Minimising time/effort dealing with health

“I combine an appointment with a trip to somewhere - tomorrow a physio appointment means calling in to a speciality food shop that I otherwise would think 'not worth the trip”
I do this too. Determined to keep an NHS dentist when mine re-emerged after Covid as private the only one I could find is in a lovely market town 30 miles away. I make early am appointments and enjoy a morning pottering and shopping (there is a Waitrose 🙄).

Live a 10 minute walk from my Doctors now but keep being given appointments at their main surgery several miles away. I cannot manage buses anymore so means the expense of a cab! Dentist is 20 miles away due to no NHS dentists in our area! Hospital is across the city again a cab trip! Years ago when reasonably fit never thought a problem walking miles to an appointment but now forget too much walking as it hurts for hours after! As my Nan used to say, the pleasures of getting old but do beat the alternative! So I will just keep moaning & get on with it as I do not want the alternative for as long as possible please?

SillyNanny321

Live a 10 minute walk from my Doctors now but keep being given appointments at their main surgery several miles away. I cannot manage buses anymore so means the expense of a cab! Dentist is 20 miles away due to no NHS dentists in our area! Hospital is across the city again a cab trip! Years ago when reasonably fit never thought a problem walking miles to an appointment but now forget too much walking as it hurts for hours after! As my Nan used to say, the pleasures of getting old but do beat the alternative! So I will just keep moaning & get on with it as I do not want the alternative for as long as possible please?

LOL at the "beats the alternative".

I saw a podiatrist (some distance away and an infrequent bus to get there and back) for a noticeable problem (ingrowing big toenail). Cue for she would probably be glad she wasn't a "fly on the wall" hearing what a 2nd (much more experienced) podiatrist in even further away town had to say earlier this week about her "workmanship" when my feet were still playing up 9 weeks later!!!!!

He was not complimentary about her and rightly guessed she hadn't been operating for long - and did a much quicker/much cheaper procedure on the one she'd bodged and it's sorted now. During the course of this - he said "This toe should be okay now for another 20? years" and I replied "That will see me out then - as I'm early 70's" and he commented on the other one "You may or may not need attention to this one again - ie maybe a year or two time".

Each to their own and I know someone here that says she wants to live to 100!!!! Up to her - but, now I know the average age of death for British women is 83, I shall probably need a couple of bottles of champagne to "drown my sorrows" if I live long enough to see an 84th birthday looming up - as I don't want to have that. Maybe it depends on what one's belief system is? - but I have the "standing joke" (which I really mean!) of "Do NOT revive me if I keel over with the family heart attack - as I will not be a happy bunny if I'm just starting to sup my first glass of virtual champagne in Heaven at my Welcome Home party and someone hauls me back here again - as the first thing I'd do would be to give them an almighty telling-off for doing so".

Hence my determination not to have any more wasted time going out on healthcare (rather than doing what I want) than I can possibly help and trying to work out "time and motion" stuff to minimise it.

But I'm someone who's been also going round my house thinking "Now I can finally decide how to deal with minimising time etc spent on housework - now that the local tradesmen have finally finished the work renovating this house. I'll do what I myself want at last instead of having to do that.....and have more time for what I want instead".

Just learnt further lesson re minimising time on this = give their website a very detailed read in advance (ie for private practitioners) and I would have noticed only "9 years experience" (including the time lost to Lockdown) and that she says she may cancel appointments at short notice (or even in the middle of them!!!!!) for voluntary work she does too.

Lesson learnt - much better website reading in advance in future.....

I don’t know what you pay for your chiropodist and the bus journeys but would it cost much more if they came to your house? My hubby has one every 8 weeks and pays £42 per session

Perfect coordination! 👍

Oops, that was for eddiecat, not sure what happened to the quote?

I am lucky, in that I live within walking distance of a good health centre, where I can consult my GP, have blood tests done and so on. I have also chosen a dentist within a reasonable distance by bus, and can usually fit shopping in with waiting time for a bus home.

