A Most Productive Visit

Saw my GP at the ludicrously early time of 8:10 today. Ostensibly it was to talk about having seen the ENT specialist and the new drug, Rinatec, that he's put me on. I don't think I'm a typical patient because when my GP asked, under her breath, "Rinatec? Not familiar with that, what is it?", I replied, "It's a neurotransmitter receptor antagonist which blocks mucus production". Sometimes I am such a geek.

Anyway, she took the opportunity to do my annual HRT and asthma review. This consisted of taking my blood pressure (the HRT review - none of your needle/phlebotomy-fu here), and my peak flow (which was a bit low because I have the remnants of a cold), and asking me how often I used my asthma medication.

She then asked me how much alcohol I drink, to which I replied about 10 units a week, which is the truth. Since most people apparently lie in response to this question, she may or may not believe me. She also asked if I get much exercise, and I told her about the rock climbing.

This may redeem me in the eyes of the NHS for having the bad taste to be chronically trans an chronically allergic to stuff (and therefore needing drugs forever), because there's a non-trivial chance I might fall off a cliff and die before I start costing them lots of money in old age.

On the other hand, I might break lots of bones, so it could go either way really.

Anyway, I got my Rinatec on repeat, but also something else. She's put me on something called "Repeat Dispensing" for my HRT and Ranitidine scripts, which are the two I have to fill most often. What this involves is her writing out a year's supply of prescription repeats in one go, only they're on time-release. I give them all to my pharmacy and they keep them for me. Every 28 days I just wander into the pharmacy and ask for the next one to be filled. It's apparently that simple. This will save me a lot of hassle having to drop in the repeat request, wait a couple of days and then pick up the drugs from the pharmacy - instead I can treat HRT like just shopping for any other consumable. Next February I just go back to the GP for another thorough HRT physical (blood pressure test) and get another 12 months worth.

Simples!

Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/229890.html - you can comment here or there.

Camera Loves Ya, Baby!

I've just had my photo taken lots by a photographer from the local paper. By way of a teaser, I'm not going to say more other than that it's for a story about a bit of activism I'm doing (although anyone who heard me on the local radio station this morning will likely guess). Am expecting the story to go out probably tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Mysterious Sarah

Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/230297.html - you can comment here or there.

Climbing Terminology

I thought some readers may be interested in the terminology we use at the climbing wall, so here's a quick glossary:

On Belay	I am tied in and ready to start climbing - the expected response is "belay on", indicating that your belayer acknowledges that they are ready to belay you.
Climbing	I am ready to start climbing this wall, please catch me if I fall! The expected response is, "climb on"
Rope	When called by the climber - "Please let out some slack"
Rope!	When called by someone standing on the ground - "This rope I am pulling is about to come loose and plummet to the ground. Take care lest it fall on you."
Take	Please make the rope tight, so that I may take a rest.
Watch me	The bit I'm about to climb looks quite hard. I may be about to fall. I appreciate that you are the sole beneficiary of my will, but should I fall please catch me!
Watch meeee!	I'm already falling - sorry about the late notice and stuff. Everything I said about being the sole beneficiary of my will still applies
WATCH ME! OH SHIT! OH SHIT!	I am definitely going to fall, and I have good reason to believe the ground will arrest my fall before the belay does. Please prepare to contact the emergency services or in extremis, a funeral director.
You have got to be shitting me!	This panel is at least 30 degrees past the vertical and the holds I have my feet on are a bit tenuous, and the next move involves hanging a sloper hold with one hand while doing a reachy Egyptian move to get the other hand to the next hold, which doesn't look a whole lot better, and you only graded this 6b, and yet I just had to dangle from one hand while making the clip??? Who's the comedian who set this and do you do children's parties? By the way. I'm probably about to fall off.

I did as well. *mutter*

This isn't over, not by a long shot. I want a rematch.

Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/230485.html - you can comment here or there.