One of the big issues to address while on dialysis is how to entertain yourself. For some sleep comes easy, and for others, staring into space for 4 hours seems to be their pastime of choice – although how they do that I’ll never know.
I generally can’t sleep so will vary activities between reading, playing games on my iPad or watching a bit of TV on the iPad.
Now that throws up two issues for me.
One is the cost of watching TV by this method and the other is the lack of wireless networks in the hospital.
I purchased a Sky subscription to watch Sky Sports on my iPad, really handy for a Saturday afternoon shift, you’d think, football on and I quite like Jeff Stelling and his bunch of reprobates on the Soccer Saturday Show. I’d already signed up for this service on my iPhone and it was £6 per month, not bad, I thought for 6 channels.
Then I signed up as soon as I got the iPad, and I was charged £35 – for a year I thought, but in fact it’s per month. £35!! They are clearly having a laugh. It’s not 3D, it’s only on a 10″ screen! Murdoch ripping us off again based on his monopoly position. Did I say monopoly? Surely not – that’s not allowed nowadays!! Some sort of financial palm greasing going on I imagine.
So, now to the wireless network. In some areas now they are ubiquitous. But another monopoly rules here – the one that has a company providing a rather second rate combined phone, TV and internet service at the bed side – at extortionate rates for all services.
Time for the NHS to wake up and smell the coffee and stop taking ‘cuts’ from the TV/phone service provider. An ever increasing number of devices are wireless capable now – time to install the network to allow patients to chose how they receive their services. Did I say choose? Surely, is that not what the NHS promotes for patient care?
I wonder.
So, for now, I have to rely on O2′s 3G phone network to stream my TV to me, and I fear Mr Murdoch’s TV service has been binned and I take advantage of CatchUp TV, which is free – and soon the new service from BBC ITV BT et al will be here with Project Canvas – so I wait with baited breath. So, Saturday afternoon’s are sportless. Don’t really see the point of paying £420 a year to watch some football for 4 hours every Saturday. That’s season ticket money. I used to have a season ticket at Portsmouth – but the saga of Pompey is a whole blog in itself – I may be tempted to add something here soon!
Happy dialysing – enjoy your kip! (by the way, please keep the snoring to a dull roar, thank you! 
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