Naturally Laterally

~ tidalscribe.com

I had a hospital appointment the day after our delayed Christmas, for planning, which sounds more like a council department, but is to measure up for radiotherapy. Handy hint – always re-read your hospital letter the night before. I was supposed to do a lateral flow test. I had never done one as I have had regular PCR tests at oncology outpatients during chemotherapy. Luckily Team AK had half a dozen boxes someone had given them as the tests were hard to acquire over the Christmas season; the whole country had been told to do them frequently before visiting. Luckily Team H were still with us, with school and work they do them all the time. Fortunately I wasn’t on my own as chemotherapy has left me with peeling finger nails and peripheral neuropathy, making undoing or peeling open anything difficult. I read the instruction booklet carefully, set the kitchen timer and announced I must not look at the test result for thirty minutes. ‘No, twenty minutes’ said someone. ‘You have to check for the pink line after five minutes’ said another.

‘What pink line?’

There was no pink line, the test was null and void. It was suggested there was not enough magic fluid in the squeezy phial. Two more test kits were opened so we could use two phials. The pink line appeared and in half an hour I had a result. My son-in-law said I had better photograph the result in case I needed proof. It had taken a team of five, three tests and two self assaults on my throat and nose to get a negative result. Thank goodness I had not left the procedure till the morning.

Not all tests are exactly the same I gather and they probably have different names according to where you live. I wonder how anyone living alone with bad eyesight or hands that don’t work one hundred per cent manages to do these tests, let alone busy parents who are expected to test their children every time symptoms or contacts occur. I have also concluded from my limited circle of family and friends that we are divided over testing, the same as we are divided over mask wearing. Some families test continually and demand the same of visitors while others have never taken a test.

Parents with school children are testing frequently. Fortunately a positive result in children usually means mild symptoms and time off school, yet again…  A recent survey reveals that since the school term started three out of four grandchildren now have Covid…

24 thoughts on “Naturally Laterally”

  5. I wonder how many people there are in the country, or even the whole world there are with NO symptoms, but who would get a positive result on that test? They are going about their daily lives in blissful ignorance of having that virus in their bodies? A friend, triple jabbed, recently tested positive but had no symptoms, her work demands a daily test, she had to stay away from work for a week and lost a weeks pay. Her job? A vaccine jabber! There’s something not right here.

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    1. Yes, we were wondering that, unless work or sick relatives keep you in a testing routine who would be testing when they are fine. I also wonder at the death figures. If you go into hospital with multiple injuries after an accident they test you for Covid, positive, then you sadly die of your injuries…

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      1. Yes, I saw some unconfirmed figures today that said: 2018/19 26,000 people died of flu or pneumonia in the U.K. 2020/2021 9,000 people died OF covid! This separates our people with covid but who in reality died OF cancer, heart disease, stroke etc. Go figure ….. discuss!

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  6. The palaver of testing indeed but since doing quite a few I’ve got it down to a nifty routine! 😀 After being in hospital A &E yesterday when the nurse tested me, the first time ever a medical professional did the Covid test, I realise I’ve been far too harsh and hard on my poor throat and nose! Didn’t realise it was a tickle more than an attack! Glad you got it all sorted.

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      1. Thank you for your concern; not too serious as suspected appendicitis turned out to be severe infection – on two lots of antiobiotics. Take care and hope you have a lovely Sunday. xx

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  9. My wife has lots of test kits because she works for our GP. We did one recently before her family came to visit, and ours said to wait a full 30 minutes too.
    Glad your test was negative. (So was ours, by the way)
    Best wishes, Pete.

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