Just a short one

It's been a while since I last blogged. Things here have been pretty up in the air. My Nan passed away after three weeks in hospital. We had to fight to get her home. Thing is, I think all of us pretty much think that if she'd had adequate care in hospital, then she may still have been here. Hospitals say that they are overstretched and haven't enough money. They always blame it on this, but let's face it. There are plenty of extremely busy organisations with far less money and staff who do a far better job of caring for people, and do you know why this is?? It is because PEOPLE DON'T CARE! Nurses sit around all day not doing very much. They take sometimes up to 30 minutes to come to a patient's aid. They clearly aren't interested and don't care about the patients. During my Nan's stay at the hospital, I saw elderly ladies laying on beds that were soaking wet. I saw ladies who'd had severe strokes covered in food because no one could be bothered to feed them. One lady was due to be sent home the following day, but had a fall and was made to stay in, and the worst thing was that no one knew how it had happened. Her daughter only found out when she took her mother's nightie home to wash and saw that it was covered in blood! I think the worst thing, though was a lady who came in with a broken shoulder, and in two days, she couldn't even recognise her own daughter. How can a hospital that professes to care about people, treat some of the most vulnerable people in this way and then say that it is due to understaffing. I can tell you now, although there are understaffing issues in hospitals, this is not the primary or sole cause of the poor treatment that we receive from our NHS. It is about time that people took a step back in time to when being a nurse involved far more personal care for patients and far less form filling and pen pushing!

Our Corrupt Government

For months now, we have had to listen to the government banging on about the recession. They say prices are rocketing and that we have less money. Now, I'm no mathematician, but surely the solution is simple, STOP PUTTING THE DAMN PRICES UP!!! The base price of things in the UK may have risen slightly, but the main things piling on the pounds are the duties and taxes that the government want to add to the price of things. They keep putting the prices up higher and higher, when the product itself has only gone up by a very small margin. The fact is, that our government, charged with our safety, security and wellbeing, seems to be far more interested in lining their own pockets, buying holiday homes and duck houses with OUR money, than in looking after our economic security.

Only this week, they announced that they expect the price of petrol to rocket up to over £1.20 per litre in April. This is not because of the petrol's actual price, but because of the duty that the government seem intent to put onto it. They seem to be blinded by greed, and cannot see that although they may be able to claim fuel expenses from the state, there are people out there who cannot afford these ludicrous price leaps that they have planned.

How many times have we heard recently, "Now we're in a recession" uttered by one or other of the government. If this is the case, why do they not stop thinking of their own pockets and start doing their jobs and protecting our wellbeing. They seem to have been corrupted by their own greed and cannot see that if they just stopped adding tax and duty to things, then we would be able to claw our way out of the recession and into a slightly more stable economic condition. Then, they could add this money on and we would be able to afford it, making it a win - win situation.

This seems to me, the most sensible option by far. After all, no matter how powerful the government believe they are, not even they can get blood out of a stone!

Community Service - A waste of time?

I was thinking the other day about community service. Criminals are arrested and made to do community service, but instead of getting them to do something worthwhile, they are made to paint railings endlessly. Why not put these people’s time into something worthwhile, which may, in the end make them into responsible members of society. It is said that most people, particularly young people, commit crimes because of low self-worth and boredom. If we, as a society were to give them a means to improve this, then surely they would not end up back in the same position, or worse, in prison.

We need to take responsibility for our repeating criminals, and help them to find a purpose in life. We need to show them the meaning of true satisfaction. After all, what satisfaction is there in painting railings, which are to be torn down the following week. This merely serves to demoralise them even further, and creates the mindset of “Why bother?”.

If we want to reduce crime, then we need to find community service jobs that give people some sense of achievement, otherwise they will feel as if they are only good for one thing. Ineffective community service is just as bad as putting someone in jail. It is a contradiction. Community service is supposed to make criminals take responsibility for their actions, and make them pay back to society for their crimes. Painting something that is to be torn down the following week is not a service to society.

Litter picking, reading to the old and infirm, renovating people’s houses who can’t afford to have it done and are desperate. That is a community service.

All the while that community service is ineffective, as it is now, we may as well give up on it and throw people in jail at the first crime, because until they feel some self worth, which could be taught by community service, they will end up back in court again and again.

Doctors

Have you ever noticed that TV doctors are nothing like their real life equivalent. They are kind, empathic, caring and tend to go out of their way to help their patients even when it means breaking the rules.

This is not true of real life doctors. Real life doctors are often arrogant, ignorant, care very little and have hardly any time. Of course, there are the rare few who do care, but it has been my recent experience that doctors are useless and a waste of space, who think they know so much more than you because they have a few letters after their name.

Some doctors can't deal with mental health, but are good with the physical. Some aren't great with the physical, but excel in the field of mental health, some can do both, and recently, I had the displeasure of meeting one who could do neither.

