I Couldn't Care Less: What Have We Learned This Week?
Created | Updated Sep 1, 2013
What Have We Learned This Week?
This week I had another interview. It was an interview I enjoyed much more, felt easier and more relaxed in. But in due course we came to the point where I had to bring up the whole 'having my phone on the shop floor' thing. Well, apparently we don't usually allow phones on the shop floor. Which is fair enough, and I might have caved. But then, I remembered what I had thought and written about my previous interview, and I held firm. It was important, I explained. When my wife needs me now, it needs to be right now, not when someone else has got off the phone. And no, she only ever calls me on my mobile when it's a 'can't wait' emergency. When she called me at work to tell me about the interview I am currently in, she used the work line. Well, we'd see what we could do, very pleasantly, no stroppiness or anything. I'd just made the importance of my position clear, and it had been recognised and understood, almost as if we were both adults having a civilised conversation.
Meanwhile I had another grown-up conversation to have that day. My wife, I may have mentioned in the past, will not countenance allowing me to care for her if I do not properly attend to my own needs. The previous day I had noticed that one of my pupils was dilated wider that the other. I don't know what (apart from drugs) causes this, so I couldn't really rate its level of seriousness. I had none of the other symptoms I might normally associate with internal bleeding, migraines or a cyst or tumour, so I concluded that it wasn't too serious, but my wife insisted I consult the doctor anyway.
Well, I was on my way to the doctor and reviewing my symptoms as I went along. It turned out, when I thought about it, that I had pain in my right shoulder, swelling over my right eye, pain in my neck and down my right hand side. I wasn't panicking about a stroke scenario, it was just a bit of pain, but it was enough to make me wonder. Well this isn't a particularly interesting column I'm afraid. My pupil had returned to its normal size and my doctor decided that it wasn't a worry. He was somewhat concerned about the pain in my side but is aware of my own medical history and the fact that I am a carer and that this puts stress on me physically. He had also noticed that the shop where I work was closing down. He was concerned about my stress levels and agreed that I wasn't quite physically perfect but explained that the pathology did not throw up anything sufficient to refer me onwards. Fair enough. I rose to go.
'How's things at home?' he asked. He wasn't being malicious or nosey or anything of that nature. He is a GP who understand my role (more or less) and the implications of it. He asked how my wife was and how I was coping. There isn't a great deal he can do about any of it, but he can, and does, listen to anything that may be troubling me. He is a good doctor. Carers, like those suffering from medical conditions, benefit enormously from sensitive and understanding medical professionals.
Oh, and one more thing, as Columbo would say. After the interview, I got a call back asking me to come in for a trial day. They haven't offered me the job yet, and I'm not sure what's going to happen about the phone thing, but I'll let you know.
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