that are technically in the area but are a little farther afield can stay unvisited, although we've passed one of them multiple times walking up from Quayside. (It's a hospital in name only, but has an amazing history if you want to look into the Holy Jesus Hospital).
The practice of medicine is pretty universal, but the culture from which that practice originates can make all the changes in the world. It's been good for me and I think I will find answers to questions I've been asking for a very long time.
Cheers!
To be seen by a GP you must register with their practice. Once registered, a primary GP is assigned to you even though you may or may not see them most of the time (seems to be a NHS requirement). Most GP surgeries (offices) have multiple doctors of varying levels and specialties, and many have nurse practitioners that can be seen as well. The GP acts very much like a primary care doctor does in the United States. They are the hub for all of the specialists to work through, and they approve or send in referrals, and handle/manage the prescriptions. The practice I'm a part of has more than 13 GPs (spread over two locations) and has a few Nurse Practitioners as well. There are also 2 pharmacists that work with the doctors and patients to manage medications but they can also prescribe medications when appropriate. There is an online portal that can be used to request appointments and medication refills, and it also allows you to see who has accessed your medical records. If you are really adventurous you can also request an e-consult. By answering some basic questions they decide what to do and promise to call back within 24 hours to tell you if you need to be seen, get a prescription, or just follow their advice. Because the number of patients is so high and appointments are at a premium, they are scheduled in 10 minute intervals and if more than one topic needs to be discussed you must request a double time slot. So far I have not run afoul of the time limit but I have not had too many appointments with a GP yet. Routine appointments may be scheduled a few weeks out, but the staff have the ability to triage you into a sooner appointment if your condition warrants it. Treatment by the GP is fully covered by the NHS so no copays are required. Most of the time the appointments are right on time or very slightly late. The only exception seems to be if you come into the office and request a same day appointment then the wait can be quite long because they will be slotting you in when a break in the schedule allows it.
Included in the building that holds my GP surgery is a walk-in clinic that can be used if you are experiencing something very basic that can be treated by either an advanced practice nurse or their equivalent. This sure beats going to an A&E (ER) and waiting for a really long time to get the same treatment. Like any government service, the NHS is underfunded and overwhelmed but it also has better service than I experienced in the United States. Universal healthcare seems to be a dirty phrase in the US but so far the advantages far outweigh any drawbacks.
I have had a quick 1 day/2 night hospital stay relating to my mental health that required me to be monitored while IV medications were given. Because of the NHS all of this was done at no cost to me, including a chest CT, many vials of blood, constant monitoring of heart rhythm and blood pressure. The results of my ECGs were abnormal and because I had been experiencing intermittent chest pain a cardiologist was called in and decided to do further testing on my heart. Within a couple of weeks of my discharge I received a letter telling me to report to one of the many hospitals in the area and have an echocardiogram done. Later that week another letter came with an appointment set up for more specific CT's of my heart and the vessels leading into and out of it. Both rounds of testing have been completed at this point and again all of this was done at no cost to me (other than the Uber to get to and from the hospitals). Fortunately all tests look great and I can be done worrying about my heart and just worry more about other things. My tests were completed at Freeman Hospital, and my original stay was at The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). It seems that with multiple hospitals in a relatively small area they specialise in certain things instead of having all of them doing the same things. So for an emergency I was taken by ambulance to RVI because of it's A&E, but the testing on my heart was done at Freeman because they have a specialised cardiothoracic centre. I know if it becomes necessary to have an inpatient psychiatric stay that will be at another hospital. This is so much better than having multiple hospitals in an area all doing the same things and trying to one up each other instead of focusing on what they do best and working together. So for both inpatient and outpatient treatment I have had amazing experiences, and the waits are no longer than what it would take to be seen by most US specialists.
My next big encounter with medicine will be at my evaluation by the Pain Clinic at RVI in mid-March. I've been counting down to this appointment pretty much since we received a letter saying where and when to show up and a packets of papers to complete before the appointment. In our corner of Colorado there were no pain specialists and my various doctors did their best to help me cope with chronic pain from multiple sources. I hope I'm not putting too much hope for answers and treatments into this centre.
I'm happy to keep my experiencing of the hospitals in this area to the three I've been to or know about. The other six that are technically in the area but are a little farther afield can stay unvisited, although we've passed one of them multiple times walking up from Quayside. (It's a hospital in name only, but has an amazing history if you want to look into the Holy Jesus Hospital).
The practice of medicine is pretty universal, but the culture from which that practice originates can make all the changes in the world. It's been good for me and I think I will find answers to questions I've been asking for a very long time.
Cheers!
Monday, 11 February 2019
From Point A to Point B
When you live in a small town in the United States, your options for getting around are pretty much limited to walking or driving a personal vehicle. Of course, this varies with the size of the town and basic infrastructure. Owning a car is considered by many to be a necessity even if it is never driven farther than the local corner store to pick up beer and 'smokes'.
In Colorado, it is common to take a trip for shopping or Dr. appointments that can be as long are 3-5 hours one way. Denver is the hub for all things medical; it's where the big hospitals, the teaching hospitals, and the majority of the rarer specialists are located. Denver also has more malls than anywhere else, so it does bring in long-distance shoppers, especially around special occasions or holidays.
It is possible (and frequent) that on a long road trip you can go for an hour or more without passing more than trees, fences, an occasional house (in the middle of nowhere) and lots of cows and other wildlife, depending where you are at (deer, elk, antelope, mountain goats etc.). Small towns start to get more frequent as you approach many cities and at the base of the mountain passes, it is often prudent to stop before making the drive up and over. On trips that are made frequently you learn where all the best places are to stop for a quick top off of the tank, a boost of energy through a snack or drink, and most important where the last chances are to visit the loo for a more comfortable ride. In Colorado, weather also factors into these plans, making a quick hour-long hop to the next town easily turn into an unpleasant trek that takes infinitely more time, and at night gives you the impression of jumping into warp speed as the snow flies towards your headlights.
