[kendra k]

i think sometimes you can see veins, but they could be sort of deep under the skin. i swear i can see one on my right arm, but i guess it's too deep and too thin to be of much use. i've also learned that you should drink so much water that you have to pee before giving blood because then it'll flow faster.

[MK Chris]

A blood test surely can't be that bad (though I've never had one), isn't it just like a normal injection, except they're extracting something rather than inserting something? Don't be a wuss!

[Yudster]

Its actually less painful than an injection for that very reason - but some people are quite difficult to get blood out of, and it can be traumatic. Needle phobia is a very real phenomenon for some people too - not just "ooh, I can't stand needles" type thing, but a full blown phobia. My son suffers from it - once he blacked out in class when they were discussing drug use and people were just talking about needles - and just yesterday he was watching an episode of 24, it had needles and stuff, he felt ill, went downstairs to get a drink of water and get away from it and still passed out in the kitchen. I'm not sure why he is like this, but he did have a very traumatic time when he was just 5 and needed stitches in his head, and the "doctor" (we discovered later that he wasn't a doctor, he was an exchange student who shouldn't have been doing clinical procedures) messed up big time and caused a lot of pain and distress. It might have been that, but other people don't respond to things like that by becoming phobic, so who knows. Maybe he's just a wuss!

[Vivienne]

I had an odd experience of being in TESCO yesterday, and not being able to remember what I was in for. Confusion is one of the side effects of my medication, so I'll put it down to that. Tomorrow afternoon, I get the results of my tests after 2:30 p.m. How exciting (not).

[Andy B]

My mind is completely going. I do things then I can't remember if I've done them or not so I do them again. The other day I'm convinced I washed my hair at least 3 times. I finish a phone conversation with people and can't remember if I've said bye to them or just hung up. I rang a taxi place and the next thing I knew I'd hung up on them but I couldn't remember if I had actualy said anything or not. The taxi turned up so I guess I did but I have no memory of it.

I've had the occasional scatty moment in the past but it's become a lot worse lately.

No I'm not gonna post this message again for comedy value, this is really happening.

[MK Chris]

the "doctor" (we discovered later that he wasn't a doctor, he was an exchange student who shouldn't have been doing clinical procedures)

That's pissing awful, there's no excuse for a * on that scale. Someone should have lost their job for that. The press would have a field day over it!

[Yudster]

the "doctor" (we discovered later that he wasn't a doctor, he was an exchange student who shouldn't have been doing clinical procedures)

That's pissing awful, there's no excuse for a *-up on that scale. Someone should have lost their job for that. The press would have a field day over it!

Well, we got a grovelling apology from ther chairman of the NHS trust and procedural changes were made in the A&E department as a direct result - I suppose if this was America I'd have been able to get money out of them, but there's no benefit in doing that to the NHS, so I let it be. I was pretty disgusted though. The exchange thing was between the trust here and a German health trust, and both the "doctor" and the nurse who were looking after Chris were German. One of the things I was most annoyed about was that when it all started to go pear shaped they started talking to each other in German so that I wouldn't understand what had gone wrong.

[MK Chris]

No you're right, it wouldn't have any benefit suing the NHS; having said that, the NHS is such an important entity, mistakes like that should never ever be made.

[Yudster]

But worse mistakes than that get made every day! I know they shouldn't, in an ideal world, but the NHS is as far from an ideal world as you can get! Not in terms of intent or ideology, but in practical terms.

[MK Chris]

Well then it needs sorting. I know things can't always be ideal, but like you said, you were disgusted and you are a pretty reasonable person.

[Yudster]

I love the internet.....!

[catherine]

Stupid hospitals and stupid a&e and the stupid nhs is annoying me today. Oh and stupid mothers that say she wants to go home and takes me out of hospital when i'm still in agony and complains when i don't want to go to college after being up all night in pain.

[S4B]

Aww Cat what's wrong with you?

[catherine]

I don't know it could be a stomach ulcer it could be gall stones or it could be gastritis but nobody will look into it.

[Sunny So Cal]

What's annoying me today and every day since last Thursday is the amount of ash/soot in my house due to the fires. When we were evacuated on 22 October, it looked like it was snowing INSIDE the house. The Santa Ana winds here (even on the coast where I am in San Diego) were so bad that it was just blowing in past the window seals, doors, down from the attic. I've vacuumed and dusted every day since last Thursday when we were allowed back in and it still smells and is dusty in here. This stuff is insidious!

P.S. Cat, it doesn't have to be gall stones, it could just be a wonky gall bladder. There's a test they can do to test for that where they inject dye into you & watch how your gall bladder processes it. If it's under a certain percentage you have a defective gall bladder and it should be removed. Can't remember the name of the test.

[MK Chris]

That's where you come from. Over here we just remove them. If that doesn't work we amputate a leg.

[foot-loose]

That's where you come from. Over here we just remove them. If that doesn't work we amputate a leg.

For more info - speak to heather mills.

I'd give it a couple of weeks mind you, she is having a few "off" days right now.

[Yudster]

What's annoying me today and every day since last Thursday is the amount of ash/soot in my house due to the fires. When we were evacuated on 22 October, it looked like it was snowing INSIDE the house. The Santa Ana winds here (even on the coast where I am in San Diego) were so bad that it was just blowing in past the window seals, doors, down from the attic. I've vacuumed and dusted every day since last Thursday when we were allowed back in and it still smells and is dusty in here. This stuff is insidious!

P.S. Cat, it doesn't have to be gall stones, it could just be a wonky gall bladder. There's a test they can do to test for that where they inject dye into you & watch how your gall bladder processes it. If it's under a certain percentage you have a defective gall bladder and it should be removed. Can't remember the name of the test.

I was wondering if/how you'd been affected by the fires sunny. I'm sorry you have cleanup issues, but very glad you still have your home!

[Sunny So Cal]

Thanks, Yuds. It's getting better. Me and my youngest are still sick from breathing it in though. On the plus side, apparently all the ash will help my roses next season and only 2 people I know have lost their homes out of the over 1,500 lost in our area so I'm very thankful!

[Andy B]

Blimey, I was gonna moan about a blister but after hearing about people's homes being burned down and Sunny being evac'd I think I can live with my blister now.

[Sunny So Cal]

Awww Andy, that's sweet! Sorry about your blister!

[moonbeam]

Blister, you big baby Andy.

[Andy B]

Blister, you big baby Andy.

I got it from punting on the Cam for 2 Hours, 2 HOURS dammit! When this thing goes it'll be like the Hindenberg.

Lots of photo's on my facebook things. Those who know, know.

[Andy B]

Also I'm not used to manual labour so my hands are very soft and damage easily and worst of all it's my right hand.

[moonbeam]

I got it from punting on the Cam for 2 Hours, 2 HOURS dammit! When this thing goes it'll be like the Hindenberg.

Yes Andy that does sound strenuous. 2 hours, your luck you still have any feeling left in your hand