Just been stabbed.

[myglaren]

I went there and they said that the phone call was to see about my blood pressure, (I missed a couple more in the meantime), although I couldn't remember what it was.

Gave me a form and said to buy a BP monitor as they had no machines available at the time and that I should buy one rather than wait for one to be available.

I had seen some Omron* ones on sale somewhere around here at £55 a go.
The woman behind me said that she had bought one for £18 from Argos, the one behind her had bought one from Amazon for twenty quid, as had the receptionist herself.

In my usual manner I dithered about looking at models and prices, then had cause to go and see my daughter and mentioned this. She disappeared for a moment then handed me one that I had apparently bought for her and have no recollection of.

I have never taken any notice of the readings when I have done this in the past but have put them in a spreadsheet that I can email to the doctor in a week.

Some are 'interesting' and they vary considerably. Highest: 168/96 pulse 64. Lowest: 126/75 pulse 63 and one with 130/71 pulse 42.

Not a clue if this is good, bad or indifferent but the thing I liked best was the way the surgery followed up on the pharmacy input to my medical record. Underscores again how good this surgery is and how accessible they are. In complete contrast to all the Amazon reviews.

*spellcheck would have that as 'moron'!

[mickthemaverick]

The first set is a tad over my range Steve, the other two are ok although the last RHR is a bit too low I'd say at 42 !! When you get one there its worth waiting 5 minutes and doing a retest!

[myglaren]

I do a series of three at 08:00 and 20:00. On the first set of three I got a:-

shown on the machine

[mickthemaverick]

That would appear to be a rhythm issue Steve, have a look at this:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arrhythmia/

[myglaren]

That would appear to be a rhythm issue Steve, have a look at this:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arrhythmia/

And wouldn't you just know that this was playing on the downstairs stereo. Just been down to make a cuppa.




Oddly enough my brother was in his garden a couple of weeks ago and said everything went silent and white. Couldn't get up or shout out for a while.
He said he was going to the doctor the following day then I didn't hear from him for a week, feared the worst.
The doctor couldn't say what it may have been and has ordered a load of tests, but after seeing her he had climbed into his car and driven to Castle Howard, where there was no phone or wifi connection by the lake where they were.
Doctor suspects a cardiac event, a stroke or similar. He has been OK since.

[myglaren]

Stabbed another twice. Logged in to the clinic early, seen within a couple of minutes and on my way five minutes later, ten minutes before my appointed time.
They are very efficient but never rushed.

As usual, no side effects whatsoever.

[Hell Razor5543]

I got stabbed three times on Wednesday! Once for the COVID vaccination, another for the 'Flu vaccination, and the third for the diabetes blood test. Both arms are a bit sore where the vaccinations happened (and a nice bruise has come up where the blood was drawn), but I have gone from being diabetic to pre-diabetic.

[CitroJim]

I'm now self-stabbing! That's a new experience for me in deliberately sticking a sharp needle into you... I've come home from hospital with a course of blood thinning medication in pre-filled syringes...

All to protect against DVT and blood clots generally...

[Paul-R]

Whenever I have to have injections into my stomach I always do them myself. I can be so much gentler than professionals and, more important, don't push the plunger down so quickly. Most recently I was injecting blood thinners (probably the same as you have) and I had absolutely no bruising on my stomach.

In other stabbing news, I have my Flu jab scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday).

[CitroJim]

All best with your 'flu jab Paul...

I wasn't trained in hospital how to do the stabbings, just given the syringes, a leaflet and a sharps box...

Once home I had a professional (my nursing daughter) to teach me and happily, no bruising here

The needle guard is a great innovation on these syringes and I'm sure I have a use for the protective caps you pull off to expose the needle... I'm keeping them

[myglaren]

Syringes can be useful too; my dad always had them for oiling small parts, mainly on the Hornby 00 model railway.
I use them as measures for small amounts of liquid, formerly in the pack of dyes for printer ink.

[CitroJim]

Syringes can be useful too; my dad always had them for oiling small parts, mainly on the Hornby 00 model railway.
I use them as measures for small amounts of liquid, formerly in the pack of dyes for printer ink.

