RETURN OF THE NIGHT TERRORS

Sleep(or lack of it!) seems to be taking over my life at the moment. Last night Beauty went to sleep at 9pm but was awake(!) again at 1:30am with a night terrors episode. Thankfully it wasn't as long as last time and she spent the time between my bed and her bed, repeatedly getting up and going into the other bed and falling back to sleep complete with snoring then up again after a few seconds and into the other bed! She finally fell asleep in my bed but I wasn't going to move her(do I look stupid to you! Answers on a postcard). Beauty's bed has a nicer mattress than mine so it wasn't too much of a hardship.
When my body stands still I seem to fall asleep on my feet, I fell asleep at 6pm and woke at 9pm the I went back to sleep at 10pm , awoke for the night-terrors incident and then slept through until 5am. I am impressed with anyone who can do this and work during the day, they must be super-human.


About ten years ago I fell down the stairs in my house and my Doctor feels that this fall is probably responsible for or contributed to the arthritis that developed in my back. The arthritis in my back is not in the usual area you would expect to develop degenerative arthritis with age.
I also have lots of pain in most of my joints and especially the bones in my feet and in my neck. At 46 I am not getting any younger and it is normal for the body to deteriorate and to wear out but I want to be as fit and healthy for as long as possible. I have been considering for a while now to have a Bone Density Test done at a private hospital because of my advancing years(I sound ancient) and arthritis etc, I would like to be aware of the possibility of Osteoporosis and ways that I can deal with it.
I would be prepared to seek private treatment because I do not believe that I would meet the NHS criteria for referral for such a test.
Today I read the following article

Crackdown on screening proposed
There should be a clampdown on private medical screening, government advisers are set to recommend.The National Screening Committee is considering how best to regulate the industry, Pulse magazine reports.It is acting because of fears there are too few checks on the sector - and too much pressure on the NHS.Tests cost from £10 for a cholesterol check to thousands for a body scan, but people can then be sent to the NHS for further - often unnecessary - checks.Sir Muir Gray, programme director of the National Screening Committee, said the whole industry would face close scrutiny and tough new regulations.He told Pulse: "We are thinking of how we control private testing because it's an example of low value activity which generates work for the health service, may cause harm and does not benefit the individual."Lots of GPs I know are very concerned about people who go to a private clinic for a blood test and then the people who run the private clinic say 'Oh your kidney results look a bit funny - just go and see your GP'."The Royal College of GPs is backing calls for tougher regulation.Professor Mayur Lakhani, chair of the RCGP, said: "Screening is becoming increasingly popular and is not without hazard if done in an unprepared way."Working to national standards would bring added peace of mind."
Dr Peter Mace, BupaWellness' Assistant Medical Director said: "We refute the allegation that health assessments cause patients anxiety. Our experience is quite the opposite."We identify a health issue for around a third of customers which they were previously unaware of."

Pianoman was asked by his Doctors if he wanted to take part in an NHS research project on Prostate Cancer due to him fitting the age and lifestyle criteria and he agreed. He had tests taken and when the results came back he had small but raised levels of the the indicator that showed he could possibly have cancer.
Had it had come back at this low level whilst receiving normal NHS care he would have been told that this could be normal and not indicate cancer and not to worry(information that he was given by the research Nurse and Doctor) and no further tests would have been done. But because he was part of the research program he was sent for further tests and cancer was found. He has since had radiotherapy and there are no signs of the cancer returning which of course is good news.
But still there is the possibility of what could have happened if further tests had not been done.
I know that financially the NHS cannot do everything but to limit the choice of the individual to seek private medical care is in my opinion immoral. Doctors who work in theses private hospitals are either NHS trained and still work within the NHS or have trained in other countries and have received approval to work in this country so they are competent practitioners.
I want to go to have a Bone Density Test and for the Doctor I see to give me a plan of action as to how I can best take care of myself. I can't see anything wrong with that.