When we moved here to Newcastle we knew we were not going to get a vehicle, and had no interest in learning to drive, especially because of the incredibly complicated roundabouts. We are always impressed watching our Uber drivers manage the directions on their GPS (talking about 'taking the third left in the middle lane but tending to the right' and around the circle) and miraculously we come out where we are supposed to be. Uber has been a lifesaver for those times that are either just awkward timing to get someplace on the bus network, or when travelling to and from the Central Station with enough luggage that juggling it on a bus would be difficult and walking there is not worth the stress.
My husband has become an expert at getting around by bus. My last experiences with riding busses were as a young teenager, too young to drive but wanting to explore the city with my best friend. Since then I've relied on getting places by car. There are multiple companies that run buses that stop within a short walk of our flat. The difficulty is figuring out which bus, heading which direction, and where the closest stop to our ultimate destination is going to be. David relies on Google maps and their public transportation option to help figure out where and when to hop on and then counts down the stops to where we need to get off. We do have a few routes that we have taken often enough that I've learned the landmarks to watch for and that let me know when I'm about to reach the final stop to disembark at. Except for these main routes I am scared to death of getting on and heading the wrong direction or miscounting bus stops and ending up way off target. For now these anxieties keep me from traveling alone but I will soon have some help in learning how to make the system work for me and not be scared to death of exploring the city apart from the areas around my flat.
I have a goal for early March to get from our flat to a local clinic where I will be attending some therapy groups. It would be over an hour to walk there and the route seems quite complicated or I can take one of 3 bus routes to make it there in about 40 minutes and only 10 of those would be walking. I know what I have to do, and will spend the month of February gaining confidence in getting from Point A to Point B. If I get lost somewhere between here and there then it will be Uber to the rescue, and a dose of anti-anxiety meds while I wait.
When we travel further distances we hop aboard any one of the many trains that are heading in the right direction. If we are heading far afield (like London, Liverpool, or Edinburgh) we will pre-purchase tickets and whenever possible choose seats that allow us to face the direction of travel (motion sickness from riding backward is not our friend). For quick day trips we just purchase tickets at the station and since many of these trips are less than 30 minutes we are just fine if we can't find open seats and instead 'train surf' as my daughter called it. Some of our trips to London have been amazingly quick, with less than half a dozen stops between here and there, while other trips seem much longer because we stop at every little town/city on the route. Google Maps shows the distance between here in Newcastle and London as being right around 280 miles (450.6 kilometers) and taking about 5 hours to drive. Compare that to a trip we made frequently between Craig, CO, and Denver, CO, with a distance of 198 miles (318.65) and taking about 3 hours and 45 minutes to drive. The biggest difference between the two is the number of towns you encounter along the way. For the Colorado trip, there would be roughly 9 chances to stop, or at the very least a need to slow down for a short distance (this is not counting all the suburbs of Denver that some may claim are independent towns). Based on Google, there seem to be 15 places where the road travels through or very close to a town (again not counting all the suburbs of London).
We've come from the land of everyone owns a car (or at least a majority) and considered having all the adults in the household capable of driving (even if just around our small town) as a necessity, and have now landed in the perfect spot that allows us to walk for most of our necessities. Instead, we've come to a place with a robust public transportation system. So instead of firing up our TARDIS (the nickname for our blue Toyota) every time we wanted to go anywhere we can now hop on a bus (or train, or metro, or Uber) to get from Point A to Point B.
Cheers!
In Colorado, it is common to take a trip for shopping or Dr. appointments that can be as long are 3-5 hours one way. Denver is the hub for all things medical; it's where the big hospitals, the teaching hospitals, and the majority of the rarer specialists are located. Denver also has more malls than anywhere else, so it does bring in long-distance shoppers, especially around special occasions or holidays.
It is possible (and frequent) that on a long road trip you can go for an hour or more without passing more than trees, fences, an occasional house (in the middle of nowhere) and lots of cows and other wildlife, depending where you are at (deer, elk, antelope, mountain goats etc.). Small towns start to get more frequent as you approach many cities and at the base of the mountain passes, it is often prudent to stop before making the drive up and over. On trips that are made frequently you learn where all the best places are to stop for a quick top off of the tank, a boost of energy through a snack or drink, and most important where the last chances are to visit the loo for a more comfortable ride. In Colorado, weather also factors into these plans, making a quick hour-long hop to the next town easily turn into an unpleasant trek that takes infinitely more time, and at night gives you the impression of jumping into warp speed as the snow flies towards your headlights.
When we moved here to Newcastle we knew we were not going to get a vehicle, and had no interest in learning to drive, especially because of the incredibly complicated roundabouts. We are always impressed watching our Uber drivers manage the directions on their GPS (talking about 'taking the third left in the middle lane but tending to the right' and around the circle) and miraculously we come out where we are supposed to be. Uber has been a lifesaver for those times that are either just awkward timing to get someplace on the bus network, or when travelling to and from the Central Station with enough luggage that juggling it on a bus would be difficult and walking there is not worth the stress.
My husband has become an expert at getting around by bus. My last experiences with riding busses were as a young teenager, too young to drive but wanting to explore the city with my best friend. Since then I've relied on getting places by car. There are multiple companies that run buses that stop within a short walk of our flat. The difficulty is figuring out which bus, heading which direction, and where the closest stop to our ultimate destination is going to be. David relies on Google maps and their public transportation option to help figure out where and when to hop on and then counts down the stops to where we need to get off. We do have a few routes that we have taken often enough that I've learned the landmarks to watch for and that let me know when I'm about to reach the final stop to disembark at. Except for these main routes I am scared to death of getting on and heading the wrong direction or miscounting bus stops and ending up way off target. For now these anxieties keep me from traveling alone but I will soon have some help in learning how to make the system work for me and not be scared to death of exploring the city apart from the areas around my flat.
