Let's Pour Salt Into The Wound, Shall We?

Hello Friends!

I am speechless!  Well, maybe not, because I am incandescently angry and, like many others in my county, up in arms over developments this past week.

I am going to give you a series of links which you can read if you want a fuller version, but the bottom line is the powers that be have decided to make major cut backs in funding and reduction of services to four of the main/only hospitals that service west Wales and the Hywel Dda Health Authority, including Emergency Surgery at Withybush Hospital.

The four main hospitals impacted by these decisions are Withybush, Bronglais, Morriston, and Prince Phillip.

Here are three short articles from the local newspaper that outline the situation and impact, in order of date of publication:

Withybush Hospital future in balance ahead of key meeting | Western Telegraph

Withybush Hospital to lose emergency general surgery | Western Telegraph

Anger at Pembrokeshire Withybush hospital decision | Western Telegraph

Understandably, there is public outrage, and once again the residents of Pembrokeshire take to all the platforms available to them to protest and fight to keep our hospital services.  In the meantime, YOU can help by signing the petition, below.  I have checked with the organisers and it is not location specific so yes, you can sign it and share it because EVERY SINGLE SIGNATURE COUNTS!  And, it could affect you, too, should you come to the area on holiday and need hospital treatment.

Urgent Pembrokeshire Healthcare & Resident Safety - Withybush Hospital & Health Board Intervention - Petitions

Not wanting to go down the route of bad puns, the following news today has just poured salt into the wound and added insult to injury when our First Minister, Eluned Morgan, visited Royal Alexandra in Rhyl to announce a £33 million investment in Minor Injuries, Radiology, NHS Dentistry, and Rehabilitation for the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Eluned Morgan in Rhyl

I knew both her parents.  I served on several committees with her mother, and I cannot help wondering how they would feel about the way their daughter is behaving towards the place they called home. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SHARE IT.

Preparing For The Flack

Hello Friends!

As promised, this the account of my recent 'consultation' with my Parkinson's PGMP. For abbreviations used, please see box in sidebar.

{back story}

•      diagnosed with Parkinson's Sept 21
•       told I would be seen F2F every six months
•      there would be regular contact with a PN.
•     it is now 30 calendar months since my last F2F
•    appointments constantly rescheduled
•    I was last seen by the PGMP F2F in Sept 23
•   All appointments since have either been cancelled or happened over the phone
•  I have involved the help of my local Senedd AM as to why provision of services is so poor in my area

Telephone consultations are not productive for assessing the patient's current level of progression because you need to see the individual to assess physical deterioration levels.

My last appointment in Dec 2025 was cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice and rescheduled for last Tuesday 3^rd Feb at 4:00 PM. It was at this time I contacted my Senedd AM

All consultations begin with 10 minutes spent refreshing the PGMP with my medical history and medication regime.  He does not review notes ahead of time. Telephone consultations are generally limited to 30 minutes but Tuesdays was less than 25 minutes.

I had prepared notes to help me, but I was not asked any questions regarding my current level, nor given the opportunity to ask questions.

The PGMP is hell bent that I must move into either an assisted living facility or care home as soon as possible. This from a “professional” who has not seen me in person for more than two and a half years, and has no idea how my symptoms are progressing, or what my needs are. 

His argument is that I live on my own, and because I get no support from family, community, neighbours or friends, no one checks in on me, no one visits or telephones me, and {according to him} I have lost confidence and do not attend any community events to socialize, that by moving I will make new friends, regain my confidence and begin “socializing” with said new friends.  

He is blinkered and determined to the point that I no longer wish to speak with him.  Not that I can speak to him, for he is so fixated he does not allow me to speak or say why I disagree.

Here’s why I do not want to move:

1.    I am perfectly happy where I am.  

2.    My confidence is not missing!

3.    I do not want to make new friends because:

a.   I don’t like big groups

b.   I prefer my own company to a room full of people who are not my Tribe.

c.   I am not a social butterfly

d.   I have physical limitations that add to my discomfort when in social situations

4.    He has not considered the negative impact that moving would have on my wellbeing, especially the stress involved.

5.    My local council will do everything in their power to keep individuals living in their own home by providing support as needed to facilitate independent living.

I am not stupid, I know that at some point in the future assisted living or a care home will be a necessity, but when I am ready I will know and it will be my decision.

He does not intend to adjust my medication at this time to alleviate my tremors. I am expected to tolerate them.  He did not offer an acceptable reason for this, so I can only assume it is punishment for noncompliance over moving, or because I have involved my Senedd Assembly Minister in my concerns, especially given what followed next.

He actually referred to my age, pointing out that I am old {I am 68} and should accept this!!!! WTH?????? Bang out of order, inappropriate ageism!!!  His final point was that if I feel so strongly, then perhaps I should involve my Member of Parliament. My thoughts are that he is annoyed with me and this is his veiled attempt of letting me know his disapproval. I don't think he was expecting me to reply as I did when I said “no need to worry about that I've already asked my assembly minister to look into things for me”

I really do feel as if I am being punished and going to be made to suffer.

I have spent a lot of time contemplating the best way forward, and by starting to collate advice.  

I cannot be involuntarily forced into care as long as I have my “mental capacity”. 

I have requested the correct protocols for

1.    obtaining full transcripts of my records since Sept 2021, when I was first diagnosed

2.    requesting a second opinion

So there you have it.  I wish it was better news but it is what it is and I must deal with it or give in.  it isn’t going to be easy, I am being punished for involving my AM, and right now I have a PGMP who is determined to make me stressed when that is the last thing I need.

To end on a happy note, there was a tap at the door yesterday afternoon and I opened the door to find the local courier with a parcel for me, but I was not expecting anything.  Imagine my immense joy and delight to find that my dear cousin had sent me flowers internationally!  Such a thoughtful and kind thing to do!  Aren't they beautiful?

Until next time

Debbie xx   

BANISHMENT Repealed!

Hello Friends!

With a huge sigh of relief I can tell you that today my Banishment is repealed and I can now use Facebook once more.

I am speechless, however, to read in the screen capture that they admit to their technology making the mistake!!!  Wonders will never cease!

I am not sure whether it was the help of a very kind relative of a friend of mine in Texas who works for META or if it was just pure luck that it happened today but I'm back. I will not pretend that I really thought my time on Facebook was done. It is worrying though that this has made me aware that so many organisations these days rely on their social media platforms to disseminate information.

Top of this list is the local doctor’s surgery who now only uses Facebook to reach out to patients registered at the surgery for community events such as the annual flu inoculations. No doubt many of you will recall over a year ago when the local surgery closed and amalgamated with the one in an adjacent village. That surgery would contact the patients by telephone to notify them that the flu inoculations were now being administered and would they like to book their appointment. Every eligible patient was contacted by this way. The new practise however puts an announcement up on Facebook to let everybody know that the flu injections clinic will be happening soon if you would like an appointment, it is your responsibility to make it, and would you please let all your friends and family who are not on Facebook know.

Personally, I think this method is appalling. You cannot rely on word of mouth to spread information about something as important as the annual flu inoculations. Stepping off soapbox before I need a tetanus injection because I'm getting splinters in my feet.

I have had my doctor's appointment, the one that has been repeatedly cancelled and rescheduled over many months this past Tuesday. In the next day or so I will be putting up an entry dedicated purely to that meeting which I will tease you by saying it was interesting to say the least.

In the meantime, I've got loads of Facebook notifications to sort through I honestly can't see how I have got so many when I haven't been on there for a fortnight still I'd better wade my way through in case there's something I need to see.

Until next time
Debbie xx