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These days now that I am close to middle age, the thought of having to see the doctor makes me feel as if there is something seriously wrong with myself, and whether it is anything serious - perhaps I feel as I am closer to the unknown, especially with some the feelings that I have been having lately, but turning the clock back 30 years one would feel as I had nothing to lose. As a bachelor I do worry about these things, hence the anxiety and depression that I have.
For example, a morning off school, probably a Monday, and the parents have booked an appointment to see the GP because of something that had happened to me at school, or just something that happened over the weekend needed some official NHS bloke in a white coat and stethoscope to give me an examination. Back in 198-whatever this seemed such an agreeable alternative to going to school, and the fact that the doctor cared about my illness (not unlike some at school) was a bonus.
So, me and the mother walk the five minute journey down the hill to the practice that I was registered at for over 30 years. As you do, we present ourselves to the receptionist and are invited to sit down. Now, doctors' waiting rooms as you know are known for a number of things:
A) People with coughs, diseases and things a lot worse than oneself (in which case I would be in the right place in order to get something done about it if I did catch it from someone else). No one has their hand stuck in a teapot - that was the comedic parody that we don't see in real life.
B) The posters on the wall, mostly for the NHS helplines; "have you had a tetanus injection in the last ten years?"; details of anti-natal clinics, quitting smoking, eating healthily and all that.
C) About 20 different magazines on the coffee table, mostly those that one cannot get in any newsagent such as Readers' Digest and The People's Friend. The odd copy of Woman's Own and My Weekly is also on there, and rules state that doctors' surgery magazines must be at least two years old and be read by at least 100 people already. Try not to go for Take a Break as the crossword puzzles had already been completed a long while ago, (probably by the woman who originally donated them - well, it would either be them or Oxfam).
D) The tropical fish in a huge tank which is supposed to calm fidgeting patients who are restless and cannot wait for their name to be called, ironically perhaps. The tank has some electrical machine providing bubbles and the fish are very tropical and colourful unlike any domestic pet fish at home.
E) A play corner where youngsters can use Lego, Stickle Bricks or whatever toys there are over there. Typical Toy Library stuff on there, aimed at the under fives of course.
F) Er…
G) That's it (cf Private Eye magazine).
After around 25 minutes of waiting and almost getting board, the GP announces Yours Truly's name to the whole of the practice and invites me and mother into the examination room. Indeed, this may seem embarrassing in itself - however, after a 2015 visit to my GP surgery close to where I live now, I got my name in red LED lights scrolling across as if I was to the star of the show, in front of anyone who can see it - which I feel rather uncomfortable with, and I am certain that other patients would feel the same as well.
So, we enter the doctor's room - (he doesn't wear a while coat as he is modern), but he had everything that he needs to see what is wrong with me. He invites me to sit on his couch so that he can examine me - I feel anxious about this as I almost feel as if I am just two steps away from hospital. Looking at my GP medical notes which I got under the Data Protection Act 1998 back in 2008, I recall a 1987 visit which was caused in a nutshell by stress at school, and one a year later when he made a referral to a consultant at the local hospital (which I mentioned on the Hospital thread). I also recall a 1991 visit when someone had kicked me in a place where I wouldn't like to be kicked, and also a 1993 visit when I pushed down the stairs at school going from one lesson to another, so I was a semi-regular person down there.
After the examination, the GP makes out a future appointment, perhaps in a month's time, and also a prescription, which happened to be anything from Benylin for a chesty cough to a laxative from the pharmacist next door due to my "colonic overloading" back in 1987. Then we go back home again, being thankful that it is over until next time - I seldom went back to school on the same day afterwards. Indeed, I always trusted a doctor over a teacher, and it is a pity that Harold Shipman seemed to give GPs such a negative stereotype when he was doing his business of doing the opposite of making people well at his practice.
On the whole, I think that the NHS is a British institution which has protected so many people from illness and disease, and it is one of the best organisations which is still going strong.
But what are your memories of seeing the GP at the local surgery? I know that we have talked about in the past about hospitals and doctors there, but what about the local GP and coming in after one has had ill health or had been "in the wars" due to what had happened at school? It happened to me, so I am certain that it happened to most other people. The school nurse was hardly in school and so that was a waste of time sometimes. One of my local GPs even visited my school because he was so concerned about bullying and that I was getting bruises which I was unable to explain. Do you remember seeing being absent from school in order to see the doctor, and finding missing school rather agreeable? I know that I would rather be protected than punched. I even try and make a day of it.