I have a goal for early March to get from our flat to a local clinic where I will be attending some therapy groups. It would be over an hour to walk there and the route seems quite complicated or I can take one of 3 bus routes to make it there in about 40 minutes and only 10 of those would be walking. I know what I have to do, and will spend the month of February gaining confidence in getting from Point A to Point B. If I get lost somewhere between here and there then it will be Uber to the rescue, and a dose of anti-anxiety meds while I wait.
When we travel further distances we hop aboard any one of the many trains that are heading in the right direction. If we are heading far afield (like London, Liverpool, or Edinburgh) we will pre-purchase tickets and whenever possible choose seats that allow us to face the direction of travel (motion sickness from riding backward is not our friend). For quick day trips we just purchase tickets at the station and since many of these trips are less than 30 minutes we are just fine if we can't find open seats and instead 'train surf' as my daughter called it. Some of our trips to London have been amazingly quick, with less than half a dozen stops between here and there, while other trips seem much longer because we stop at every little town/city on the route. Google Maps shows the distance between here in Newcastle and London as being right around 280 miles (450.6 kilometers) and taking about 5 hours to drive. Compare that to a trip we made frequently between Craig, CO, and Denver, CO, with a distance of 198 miles (318.65) and taking about 3 hours and 45 minutes to drive. The biggest difference between the two is the number of towns you encounter along the way. For the Colorado trip, there would be roughly 9 chances to stop, or at the very least a need to slow down for a short distance (this is not counting all the suburbs of Denver that some may claim are independent towns). Based on Google, there seem to be 15 places where the road travels through or very close to a town (again not counting all the suburbs of London).
We've come from the land of everyone owns a car (or at least a majority) and considered having all the adults in the household capable of driving (even if just around our small town) as a necessity, and have now landed in the perfect spot that allows us to walk for most of our necessities. Instead, we've come to a place with a robust public transportation system. So instead of firing up our TARDIS (the nickname for our blue Toyota) every time we wanted to go anywhere we can now hop on a bus (or train, or metro, or Uber) to get from Point A to Point B.
Cheers!
Thursday, 7 February 2019
The Parent Trap
In 1997 my husband used my family's tradition of opening one big gift on Christmas Eve to propose to me in front of all of them. We set our wedding for October of 1998 and worked on getting things together. One of the big discussions we had was about having children and we decided that yes we would have kids (eventually), we would aim to have 2 kids (twins run in my family so we were kind of rolling the dice on a second go around), and that we would name a boy William (a name popular on both sides of our families) and a girl Jessica Anne (the 'e' was very important).
The plan was to wait "awhile" after the wedding to start our family and we talked about travelling to Egypt, Europe, the UK, and anywhere else we had ever dreamed of visiting. We knew that we would try to do things very differently from our families of origin (staying together and not marrying psychopaths were on that list). In general we acknowledged that we had no clue how to be good parents but we would try to not "f*ck up the kids" to the best of our abilities.
October 24, 1998- Came, went, was absolutely amazing, beautiful, and just about perfect (a little issue with massive amounts of Grand Marnier in the frosting of the cake being the biggest hitch). One big thing was missing though, my period. A few weeks later and still no signs of "Aunt Flo" and we popped out to the drugstore for a home pregnancy test. SURPRISE it was +, tried a second one (just to be sure) and still +. Okay, okay home tests are sketchy so I'll see a Doctor and still + (holy shit we have a little one on the way).
Parenting went from a theoretical to an onrushing conclusion in the space of 2 supermarket tests and a little bit of wee. Our plans for Egypt were quickly squashed and arrangements for a crib, a place for the baby to sleep, and natural childbirth vs. C-section moved into its place. When we were far enough along for the ultrasound to (relatively) accurately predict the gender of our rapidly growing lump we cheated and chose to have the doctor tells us. It's A Girl and it's not twins (thank god). We continued our preparations and in July 1999 our daughter announced she was finished cooking and ready for the outside world. The plan was for a vaginal birth (epidural included please), but this did not suit our little girl and after quite a lot of pushing (and not getting anywhere) plans were changed to an urgent/emergent C-section.
She was beautiful but a little cone-headed because of all the pushing and like all babies she knew how to get what she needed day and night. We learned fast and we all survived (and even thrived). She hit all of her milestones and of course we thought she was brilliant and going to change the world (we still think she is going to change the world and she's doing everything possible to make those around her see the same things).
During our initial discussions about having children we decided that we wanted them to be fairly close together age-wise and not more than 3 years apart if we could help it. So, sometime around Fall of 2000 I stopped my birth control pills and we let fate decide when our next child would come to us. It didn't take long at all when we figured out Child 2 was on the way. Again we let ultrasound take a peek for us and our little boy was willing to give the doctor the perfect flash of parts to let us step up our planning. Since the birth of our daughter was fairly traumatic for all involved we decided it would be safer to schedule a C-section (all measurements showed William was going to be bigger than his sister so caution made sense), and by having all of my 'lady' parts hanging out after he was extracted it also allowed them to quickly and easily 'tie my tubes' to prevent future pregnancies.
Our son was beautiful, amazing, and loud, and with his birth I was now mom of a newborn and a toddler (what were we thinking) and learned the art of juggling like a pro. By this time we were living in a very rural part of Colorado but made frequent trips to town to give them chances to socialise before they were old enough for school.
My daughter was fairly healthy but needed a couple of surgeries to fix some common childhood issues. Her brother decided to make things more interesting by having some pretty complicated medical and behavioural issues that kept us on our toes and making frequent trips to town (an hour away) and to Denver (2 1/2-3 hours away) for specialist visits.
