Minimising time/effort dealing with health

Can you read on a bus? I can't, but some people can.

In my case where all visits to health facilities are by car, I try to do something else has well. A trip to the surgery can be combined with the weekly shopping, in the same way i organise my hair appointments for convenient times.

On longer journeys, an hour plus, to the local hospital I have the radio on and listen to the radio - R3 or R4, R4 in particular has very good factual programmes. Once I caught a programme describing in detail how the foreign owners of Thames Water (our water supplier) shafted the company and loaded it with billions of debt, while they bled it of even greater £billions of dividends, delivered me to the hospital with high blood pressure readings. At other times I have listened to lighter programmes and arrived at hospital entertained,amused and wiser or heard new composers on R3 and conversations with great musicians.

Yes, I find it too. I do crochet, and I like to read and do puzzles. I chat to people too, and sometimes I combine an appointment with a trip to somewhere - tomorrow a physio appointment means calling in to a speciality food shop that I otherwise would think 'not worth the trip'.
I'm sure a lot of you remember Rabbi Lionel Blue, who when he became ill and had a lot of appointments, would make 'tablet' and hand it round in outpatients (I can just imagine the nurses' faces!)

I have bee discharged from my local hospital after recent surgery so thankfully have no reasons to go I hope, for a while.

I have caught taxis there but more recently would take two buses. I played games on my phone on the longer journeys, although I know it's anti-social.

My NHS dentist is just up the road so no problem there and haven't been for more than a year.

I do pay for my hands and feet doing, but will now have to do them myself as they are fully booked for a few weeks and I can't wait any longer.

I haven't had my ears syringed for more than two years, but again would pay for these doing if needs be.

I don't care about blemishes, nor do I spend time or money on gadgets.

My advice is this- just cut down a little. You don't mention any health issues you may have so some of these are cosmetic.

Just being present is very healthy.. doesn't really matter what you are doing...

I finally thesethings a nightmare as I have anxiety and don't do queues. Last week after 3 days I got an appointment for tests only to be told I can't do them until I'm off a tablet for 2 weeks. Now why didn't they tell me that on the phone?
Then I had my flu jab but they invited the whole surgery at the same time queueing down the town!

Why not just accept that you're getting older and healthy type issues are going to increase and just move nearer the hospital/GP/dentist etc?

Aveline

Why not just accept that you're getting older and healthy type issues are going to increase and just move nearer the hospital/GP/dentist etc?

I was about to say the same!

DanniRae

Aveline

Why not just accept that you're getting older and healthy type issues are going to increase and just move nearer the hospital/GP/dentist etc?

I was about to say the same!

So was I. I'm planning to move in with my partner in the New Year. We're going to look for a new house and one of our main priorities is living near a good hospital and medical facilities.

Yup, me too (re Aveline’s comment)… accepting it gives you freedom to think about other things…

Don't move. Get a local dentist.

All that faffing about trying to fit in with bus times though? Or just bite the bullet and cough up for taxis all the time.

I thought fitting in as best you can with bus timetables – if you don't have a car available, buses are infrequent, and the services one needs are not within walking distance – was something everyone did!

Just recently, the receptionist at my dentists offered to book my next check up and dental hygienist appointments ' back to back' , they had always been on separate dates before. Brilliant, I can't believe we didn't think of that years ago! I also plan some shopping on the way home, sometimes arrange a meet up with a local friend, so it's a worthwhile outing.

Grannmarie

Just recently, the receptionist at my dentists offered to book my next check up and dental hygienist appointments ' back to back' , they had always been on separate dates before. Brilliant, I can't believe we didn't think of that years ago! I also plan some shopping on the way home, sometimes arrange a meet up with a local friend, so it's a worthwhile outing.

When we go to the dentist I see the dentist then the hygienist - at the same time OH sees the hygienist then the dentist.

Re: ear wax removal. After removal you can keep your ears free of wax by dropping an olive oil drop or two into your ears nightly.

Depends what your having done to your feet, I sort my own out, daily use of something like Earol keeps the wax away.
One of my criteria when I moved years ago was good access to medical services for the future.

8CariadAgain* I know exactly what you mean and i made that resolution myself. My mother whole life seemed to be appointments which she enjoyed! I'm going to healthy eating, weight loss, little HPFs and plenty of exercise - golf and walking not gym but each to his own. I also keep a diary and plan time for myself and for DH and I together having adventures and trips. Always have something nice to look forward to. Keep negative people at bay.

Grannmarie

Just recently, the receptionist at my dentists offered to book my next check up and dental hygienist appointments ' back to back' , they had always been on separate dates before. Brilliant, I can't believe we didn't think of that years ago! I also plan some shopping on the way home, sometimes arrange a meet up with a local friend, so it's a worthwhile outing.