Referrals to hospital, as and when necessary, or even getting to a vaccination centre are a problem, as the nearest hospitals are 35 and 45 kms away, and I do not drive. So, one has to remember to ask for an appointment that fits with the bus timetables. This basically means asking for an appointment mid-morning, as the buses do not run before 7.25 in the morning, and one gets home late afternoon.

All we can do is decide, what is actually necessary - can you still cut your toe-nails yourself, or find a chiropodist who will come to your house?

I am healthy for my age, and know I am lucky and I do what I can to stay healthy and I think that is all one can do.

A possiblity could be to find dentist, choropodist, optician etc. in the same town and schedule appointments on the same day as far as possible.

As someone with multiple comorbidities, I have accepted that to stay alive, I have to accept the cards life has dealt me. There is no point in stressing over things I can't change.
After so many appointments and procedures nothing surprises, nor phases me any more.
It cannot be avoided, as we age.

I attend a number of hospitals in Glasgow, and if I am well enough to do so, we combine other activities, like lunch or shopping. I try to make it a positive experience.

As for health appointments, as social territory, I don't agree. They are necessary, but there is still time left for social events.
It is depends on your attitude and how you deal with theses health challenges.
There are days, when I am unable to do anything, but I certainly make up for it, when I am having a good spell..

I had a conversation about this thread with my daughter when she said she would never live in a built-area. (She lives in a former farmhouse in a small village) I explained the definite advantages of living on a bus route and within easy reach of amenities especially medical ones when you are older.

Marydoll is right we have to accept what life throws at us, no amount of moaning will change what we have to deal with. Life can be hard sometimes and we all get health problems as we age, some are minor and some more major. Do what you can when you can and if having a bad day take some rest. We all deserve that!

In the last month I have had appointments in four hospitals and three G P surgeries. In our county they have allocated each hospital to certain conditions and also farmed out muscular/ skelatal services. I live on the county border with a big teaching hospital eight miles away but in another health authority area which treats all conditions but my doctor will not refer there. Crazy,

My GP’ surgery backs onto my garden but recently they have joined two other village surgeries and I end up going miles to them instead of next door. No bus service available of course and I no longer drive

Spec1alk

I don’t know what you pay for your chiropodist and the bus journeys but would it cost much more if they came to your house? My hubby has one every 8 weeks and pays £42 per session

I do do what I can in my home - to save the travel.

I got told back in my home city by the foot guy that I was with for years latterly that "There are 3 levels of foot practitioners - and I'm the top one" (ie a podiatrist). So I have only been able to find levels 1 and 2 in the town I'm in now. So I've found a level 1 person (ie nail trimming and corn removal only level basically) and she does home visits and so I've had her out here for lower-level foot stuff and find she is good for the level she's at (ie a bit "beyond her Pay Grade") and can't complain at a charge of £35 for first time she comes round and then £30 for any subsequent visits. But I knew I needed the top level person I'm used to for anything more than corns - and hence looking outside this town and it means a lengthy journey to find someone at that level.

Thankfully I have now found a top-level person - though he's about 2 hours (!!!!) away by bus (as that bus winds all round the place, rather than being direct). But I know now that I'd rather spend £70 for a direct journey by taxi and take an hour than nothing on the bus fare, but take two hours (not including time waiting round for the - infrequent - bus). So taxi it is if I need anything more than a corn removal again and try not to think I've been used to just going to a place within 10 minutes walk from my last house.