The local school was small enough to be Pre-Kindergarten - 12th grade in one building and was where my husband had started teaching. At one point my whole family was together in the same school for a majority of the day. Both kids did great in school and really thrived in the small class sizes. After my husband completed his Master's degree we moved to a whole new corner of the state and into a "real" town with less than a mile between houses and even a McDonalds (amazing how easily amused we were). The kids moved into much bigger schools and my daughter adapted no sweat but things were a little rougher for our son because of his special needs (but he did okay to start).
Being in a small town suited us all and made getting services for Will much easier. We still took frequent trips to Denver for specialists (now 4 1/2-5 hours one way) but his day to day medical care could be handled a few blocks from home. Will was also able to get involved with Special Olympics as an athlete in multiple sports (track and field, bocci ball, and bowling) and Jessica became a youth leader(?) and helped him and the rest of the team when she could. They made an amazing pair and she was the best at reading him and knowing when he was running out of energy or getting overly excited, and she knew the easiest ways to intervene.
School was a place our daughter excelled! She even used a program of concurrent enrolment that was offered between the high school and the local community college to graduate with both her high school diploma and an associates degree, all within a week or so of each other. She also participated in multiple extracurricular activities through the school and continued to help with Special Olympics. She has gone on to University (the same Uni her father and I met at -- small world huh) working her way towards a history degree and certification to teach special education (told you she was going to change the world). Just this term she is starting her student teaching, working on her senior thesis, and working as many hours as possible at an on campus job. She will finish in Spring of 2020 and will go on to even greater things than she has accomplished so far.
School for William was a place to go, be with his friends, and learn some social skills. Educating him is a huge challenge because he knows what he knows and those special things that excite him he knows enough that he can teach others about them (if you can keep up with him). If it's not exciting to him or not presented in the perfect way it just does not make it through his filters, so it becomes frustrating to all involved. The school district was also not equipped to take on his medical needs and from middle school on it became a constant fight just to keep him safe while there. So we made the decision this past Fall that he was better off getting real world skills than rereading Animal Farm or continuing to fight to learn division, so we unenrolled him from public school. He has been able to participate in a jobs program that has introduced him to some of the types of work available in town and he loved it. He also interviewed and was hired for a position that will have him learn about a local attraction, and once tourists start coming back he'll lead tours of it. At Christmas he was able to share a very lengthy introduction after only having read an article online. He'll do great. He currently lives with his grandmother and helps take care of her, the cats and the house. In the Fall when he turns 18 we'll start looking for the best place for him to be whether that continues to be in the town he's in now or in a larger city that may have more resources that will allow him to continue to grow and live semi-independently at some point. He is an amazing person and when you consider all that he has overcome it is truly remarkable. He makes an impression on everyone he meets and is going to take on the world and leave a mark wherever he lands.
Parenting started for us like it does for all parents, I think, it was theoretical and of course we imagined the best case scenarios for our children but you know what we got better than that from both of them. They have blossomed into amazing young adults and have so much potential for the future it's immeasurable. They will leave a legacy that we never could have fathomed. We started our family a little earlier than originally planned but what we ended up with could only have been provided by fate. Jessica and William are moving out into the world beyond our day to day influence but they remain the best of us. Our family is strong and has endured much and now we get to watch as they make their mark on the world around them.
Cheers!
The plan was to wait "awhile" after the wedding to start our family and we talked about travelling to Egypt, Europe, the UK, and anywhere else we had ever dreamed of visiting. We knew that we would try to do things very differently from our families of origin (staying together and not marrying psychopaths were on that list). In general we acknowledged that we had no clue how to be good parents but we would try to not "f*ck up the kids" to the best of our abilities.
October 24, 1998- Came, went, was absolutely amazing, beautiful, and just about perfect (a little issue with massive amounts of Grand Marnier in the frosting of the cake being the biggest hitch). One big thing was missing though, my period. A few weeks later and still no signs of "Aunt Flo" and we popped out to the drugstore for a home pregnancy test. SURPRISE it was +, tried a second one (just to be sure) and still +. Okay, okay home tests are sketchy so I'll see a Doctor and still + (holy shit we have a little one on the way).
Parenting went from a theoretical to an onrushing conclusion in the space of 2 supermarket tests and a little bit of wee. Our plans for Egypt were quickly squashed and arrangements for a crib, a place for the baby to sleep, and natural childbirth vs. C-section moved into its place. When we were far enough along for the ultrasound to (relatively) accurately predict the gender of our rapidly growing lump we cheated and chose to have the doctor tells us. It's A Girl and it's not twins (thank god). We continued our preparations and in July 1999 our daughter announced she was finished cooking and ready for the outside world. The plan was for a vaginal birth (epidural included please), but this did not suit our little girl and after quite a lot of pushing (and not getting anywhere) plans were changed to an urgent/emergent C-section.
She was beautiful but a little cone-headed because of all the pushing and like all babies she knew how to get what she needed day and night. We learned fast and we all survived (and even thrived). She hit all of her milestones and of course we thought she was brilliant and going to change the world (we still think she is going to change the world and she's doing everything possible to make those around her see the same things).
During our initial discussions about having children we decided that we wanted them to be fairly close together age-wise and not more than 3 years apart if we could help it. So, sometime around Fall of 2000 I stopped my birth control pills and we let fate decide when our next child would come to us. It didn't take long at all when we figured out Child 2 was on the way. Again we let ultrasound take a peek for us and our little boy was willing to give the doctor the perfect flash of parts to let us step up our planning. Since the birth of our daughter was fairly traumatic for all involved we decided it would be safer to schedule a C-section (all measurements showed William was going to be bigger than his sister so caution made sense), and by having all of my 'lady' parts hanging out after he was extracted it also allowed them to quickly and easily 'tie my tubes' to prevent future pregnancies.
Our son was beautiful, amazing, and loud, and with his birth I was now mom of a newborn and a toddler (what were we thinking) and learned the art of juggling like a pro. By this time we were living in a very rural part of Colorado but made frequent trips to town to give them chances to socialise before they were old enough for school.
