Tuesday 23 June 2009

Playing the waiting game

I have a simple problem: my left ear is clogged up. I assume it is wax (rather than a small piece of lego or a peanut) but it does now mean that everything I do echoes through my body. Walking back from school I could hear every step resound up into my head as big thuds. When speaking I feel like I am shouting in my own private cathedral, all the sound reverberating in a large, echoey chamber.

This has happened occasionally before. I know what to do: put ear drops in for a few days then go to the nurse and get it syringed.

Being a new patient to the practice (I sent the small rainforest of forms in last Friday) I know I need a 'new patient medical' so I ring the surgery for an appointment, thinking I can kill two birds with one stone.

"I'm a new patient in the practice. Can I arrange an appointment with the nurse for an initial medical?"

"I can fit you in next Wednesday."

Over a week away!

"I'm sorry, but I can't wait that long to have my ear syringed: I can't hear anything on one side." There is a hint of restrained anger. Only a hint, mind.

"I'm afraid you have to make an appointment with a nurse to see if it needs syringing first."

And thus I go quietly mad. Or rather, echoey, head-hurtingly mad. I must now wait for an appointment with someone who will tell me what I already know, and then have to wait for an appointment with her (presumably a further week later) to resolve the problem. Meanwhile I can't hear much except my own ringing ear.

When the NHS works it is brilliant; when it doesn't it is the most frustrating thing in the world.

5 comments:

Ladybird World Mother said...

Grrrr! Oh, CAN YOU HEAR ME??!
No, seriously, most irritating. Son had horrible 'thing' on foot and doctor couldn't see him for a week. Madness.
Hope your nurse will get on with it and that you can hear again. Such a pain not to be able to.

Working Mum said...

How close to me do you live? I think you've registered at my GP's surgery! The restrained anger sounds familiar.

Maternal Tales said...

Are you sure it's not a small piece of Lego? I said 'ARE YOU SURE IT'S NOT A SMALL PIECE OF LEGO????'

Catharine Withenay said...

Thanks, everyone, for talking SO LOUD AND CLEARLY!

I got a cancelled appointment, so the schedule has been brought forward a week ... then next week I go to a special Ear Syringe Clinic. What a miserable job, eh, just to have a clinic for clearing out people's ears!

Sparx said...

a 'special ear syringe clinic'? Madness. Have you tried buying one of those little ear bulbs and having a go at home? I feel your frustration!

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