Dr visit today, and the goodness of Australian Medicare

Finally got to the doctors today after not seeing him since December. Left it as long as I could as was getting sick of seeing him again. Those in Canberra who assert that chronically ill people over use Medicare seeing their doctor too many times need to take a look at what happens in reality. When you have to see them all the time you tend to put it off for as long as you can just to get a bloody break from it all and feel slightly normal. It's not fun being sick, waiting in the waiting area, getting tests and things done. Those in the Institute of Public Affairs seem to think we get a great deal of joy doing all of this :s

So anyway There was a bit of a backlog of things that needed doing. BTW for the USA'ans who may think our Medicare system is evil Commie socialist socialised type medicine that will bring doom to all, let me just point out that this isn't so. It simply means that everyone in Australia, no matter how poor, has access to decent healthcare. In my case on the disability pension stuck in Sydney rents, every $ counts. This is recognised by Medicare, so seeing the doctor is free with no co-payment. If I was working, the co-payment at the privately run centre to see him would be around $45.

So I go in with a list of prescriptions that were near running out or run out. Including the two HIV prescriptions, I needed 7. My pocket was stuffed full of them when I left. Told him about my right ankle giving me terrible pain at times to where I can hardly walk, so he ordered an X-ray of the ankle and told me to go see him next week again, so he can take a look at what's going on. I said it feels like it's on fire sometimes, almost like a burning sensation. I think likely from 30 years of heavy lifting in the printing industry exacerbated by the recent onset of gout. We shall see next week.

My blood pressure was OK, but he noted I'd put on 5 kilos and should probably loose some of it. I said my weight goes up and down like a kangaroo and he'd caught me on a heavy day. He joked "So I've caught you on the hop!", ha ha ha .....

Next I was overdue for bloods. Was supposed to be last month, but I'm not worried as I've been stable on the HIV meds for some time now. After the doctors went to the pathology part of the centre and had 6 vials of blood taken. Fuck knows what he's testing for this time. Blood tests are free BTW for all Australians paid for by Medicare. Chatted with the nurse taking the bloods and directed her to the hospital discovered best vein to use. First go, no problems at all. That's co-operation :)  I just hate getting butchered by nurses who haven't seen me before and they're fine with me directing them where to go. Sort of near two freckles and quite shallow.....  

After that it was off to the X-ray centre nearby to get my ankle done. Only waited about 5 minutes after getting there as the waiting area was nearly empty. Three X-rays done and another short wait to see if they were all OK. I left them there for the X-ray centre to send to my doctor rather than me carting them all the way home and back again next week. X-rays are free BTW, paid for by Medicare.

And that was it. Off home on the bus. All that done and I didn't have to pay a cent. Lucky as presently I don't have a cent on me :)  Thank you Medicare for looking after me today. 

Will get my HIV meds in the next few days. BTW they're free now in NSW and you don't even have to worry about any co-payment. The NSW gov has decided to pay that as well. Lieberals actually doing something useful...... *faints*

Medicare is worth fighting for in the face of the Turnbull gov attacks on it. Particularly for people like me.