My daughter was fairly healthy but needed a couple of surgeries to fix some common childhood issues. Her brother decided to make things more interesting by having some pretty complicated medical and behavioural issues that kept us on our toes and making frequent trips to town (an hour away) and to Denver (2 1/2-3 hours away) for specialist visits.
The local school was small enough to be Pre-Kindergarten - 12th grade in one building and was where my husband had started teaching. At one point my whole family was together in the same school for a majority of the day. Both kids did great in school and really thrived in the small class sizes. After my husband completed his Master's degree we moved to a whole new corner of the state and into a "real" town with less than a mile between houses and even a McDonalds (amazing how easily amused we were). The kids moved into much bigger schools and my daughter adapted no sweat but things were a little rougher for our son because of his special needs (but he did okay to start).
Being in a small town suited us all and made getting services for Will much easier. We still took frequent trips to Denver for specialists (now 4 1/2-5 hours one way) but his day to day medical care could be handled a few blocks from home. Will was also able to get involved with Special Olympics as an athlete in multiple sports (track and field, bocci ball, and bowling) and Jessica became a youth leader(?) and helped him and the rest of the team when she could. They made an amazing pair and she was the best at reading him and knowing when he was running out of energy or getting overly excited, and she knew the easiest ways to intervene.
School was a place our daughter excelled! She even used a program of concurrent enrolment that was offered between the high school and the local community college to graduate with both her high school diploma and an associates degree, all within a week or so of each other. She also participated in multiple extracurricular activities through the school and continued to help with Special Olympics. She has gone on to University (the same Uni her father and I met at -- small world huh) working her way towards a history degree and certification to teach special education (told you she was going to change the world). Just this term she is starting her student teaching, working on her senior thesis, and working as many hours as possible at an on campus job. She will finish in Spring of 2020 and will go on to even greater things than she has accomplished so far.
School for William was a place to go, be with his friends, and learn some social skills. Educating him is a huge challenge because he knows what he knows and those special things that excite him he knows enough that he can teach others about them (if you can keep up with him). If it's not exciting to him or not presented in the perfect way it just does not make it through his filters, so it becomes frustrating to all involved. The school district was also not equipped to take on his medical needs and from middle school on it became a constant fight just to keep him safe while there. So we made the decision this past Fall that he was better off getting real world skills than rereading Animal Farm or continuing to fight to learn division, so we unenrolled him from public school. He has been able to participate in a jobs program that has introduced him to some of the types of work available in town and he loved it. He also interviewed and was hired for a position that will have him learn about a local attraction, and once tourists start coming back he'll lead tours of it. At Christmas he was able to share a very lengthy introduction after only having read an article online. He'll do great. He currently lives with his grandmother and helps take care of her, the cats and the house. In the Fall when he turns 18 we'll start looking for the best place for him to be whether that continues to be in the town he's in now or in a larger city that may have more resources that will allow him to continue to grow and live semi-independently at some point. He is an amazing person and when you consider all that he has overcome it is truly remarkable. He makes an impression on everyone he meets and is going to take on the world and leave a mark wherever he lands.
Parenting started for us like it does for all parents, I think, it was theoretical and of course we imagined the best case scenarios for our children but you know what we got better than that from both of them. They have blossomed into amazing young adults and have so much potential for the future it's immeasurable. They will leave a legacy that we never could have fathomed. We started our family a little earlier than originally planned but what we ended up with could only have been provided by fate. Jessica and William are moving out into the world beyond our day to day influence but they remain the best of us. Our family is strong and has endured much and now we get to watch as they make their mark on the world around them.
Cheers!
Getting ready to go through TSA screening on their way to visit us for the holidays.
Monday, 4 February 2019
Medication and the Elixirs of Life
I originally started a post that was going to take on the whole of the NHS, medications and hospital visits in one go, but as you can imagine this turned out to be way too much for one post. So I'm going to start with what I interact with most on a daily basis and work from there.
Because my Husband and I are here in this lovely country as guests, on a visa that allows him to study here for the next 3-4 years, we are not automatically included in the NHS but had to pay a very reasonable yearly fee (£150 per person per year) for coverage. On top of this fee we purchased a prescription plan (£100 per year) so that my medications would be covered for the first year and that we will most definitely renew.
Medications are turning out to be one of the biggest challenges I've faced since arriving. As soon as we knew for sure we were coming here we started reaching out to Drs we had corresponded with previously to find out how to make the transition as easy as possible. We sent them lists of the medications I was taking and except for one that is available here but not used for the same reason it seemed like things were going to be okay. We prepared for the lag time in meeting Drs and getting prescriptions sent in by arranging to bring 90 days worth of prescriptions from Colorado, so things were not desperate at any point in the prescription waiting game.
My first physician interaction was at my assessment by the Community Mental Health team. Towards the end of the assessment the Community Practice Nurse left the room with my medication list in hand and returned with the Psychiatrist who would be handling my care. Right away I knew things were going to be changing dramatically with my medications. She started out saying that two of my medications were not available at all in the NHS, both were ones I considered crucial but now I would have to work on weaning off of from my private stock. There were also concerns based on the extremely high doses I take of several medications, so one of the P-Doc's goals would be reducing those doses, ideally until I could be weaned off of them completely. The goal for my psychiatric medications is to find ways to get me as stable as possible and start withdrawing medications in a controlled way so the weaning can be stopped at the first signs of increasing symptoms. The practice of throwing meds at me hoping for improvement with more and more complicated treatment regimens is not the way things are done here (and I'm reminded it of frequently). Instead, I will be taught how to cope with symptoms and triggers and when I can take at least some control over my mental health the medications will be reduced and eventually removed. I'm already on fewer medications than when I came here and lo and behold I'm improving, so maybe their system works.
