Liam and I registered with our local GP practice. The serene surgery is a far cry from the NHS bedlam we left behind in inner city Walthamstow. Natural politeness reigned supreme and you could hear a syringe drop in the waiting room. The entire process took no more than ten minutes. I have wobbly legs to check and periodic limb movement disorder to re-diagnose so I booked my first appointment. I was greeted by a smiley Germanic quack who listened intently to my dancing calf story and examined the test results I had shipped over from Turkey. She checked my blood pressure. “A little high,” she said, “but that’s because I’m a scary doctor.” We laughed. “Best we re-do the tests,” she continued. I’m booked in for a fasting blood test in a few days and I’ve been given a home blood pressure kit to check the numbers every waking hour on the hour for the next week. I suppose I’d better cut down on the sauce a bit. Frau Doc has also referred me to a consultant cardiologist for an arterial MOT. Apparently, I book the appointment online. I have a sneaking suspicion that Teutonic efficiency will cut through the NHS flab like a hot knife through butter.
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Perking the Pansies 
You can book the appointment ONLINE? Boy, that sure beats redialing the office 400 times till you get through. Online? Hm. Hope all will be resolved soon. Have you been skipping rope too long? (evidence of shaky legs but I’m no doctor).
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Yes, and miraculously, it worked. So far so good!
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. . carry a set of jump-leads, Jack (four quid in Halford’s last time I looked) – there’s always something handy to clip them on to should the need arise!
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I’m more inclined towards a litter to get me about (Roman style, not doggie-style, obviously).
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I have to comment that your blog now looks very organized and serious. Have you two gone back to wearing suits and ties.
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That’s a really interesting point. I was looking for a simpler format but, yes, Liam is back at work 3 days a week and has to wear a tie. Maybe it was subconscious.
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Good luck with the check ups looks like your getting straight on all that may or may not be wrong I am still grappling around in the misty Turkish doctor rooms. I suspect they know what they are doing a lot has changed over the last couple of years. That goes for me and the health authorities here.
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Thanks Yvonne. We’ll see what happens. I’m not unduly worried.
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