Got a phonecall at 8.05am just after my alarm had gone off. Private number, thought should I answer then thought I'd better, it was the surgery saying the nurse called in sick and they've got nobody else to do my injections. I said not to worry as I've got three injections booked for next week.
She then said she could re-book it for next week and to be honest after the silent treatment I've been getting the thought of that times four next week plus blood tests was just too much and I blurted out that I'd actually been self-injecting anyway and they might as well cancel the ones for next week. I thought for a start it would be less stress on them as she might still be ill next week and they're overworked and underfunded anyway, plus I need to get myself better and the stress of going there every other day stressed me out just thinking about it. I've been like an indoors cat for a few years now and reintroducing myself to the world through the wonderfulness of the inside of doctors surgeries isn't the pinnacle of my dreams for a start lol.
Anyway tangent... she said Oh you've been self-injecting, I said yes well when I came in last week and I could hardly stand up the doctor didn't seem to give a sh*t. She said OK so I'll cancel the ones for next week, I said yes, thank you and we said our goodbyes.
Now just down to two appointments, my smoking clinic tomorrow that'll be fun as could be the receptionist working then, and blood tests on Monday. Was gonna ask for ferritin, the coeliac and thyroid ones but not sure now.
Didn't mean to blurt the SI out or say the doc didn't seem to give a sh*t but when you show two sets of official guidelines to two doctors and they both do the opposite then in reality I think that's probably one of the least strongest words I could've used.
Anyway that's the update from Steve's department, hope y'all doing ok this blustery but sunny day.
Bet you feel a whole lot better now Steve and rightly so. It's not any help to say we are all in the same boat where Shxt doctors are concerned, or most of us anyway. Self Injecting is the way to go to reduce stress which depletes B12, and gives you back you life in more ways than one and you don't spend half of that life waiting in doctors waiting rooms wondering when you'll be called.
Good luck with the smoking clinic in the morning! THAT'S going to be hard. And of course do ask for your folate, ferritin etc on Monday, it's your right.
Thanks Bengie /Jill! I do feel a bit bad as it's not their fault, but in reality anyone phoning me at 8.05am isn't going to find me in the best of moods lol!
I am surprised more people don't SI, there's places which will help out if you can't afford it and I can guarantee it's a whole load better being in control - I'm not really surprised they can't cope as everyone needs different amounts - it's just not logical to try and control this in a top-down fashion - let people self-inject, buy it over the counter, and all that.
Providing nothing goes haywire I am planning on asking about the blood tests, we'll see what they say I guess - you're right, it is my right.
I live in Ireland and have to buy my injections and was only shown once by my doctor how to self inject as she wasn't impressed. I shoot away in the dark but so far am doing fine and still vertical!!! It's not easy and it hurts sometimes if I'm too slow and I don't know how often I should inject so again I just guess but sometimes I wait more than a week as I hate the thought of injecting. I'm due one since yesterday but its too late now as I can hardly see at the moment. I've just been out to dinner and ate too much!! lol.
Night now. Everyone else here seems to be in bed anyway, otherwise you would be getting far more intelligent advice!! Give that nurse some advice yourself next time you meet up about phoning you so early in the morning.
Hah it's the interwebs, people are up at all times, I post without expectation of timely replies!
All I can suggest is keep scouring the internet, I learned a lot from watching youtube videos on b12 self injecting, not believing any one in particular but gathering bits of info from each one. I updated my post on self-injecting with things I've learned from the first 5 days, have a read sometime:
Hi there bengie ☺ I was just wondering where do you buy your injections? I'm from Ireland too and buy them online ? Is there actually a place here that sells them or do you purchase online too? Online is grand but I ran out a while ago and my replacement was weeks late which was a balls.... be handy if they sold them over the counter here like they did on other countries 😉
mdoh1918 Sorry for the late reply. I had an injection of cortisone in my shoulder and it has absolutely 'floored me'.
I get a prescription from my doctor I'm afraid as I'm allergic to Neo Cytamen so it's a special order for Cytamen. They are €40 for five but I get them over the counter in the Canaries for €6.50 for five. Going to Spain next week (IF Ryanair obliges that is!!) so hoping I will get them there too. Also going to Australia where you can get them over the counter. My doctor showed me once how to self Inject and has no problem writing a prescription and it looks like if it's not recorded on their computer it doesn't matter how many I give myself?? Of course I could be wrong there but not having to go into the medical centre has given such freedom I wonder why I didn't do it years ago. I guess you have to wait till you get the courage and that's what I got from everyone here. It's been a life saver.
I guess you'll never let yourself run out of injections again!! lol!!!
Haha no that was just a one off.....they got lost in the post but I should have ordered earlier...I'm pretty new to all this so.still learning 😂
Ah OK was just curious ☺ yea I've heard about Spain... ☺thanks so much for your reply....hope you are better after the injectionew. ..sounds rough
Magda x
Well... a bit of luck today as the nurse I saw for the smoking clinic was super-understanding cos I had to admit about buying the tobacco the other week when I was really p****d off about this B12 stuff and explained all the rigmarole of trying to get the medication I needed and she remembered that I was really ill when I saw her last and so obviously saw the difference now I've been self-injecting for a week.
I talked about all the online stuff and the latest guidelines and so on, and the call I had with the receptionist, anyway she sorted out a new sheet for my blood tests on Monday so all ok there... apart from one little bit, she marked me down as female lol. An 'in' joke or a little mistake?! #paranoia
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