On the physical health side of things, changes were made as well because again we were told that some of the medications I was on were not available at all or that are very rarely used and at different doses than I was taking. It didn't seem to matter that the one thyroid med had made drastic differences in my mood stability when it was added around 9 months before we landed, they only had a higher dose available and it was not routinely used. It is also a bad sign when the Drs, RNs, or Chemists can't pronounce the medication. I have used pain medication for years because of my Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, with occasional dips into my stocks for my chronic headaches. I had heard that low dose codeine paired with paracetamol would be available OTC here and so weaned off of the last of the narcotics when landed. For most days a couple of doses of this Co-Codamol is enough to decrease my pain to the point I can be as active as possible. I have been referred to a pain clinic for an evaluation and I'm just trying to make it until the mid-March appt and see if there are any new options. I'm willing to try just about anything to keep my pain levels below a 5 out of 10 for most days, and manageable for the rest of the days.
When we first went into one of the local pharmacies to purchase basic OTC medications (paracetamol, ibuprofen, cold medicines) we were amazed by how little they cost. A box of paracetamol with 16 tablets runs around 20 pence, and even cold medications are less than a pound. Other than the bottle of aspirin my husband brought home the other day all of the other medicines have been in boxes and the medications inside are the kind you push through the foil backing to get them out. I haven't found a specific reason for this type of packaging for everything, but because while my son was visiting some of his tablets either exploded (kind of like popped kernels of popcorn) or melted (became sticky or just started disintegrating) our theory is that this kind of packaging protects the medication from the constant high humidity levels. I kind of like the cards of meds they are much easier to pack in a bag either for a day trip or overnight. The biggest exception to this is my medications that are delivered in a medi-box weekly. The pharmacy prepares my medications for the week into daily compartments that are divided for morning, mid-day, tea time, and bedtime. They then sort my meds into each compartment and a seal is put over the top that allows me to punch out the appropriate meds at their scheduled time. It really is a handy feature and it allows my husband to not have to sit and sort meds for an hour or so each week.
I've been told (repeatedly) that I am an anomaly to be on so many medications at such an early age, but it is what is necessary to keep me going and as healthy as possible. Between my prescription meds and those we pick up OTC I'm on a regimen that helps me stay safe and satisfied with what is going on in life at any given moment. The NHS has made caring for medications almost effortless and even the ones we add out of private stock are perfect cost wise and in availability. I'm trying to prepare for a time when many more of my medications are withdrawn, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.
Cheers!
Because my Husband and I are here in this lovely country as guests, on a visa that allows him to study here for the next 3-4 years, we are not automatically included in the NHS but had to pay a very reasonable yearly fee (£150 per person per year) for coverage. On top of this fee we purchased a prescription plan (£100 per year) so that my medications would be covered for the first year and that we will most definitely renew.
Medications are turning out to be one of the biggest challenges I've faced since arriving. As soon as we knew for sure we were coming here we started reaching out to Drs we had corresponded with previously to find out how to make the transition as easy as possible. We sent them lists of the medications I was taking and except for one that is available here but not used for the same reason it seemed like things were going to be okay. We prepared for the lag time in meeting Drs and getting prescriptions sent in by arranging to bring 90 days worth of prescriptions from Colorado, so things were not desperate at any point in the prescription waiting game.
My first physician interaction was at my assessment by the Community Mental Health team. Towards the end of the assessment the Community Practice Nurse left the room with my medication list in hand and returned with the Psychiatrist who would be handling my care. Right away I knew things were going to be changing dramatically with my medications. She started out saying that two of my medications were not available at all in the NHS, both were ones I considered crucial but now I would have to work on weaning off of from my private stock. There were also concerns based on the extremely high doses I take of several medications, so one of the P-Doc's goals would be reducing those doses, ideally until I could be weaned off of them completely. The goal for my psychiatric medications is to find ways to get me as stable as possible and start withdrawing medications in a controlled way so the weaning can be stopped at the first signs of increasing symptoms. The practice of throwing meds at me hoping for improvement with more and more complicated treatment regimens is not the way things are done here (and I'm reminded it of frequently). Instead, I will be taught how to cope with symptoms and triggers and when I can take at least some control over my mental health the medications will be reduced and eventually removed. I'm already on fewer medications than when I came here and lo and behold I'm improving, so maybe their system works.
On the physical health side of things, changes were made as well because again we were told that some of the medications I was on were not available at all or that are very rarely used and at different doses than I was taking. It didn't seem to matter that the one thyroid med had made drastic differences in my mood stability when it was added around 9 months before we landed, they only had a higher dose available and it was not routinely used. It is also a bad sign when the Drs, RNs, or Chemists can't pronounce the medication. I have used pain medication for years because of my Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, with occasional dips into my stocks for my chronic headaches. I had heard that low dose codeine paired with paracetamol would be available OTC here and so weaned off of the last of the narcotics when landed. For most days a couple of doses of this Co-Codamol is enough to decrease my pain to the point I can be as active as possible. I have been referred to a pain clinic for an evaluation and I'm just trying to make it until the mid-March appt and see if there are any new options. I'm willing to try just about anything to keep my pain levels below a 5 out of 10 for most days, and manageable for the rest of the days.
When we first went into one of the local pharmacies to purchase basic OTC medications (paracetamol, ibuprofen, cold medicines) we were amazed by how little they cost. A box of paracetamol with 16 tablets runs around 20 pence, and even cold medications are less than a pound. Other than the bottle of aspirin my husband brought home the other day all of the other medicines have been in boxes and the medications inside are the kind you push through the foil backing to get them out. I haven't found a specific reason for this type of packaging for everything, but because while my son was visiting some of his tablets either exploded (kind of like popped kernels of popcorn) or melted (became sticky or just started disintegrating) our theory is that this kind of packaging protects the medication from the constant high humidity levels. I kind of like the cards of meds they are much easier to pack in a bag either for a day trip or overnight. The biggest exception to this is my medications that are delivered in a medi-box weekly. The pharmacy prepares my medications for the week into daily compartments that are divided for morning, mid-day, tea time, and bedtime. They then sort my meds into each compartment and a seal is put over the top that allows me to punch out the appropriate meds at their scheduled time. It really is a handy feature and it allows my husband to not have to sit and sort meds for an hour or so each week.
