Injecting new life irrespective of the plumber

...I AM currently in England. The picture right is a reminder of the view I have from my Spanish apartment, which is incidentally the Marina bar.

My reason for being here is to start taking insulin for my diabetes. I guess no-one ever has or will relish the thought of injecting themselves (I of course exclude anyone taking drugs for recreational purposes I guess they do enjoy it) but sometimes once the barrier has been bridged it doesn't seem as bad as you expected and I have to say that injecting insulin so far has not been too bad. The problem is that by taking insulin I now enter the category where I am in danger of what they call hypo's which is short for hypoglycemia or low blood glucose levels. If severe thus can lead me to feeling sick, sweaty, dizzy, and a bit faint, very severe can mean losing consciousness. Consequently as much as I love Spain, I have never been in the Spanish health system and continue to pay tax in the UK and National Insurance, I really want to be able to understand what is being said to me medically, for obvious reasons. I can't praise the Bolton diabetes centre enough, they are very caring and helpful, and I feel confident enough to work through the early phases of insulin, because they are only at the end of a telephone should I need them.

However, the Benefits agency are something else.

When my Dad died earlier this year, I had dealt with the estate over quite a protracted period due to his will being held by the law society because the Solicitor (who was a family friend) had closed under a cloud, seemingly. Once I received it I paid another solicitor to deal with probate and eventually closed down all his bank accounts and paid all the creditors. Some 3 months after his death, the Benefits agency wrote to me telling me he was overpaid an attendance allowance by around £3,000. His estate wasn't large, but they were claiming this money from it. I was quite incensed, the Nursing home were very competent and I felt they would have dealt with this at the appropriate time. I contacted the nursing home and they put me on to his case worker. This lady was very helpful and mailed me a copy of the letter and fax confirmation sheet, proving the benefits agency were informed at exactly the time they should have been and the error was the Benefits agency. I subsequently got in touch with them and agreed to pay £150 a month because I wanted them to offer some compensation as it was their fault. I am still dealing with it but they have accepted they were not very efficient.

Also because I retired early from paid employment due to ill health the Benefits agency agreed to pay my Insurance Stamp for me. A few weeks ago I received a multi-page questionnaire regarding my state of health, so I completed it and returned it almost straight away. A few days later I received another letter from them saying that as I had failed to return the questionnaire, they will no longer be paying my insurance stamp and I will now be eligible for statutory sick pay from my new employer. So I rang them up(they do not seem to be very good with communication, I have dealt with them twice and on both occasions they seem to have ignored whatever has been sent to them.) They repeated that they hadn't received the document and said I should ring them up on the 27 th October. I received another questionnaire through the post which I completed and posted by recorded delivery. That cost £4.60p. When I returned from the Post Office I had received mail. Guess what? I had one from the benefits agency asking me to attend a medical at the local office. So I rang them up, they confirmed they had received the original form and were totally unconcerned that I had sent another questionnaire at exorbitant cost. Today I attended the medical. I answered every question honestly, the Doctor took my blood pressure and checked my lungs and pulse. Sympathised with my state of health and seems genuinely concerned with my lot in life. I left feeling worse than when I went in.

Which brings me on to the subject of plumbers. My hot water tap in the kitchen was dripping and the toilet simultaneously decided to fill the cistern in a trickle taking at least an hour to fill.

I called our local plumber. I waited in all day, then had to go out, so my son Ian waited in a few more hours then he had to go out, we both tried to ring him but had no luck. I rang him the next day and he apologised saying the major job he is on is not going too well. He did come on the Tuesday next. He fixed the tap but said the gubbins in the cistern needed replacing (you see my mastery of technical plumbing terminology) He would come thursday at 2 pm. Itis now nearly 5pm thursday and no plumber (I just rang him. All is not well on the major job he is doing he will come Saturday). I am making a mental note and a written note in this blog, not to pick this Plumber to do our new kitchen and bathroom.

Back at the Marina bar I hear that takings are down since I have been on this sojourn in the UK. It is my intent to try and get back there before the 26th November because it is our 32nd wedding anniversary, and I want to live to be able to see the 33rd one......