Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Managed to see the doctor today at the local medical centre. You turn up and sit and wait, we waited no longer that 10 minutes. Yes 'un grosse otitis' was the diagnosis, so I have ear drops anti inflammatories and antibiotics and to keep on with my pain killers. Apparently my self treatment of painkillers and anti inflammatories over the weekend was spot on. Three prescriptions was 28 euros, of which the antibiotics was 18 euros. The consultation was 25 euros but the way I felt this morning I would have paid 50! I can claim it all back when I get home. The French have both national health type insurance and top up with private and also claim it all back. Those who can't afford get it free apparently. It sounds very complicated to me. The Gp we chose this morning surprisingly spoke some English, but I was good I stuck to my French.

Everyone keeps their own records, even their own X rays. Computerisation does not seem to have arrived here for medical records. You can go and see whoever you want , where ever, even straight to a consultant if you want but they prefer you to go through the GP first. Many people stick with the same general practitioner. There was one lady sat in the surgery with a special bag which held all her prescriptions etc over the years and she was searching through trying to find the one relevant to today's consultation.

[PanBiker]

Similar when Sally was bitten by some flying bug in Corfu last year and ended up with a badly infected and swollen eye. We walked straight into the local medical centre and were seen straight away. All treatment given on the back of your European Health Card, no money required for the initial treatment all was paid for when signed off by the doctor. Sally had antibiotics and anti histamine injections over three visits, our bill came to just over 100 Euro for the consultation, treatment by doctor and the nurse on subsequent visits. Sally filled the claim stuff in and sent it off in January, they say average reimbursement time is 4 - 5 months as the NHS has to wait for the records to come back from wherever you have been in the EU so both ends can sign it off, nothing yet but we did get an acknowledgement of claim.

[Stanley]

What happens to that system after Brexit?
I shall be valve setting and deciding on finishing touches to the engine..... Mechanically it's finished.

[Sue]

One of the major factors in deciding whether the EHIC will remain available to British citizens is whether there is a separation from the EEA, as the card is not an EU initiative.

There are countries, such as Norway and Iceland, who are EEA members but not EU members and accept the EHIC. The UK could feasibly adopt this model.



Quote from the Daily Telegraph

[Stanley]

Thanks Sue, possibly one less thing to worry about!

[cloghopper]

Interesting medical experiences with the EU card,all sounds familiar. Since Italy is a nation of hypochondriacs, here in our Southern Italian village, we have a choice of 4 GPs in one joint surgery. You just walk in and join the queue for the GP you wish to see. If you are on a regular prescription you can just get it from the secretary's computer. Oh yes, all our records are computerised here, believe it or not, and your prescriptions have to be authorised by a central authority miles away, so you wait about 5mins. for the computer to print it out. You can then go and join the queue at the best business in the village, the pharmacy. Both of us bein have takn the plungg over 75, approved medication is free, but we also have some medication not on the approved list which we have to pay for . some antibiotics and anti phsycotics which cost about 50 eurines a month. On the whole I can say the system here is quite good, although waiting times for sspecialist consultations can be a few weeks. Got to go now, computer time very limited.
all the best to you all,
cloggy.
P.S. have taken the plunge, and booked flights to UK for July, plan A. Plan B, how to do it still work in progress

[Stanley]

Lovely to hear from you Cloggy! I hope all goes well for your trip..... Do you really want to visit a country in chaos? Will they let you back into Italy?

[Sue]

Our French neighbour Roland came to lunch. It was good to see him heartily tucking into his food, he has been very sad since his wife died in February, but today he was much more his old self. The French like to eat their main meal at the middle of the day, so I obliged and made one. Now all Bob and I want to do is sleep

At last the weather has improved, ready for us coming back home!

My ear is also improving but I am absolutely deaf in the infected ear, and the drops have made it numb. I have to continue with them to the end of the treatment time though as they contain an antibiotic.

[Stanley]

Good luck with the ear Sue. Too much experience with bum ears in this family!
Not sure what I'll be doing as the winder has been run and is sat on its plinth waiting for Susan to pick it up.

[Sue]

Ear not really any better although the sore throat has gone and I feel better in myself. I am totally deaf in my left ear. Still only half way through the treatment though

[Big Kev]

I've had a few ear infections and had to have it syringed to clear it out on more than one occasion. Usually once the swelling has gone down it clears on its own but this can take a couple of weeks. I suffer with eczema just in my ears which, unfortunately, becomes infected sometimes

[Stanley]

Sue, my inclination would be to leave it alone but if you get any more pain go to the doc immediately. From the Kid's experience, the danger is the infection getting into the bone....
A quiet survey in the shed. Maintenance will be the order of the day I think.

[Sue]

That's what I am doing Stanley, finishing the course of treatment, I will be back home the next day so can go to my GP if I have to. This one sided hearing is no joke. I have had ear infections before but this is like the ones o got as a child. There is no infection in the outer ear, no discharge or wax etc.