The paper boxes themselves have a really cool feature in that there is braille lettering on all of them. No one in our family is in need of this feature, but having it there and that it is so universal is brilliant and is another area where the U.S. needs to catch up a little.
I've been told (repeatedly) that I am an anomaly to be on so many medications at such an early age, but it is what is necessary to keep me going and as healthy as possible. Between my prescription meds and those we pick up OTC I'm on a regimen that helps me stay safe and satisfied with what is going on in life at any given moment. The NHS has made caring for medications almost effortless and even the ones we add out of private stock are perfect cost wise and in availability. I'm trying to prepare for a time when many more of my medications are withdrawn, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.
Cheers!
Monday, 28 January 2019
When Do We Eat and What’s on the Menu
In 'Lord of the Rings' Merry and Pippin like all good Hobbits are concerned about the meal schedule while they are travelling with Frodo, Samwise, and Strider. After their breakfast is interrupted and being told they will travel as fast as possible to Lothlorien they ask about 2nd breakfast and Elevensies. As humorous as this exchange is it is based (somewhat loosely) on actual traditional British meal times.
I experienced this for the first time while on a hospital ward at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. At roughly 0600 the lights were turned on and a trolley was brought in with the offer of coffee or tea. Not a bad way to wake up but somewhat unexpected (nothing like this happens in most U.S. hospitals). An hour or so later we were all moved from our beds to one of the chairs next to them and breakfast was offered, this consisted of the choices of bread and jam or an assortment of cereals with milk. Throughout the rest of the day trollies were brought around with snacks and meals (all with tea as the main drink option). With the last offer of tea and a snack at 2100 (an hour I am usually asleep). Upon coming home I started looking into why there were so many chances at eating throughout the day, it seemed excessive, and this is what I found. These are not hard and fast rules but it has a historical aspect that hasn't totally been converted to the typical 3 meals a day.
Breakfast - ≈ 0600-0900 (sometimes called Brekkie)
Light foods such as bread and jam, cereal, porridge (oatmeal) with syrup and/or brown sugar, fruit
A Traditional English Breakfast (a Fry-up) is what a lot of people think of when they hear breakfast here and includes foods such as sausages, beans, toast, bacon, fried eggs (that are usually still runny so you can dip your toast in the yolk, yuck!), fried mushrooms, fried tomato, hash browns, and sometimes kippers (haven't seen these offered yet) or blood sausage (sausages filled with blood that has been mixed with a filler to solidify the mixture when cooked). Most eating establishments offer a vegetarian version with veggie sausages replacing the meat.
Brunch- ≈ Late morning meal between breakfast and lunch to replace both meals that day
Anything goes for brunch, most places still serve breakfast or the lunch menu can kick in on the early side. Nothing too different from brunch in the U.S.
Elevenses - ≈ 1100
Snack foods such as biscuits and coffee
Lunch - ≈ 1200-1300
A variety of foods such as sandwiches (one of my favourites is egg mayonnaise and cress), sometimes bread and cheese, crackers, soup and bread, pork pie (served cold), salads. Sometimes eaten at pubs or easily transported to work.
Sunday Lunch (or Sunday Supper) would include foods such as roasted meats, potatoes, gravy, and Yorkshire puddings, and is a somewhat formal meal.
Tea - ≈ 1600-1700 sometimes referred to as Afternoon Tea or even High Tea (later in day closer to 1800)
Light meal of foods such as sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and tea, scones, jam and cream.
Supper- ≈ 1800-1900
A light meal in the evening
Dinner x- ≈ 1900-2100 sometimes served as a midday meal
Main meal of the day with foods such as roasted meat, veggies (frequently 2 vegetables are offered), potatoes, Yorkshire puddings.
While looking for some of this information I came across a couple of great websites that you may want to check out. The one has a basic introduction to everything British for incoming students:
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Meals.htm
The other site is aimed at students and teachers:
https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Power_of_7/7_Meals_of_the_Day_2946.php
There are days where eating so frequently is appealing but I'm too much engrained in the 3 meals a day scheme to do it very often. There are so many great foods to eat that I'm becoming spoilt and very rarely do I miss the foods that used to be staples in America.
My husband and I are not typical foodies, he is a strict vegetarian and I am kind of wishy washy about meat, we are very happy to have the simplest of meals (soup and bread, scrounge through left overs, or pasta are all favourites). We do have some meals that we fall back on frequently and usually keep the ingredients in stock to make a quick decision on the nights he returns from Uni. kind of late or I'm too tired to put a lot of effort into putting a meal on the table.
+ Cheese toasties and soup (we have found the most amazing cream of tomato soup in a tin here).
+ Pasta with sauce (there is one brand of sauce we love and are working our way through the varieties of flavours) sometimes we add in vegetarian meat crumbles if we want extra protein.
+ Bread, fruit and cheese (the freshness of all of these is amazing here and unlike in the U.S. it doesn't cost us an arm and a leg to have our Roman meal).
+ Sandwiches with soup if it's a dinner or with fruit or another side if for lunch (favourite sandwiches include Egg mayonnaise and Cress, lunch meat with cheese and tomato, peanut butter and jam, and just cheese and tomato sometimes). We have a favourite bread that is perfect for making toasties but is also great for other sandwiches.
+ Bangers and mash with lots of gravy (we tend to use vegetarian sausages to make it easier to cook for us both).
+ Indian sauces with rice and vegetarian chicken pieces (there are so many choices in sauces from flavourful but mild to melt your tastebuds off, there are also at least 3 brands of ready made sauces to choose from).