Thankfully I already have been ensuring the dentist and hygienist are "back to back" when I've got them both due. So it's dental check-up once a year and I have a hygienist just before them and a 2nd hygienist appointment in between yearly ones.

This morning he told me I need two replacement fillings (#sad smilie face) and they are going to cost hundreds of £s and so he started with "Have two separate appointments - and that will spread the cost a bit". At which point I queried and said I'd had two fillings at one appointment before now and asked why not for these. Promptly re-arranged to have them both done at the same appointment - and me thinking "Thank goodness I thought of that - and that will save me 2 hours down the drain having a 2nd appointment".

While I'm at the dentists if there's a gap in time waiting around for buses or getting there too early I do go into the health food shop there (as it's the best one in this area) - to get a bit more choice in food to buy.

Can't move - as I moved here in the first place because of not being able to afford a better house in my own area (because I'm single). If my premium bonds come up with a decent size win = I'd give it serious thought.

My first try at getting a dentist in this little town involved the surgery clearly not being used to patients from a university city (ie questioning....making our own decisions for ourselves etc) - as this is quite an area for "being told what to do". So I swopped, swopped, swopped again around the area until I found a similar dentist to my university city one - which happens to be the dearest there is here - whew! But needs must to get as modern and as "the patient makes the patients decisions - obviously" as I'm used to.

Ears syringed - they had to be - as I'd realised my hearing was a lot worse (cue for then finding out they're telling me I'd lost the hearing in one ear in Covid - something I've not gone into yet re any methods there might be to restore it).

Blemishes - one of the few things held onto with age is my skin is holding up pretty well and still looking reasonably young - apart from those cosmetic blemishes - and I hate what's happened to most of my looks with ages - so I do what I can. I'm not having/wouldnt have "cosmetic surgery" per se - but I decided to have a major blitz on a crop of seborrhoic keratoses that came up (and a bit of reassurance that they aren't the skin cancer my father and erstwhile brother were absolutely riddled with all over - yep....Dalmatians 'r us everywhere on them - so I'm rather skin-conscious).

Added - one of my own little things too is to "reward" myself for the inconvenience with a main meal out if there's somewhere suitable etc in the town I'm going to. I've come from a foodie city and am used to frequent meals out/try new things/etc - so I grab for any chance I get if I see there's a reasonable place I can have a meal whilst "involuntarily out" and save back a bit of time on making/clearing up a main meal that day if that's how the timing goes. Yesterday's trip out for my feet involved going to a town with a Marks & Spencers in (smaller than I'm used to - but it's still got a food section). Cue for me heading straight into the food hall there gasping for the exotic fruits I'm used to and can't get in this town and then heading out with a selection of them I'd bought.

There are several universities in our city. That certainly doesn't mean that all our citizens are somehow a cut above those of other cities. Plenty of compliant people here too. Not happy about the rather lofty tone adopted in previous posts

Aveline

There are several universities in our city. That certainly doesn't mean that all our citizens are somehow a cut above those of other cities. Plenty of compliant people here too. Not happy about the rather lofty tone adopted in previous posts

They are slightly weird comments, Aveline.. but I suppose it is about accessible choice and variety.. not always available in small towns..

I must live in the right location. Buses every ten minutes, so it is easy : ten minutes ride for the dentist, or a few minutes drive if shopping, or late, and free parking.
Physio - five minute drive to another village and free parking, or walk locally for ten minutes.
Hospital 50 mins by bus and tram, both frequent. Other hospital- drive to park and ride, then Medilink bus.
Hairdresser 5 mins walk.
The only difficult place is a different hospital almost impossible if i’m not able to drive myself.
All much trickier if too poorly to cope with public transport. When I had to take my husband to appointments by car, Parking was a nightmare.

I think you are overthinking this OP!
I have 2 dental check.ups a year, one hygienist appointment and that's it..
I'm 76
I rarely see a doctor (i think twice in the last year?) Sometimes never. I occasionally see a chiropractor or physio if I need to- fortunately not at the moment, but I really don't give it any thought.
Not for me the "organ recitals" or 25 different pills( actually none) or list of ailments.
I suppose I am lucky but certainly don't give it the thought you seem to.
As to what I spend? No different to spending at the hairdresser.
I could not obsess about my health the way OP seems to - too much else to enjoy!

We have no public transport here at all, so you are lucky OP!! At least you can get a bus!

It is very hard for me to have a life between appointments - this is something I struggle to get across to the medics. I may be 76, but I have a lot going on in my life and doping me up with so many drugs might make medical sense but it does not make life sense for me; and sending me appointments that are duplications of what someone else is doing is not a small thing to me.

It takes me 40 minutes to drive to my surgery; and the same amount of time to drive to the hospital.