Strop from Pete and Strop from me!!!

Today Pete was due for his regular 12 week catheter change, which always worries me a bit as this is the worst time for infection.  However, it went ok with the nurse arriving nice and early at 9.15am so we didn't have hours of waiting for her to come.  The new catheter comes already connected to a leg bag (which has to be changed once a week) and Pete, for some unknown reason, took exception to this and insisted the leg bag be changed for one of the ones we use regularly.  I said it didn't need to be changed and the nurse also said it was best to leave it as it was all sterile and didn't need to be changed for a week.  But, no, Pete wasn't having this and decided to have a strop with much shouting! The nurse, being new, was a bit startled at this display of bad temper and so I had to change the bag there and then.  This, again, is a problem with the aphasia as Pete couldn't tell us why he objected to the original bag.  Anyway, it is now done probably until he has the suprapubic catheter inserted - and then it has to be changed every 8 weeks instead of 12.  

Now to my strop!  I trotted along to the pharmacy (and to name and shame them, it is Boots) to collect Pete's regular monthly prescription of pills, potions and catheter bags.  Their system is that when you collect the prescription you tick everything needed the next time and the object of the exercise is that when you arrive in a months time the prescription is ready to collect in full.  Well, that is what is supposed to happen, but, for the third month running, I have arrived to find it has not been done and also some items are not there so have to go again to pick them up.  It took them 10 minutes to find the actual script today, then 15 minutes to get it together and discover what they didn't have, and then another 5/10 minutes to wait for the pharmacist to check it.  So half an hour instead of about 5 minutes and, even then, not all items there.  And that is not counting the queuing time before you are attended to!  I made it very plain I was not happy.  So, I have decided I need to find another pharmacy who will, I hope, be much more efficient.  Most pharmacies do the repeat service so I should be able to find one I hope.  To rub salt into the wound, you can be in the queue waiting but when a drug addict arrives it appears they go straight to the front and are attended to immediately with sharps bins and whatever they need being produced at once!!  Why is that?? 

I have had a phone call from Rebecca at the Stroke Association about the meetings that are being started next week.  It seems they are mainly for carers of people with aphasia so we can talk about how we cope etc and, hopefully get some support.  So, I have decided I will definitely go next Wednesday evening and find out what goes on.  I will report back to you all!! 

Having got all that off my chest I will sign off for tonight!