This post relates to the NHS, but in fact it could be any public service or body.
Over New Year I somehow got an infection, even though I hardly left the house for a week prior.
Sinusitis on one side, throat & ear infection (lucky eh)
I did the best I could for three days, but when I had to lean my head to one side just to swallow, I thought it was time I rang the out of hours 111 service.
Left with two options: Consultancy with a Pharmacist or a call back from an out-of-hours GP.
I chose the Pharmacist (I may as well have not bothered)
Rang them up, based in a supermarket.
“I’m sorry he’s on a consultancy can you ring back in 30 minutes?”
40 minutes later another call,
“Sorry he’s just gone downstairs [in the supermarket] try again in 10 minutes”
15 minutes later, finally got him on the phone.
After going through all the symptoms and explaining about the shocking pain in the throat and not being able to swallow, he advised, “If you call in we have decongestants that should help!”
Now I should say, I’ve always been sceptical of the pharmacist dealing with illnesses instead of a GP.
They invariably attempt to persuade you to buy something from them and it’s normally the case that it won’t offer any help other than slight symptom relief.
It turned out, on this occasion, I was correct.
Not happy with his diagnosis (loosest term possible) I requested a consultation. This was refused.
Instead he told me he’d pass on my details to an out-of-hours GP for a telephone call back.
“They’ll ring you back in the next 2 hours”
I sat back and waited.
The call from the GP came 1 hour 20 minutes later…
Again I went through the symptoms and explained about the inability to swallow.
“You’d better come in and see me, I think you need checking over.”
40 minutes later I was 15 miles away in the next town, to see a GP.
“You have a sinus infection, which medication and symptom relief wont fix!”
That helps I thought.
As a final check, the GP looked in my throat…
“Oh dear! You have a very angry throat!”
Is that a medical term I wonder?
“I’m going to give you some anti-biotics for your throat, once it settles down that should help you swallow and end the sharp pains in your ear!
Take them three times a day for seven days”
Off to the Pharmacy for the meds, you remember the one, the one that couldn’t see me for whatever reason.
I paid for the prescription and started to take the tablets, which were the size of horse tablets… my angry throat didn’t like this but I managed to keep them down, with a combination of cold water and ice lollies!
All was well on day one, but on day two, I was running to the toilet every hour. For 14 hours in fact.
I gave in and had to ring in to my regular GP.
“I’ll get you a call back from a doctor” said the receptionist, “but it might in an hour, it might be in three hours!”
An hour later the call came.
I went through my symptoms yet again and told him the anti-biotics I’d been put on and how I was hitting the pan almost every hour throughout the day…
“Why have they put you on such a high dosage of those?”
Do I win a prize for the correct answer?
“They won’t help your sinus problem nor will they help your ear pains!”
“They have given you the wrong anti-biotics and in far too high a dose, which has basically stripped all the bacteria, including the good bacteria, from your body!
This is why you cannot keep anything down and are constantly going to the toilet. Stop taking them immediately!”
The GP then proceeded to lecture me about taking a drink with turmeric as it works as a natural anti-biotic.
So what can I do about my current problems?
“Nothing much really, just keep drinking water, even though it’s going right through you, at least you won’t dehydrate!”
That was it!
The font of all knowledge, the seven years at medicine school… you can do nothing about it. Thanks very much.
If only that was “it!”
Two days later – off work now – I started with a heavy case of itching, around eyes/lips/arms etc.
Three days later I’ve still got it.
Also very tired.
But thankfully, not running to the toilet every two minutes now.
It’s now January 13th, I’ve been feeling ill since December 30th.
Nothing is being taken or advised, just when I thought I was getting better something else comes along. Joy.
An abject lesson in running around in circles and getting precisely nowhere.
Creating more work, needlessly.