[Stanley]

I understand Sue after many years watching my kids afflicted with bad ears. If you remember, Margaret has a cochlear implant. She got a new processor yesterday, much smaller and more efficient. It looks much tidier plugged in behind her right ear..... Watch it like a hawk!

[Tizer]

Sue, I hope your ear clears up quickly - you deserve some help after being so kind to your neighbour!

We've started our house buying & selling and I've put our name and detailed search requirements with about a dozen local estate agents. I'm surprised by how un-business-like many of the agents are. I emailed all the information and after a week had received replies from six of them. I emailed the other six again asking at least for an acknowledgement that they'd got my message and put our names on their list. I got three more replies, but three never responded at all. Then they started sending us details of properties but they were almost always far away from the area exactly specified in my message. One of the agents who we asked to value our house spent a lot of time with us, gave an initial valuation and some advice and seemed keen to take us on. He said he would go back and discuss it with his colleagues to fine tune the valuation then let us have their conclusion by the Friday. Nothing happened, no phone call, no email. I've pursued them a number of times but gave up in the end. It's a wonder how some of them stay in business!

[Marilyn]

Agents are a lazy bunch.
Tizzy...if there is one bit of advice I can give you...it is DO NOT GIVE IN OR BE TALKED OUT OF ( or be talked into) what you and Mrs Tiz need and desire in what will be your final home. ( hubby and I are in what I call our "pine box"house now).
Everything has to feel right, for BOTH of you.
( personally I could have done without the billiard table, huge bar and outdoor balcony that could host an entire soccer team..so I speak from experience!)

[Tripps]

I'd say you have done a bit of valuable (pre) market research. If they are so inefficient at such an early stage - how will they be when it gets serious? No one needs 12 estate agents these days - just Rightmove et al, then you can choose your exact dream home. That said - it is often valuable to go and look at a property that does not fit your exact requirements - there will always be something you had not considered, and another viewing will make the vendor feel good.

I'd guess time is not an issue - that puts you in a good position. Relax and enjoy the process - then buy something in South Petherton.

[Sue]

It's been a day of cleaning, washing and packing. We did go to a local car boot sale this morning looking for cheap garden toys for a three year old when the family come and stay in the summer. We didn't find anything but saw lots of French out and about which was very unusual for a Sunday. Then I remembered it is polling day. Turn out seems to be about 65%. Many are not voting as they do not like either candidate. Some of our friends are going but are handing in a blank form as a protest.,

Ear much the same. The drops are finished so I am hoping to get some feeling back in the ear as they contained a local anaesthetic.

Up early tomorrow we have to leave here by 6.45am to catch the ferry at St Malo. It has not been the best fortnight here. Poor weather, bad ear infection, broken suspension on the car and an unfortunate major disagreement with my brother. Another story which I will not air in public but it was probably aggravated by the fact that it was the day I started to be ill with a horrendous sore throat and headache. All water under the bridge now I suppose. I made my peace but it has not been reciprocated . Ah well

[Stanley]

Hard luck Sue on all counts! I am reminded that you can choose your friends but not your family. I hope you have a good trip back and that Doctor Green will cure your ear.
Tiz and Janet.... I don't envy you your task. As for being business-like; those days have gone in many cases, people omit what used to be the bedrock of business etiquette, like responding promptly to communications. No doubt if they ask a question they expect an instant response.....
Today I shall scratch another shed itch, sharpening slitting saws.... A major project compared to normal sharpening operations!

[PanBiker]

Today I have mainly been getting paid for watching paint dry. GCSE Art, 5 hours of the same tomorrow.

[Sue]

Oh how I hated invigilation

[Tizer]

Tripps, you can't rely completely on Rightmove. We went to view a lovely house this afternoon which has been on sale for a couple of months with one of the agents but not on Rightmove. The owners didn't want it to go online, probably they didn't want neighbours to know they were selling. It's also good to build up a relationship with the agents, cultivate them. My cousin is a whizz at this. The other house we viewed this afternoon isn't officially on sale yet, they haven't finished all the particulars, but cousin found out and chatted up the agent and bingo, we were allowed to view today.

[Big Kev]

Previous experience of estate agents has put me off of them completely. I feel very strongly about giving them my money, I parted with the best part of £3.5k for a picture in their window, an ad in the local paper and the potential buyers being arrested for money laundering the day before completion of the sale. I was not impressed and it eventually cost me a lot more than the agent's fee...

[Stanley]

What an exciting life you do lead Kev.....
Good luck with the houses Tiz....
I shall be continuing to solve my problem with tangents and clearances.... I've had a great time thinking about saw sharpening and no doubt re-inventing the wheel but I can't find the bloke who has done it on the Clarkson T&C grinder!

[Tizer]

When selling we always use independent agents and haven't had problems with any of them, it's the chains that are awful and unfortunately if you want to buy a house you've got to use the agent the owner chose. One of our relatives was an agent from the 1970s working in a small independent business. He was well suited to it and successful but in the 90s it was taken over by a chain and he was forced out so they could bring in teenage salespeople on less money. He was always ethical in his sales approach and customers trusted him but all that went out of fashion.