CA & CTS

It’s been a strange week this week regarding my health. In fact it’s been a hard year all round!

 I was convinced this weekend that I had cardiac problems. The sensations I was having were so strange (I’ll try to describe them another time in detail). They started on Friday and continued regularly – often every second or so if I was moving about – but I tried to pretend that it was all OK and half persuaded myself that I was over-reacting due to the knowledge I had from nursing. I thought I was scaring myself so I didn’t ring up the GP until Monday and then booked in as a normal appointment. I got in two days later but the sensations had stopped that morning – typical! I knew that I still needed to check it as I knew what it was despite trying to tell myself otherwise. If it had been anyone else describing these symptoms to me, I’d have sent them to A&E for an ECG. My GP wasn’t very happy that I’d left it and told me that my diagnosis was right. He also told me that my blood pressure was too high and I should monitor it. He sent me for an ECG that afternoon- which looked normal, thankfully – and told me that if it happened again, I needed to ring as soon as I could to arrange a 24 hour tape so they can monitor it. It’s quite frightening when you think there is something wrong with your heart. I’ve looked after many patients with heart conditions and although I could understand and empathise, it’s not the same as experiencing it. At certain points after I’d made my GP appointment I even half thought that I might have an arrest! How scary is that?!

As I said in another post, I went to see the neurologist almost a fortnight ago about my numbness and pain in my hands and wrists. First of all I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome but not all of the symptoms matched. For instance, the pain and numbness affect my whole hand and often affecting my little finger up to the wrist first before spreading across my hand to the index finger and thumb.  I was sent for a nerve conductivity test to try to find out more. This is where they pass an electrical current through key nerves and measure the output. The sensation is very much like those exercise machines that you can buy but stronger - not pleasant but not painful either. I went today and  off showing normal results but just as she (very nice lady!) was finishing the tests, I threw in abnormal readings. She changed tactics and did further tests and concluded that I had atypical carpal tunnel syndrome. I am being referred back to my GP who will then refer me to someone else. Apparently it’s the fasted way. I’ll keep you posted.

Making a stand…

OK! I’ve looked up info about allotments now and found evidence that the council should be at least looking into providing more allotments (Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908) . If more than 6 electoral registered people are waiting for a plot, they can join together and request a new site. Well, as I said earler, I’m 98th on the list! Who knows how many more are after me. We can’t make any arrangements to write to request a new site as we don’t know each other and I can’t ask for the names of the people on the list for obvious privacy reasons.  To be honest I don’t see why we should have to. The Council know that we’re all on this list, they must also be aware of the Allotment Act. They can see there is a demand for more resources so they should be providing them! Anyway, I’ve emailed my local MP to see what he advises. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m even thinking of contacting our local press if I get no joy.

Here is a copy of the email:
Dear Mr ***,  

I live in *** and I recently I applied for an allotment.  Today I was informed by *** Council (the Council) that there are 48 plots and I am now 98th on the waiting list.  With so few sites and so many waiting, the likelihood of getting a plot in the foreseeable future is slim.
In the Memorandum by the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions  AL 23) it states that the Local Authorities’ Duties to provide allotments as set out by the Allotments Act 1908 is still valid.
“Where an allotments authority is of the opinion that there is a demand for allotments in its area, section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 puts the authority under a duty to provide a sufficient number of allotments and to let them to persons residing in its area who want them.  Representations may be made to the local authority on the need for allotments by any six resident registered electors.”
However, as I have no way of contacting the other people on the waiting list, whom I  assume are registered electors, to request that we submit a representation I cannot continue with any action.  Surely, with a waiting list of this size (16 times the size recommended in the Allotments Act!), the authority should see that there is a demand in this area.  Can you advise me in this matter?
I thank you for your time.

With kind regards,
*** ***