Some General Thoughts About Chest Surgery

So.... I have been up all night puking my guts up (it's tailed off now, thank the gods.... vomiting gets old fast), and it gave me time to have a good long think about a few things relating to my chest surgery.  I keep coming back to it at the moment- presumably because it is something that I have wanted for so long, and that might finally be going to happen.  And I say 'might' because as I have said before- I'll believe it when they knock me out on the table. ;)

Also, this is going under a cut because it might get long.

( Mental outpouring. Yay.  )

There's not much else to say, I guess.

In Other News:
My landlord came in, measured up the flat, and was his usual strange self.   He's not an unpleasant guy, but even when he is trying to be friendly he sounds like he is up to something.  Anyway, as I said in my last post, he rang up last night wanting to come in and measure the place up.  

The measuring didn't take long- about 15mins in total.  I asked him a little bit about why he wanted to do it, and basically they re-did the roof a short while ago and discovered that the attic space is bigger than they thought, so they want to put a new flat in up there.  Apparently there is adequate space, but in order to do it they need to extend the stairs up to our flat, which means destroying the hallway that leads to our kitchen.  So, they would have to remodel the kitchen, move our bathroom, and put in a new connecting hallway.  It would make our flat slightly smaller, but the bathroom we have at the moment is shitty in the extreme, so I am not heartbroken about that. 

I am, however, rather perturbed.  He said the work should be easy enough and wouldn't be a problem for us, but  I can't decide if that's because they are planning on not renewing our lease, or because they will just work around us while we live here.   He knows that Ad and I want to stay here for at least another year, but we are due to renew in June.  The landlord says he will be writing to us in the next few days about the lease, and... I dunno... I am just really worried.  Ad and I have lived here for 2 years, and it has been really nice not having to pack up and leave at the end of the year.  I really don't think I can cope with surgery, my course, AND moving house all at the same time.  I don't know how well that would go.

The NHS Fails Again

I am practically shaking with rage right now.  I just signed for a recorded delivery letter, which was from the Sleep Clinic at the hospital I attend.  I use a CPAP machine which was provided for me via the NHS because I have sleep apnoea.  Apparently, because I have missed 2 appointments at this clinic, they want me to return the machine or they will start reclamation proceedings. 

Only, no-one has told me about any appointments.

I saw them shortly before Christmas as an emergency to get a new mask for the machine, because the one I had wasn't working.  Prior to that I missed an appointment (again because they didn't tell me I had one) so they sent me a letter saying they would report me to the DMV and have my (non-existent) driving license revoked.   Anyway, the guy I saw said that they would make an appointment for me and send me a letter for the review.  So I have been waiting.  And waiting.  And waiting.  I have received nothing.

The worst thing is, every time I ring the Sleep Clinic I am met with a very stand-offish response of 'well, the computer says the letters were sent on this date.'  I don't really give a fuck what the computer says- the only letters I ever receive from them are the ones they print out when I am physically sat there, or the recorded delivery, aggressive legal bulshit ones.  >_<;   Now, I don't know if there's some half-wit at the office who can't work out how to send the letters, or if they just aren't getting here, but I deal with 4 separate departments at QA Hospital as a patient- Neurology, the Sleep Clinic, the Eye Clinic, and Soft Tissue Surgical- and only the Sleep Clinic consistently fucks up like this.   Yes, I have had issues with the others, but I have always been able to get in touch with them and when they contact me, their letters fucking well get here!   The letter I received today didn't even look finished- it said 'contact us on the number above' and the spaces for the numbers hadn't even been filled in!  It was a standard printed letter, and they couldn't even be arsed to save their fucking phone numbers on the template!  ARGH!

I rang the Sleep Clinic and explained that I had missed appointments I didn't even know I had, and the woman was, as ever, very stand-offish and actually borderline rude.  I was trying to find out how appointments could have been made for me without my knowledge, especially since I saw someone there before Christmas and had been told to expect a letter.  At which point the woman said 'I'll transfer you to the sleep team' and without warning put me on hold.  I was then transferred to an answering machine (so no way to go back and speak to the person I was talking to) and had to leave a message explaining the problem.  By which time I was fucking furious, and I am worried that it might have come across in my voice. -___-;   I don't like being an asshole, especially not to fellow NHS workers, but this department just makes me feel like I am being pushed to it.

I considered phoning back and asking the woman why she transferred me without telling me why, but thought better of it.  Instead I called the hospital and asked for the complaints department, at which I spoke to a nice lady who took down my details, and a short version of what happened, and who has promised to ring me back either this afternoon or tomorrow.  >__>;   I wouldn't normally bother making complaints, but I have now had 2 avoidable recorded delivery letters from these people, and have yet to get any explanation as to why normal letters aren't reaching me from them.

As I said to the lady at the complaints department- I'm probably not a model patient.  I am very busy, and I can't always make appointments.  But how can I possibly plan and make arrangements to change appointments if I don't even know they are happening?!