Using NHS111

 I had arranged for a lorry load of logs for the wood burner to come on Saturday morning last week. They were here by 8 am and dropped it all off near the gate.

Unfortunately the previous day I had been bitten by a mosquito  (blue circle) and by 8.30 on Saturday it was swelling from my wrist to my elbow despite antihistamine creams and pills. 

By lunch time it was bright red, tight, throbbing and a lovely red line was going up beyond my elbow to my arm pit! 

This usually happens at least once a year for me but this time I had no anti biotics to hand. I keep whatever gets left over as long as they are reasonable in date. Not wanting to go to A&E and the GP being closed I tried the NHS 111. By this time bending the arm was impossible so holding the phone to my ear with the working arm, pulling it down to look at the keys and  push the next required number in response to the automated choices was a bit fraught. Took two goes to get through the menu, avoid the Covid stuff, and speak to the first person. After that assessment was fairly straightforward and seemed I would get a prescription for the usual anti bio stuff quite easily.  After half an hour a local doctor rang back for final chat and authorisation. Sounded a bit keen to actually see the damage but I was firm "Just give me the pills!!" (I was getting a bit desperate by then) and had to promise to seek further assistance if it did not go down in 3 days.

It took 2 days at full dose to stop the swelling, itching a bit longer and I could then put my wedding ring back on! 

Still feel guilty. Using precious NHS resources when they have better things to do and because my husband had to move all the firewood by himself. I stayed on the settee or retired to my craft cabin to paint. Still I got a reasonable picture out of it.

And stomach ache for a week. After effects of such a heavy dose were not good.