And do you feel that you are able to ask questions if you have any questions?
No. You go in, you go in and they take blood. I suppose it’s me, because I do tend to clam up when I go to the doctor’s because I don’t like the doctor’s at all. Most probably it’s an inward thing, you know. But I suppose if I did ask, you know, I would get an answer. I don’t know. But like if you had a group, you could all discuss like we are now. Which is easier, isn’t it?
Do you feel that you don’t want to ask questions because, why is that, that you feel like you can’t ask questions?
I just don’t know. I just clam up. I think it’s maybe fear of going for surgery. It’s the same when I have to go for a hospital appointment. I’m sick for three days [laugh]. I’m terrible. At 74, is that laughable, isn’t it [laugh] I can’t help it. That’s me. I don’t like any fuss and bother, you know. But I suppose I could go, no problem, if I wanted to. Well, I’d have to, wouldn’t I? You know, if I come up with a problem I would have to air it like, wouldn’t I? But I’m, I’m lucky because I say to my daughter, ‘Oh, so and so. ‘Oh, yes, Mum, yes. I’ll get that sorted out for you. Shell ring the surgery, you see. Save me going out, all the way up in a taxi and all the way back home. Shes quite good like that. Or if I have a new pill, you know, and it’s made me a bit, you know, iffy, shell ring the nurse and, or shell ask her own sister in work.

So how often do you see a nurse or a doctor?

Once a month you have to go, and you’ve got to do your things, you know. I’ve got all that there. And they’re just keeping you in check. And then every I think it’s three months or four months they check up on your pills etc, you know. Because you have to take pills that suit your diabetes. It’s like cough mixture. You can’t buy a cough mixture unless you h-, ask the pharmacist. Because they tend not to give you cough mixture now, the doctors.

But is there a diabetic nurse? And without naming any names, are there diabetic nurses?

They don’t come visit, no.

But over there in the surgery?

There, oh, yes, they’ve got a proper diabetic clinic on that side, and the surgery is this side. Yes, theres two sisters there and theres a little nurse who does your blood and weighs you. And theres two sisters and theres another two nurses in there I think. Yes, there are. You know, they take your blood, take your blood, and then they stick needles in your feet, [laugh] feet, you know, your pressure, is it? is all right.

Yes.

Yes. Oh, yes, I suppose, yes.

So how often does that happen?

I don’t go very often. Maybe my fault, because I don’t feel that ill with it.

But do you have to go every, on a regular basis?

You have to have, your tablets have to be checked up, and to see if you’re taking the right tablets etc. And you get all this thing done to you. But other than that I don’t go.

But that’s, how often is that? Is it three months or six months?

I think, it’s about eight weeks I think. I can’t remember now. About eight weeks I think. Yes, about that. But they always say, ‘If you feel, if you feel ill or anything like that, just ring the doctor and the doctor will make an appointment either with the doctor or with the nurse. But I, if, if I’m a bit worried over anything, which isn’t very often, I will phone the nurse, I’ll phone the clinic, not the surgery. Although it’s all in the same grounds. I will do that.