A slow boat to a healthier population

Sometimes life gives you an unexpected surprise or two. It’s the second week of our Lancaster canal cruise. We had made great progress and having reached Tewitfield Marina at Carnforth, we explored the last 14 miles of what are called the Northern Reaches. We had to take a bus into Kendal to see the very end of the old canal, now marked only by single post fixed adjacent to the local recycling plant. Sadly, these days, it’s not possible to get past the Tewitfield Locks. Back in 1960, in a grossly triumphant road versus canal decision, a connecting road bridge was constructed to cross the M6 motorway with its foundations and subsequent backfill, plonked squarely in the canal. There remains a somewhat hopelessly ambitious desire to reconnect the Northern Reaches to the rest of the Lancaster canal. It is unlikely to happen in my lifetime – there isn’t the money these days for such a project.

Having completed the first half of our journey, we were ready to start on our return last Monday. The weather had changed, but we were determined to carry on. The night before we should have set off, Jane noticed a horrible looking rash covering much of the right side of my upper body. The rash had numerous small blisters and was beginning to be very painful. I had felt off for a few days, but assumed I was either coming down with a cold or it was my age. At about 03.00 in the morning I suddenly woke up and thought it had to be shingles. 

So instead of setting off, we caught the first bus into Carnforth, and found a pharmacy that opened at 08.00 and I was seen straight away. Definitely shingles was the conclusion and antiviral medication, prescribed and dispensed. We had a brief encounter under the station clock and then Ubered back. I have to say the whole process was caring, compassionate and made me so proud of the NHS - when the system works well, it works really well. 

I have never had shingles before, but being a bit of a stubborn man, I thought let’s get going, a bit of pain and torrential rain was not going to stop me. Jane had other ideas. She told me to go back to bed, rest and gather my strength. Several hours later I awoke once more to find it still raining hard, and Jane telling me the Lune Aqueduct, was closed. It was the gateway to our route back to Lancaster. Both the shingles and the navigation closure were real surprises and made us reconsider what we could, should or even wanted to do. 

There were two more surprises for us to contemplate. One was waiting a whole day while the Canal and River Trust (CRT) removed two huge trees that had fallen during the nights storm and were blocking the canal. The next surprise came just 48 hours later, and was a four hour hold up due to a CRT boat that had drifted free from its moorings, and was wedged across the canal, blocking it. The best laid plans and all that. Now canal cruising is a slow affair. These days we are not allowed to travel at more than 4 mph. Many a time, walkers on the tow path catch us up and walk right on past us. 

Paradoxically, life on a canal boat is both leisurely but can be sheer hard work. We have adapted our days to suit this way of being. We cruise first thing, perhaps stopping for lunch and then find a mooring for the night. We have a full galley kitchen, so if not going out to eat, we can prepare a meal ourselves. So as I was still feeling far from well, we decided to stay another day. Jane used her bus pass and explored more of the Lakes. I looked after myself. Jane did however, give me written instructions on when I had to take the medication.

During the day I played catch up with papers I have stored up, waiting for a moment or two to read them. My computer is like my dads old shed, filled with things (in my case papers, stories and reports) that I don’t want to delete (or throw away in my dad’s case) as they might one day be just what I need. Yes, you guessed it, I found two stories that got me thinking. The first was a story about the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about four trials where ‘Fit  Notes’ won’t automatically issue when a person presents at the GP with a health problem. They may be offered an initial fit note, but it will be to enable a referral to an alternative community health service provider. Others won’t necessarily even get the initial fit note, but will be referred to other community services. These won’t always be clinically led services either.

Currently, some 11 million fit notes are issues each year, with some 9-10 declaring the person unfit for work. This can’t be right. So often such a fit note condemns a person to longer term unemployment, without actually helping them to help themselves. Employment in one shape or another is one of the really important underlying factors in keeping someone mental health and improving their wellbeing.

I think the four pilots are a great idea, and overtime, will help us really invest in the resources to be found in our local neighbourhoods and communities. There are other things that we might do to help keep ourselves healthy. My second story described how the supermarket Morrisons (there are other supermarkets available) have teamed up with the NHS in a project to raise people’s awareness of, and ability to recognise a potential cancer.

Morrisons have designed a series of new shower and bath products that all have cancer advice on the labels. The messages include ‘be body aware’ and ‘know the signs of cancer’. In using these products, folk are encouraged to look out for skin changes, lumps, unexplained bruising and so on when they are in the bath or taking a shower. Most won’t be cancerous, but if people discover any such changes, they are advised to seek medical help asap. This can make all the difference to someone’s treatment outcome if indeed, the changes are signs of cancer. If something doesn’t feel right with your body, don’t go on line for Dr Google, talk to a health professional, whether that is your GP, Practice Nurse, or like me last week, your local pharmacist. You know it makes sense. Just do it and stay well.