Almost daily diary!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Squealing like a piggy!

The hypochondriac in me reared its ugly head last night and lured me into the twilight world of NHS Direct! I should not have succumbed. I blame my mother really, well when all else fails, who else is there to blame?!

I have been feeling pretty exhausted over the last few days and can't shake off my cold and I was saying as much to mum on the phone. She mentioned seeing the Dr. I said that I thought I was more likely to catch something worse if I sat in the waiting room for hours, so she mentioned the NHS direct alternative.

So, later in the evening, when I noticed nasty spots on the back of my throat, the thought was already in my head. I know, I thought, I'll ring NHS Direct. So I did, and after some consultation the lovely lady, (She was not a nurse, I hadn't got that far into the system) on the end of the phone, directed me to the Pandemic Flu website.
'But I haven't got flu' I said.
'Try them anyway' she answered 'I think you should'.

At the website you have to fill in a questionnaire about symptoms. While I was doing it I was also on the phone, perhaps I should have concentrated a little more. At the end of the form I was told I had flu and it gave me a unique code to pick up some antivirals. 'I don't need antivirals!' I said to the screen, but under the code, in highlighted writing, it said that it if you didn't pick them up, you wouldn't be offered them a second time, naughty girl. Well it didn't say that exactly but...

Bum, I thought. So I rang the help line. The lovely man told me that if I didn't pick them up, but then needed them at a later date, I'd had my chips. Only one chance per person.
'Even though I don't need them now?'
'Even though you don't need them now' He repeated

So, next time you hear the news about the rapid rise in swine flu statistics, don't believe a word of it, anyone can self diagnose on the website and be counted in as squealing like a little piggy!!

Today I went off to my nearest collection point, driving licence in hand, to collect my Tamiflu. I felt a complete fraud. All I wanted was something for a sore throat! Although, I have to say, the hypochondriac in me is feeling very smug about being prepared! Black market Tamiflu anyone?!





18 comments:

Maggie May said...

I am gobsmacked and that doesn't happen very often!

Nuts in May

Steve said...

Given all the scare stories in the press I think I'm more scared of the Tamiflu than the actual swine flu...!

Hope you're feeling better soon.

Working Mum said...

what a waste of money handing out tamiflu to people who don't need it!

If anyone coughs at school the kids think it's swine flu. In reality we have had only two confirmed cases in the whole school. There are, however, a lot of nasty bugs around and about a quarter of the school are off with other stuff. I'm sure you've got one of them. Hope you feel better soon.

Lindsay said...

During a visit to my GP a couple of weeks ago I asked him if he would take Tamiflu or indeed have the swine flu vaccination when it becomes available - his reply was definitely not! Tamiflu too many side effects, the vaccination not proven or tested enough.
Hope sore throat gets better soon!

Chic Mama said...

I had to ring NHS Direct a couple of weeks ago after I thought the baby had eaten some berries, I didn't realise they took so many details....I won't ring again in a hurry.
I hope you are feeling better soon. X

Letty - A Little Girl With A Curl said...

oh my, the whole thing is just totally mad, Suburbia!

I have heard of stories like this before just recently.

Personally, I have no faith in NHS 24, (and after reading this post, even less than "no faith").

My eldest daughter was sent home by a locum GP with a sore throat (even though she had previously suffered from an abscess on her tonsils which had to be burst by a needle - the old name being "the Quinsey").

We rang NHS 24 who basically gave us platitudes over the phone, until once her throat had swollen up so much she looked kinda like Buzz Lightyear .......we took it into our own hands and went to Casualty.

There is something wrong in all this diagnosis via the phone imho.

I get the flu jab every year due to health probs, but have now been told I am due to get three more jabs for the Swine Flu, not accepting this dictact tbh, the vaccine has not been tested enough, and hey, I, like you, am not a hypochondriac!!

This is all a terrible state of affairs.

Letty ;0D

ps hope you are feeling better!

Anonymous said...

Sounds a very bizarre experience.
I do love the NHS though
considering what we have here........

word verification:pantiout

Lakeland Jo said...

Good grief!! What a system

Furtheron said...

Oh dear - having been a proponant of this kind of system and having shown mock ups etc. to the great and the good I sadly feel partly to blame... but the problem is the clinical algorthm they programme into it... clearly it needs more work.

Another word veri funny... conagis... sounds like? :-)

Carol said...

Sadly, this doesn't surprise me!! I did some research into Swine Flu for an 'entry into Uni' essay I had to do and it confirmed my thoughts....Britian doesn't have that many confirmed cases...just panicking health professionals who reckon if you sneeze once it's swine flu!!! Completely rediculous!!

Hope you feel better soon

C x

nick said...

I'm sceptical of diagnosis by phone, I don't see how it can be as thorough as personal examination. In any case NHS Direct doesn't exist in NI so I have to visit the doc. Don't take Tamiflu, the side-effects can be quite serious in some people. A paracetomol is all you need. And the best cure for a sore throat is just loads of liquid. Forget the fancy medicines.

Reasons said...

World and gone mad spring to mind. Hope the throat gets better soon.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Right, just managed to catch up with you. Hope you are feeling better now. Seems mad, such a system but at least you've got it! If you can be brave enough given the chat about side effects!

BS5 Blogger said...

MFS is now a drugs exchange or barter blog? Gosh!

Liz Hinds said...

What a rubbish system!

I hope you soon feel better - without their flu-drugs. xx

Akelamalu said...

That's just crazy isn't it? :(

Anonymous said...

I have heard this so many times - what a waste of 'our' money. I personally wouldn't take Tamiflu - too many side effects etc and am very wary of the vaccine as is my GP who I spoke to about it. I now have even more reasons to distrust the Swine-Flu stats!!!

Saz said...

...and in the envelope should be a nose and mouth sawb doobrie....pop to your gp and they send it ff for analysis...like my girl....she had the diagnosis confirmed, the swine, the swine...

shh don;t speak too soon Sub!!