Thanks to Elly’s membership of Benenden and her general wonderfulness, I now have an appointment with a an apparently highly qualified GI specialist doctor next Wednesday. (Yesterday’s appointment was with a ‘Mr’, i.e. a surgeon.)Benenden will pay for the initial consultation, an X-Ray, an ultrasound scan, a pathology test and a follow-up consultation. (Blood tests need to be done on the NHS but I think I’ve already been tested for everything under the sun.) We haven’t explored whether Benenden will pay for further treatment resulting from the consultation and tests.

Meanwhile, having done a few personal tasks and still being in pain, I’m back in my nest, about to try to sleep to the audiobook of Bill Bryson’s The road to Little Dribbling.