Indeed, I've been trying to think of any uses for the ones I've been using Steve and there you go, small and delicate oiling jobs - I'm thinking clocks... Perfect. I shall keep a few out of the sharps box especially for that purpose.

I do have a 10mL syringe with a big wide evil-looking needle I use for measuring out photographic developer...

[Gibbo2286]

Indeed, I've been trying to think of any uses for the ones I've been using Steve and there you go, small and delicate oiling jobs - I'm thinking clocks... Perfect. I shall keep a few out of the sharps box especially for that purpose.

Be careful not to use the wrong needle Jim oil's not a good treatment for Flu or Covid.

[CitroJim]

Indeed, I've been trying to think of any uses for the ones I've been using Steve and there you go, small and delicate oiling jobs - I'm thinking clocks... Perfect. I shall keep a few out of the sharps box especially for that purpose.

Be careful not to use the wrong needle Jim oil's not a good treatment for Flu or Covid.

Might do my creaky old joints some good though

[Richard_C]

Ive just had my 2025 flu jab, the covid booster age is now 75 so 2 years to go. The side effects (normally a bit of a sore arm and a day of 'meh' neither ill nor jolly) were much less than usual this year, didn't really notice it. But in line with the topic title I will ramble a bit about needles.

While I'm fine with the various vaccinations I go irrationally queasy at the sight of needles. In real life or on screen. I used to watch ER, seeing Dr Mark Green extract a Studebaker steering column from the chest of a car crash victim - fine, but I had to hide behind a cushion when a nurse put an IV line in. When I go for a jab I tell the jabber that I'm fine as long as I don't look, so I'll look at the wall and all will be well. At the dentist I can close my eyes the odd time I've needed treatment.

I think it must date back to the late 50's/early 60's when we all lined up at school for various immunisations, wound each other up about the size of the needle and some fainted. Our school visiting nurse was a large and powerful woman, memorable to this day, and unconstrained by modern safeguarding rules. If a pupil fell over in the line she would lift him bodily into a chair and jab him regardless. So some people woke up and threw up as well.

Moving on. 7 years ago, luckily fully fit, not been near a hospital for 40 years apart from taking other people in, and totally asymptomatic, I went to the opticians for a routine eye test (I've worn glasses for 30+ years). She looked in, as they do, said 'oh'and told me to go to the hospital eye clininc next day. First thing, no messing. So off I went, Addenbrookes in Cambridge who do some very advanced stuff. I got to see a consultant within an hour of arriving - we think you've got a melanoma inside your left eye, very rare, nobody knows how or why they happen, but we don't have the radiation facilities here. So rare only Moorfields do it. Good catch by the optician. London or their outpost in Liverpool. Appointment in less than a week.

Anyway, they fixed it without damaging the sight, a radioactive disc sewn to the right place at the back of the eye, left in for the time their physicist says (5 days 22h in my case) then taken out. They must be very kind people because they give you a general anaesthetic for the putting in and taking out jobs. You do have to stay in for the duration, aparrently there's some rules about not letting people with mildly radiocative heads wander round London.

(A possibly amusing aside, and maybe a comment on the state of the nation: for my pre general anaesthetic check a nurse asked how far I could comfortably walk. 12 or 15 I said, depends on the terrain. 12 or 15 what? Miles said I. Oh, my form only goes up to 800 metres, I'll tick that ....)

Now back to needles. Its been fine for 7 years, but one known and inevitavable side effect is a weakening of the macula and fluid leaking in where it shouldn't. The optician spotted that last winter, off to Addenbrookes again, this time they could do it there, a course of injections into the eye. Hang about, I'm scared of needles and you can't close your eye if they are jabbing it.....

Imagine my sheer delight

I've had 8 so far, not as bad as it could have been because they put so many drops in your eye the whole world is unrecognisably blurred, but I still can't watch a needle coming towards my arm.

But since all that my attituide has changed. I always go to eye tests rather than leave it a few years, always say yes to any jabs or routine tests - even the one where you poo into an improbably small tube - and generally I'm a bit more carefull about staying well. Each to their own of course, especally on the vaccines, but I've made my choice. Makes you think.