Saturday 22nd October 2022
Just over a week ago I was afflicted with acute lower back pain which came on quickly. I suffered a couple of days before phoning my GP's surgery. Your call at our practice is normally answered in less than five minutes. One gives brief details to an experienced and sympathetic receptionist who logs you for a call back by the GP within that morning. I fielded the call and had a positive conversation and was offered an appointment with the surgery's physio one week on. From what I read that is pretty good. I saw the physio this last Wednesday after increased suffering. He gave me a through examination taking my complaint seriously. He booked me for an x-ray and gave me a sheet of individual exercises compiled there and then from his main list on the computer, and he also booked me in for blood sampling the next day-but-one (Friday.) On Thursday I went to Kendal hospital for the x-ray. I only had to wait ten minutes and the radiographer was pleasant and welcoming. The pain had become much worse but I stuck it out until my appointment today, Friday with the nurse for blood taking at 11:00 am.
I told the nurse that I desperately needed further examination and help from the qualified GP, not that I was dissatisfied with the physio, but I had to make something happen. Nurse said that there was only one GP on duty and she would get him to ring me later. At that point I'm afraid I burst into tears, so off she went to speak to the doc. After waiting another five minutes in the waiting room the doc appeared and saw me. Again he was sympathetic and thorough. He examined the source of my pain and concluded that it was "muscle spasm" whereas the physio had been more on the track of something orthopaedic, The doc prescribed me: Diazepam, Tramadol and Amitriptyline, sending the prescription electronically to the chemist in our village. I drove straight there and only waited ten minutes for the tablets. Back home I took the doses as indicated and sat in my large comfortable armchair stretched out and so dosed up I drifted off to sleep and awoke four hours later after very deep sleep. The pain had almost gone. Well, that is for the moment and I will have to see how it goes.
My reason for detailing the above is to illustrate that I doubt if there is any other country in the world where you would get such good treatment for free, ok I know we pay National Insurance but that is now so firmly embedded it tends to be hardly noticed. We do also have to pay for prescriptions up to the age of 60, so for me they were also free.
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In the evening I was still comfortable enough to listen to some music which included Nicola Benedetti playing Elgar's violin concerto. The music with the London Phil was of course moving but in particular I was struck by the bewitching tone of Nicola's violin which took me to an even deeper level of that emotional pit of the stomach feeling - that is how some music does for me anyway, others talk of goose pimples or back of the neck hair raising.
Curiosity prevailed and I found this on the Classic FM website.
3. How much is Nicola Benedetti’s violin worth?
The violin Nicola plays is called the Gariel, made in 1717 by Stradivarius. It's worth an estimated £2m and previously belonged to an ancestor of Princess Diana. Nicola has said if a fire broke out in her home, she would grab her violin before her cat. "In an ideal world, all three of us would escape unscathed," she says. "But if I had to choose between the cat and the violin the £2million Stradivarius would have to come first."
Most revered violinists play borrowed (and very expensive) violins. It's an act of charity on the part of that very unusual phenomenon: a person with lots of money who feels honour-bound to contribute to the making of great music. Yehudi Menuhin's autobiography has a whole chapter devoted to the borrowed violins he has played, all aged, all the great names, all worth millions.
ReplyDeleteBut I would offer a word of caution. That tone you heard is more likely to be attributable to Nicola herself rather than the violin. Not that I'm suggesting the Strad is bum, rather that most sound reproduction systems just aren't up to handling the subtle variations of quality between different violins.
I have quite recently become a Nicola fan. Before my teacher taught singing she taught violin, having played one from the age of I don't know what. Nicola is one of her heroines. As a result I listened to N's Proms performance of a violin concerto by - of all people! - Wynton Marsalis, better known as superb trumpeter, both jazz and classical. Nicola is a truly likeable person as well as being a superb and adventurous violinist, made even more charming by the traces of a Glaswegian accent in her voice. Great interview. The cat anecdote sounds typical.
Being vaguely medical I perhaps shouldn't comment. However, Seth is disturbed by the tone of your post, reassurance in the guise of a nice piece of fish next time you visit would help.
ReplyDeleteWill investigate Nicola if you know what I mean.
I must just mention Nicola’s important involvement with Big Noise, initially with the children of Raploch, Stirling. I hope your ‘muscle spasm’ continues to ease Conrad - I know from experience how painful and debilitating this affliction can be.
ReplyDeleteAlanR. So sorry to hear of your pain. I can sympathise. Amitriptyline was a tablet I was on once and they made me wander round the house in a daze. I stopped taking them. For years I also thought our national insurance contributions helped fund the NHS but I was surprised to find out that they don’t at all. They fund benefits mainly. Anyway I hope you are feeling much better.
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DeleteRR - I'm sure you are correct about Nicola's gift but I just had that sort of subjective feeling that lead me off to explore a little further.
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BC - I diplomatically sat on the fence regarding the cat story. Please tell Seth he has nothing to fear.
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Afoot - I did a search on Big Noise, obviously a worthy enterprise.
It is now one more day on from the day of this post and the back is still slightly painful but allowing me to carry on with life as more or less normal. I am a bit wary about the Tramadol and will only take more if things deteriorate again.
You have my sympathy regarding the back pain, Conrad. I was afflicted by something similar, out of nowhere, a few years ago. Had to cancel holidays and just lay up with the very strong painkillers for a while. Sue had to get me an emergency appointment for the painkillers as I was in agony despite the painkillers initially provided. The GP was brilliant. Luckily that particular affliction slowly got better and has not (yet!) returned.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your recovery.
M
That back pain sounds miserable. Glad that the drugs have eased it and let's hope the root cause resolved soon.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cat vs violin, I can only hope that part of her rationale is that, once an escape route is created by opening doors, the cat will escape without assistance.
Phreerunner and Gayle - Thanks for your comments. It is now a day or two on and the pain has more or less disappeared but at its worst was unbearable.
ReplyDeletesauve qui purr ?
ReplyDeletegimmer - I'm not sure if that is regarded as a pragmatic course of action when it is obvious that there is no chance of helping others, or whether it would be directed as a moral criticism.
ReplyDeletenot very punny then?
ReplyDeleteAs puns go that's about as good as it gets!
ReplyDeletecame to me in a flash
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