Going to see the local GP wasn't that bad when you were around 10 years of age - was it?
For example, a morning off school, probably a Monday, and the parents have booked an appointment to see the GP because of something that had happened to me at school, or just something that happened over the weekend needed some official NHS bloke in a white coat and stethoscope to give me an examination. Back in 198-whatever this seemed such an agreeable alternative to going to school, and the fact that the doctor cared about my illness (not unlike some at school) was a bonus.
So, me and the mother walk the five minute journey down the hill to the practice that I was registered at for over 30 years. As you do, we present ourselves to the receptionist and are invited to sit down. Now, doctors' waiting rooms as you know are known for a number of things:
A) People with coughs, diseases and things a lot worse than oneself (in which case I would be in the right place in order to get something done about it if I did catch it from someone else). No one has their hand stuck in a teapot - that was the comedic parody that we don't see in real life.
B) The posters on the wall, mostly for the NHS helplines; "have you had a tetanus injection in the last ten years?"; details of anti-natal clinics, quitting smoking, eating healthily and all that.
C) About 20 different magazines on the coffee table, mostly those that one cannot get in any newsagent such as Readers' Digest and The People's Friend. The odd copy of Woman's Own and My Weekly is also on there, and rules state that doctors' surgery magazines must be at least two years old and be read by at least 100 people already. Try not to go for Take a Break as the crossword puzzles had already been completed a long while ago, (probably by the woman who originally donated them - well, it would either be them or Oxfam).
D) The tropical fish in a huge tank which is supposed to calm fidgeting patients who are restless and cannot wait for their name to be called, ironically perhaps. The tank has some electrical machine providing bubbles and the fish are very tropical and colourful unlike any domestic pet fish at home.
E) A play corner where youngsters can use Lego, Stickle Bricks or whatever toys there are over there. Typical Toy Library stuff on there, aimed at the under fives of course.
F) Er…
G) That's it (cf Private Eye magazine).
After around 25 minutes of waiting and almost getting board, the GP announces Yours Truly's name to the whole of the practice and invites me and mother into the examination room. Indeed, this may seem embarrassing in itself - however, after a 2015 visit to my GP surgery close to where I live now, I got my name in red LED lights scrolling across as if I was to the star of the show, in front of anyone who can see it - which I feel rather uncomfortable with, and I am certain that other patients would feel the same as well.
So, we enter the doctor's room - (he doesn't wear a while coat as he is modern), but he had everything that he needs to see what is wrong with me. He invites me to sit on his couch so that he can examine me - I feel anxious about this as I almost feel as if I am just two steps away from hospital. Looking at my GP medical notes which I got under the Data Protection Act 1998 back in 2008, I recall a 1987 visit which was caused in a nutshell by stress at school, and one a year later when he made a referral to a consultant at the local hospital (which I mentioned on the Hospital thread). I also recall a 1991 visit when someone had kicked me in a place where I wouldn't like to be kicked, and also a 1993 visit when I pushed down the stairs at school going from one lesson to another, so I was a semi-regular person down there.
After the examination, the GP makes out a future appointment, perhaps in a month's time, and also a prescription, which happened to be anything from Benylin for a chesty cough to a laxative from the pharmacist next door due to my "colonic overloading" back in 1987. Then we go back home again, being thankful that it is over until next time - I seldom went back to school on the same day afterwards. Indeed, I always trusted a doctor over a teacher, and it is a pity that Harold Shipman seemed to give GPs such a negative stereotype when he was doing his business of doing the opposite of making people well at his practice.
On the whole, I think that the NHS is a British institution which has protected so many people from illness and disease, and it is one of the best organisations which is still going strong.
But what are your memories of seeing the GP at the local surgery? I know that we have talked about in the past about hospitals and doctors there, but what about the local GP and coming in after one has had ill health or had been "in the wars" due to what had happened at school? It happened to me, so I am certain that it happened to most other people. The school nurse was hardly in school and so that was a waste of time sometimes. One of my local GPs even visited my school because he was so concerned about bullying and that I was getting bruises which I was unable to explain. Do you remember seeing being absent from school in order to see the doctor, and finding missing school rather agreeable? I know that I would rather be protected than punched. I even try and make a day of it.
Going to see the local GP wasn't that bad when you were around 10 years of age - was it?
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