My grandmother is very sick right now. She was ill on Monday, and so we called the doctor. He came out, told us at the very start of the consultation that he was late for lunch with the district nurses (well, I'm sorry that my sick Grandmother is interfering with your schedule oh great Doctor). He then looked at her feet, as she has gout, and said "oh yes, I see". Then he listened to her heart and said that it was a nice, steady rhythm. Then he said that he was going to do nothing. He said she was old and that her body was old and worn (no shit sherlock). He said that if he had his way, doctors would not prescribe any medication, people would live until 6o and then die of a heart attack, rather that dying a slow death due to the body failing. (How sick is that?) He said that she was old about twelve times. (Is it just me, or is this not only wrong, but very disrespectful). He wasn't interested in the fact that she hadn't been well for three days and that she hadn't passed water for over 12 hours. He didn't care that she was confused and not really with it. He put it down to old age. So, hold on, folks. If you're over 60, you don't pass water for days at a time, get confused all the time and aren't really worth bothering about. (Are you looking forward to it?) This doctor couldn't get out of the door fast enough. He left my grandmother feeling worse than before. She is now in hospital with a severe infection, which has caused complete delirium. (Malpractice? Methinks so.)

Why is it that doctors become doctors when they don't care about people's welfare and wellbeing? This doctor clearly doesn't take his hypocratic oath seriously, and is merely a hypocrite!

Come on people! If you're that disillusioned by your chosen career, then change it. If you're in the caring profession, then you need to CARE first and foremost, above everything else!

A Mentally Ill Society

I seem to be noticing more and more people falling back on mental illnesses nowadays. More people saying “I’m too stressed” and more people saying “I’m a bit OCD”. And the sad thing is, people believe them and they get the sympathy and attention they want, but don’t deserve.

No one can be ‘a bit OCD’. You either are OCD or not. ‘a bit OCD’ means you are normal and like cleanliness. OCD is a neurosis. A disorder. You can’t turn it on and off. It is always there, always in your head and you can’t make it go away. You can’t stop the compulsions. You can’t stop the obsessions, so while people who say they are ‘a bit OCD’ can turn it off and get on with their lives, people with genuine OCD can’t. They have to live with it. Deal with it every day.

If anyone who says they are ‘a bit OCD’ actually knew what it felt like for someone with true OCD, they would never liken themselves to it. I mean, you don’t hear people saying “I’m a bit bipolar” or “I’m a bit schizophrenic”. They know full well that if they did they’d be committed. OCD has become the popular illness for people to use as an excuse in the last few years. They think it’s an easy way out and a bit of fun. Well, let them try having their brain going constantly. Their thoughts closing in on them. Panic and paranoia. Worry and fear.

I certainly don’t think it’s an easy excuse. People who think it is and who use it as one should take a long, hard look at themselves and ask why they feel the need to make out that they have a mental illness to get ahead!

Taking Chances

Life is short. It’s what you make it. Some people are dealt bad hands, while others skate through with no problems at all. It’s a game of luck with which hand you’re dealt, but once you have your hand, it’s about what you make of it. You have to step out there in blind faith. You have to trust that things will turn out right. Take chances and risks, because you only get one shot at it.

I worked this out in my art class. One of the class has had a hard time lately, granted. This person has chosen to be the martyr though. They spent the whole class whinging and whining about the work and how they felt so behind and that they couldn’t possibly do things on their own and take a risk. I found myself getting so angry.

When I first started art classes, at 22 years old, I knew nothing about art really. At school I was told that I was no good and shouldn’t bother. Turns out the teachers were wrong. But I wouldn’t have known this if I didn’t take risks in my art. If I didn’t make the extra effort and go that extra mile. Yes, things scare me, but when I need help, I ask for it. But for the most part, I take risks, I play with the pictures, and inject a little of me into it. With fairly good results.

So what I’m saying, people, is, take risks! Don’t just stand there and shake. Be bold. And as the song says, “What do you say about taking chances?”

Writer’s Blog

I wanted to write something inspiring, witty and imaginitive, but I find myself lacking the words. Frankly, I’m sick of people. Fed up of people using others. I have a ‘friend’ (wow, I never thought I’d have to use that phrasiology again!) who is always there to call on me when they need me. When they’re depressed and need help. When they need a shoulder to cry on. They’re never there when I need them though. It’s almost too much hassle. This friend, I haven’t seen properly for three weeks now, and when I saw her while driving on Sunday, she blanked me completely. Supposedly I’m ‘one of her best friends’, Yeah, Right! She only wants one thing. Attention when she wants it. Well, I’m done. I’ve had it being used!

People backstab, and bitch and attack others they supposedly consider friends, and then expect them to just accept it and be there.

Christians say to turn the other cheek. Well, I will do that. If she ever needs help, I will be there, but never again will I consider her a friend. I am not something to be picked up, played with and put down.

NEVER AGAIN!!!!