+ Anything combined with chips! Boca burgers, fishless fish fingers, chicken nuggets (veggie style of course). The requisite condiment for chips is curry sauce, something we used to have shipped to Colorado and now can buy it no sweat in our local market. For me chips nuked with cheese, meat and salsa is a favourite breakfast when I'm totally uninspired.
These are the offerings we keep in almost constant rotation, and since there are so many different varieties we have yet to get bored with the foods we eat (or maybe those are the nights we plan on a takeaway instead of cooking something). I won't lie there have been foods I didn't like when I tried them here, but I keep trying new things and have expanded my food repertoire quite a bit since being here.
If there are any foods you want to try but are afraid of drop me a line and I can try to give you a personal review that may just be enough to help you give it a go.
Cheers!
I experienced this for the first time while on a hospital ward at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. At roughly 0600 the lights were turned on and a trolley was brought in with the offer of coffee or tea. Not a bad way to wake up but somewhat unexpected (nothing like this happens in most U.S. hospitals). An hour or so later we were all moved from our beds to one of the chairs next to them and breakfast was offered, this consisted of the choices of bread and jam or an assortment of cereals with milk. Throughout the rest of the day trollies were brought around with snacks and meals (all with tea as the main drink option). With the last offer of tea and a snack at 2100 (an hour I am usually asleep). Upon coming home I started looking into why there were so many chances at eating throughout the day, it seemed excessive, and this is what I found. These are not hard and fast rules but it has a historical aspect that hasn't totally been converted to the typical 3 meals a day.
Breakfast - ≈ 0600-0900 (sometimes called Brekkie)
Light foods such as bread and jam, cereal, porridge (oatmeal) with syrup and/or brown sugar, fruit
A Traditional English Breakfast (a Fry-up) is what a lot of people think of when they hear breakfast here and includes foods such as sausages, beans, toast, bacon, fried eggs (that are usually still runny so you can dip your toast in the yolk, yuck!), fried mushrooms, fried tomato, hash browns, and sometimes kippers (haven't seen these offered yet) or blood sausage (sausages filled with blood that has been mixed with a filler to solidify the mixture when cooked). Most eating establishments offer a vegetarian version with veggie sausages replacing the meat.
Brunch- ≈ Late morning meal between breakfast and lunch to replace both meals that day
Anything goes for brunch, most places still serve breakfast or the lunch menu can kick in on the early side. Nothing too different from brunch in the U.S.
Elevenses - ≈ 1100
Snack foods such as biscuits and coffee
Lunch - ≈ 1200-1300
A variety of foods such as sandwiches (one of my favourites is egg mayonnaise and cress), sometimes bread and cheese, crackers, soup and bread, pork pie (served cold), salads. Sometimes eaten at pubs or easily transported to work.
Sunday Lunch (or Sunday Supper) would include foods such as roasted meats, potatoes, gravy, and Yorkshire puddings, and is a somewhat formal meal.
Tea - ≈ 1600-1700 sometimes referred to as Afternoon Tea or even High Tea (later in day closer to 1800)
Light meal of foods such as sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and tea, scones, jam and cream.
Supper- ≈ 1800-1900
A light meal in the evening
Dinner x- ≈ 1900-2100 sometimes served as a midday meal
Main meal of the day with foods such as roasted meat, veggies (frequently 2 vegetables are offered), potatoes, Yorkshire puddings.
While looking for some of this information I came across a couple of great websites that you may want to check out. The one has a basic introduction to everything British for incoming students:
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Meals.htm
The other site is aimed at students and teachers:
https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Power_of_7/7_Meals_of_the_Day_2946.php
There are days where eating so frequently is appealing but I'm too much engrained in the 3 meals a day scheme to do it very often. There are so many great foods to eat that I'm becoming spoilt and very rarely do I miss the foods that used to be staples in America.
My husband and I are not typical foodies, he is a strict vegetarian and I am kind of wishy washy about meat, we are very happy to have the simplest of meals (soup and bread, scrounge through left overs, or pasta are all favourites). We do have some meals that we fall back on frequently and usually keep the ingredients in stock to make a quick decision on the nights he returns from Uni. kind of late or I'm too tired to put a lot of effort into putting a meal on the table.
+ Cheese toasties and soup (we have found the most amazing cream of tomato soup in a tin here).
+ Pasta with sauce (there is one brand of sauce we love and are working our way through the varieties of flavours) sometimes we add in vegetarian meat crumbles if we want extra protein.
+ Bread, fruit and cheese (the freshness of all of these is amazing here and unlike in the U.S. it doesn't cost us an arm and a leg to have our Roman meal).
+ Sandwiches with soup if it's a dinner or with fruit or another side if for lunch (favourite sandwiches include Egg mayonnaise and Cress, lunch meat with cheese and tomato, peanut butter and jam, and just cheese and tomato sometimes). We have a favourite bread that is perfect for making toasties but is also great for other sandwiches.
+ Bangers and mash with lots of gravy (we tend to use vegetarian sausages to make it easier to cook for us both).
+ Indian sauces with rice and vegetarian chicken pieces (there are so many choices in sauces from flavourful but mild to melt your tastebuds off, there are also at least 3 brands of ready made sauces to choose from).
+ Anything combined with chips! Boca burgers, fishless fish fingers, chicken nuggets (veggie style of course). The requisite condiment for chips is curry sauce, something we used to have shipped to Colorado and now can buy it no sweat in our local market. For me chips nuked with cheese, meat and salsa is a favourite breakfast when I'm totally uninspired.
These are the offerings we keep in almost constant rotation, and since there are so many different varieties we have yet to get bored with the foods we eat (or maybe those are the nights we plan on a takeaway instead of cooking something). I won't lie there have been foods I didn't like when I tried them here, but I keep trying new things and have expanded my food repertoire quite a bit since being here.
If there are any foods you want to try but are afraid of drop me a line and I can try to give you a personal review that may just be enough to help you give it a go.
Cheers!
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