THE GOOD BUCK

It feels like it’s been an eventful period since my last blog.

I’ve been to the doctors about my month-long diarrhea. The first test cleared me of all viruses and stomach infections, which was good. Then they thought it might be cancer, which was a less than optimal outcome. They tested, nope, it’s not that. I thought it would be, to be honest. It’s only the start of this year that mother went in to A&E with stomach pains and was dead 3 months later. I was expecting the same. I can’t say I was that bothered. Perhaps I would have been if they’d have given me 3 months. Probably the BPD working it’s magic again. Anyway, I’m not dying. Which is a bit of a downer because now I’m going to have to go on a diet. I wasn’t going to bother if I was on my way out.

I’ve not heard from the heart people yet, but on the NHS app it said the average wait time for the procedure is 21 weeks, which would be the 5th of November. I said about it online and someone said he had the opposite condition, bradycardia, where his heart slows until he loses consciousness. He had all his licences suspended for 6 months, took them 8 months to finally return his licence, with his bus and lorry categories removed. Literally 10 minutes later I found where they’d hidden my test results on the app, apparently I have bradycardia as well. Well, isn’t that just swell? It just drops my pulse down to 44bpm for a bunch of beats while I’m asleep. I’d never even heard the word before. Super.

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Everything was finally coming up roses. Sanity, permanent job, enough money, great motorbike and fun project with which to play… and… bugger. It looks like everything is going to fall apart. I found the government advice page for doctors assessing health risks for the DVLA and it looks very iffy. It all boils down to their definition of incapacity. “For the purposes of this guidance ‘incapacity’ is defined as any condition, symptom, or treatment that is likely to cause an individual to be unable to safely control or stop a vehicle.”

Clearly my tachycardia doesn’t interfere with my ability to control or stop a vehicle. But if the flapping of the GP is anything to go by, they might err on the side of caution. If so I’m out of the game until a fortnight after successful ablation of my heart. sigh.

I’m worried that work will sack me and not have me back because of not declaring it. Technically I only found out a week or so ago, and DVLA have said I can continue to drive until a decision is reached, but still…

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I’ve been waiting for ages to hear about my army pension, waiting 6 months for my heart results and waiting for my new bike for weeks. It’s all happened at once.

Beryl was delivered on Monday. I was working until Thursday so couldn’t get to play on it. On Thursday I got into the shed. I changed the battery, put fresh petrol in it, and…

Well, that’s no challenge. Where’s the fun in that?

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I have been having a total nightmare because of the thrice damned Royal Mail. I lost my debit card on the 23rd of May. I contacted the bank immediately and they dispatched a replacement, to be here “within 5 working days”. The 23rd was a Saturday, then Sunday, then a bank holiday Monday. OK, within 5 days, Friday or Saturday. I was desperately hoping for Friday so I could book a van. Friday and Saturday came and went. Nothing. I looked at the Enterprise website, “rentals must be on the renters named card”. So I couldn’t use Wendy’s even though it’s the same account. I even rang them to confirm it. Not on Wendy’s card, won’t take cash. Super. I wanted to pick the bike up Tuesday. I emailed the seller and told him. We delayed until Saturday. No mail Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Royal Mail are delivering parcels every day, but no mail. I contacted the bank on Thursday, mainly to see if they could bypass the RM by sending a card to branch for me to pick up. Nope. They are sending me a new card. I found a one horse company that would let me rent on Wendy’s card, but all they had was an electric van with a 150 mile range. I need to collect from Scotland. I was so desperate I even looked to see if I could buy a shed of a van. In the end I committed to a courier firm. It’s £240, but they wanted £85 for the van, plus £35 in cover, plus £65 for diesel. So I’m paying £55 over the odds. But getting it delivered to my door and not having to run around all day. Not terrible.

I booked all that in on Thursday night. Then I had to risk it and pay the seller by bank transfer. Sight unseen, just hoping he was trust worthy. He was. I got the ownership transfer notification off the DVLA, but it was a worrying couple of day. Friday was Wendy’s birthday so I drew a bunch of money out (using her card) the other day, and rode to an authentic Cornish pastie shop in Wales while she was at work to surprise her with a pastie tea. I got there and there and joined the queue, which gave me time to notice the sign “We are cashless”. Of course you are. DAMN YOU RM!

I got home and the RM had done a mail delivery. The first of at least that week, and we had seven items of mail. One of which was my card from the 23rd, 12 days (9 working days) later.

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I thought I’d better revise my assessment of work. The driving is still relatively easy, the hours aren’t long (I got caught in traffic so ended up doing an eleven plus hours shift, but so far mostly 9 or so hours) and I’ve finished the induction and going out with a driver bit. I did three days on my own last week. There’s the catch. It turns out when you are on your own tipping the wagon and reloading it with empties and such is quite heavy work. Not killer, but not the doddle I previously thought. Then we had a heatwave. Tipping in 31C, getting lathered, then getting back into a mobile greenhouse, with no aircon, was rough. I’m on my four days off, by the time I go back to work we should be back to normal May temperatures.

I’ve still not got my test results for the tachycardia. It’s coming on six months since I took the test. I rang again, but got put on hold for 15 minutes then told it still hadn’t been done.

I’ve had my 60th birthday, but it was on a Sunday, and the Monday was a bank holiday. It’s Tuesday now, but I’ve not heard anything off the army about my pension lump sum. I applied over three months ago, so I assumed the payment would go in to the bank on my 60th. I looked online earlier and some people were saying the army start processing it on your 60th, it can be up to 30 days before the payment. Bloody army! Hurry up and wait. Nothing changes with them.

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