Certainly a valid idea to have all health bods in the same area if possible. Unfortunately that's not been possible for me - I think it was 4 dentists I tried before I found "mine" and they're about 30 minutes bus ride away. There are opticians in the town I'm in now and I've alternated between two chain opticians (tried the one-off local one once - never again). I've now found an optician in a different town that I shall probably swop to (more travelling!) - as they look more modern/efficient/etc than the two "chains" I've been alternating - and they are a mini-chain (though their other branches are all back in England) and I'm hopeful about them - as they do look more suitable for me. So yep - dentist in one town, optician in another, higher level foot person in another and doctor in another is the way it's worked out unfortunately and I have to use a total of 4 other towns in total to get all my necessary facilities! Thank goodness my hairdresser (who was also in another town) has now moved to the town I'm in (ie as he'd worked out his last worktown was dying - but mine is actually on the up......thank goodness I calculate some things aright LOL, as I'd figured out that is what would happen to this town a few years after I moved here...whew.......).

Gin

In the last month I have had appointments in four hospitals and three G P surgeries. In our county they have allocated each hospital to certain conditions and also farmed out muscular/ skelatal services. I live on the county border with a big teaching hospital eight miles away but in another health authority area which treats all conditions but my doctor will not refer there. Crazy,

My GP’ surgery backs onto my garden but recently they have joined two other village surgeries and I end up going miles to them instead of next door. No bus service available of course and I no longer drive

I recognise this scenario, although not quite as bad locally. Over the last 2 months I have had to attend medical facilities in 5 different locations. Including one which had no parking at all. It was necessary to use a park & ride or go by train and face a half mile walk. Fine for me. I am fit and a regular walker, thankfully my DH has never had to use this location. He can walk only very short distances and attending this location would be impossible.

Talking about it all takes so many words...health issues are so front and centre for the person suffering but so incredibly dull for the person listening. I think in any conversation with friends or family there has to be a self imposed time limit on 'ailment hour'. The worst thing about visiting older relatives as a kid was listening to endless details about medication, symptoms, appointments...so tempting to seek sympathy when these things become your life.. .. I hope to reign it in as I age.....

Marydoll

As someone with multiple comorbidities, I have accepted that to stay alive, I have to accept the cards life has dealt me. There is no point in stressing over things I can't change.
After so many appointments and procedures nothing surprises, nor phases me any more.
It cannot be avoided, as we age.

I attend a number of hospitals in Glasgow, and if I am well enough to do so, we combine other activities, like lunch or shopping. I try to make it a positive experience.

As for health appointments, as social territory, I don't agree. They are necessary, but there is still time left for social events.
It is depends on your attitude and how you deal with theses health challenges.
There are days, when I am unable to do anything, but I certainly make up for it, when I am having a good spell..

for you Marydoll.

I used to enjoy quite good health and GP appointments were few and far between - then I had an accident and things took a very dramatic turn.

I will never be discharged from my current outpatient clinic apparently, such is the severity of things.

My point is, we never know what is around the corner but by adopting a positive attitude we can make the best of it regardless of what life throws at us. If that means incorporating lunch out following an appointment or simply visiting a place of interest close to a hospital/dentist/clinic or even visiting friends then so be it.

The worst thing about visiting older relatives as a kid was listening to endless details about medication, symptoms, appointment.

For some people, that is their world. It is up to the individual to expand their horizons, even if on small scale.
I don't look unwell, so you would never guess that I have serious problems. It is only when I disappear, that people realise I must be having a bad spell.
Recently I asked someone at church to cover for me, her unchristian response: Why? You look alright to me!. I don't bore people with my ailments apart from on GN. 😉

YouTube has become my best friend, when I have spells of incarceration. I revisit holidays in Rome, by watching walking tours, watch foreign drams, visit flea markets, etc.etc. My horizons expand, without leaving my arm chair.

Yep Marydoll - YouTube certainly has its uses I feel. In my case I tend to watch the news that gets censored from mainstream channels - and there are some doctors I rate on there and it's useful for finding out about "alternative" medicine. Also recipe channels for the way of eating I'm veering toward. It's one positive thing that I've figured out I can now get any food (or goods) that I require now from my garden and/or Amazon - so it's possible to manage temporarily if need be if one's body is playing up particularly badly.

