Tattoed Lady

If you want to read about my Tattoo then head on over to here - it's not for the squeamish of you . . .

Gordon Brown's Dignity and Respect for the Aged

Dear Gordon Brown,
What has happened in this country where dignity and respect for our older citizens is so appallingly lacking? Why does this old gentleman have to sell his home to get the money to pay for treatment to save his sight? Why should he have to go blind in one eye before the local PHT/NHS will try and save the sight in his second eye? Why is it the National Health Service is no longer national and it all depends on post code lottery whether you are lucky to get the best available treatment or not. I am beginning to think we should all up sticks and move to Scotland.

How short sighted of the local health service. Becoming monocular leads to trips, falls and other minor accidents like scalds. If you don't believe me [for those other than GB] then try wearing an eye patch over one eye for a month and log how many accidents you have. From trying to fill a mug with boiling water to negoitating steps - all become fraught with difficulty. The younger you are the more time you will have to adapt and the more likely the brain will be able to cope with the adjustment. But youth is not on the side of people with age related loss of vision.

Perhaps the health service doesn't care - if this gentleman needs help to live at home through loss of independence with failing sight then obviously that will be from a different budget - a local government social services budget - a council tax funded budget. Maybe all of us over 50's should rise up together and withhold our council taxes. We could always start up a U3A goup in the prisons where we may feel safer, warmer and better fed with excellent access to the Health Service.

Again yet another example of our non - Caring Government and Prime Minister.

Pearly Whites

I went to the dentist today. It was a new private dentist. My old NHS dentist has retired. I had the pleasure of paying £55 just to have my mouth inspected and mapped. I'm relieved to say I didn't need any treatment. But I was sent over to see the hygienist. For which I had to pay £35. Modern private dentists obviously don't de-scale and polish. After the hygienist had prodded and probed and scraped she sent me off with a set of little teeny weenie itsy-bitsy interdental toothbrushes: cost £2. She told me that the wee brushes would ensure that I had dislodged any 'day brie' left between my teeth. I think she meant food particles. I always imagine debris as being bricks and concrete. I am to return to see the hygienist again in six months time. Thankfully I don't have to see the dentist again 12 months. I will be grinning widely over the next few weeks just to make sure everybody can admire my nice clean white teeth. I do like to get my money's worth.