Brave New World

My retirement from teaching was meant to herald a new dawn of cycling and mountaineering; with a little bit of journalism and photography thrown. Instead, we’ve been served up a diet of ill parents and medical appointments. I sincerely believe in the NHS, but we now have a deliberately failed system in which the prevailing professional ethic is one which Col. Potter of MASH fame; would have described as meatball surgery. Patch up and pack off, only do what is necessary. Given the DNR notice that was served on my mother-in-law, it appears that even keeping a patient alive is no longer a priority. This goes against all principles of medicine – preserve life, promote recovery and prevent the situation from worsening. Working in the hope that the patient might die in order to free up a bed is not good practice or are we just making way for an insurance led system where patient need is secondary to the cost to the insurer. One doctor even advised private medicine if we were unhappy with the service. 

On the cycling front, the mileage has dropped while the world has revolved around medics who fail to understand that a world exists outside the confines of their concreate box. Consequently, the blood glucose levels have increased. So far this year I have completed 600km in Audax events and 550.74km in training – a total of 1241.49km (771 miles). 

In addition to cycling, I have begun my second career as a journalist. I am close to completing a NCTJ qualification and have conducted my first assignment. I’m now just attempting to get it published. I’m reading The Devil Wears Prada and have now started to understand Andrea. Unlike Andy, my editor doesn’t call every five minutes, she’s currently incommunicado on a yacht somewhere. Oh, the glamour of it all. So different from education, if I wanted to talk to my boss and he was unavailable, it was usually because he was in a meeting to discuss an adolescent mental health issue, drug dealing or teenage prostitution. Covering the RHS Tatton Flower Show and having your editor on a yacht seems so much more glamourous. 

RHS Tatton was a world that I could never have imagined. People actually wanted to talk to me! I met some amazing designers and growers, many of whom I spoke to in their own show gardens, I was no longer just public looking in. Some of them have even kept in touch in the vague hope of gaining some publicity. 

Next week I also start running adult cycling sessions in our local park for the Friends of Dawley Park. This has been funded by a DoT grant and Cycling UK. How the world seems so different once you are on the outside of large institutions. Depending how this month turns out, the cycling and journalism blog might separate or just get a new name. Watch this space. 

Not remission - but winning the battle!

 

The battle with Nursey may be finally over! In September I had yet another blood test to try and prove that I was no longer a diabetic. As is regular practice, I was required to have a follow up interrogation. I requested a GP in the hope of getting some common sense from Dr R. Instead, I got an ageing Asian lady who appeared to be returning to medicine in an effort to stave off early dementia or supplement a pension that would not fund her grandchildren through a gap year.

Her response to everything was, ‘I don’t know, you will have to ask the nurse.’

Seven years of medical training in order to refer all questions to the nurse. She knew nothing of glucose levels, types of monitors or accepted norms. She did insist on weighing me on a set of scales that looked like they belonged in a medical museum or on the set of a 1960s drama. As she was unable to bend down to read the dial, my weight somehow managed to increase from 93.2Kg to 94KG – as this was the next large number she could see. Or I had gained 800g over breakfast. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, yes there had been significant movement that morning in a downwards direction.

Then came the blood pressure check. I did mention that I had struggled through the school traffic, battled the Coop car park, and walked briskly up hill to get to the surgery for an 8.45am appointment - an appointment that she was late starting. Her qualified medical opinion was that such events would not affect it and my blood pressure was high. She suggested that I should do something about it.

‘Must be stress at work, can I have a month off?’

‘It’s not that high!’ She snapped.

‘What do you suggest?

‘More exercise and less food.’

I took to the opportunity to inform her that I am able to ride in excess of 200 miles in 24 hours. She was not best pleased and almost pushed me out of the room. I made an appointment to see Nursey.

 

The appointment with Nursey went better than expected. She was pleased with the blood test. The NHS limit for blood glucose is 48 - using whatever ridiculous unit they choose to follow; I was at 52. She could not say I was in remission but could record that I am a diabetic with the condition under control. When I enquired about the next test in three months, she told me she didn’t need to see me for another year. RESULT!

Now I just needed to get clearance for scuba diving. In the UK this is more problematic than elsewhere in the world. The NHS doctors I have seen, all refuse to sign anything to do with diving and the private hyperbaric specialists require verified results from the HbA1c test. Even to share the results the practice wanted £50 to write the letter, then with the private medicals costing over £100 I was beginning to feel exploited by the very people who had told me to do more exercise.

So that is why I found myself sat in the waiting room of Spanish medical centre on a wet Monday evening in February. I was about to pay 40 Euros to see a very qualified hyperbaric specialist who I hoped would declare me fit to dive.

One week to go!

Went out today to complete the Tour de France challenge I've been chasing for the last year. The challenge was to compete the original TdF milage. Now that's over, it's a week until the London Edinburgh Lobdon ride. So a week of reducing the milage and eating enough food to make nursey blow a gasket.

 

New ride!

Saturday's planned AUDAX permanent cancelled due to weather (bit cold to go up the Clee) and road closures out towards Ludlow. So, a new route around Cound Moor. See FATMAP.  Bit of a training ride for the summer event as it contains every sort of terrain that I'll encounter in miniature. Announcements next month on where I'll be riding.