Anyways I take the view of "onwards and upwards" personally and I try and think positive re getting my body back to normal. Gotta be done when now that I've managed to find a decent-quality foot person my feet are back to normal = Score 1 and I was off dancing again this morning. Thinking "...and the next thing to get shot of is...the chest problem". Whilst thinking "Thank goodness the feet are sorted now - they've been a nuisance for about 3 months" and it defo struck me that if my body was any other sort of possession of mine (eg a dress) I'd be thinking about getting rid of it and buying a replacement that worked better for me and wouldn't consider it suitable to pass onto a charity shop....

"My first try at getting a dentist in this little town involved the surgery clearly not being used to patients from a university city (ie questioning....making our own decisions for ourselves etc)"

I can't quite understand the above from one of OP's posts. Does it mean that if someone does not come from a 'university city' they are stupid or unable to make their own decisions? If so I find it rather insulting.

What it means re "university city" is that it's one small city with a very well-regarded university there. We've all been used to the university basically running the city for years now. There is a very distinct mindset of a lot of the businesses there knowing it is a university city/also becoming a professional "businessperson" city and either way = the customer is pretty likely to be someone who questions things/makes their own decisions for themselves.

Cue for I'm not anything to do with the university myself - other than I knew a lot of people that were but I soon learnt to dress like a student at times and, as I got older, to dress like an academic - and the assumption would often be made that I was a "questioner" too and would be making up my own mind about things. There were never any difficulties anywhere when I said what I'd decided for my own personal decisions - that's just how that city is and a big plus point about it.

So I expect a new dentist might mention fluoride in passing (eg a comment about using fluoride toothpaste) and I would just say "No - not for me" and I guess they assumed I'd read about it (I have....) and that would be the end of that. They would have followed what their training had told them to say and I would have decided for myself based on my own reading and then we would just carry on and it would be a mutual agreement as to what happened re my teeth.

Reason why the first dentist here didn't work out is they made "that fluoride comment" (so far...so expected) and I made my standard response of "I don't do that" - but they then started acting very wierdly and standing feet away from me inspecting me as a whole and the upshot of the "initial inspection visit" was they sent me my money back and said they wouldnt take me on!!!!!!! I was gobsmacked - as I'd never even heard of a dentist arguing with the patients decisions before - and hence working my way through a practice that didn't clean teeth the normal modern way and another practice that was only going to fix a broken tooth enough to function, but not enough to look right (even though the dentist concerned was female and attractive herself - so I wouldnt have thought she'd want to do a job that was not aesthetically acceptable).

So there does seem to be a "way of functioning" that differs from place to place and I've come from a questioning place (where that is what is expected and what often happens) to a place where I've been gobsmacked at the number of times people seem to "get told what to do" and they accept it!!! Not stupid - but not as independently minded as I'm used to.
I'm used to people making their own individual decisions for themselves and I've been surprised to see people consulting with families and with local groups they're in and then making their decisions - as that's not what I'm used to seeing.

Ah now dentists!
There are dentists and there are dentists.
I have 3 levels of dentists up my sleeve.
An nhs one for basic stuff . A private one who is an artiste and I can't afford him now and one in between for when I need him.
Yes and how people manage out in the country I really don't know.

I can only assume you have a very limited range of acquaintances CariadAgain

CariadAgain,
I thank you for taking time to reply, but, with all due respect, I can't make head nor tail of it. I have lived in many places on this planet and have found that some people question everything and some people blindly accept and there are all the variations in between these two states. This true whichever country I have been in and doesn't matter whether there is a university in the city or not. I find the whole belief that a population of a university city is more able to make their own decisions than a population from a non university city extremely strange. It seems to that the OP considers people from a university city to be superior to people from a non university city.

WHAT? @CariadAgain ?
What on Earth is all that (word salad) about?

Dressing like a student? Dressing like an academic? Pretending to be something you are not?
Questioning?
And the “cues” ?
You sound in awe of professionals- whether doctors, dentists or academics, and determined to assert yourself with them is this perhaps an inferiority complex?