Organisation. Yeah, it's not my strongest attribute. I don't write down messages, because I think I'll remember them. If I write something down, then I usually can't read it. Or if I can read it, it's usually on a post-it (someone else's, because I've lost my own pad), or the back of an envelope that I will then lose. 'Dammit, I meant to do that!' is quite often my battle-cry. Usually at either 7pm when whatever shop I've meant to go to has shut, or at 2am, when it's too late to do anything about anything.Now don't get me wrong, I have good intentions. I constantly think that 'Becky, you really must get yourself sorted out'. I have a diary (because it comes free with my Equity membership), a 'things to do today' book, and other such things. But I'm just one of those people. I can totally organise other people. When I was working on Shrew, people did actually ask me daily how I held all the information in my head. But that's other people. When it comes to myself, I'm terrible. I recently sat on a cheque for 5 months. Not literally, because it had actually made it from underneath my laundry basket to the pinboard over my desk, which is a major improvement. But it had stayed pinned to the wall for months, because I don't 'do' banks, and 'going to the bank' doesn't rate highly on my list of things to do in a day. And so it would slip my mind a lot. I also had another cheque from a previous job at Thorntons, that they didn't give me until it was practically out of date. So when I did take to the bank (fairly promptly for me as well) it was out of date, and they wouldn't take it. So now I have to try and remember to call human resources at my old job . Any bets how long that will take me to do?
So this is how I quite often find that I've left my log-book of results in a stack of papers at work, usually along with my mp3 player. This is also how I have nearly two full sharps boxes that need disposing of sat under my coffee table, since I have not yet remembered to call the council to arrange disposal.
In the past I've never really had to deal with prescriptions. Sure, I've dealt with getting renewals on my inhalers, but to be honest, I used to get several at a time that would last me til they expired. And then before I had my free prescriptions, I actually used to use my Dad's, because they were exactly the same, and he got them free because he's over 60 (bad, I know, but still...). So actually having to remember about getting prescriptions filled, to book appointments to get blood drawn or similar, and then to actually GO to said appointments is something of a brave new world to me. It's awkward, and I've made a bit of a tit of myself a couple of times. I've dealt with angry receptionists at my GP's, who have actually made me cry. As I said in my last post, I've had one of my truly amazing friends drive from Pocklington to York to pick up and fill my test strips prescription, because I'd miscalculated when I'd run out, and would have been in a bit of a jam.
I think it's actually fairly overwhelming to suddenly have to deal with booking appointments and handling prescriptions when you've never done it before. Nobody actually tells you how to do it, and you feel a prat asking. For instance, I really want to get more pots of test strips on my prescription, rather than just two pots, so I don't have to ring up as often, and for them to take the wrong test strips off my repeats, because I don't want to end up with the wrong ones again. But how do I go about sorting this out? I have absolutely no idea. Can I do it over the phone? Then if so, who do I call? Receptionist, GP, DSN? I know that I've been told I'm entitled and encouraged to get a flu shot (and supposedly one for this ridiculous swine flu thing), but do I arrange it, or does someone send me a letter automatically? And how am I supposed to know either way?
Please somebody, write a guide to navigating these mazes for those of us who prior to diabetes have had practically no contact with this sort of thing! Then I can try and get on with sorting the rest of my life out. And get on to calling the human resources department of Thorntons.
xx
Also, for the record, you should definately try Diet Cola with a hint of Almond from Tesco. It's really yummy, and reminds me of Diet Vanilla Coke, which I miss.
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wow, you totally made my day...sorry I know that seems awful to say, but as mentioned I'm staring my own Life coaching business for just those sort of reasons...
by the by... have you talked to your pharmacist? I have mine trained up to where he co-ordinates all of my meds, when they need ordered and by whom and then he rings me one week before stuff is due, so I then have a full week to pick it up. If I have not done so by mid-week his staff calls again. He also made everything due on the same day(which took some shuffling at first) so now all my meds fill on the first instead of on the 1st, the 7th and the 23rd, as they once were.
What I did was called the Pharmacy and asked if I could schedule 15 minutes of his time via phone. Then I explained what I needed and why, who my doc was and what scripts I had. Not only was he happy to do it he said he wished more patients would take the time to just say what they needed instead of complain later...
Hope this helps a bit...of course, don't post-it perhaps a dry erase marker across the computer screen?
Best wishes, PaidiaK - a fellow chronicbabe