OK, my right-wing nut cases and left-wing crackpots, I am putting the British NHS to the test, in a direct, head-to-head comparison to the great USA heath care system.
After bumping into somebody in Montana who is my age who "got the machine" and now cannot live without it, I have decided to go back and see if I can get a cure or at least an improvement to my sleep apnea problem. Wish me luck. It has been getting much worse for me lately.
So today I called the NHS and asked for an appointment, and they gave me one for 10 minutes later. That's a good start! When I got there I had a nice relaxing chat with my doctor and told her everything I know about my condition. She wrote a letter to the sleep study people, and we'll see how soon I hear from them. That will be the second test.
She was amused when I asked her if I would have to pay any money to participate in a sleep study or get a machine, or whether I could just walk out of the building without paying …
Meanwhile, tonight I am considering taking my first Ambien, just to see what it is like to get a good night's sleep. It's not recommended for people with sleep apnea, so this may be the last time you hear from me … If that happens, I've asked Sue to keep the blog going for me ;-)