OK, I had nearly given up ever emigrating due to the medical advisor moving the goalposts, again.
I was given a list of things to do prove in Jan 2011 and I have been working at this showing no diabetic retinopathy, lack of liver disease etc.
Maybe I will have done enough to allow me to get my clearance to enter NZ, so I can be there for Jan 2012. Four years after I initally started the process.
I will now also have to reregister with the NZTC. I am e-mailing them over this after I have checked their website for details.
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Monday, 20 July 2009
Blood Pressure DOWN and job hunting.
My blood pressure has returned to a perfectly respectable 140/80. I guess my doctor was right, that if you remove the stressor, the stress level drops thus dropping the blood pressure. Also not drinking a bucket of coffee before going did help. Two more BP levels like that and I will submit them to NZ House.
I am not even looking a job hunting until I have three good results. I have decided that I will only apply for main job Physics/Science as I don't really enjoy teaching Maths and decile 5+ schoolsonly. Having taught in the equivalent of a decile 1 school, I have no desire to repeat that experience, ever.
Total Costs=£2927.06 (NZ$ 8113.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
I am not even looking a job hunting until I have three good results. I have decided that I will only apply for main job Physics/Science as I don't really enjoy teaching Maths and decile 5+ schoolsonly. Having taught in the equivalent of a decile 1 school, I have no desire to repeat that experience, ever.
Total Costs=£2927.06 (NZ$ 8113.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
Monday, 29 June 2009
Been a long time
Frustration levels are rising.
Finances have been tight so I have been working on supply in one of the roughest schools in Scotland. This has further motivated me to get the hell out as I am fed up of trying to teach the pupils who are only there because they have to be there by law and do their worst in order to achieve nothing.
Having nailed all the other medical issues into submission the medical advisor decided to question my very slightly elevated blood pressure. Well lookee here, I am skint, working in a dump of a school it figures that my blood pressure is going to be raised. My doctor refuses to refer me as she thinks there is nothing the matter that can't be cured with less caffiene and a change of job. Pity that eejit in London doesn't think that.
I'm off to the nurse in the next few days to have my blood pressure tested again and if I can get three good results in a row I will send that to NZ House and tell them to wind their necks in.
Finances have been tight so I have been working on supply in one of the roughest schools in Scotland. This has further motivated me to get the hell out as I am fed up of trying to teach the pupils who are only there because they have to be there by law and do their worst in order to achieve nothing.
Having nailed all the other medical issues into submission the medical advisor decided to question my very slightly elevated blood pressure. Well lookee here, I am skint, working in a dump of a school it figures that my blood pressure is going to be raised. My doctor refuses to refer me as she thinks there is nothing the matter that can't be cured with less caffiene and a change of job. Pity that eejit in London doesn't think that.
I'm off to the nurse in the next few days to have my blood pressure tested again and if I can get three good results in a row I will send that to NZ House and tell them to wind their necks in.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
It's been a long time!
Well my application was sent back to me asking for YET MORE medical information.
They wanted stuff on my wife. That has now been sorted and she has been cleared.
I have been to see another specialist (this is getting ridiculous), costing me another £120! Guess what, he has said that so long as I keep my diabetes under control, my life will be just as full and only slightly shorter that that of a non-diabetic. Let's see if that works.
And by the way, I lost my job offer due to the delays that the NZIS have subjected me to. I reckon I can get another job easily but it really did hack me off.
Total Costs=£2927.06 (NZ$ 8113.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
They wanted stuff on my wife. That has now been sorted and she has been cleared.
I have been to see another specialist (this is getting ridiculous), costing me another £120! Guess what, he has said that so long as I keep my diabetes under control, my life will be just as full and only slightly shorter that that of a non-diabetic. Let's see if that works.
And by the way, I lost my job offer due to the delays that the NZIS have subjected me to. I reckon I can get another job easily but it really did hack me off.
Total Costs=£2927.06 (NZ$ 8113.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Crossed finger time
As the title says, all the medical information has been sent to New Zealand House. This was done on Thursday at the main Post Office in the City Centre.
My GP did write me a quick letter stating what I wanted and I am just waiting to see if this will post muster with the Medical Adviser. My GP is a specialist in the treatment of diabetics so that should carry some weight.
I am now including a currency conversion in my Costs to give any Kiwis reading this the idea of the financial committment that has to be made to get to NZ. This value below would be approximately 1/7th of a years wage for me in NZ and 1/12th of my UK wage, if I was working full time.
Total Costs=£2807.06 (NZ$ 7872.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
My GP did write me a quick letter stating what I wanted and I am just waiting to see if this will post muster with the Medical Adviser. My GP is a specialist in the treatment of diabetics so that should carry some weight.
I am now including a currency conversion in my Costs to give any Kiwis reading this the idea of the financial committment that has to be made to get to NZ. This value below would be approximately 1/7th of a years wage for me in NZ and 1/12th of my UK wage, if I was working full time.
Total Costs=£2807.06 (NZ$ 7872.70 at today's rate £1.00=NZ$2.80).
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
More Medicals!!!
Well, it has been a while since I last posted, mostly because I didn't have much to say.
Since the last posting I have had a series of blood tests and I am now beginning to feel like a pin cushion. My liver function tests were out of kilter so I had them done again, after coming off statins which lower my cholesterol.
I went to see a specialist, at the behest of the NZIS medical adviser, which cost me £120 at a private hospital. I could not get an NHS appointment as it was not "urgent". Well it depend on your definition of urgent!
A week after seeing the specialist I had the repeat tests done, which showed that my liver function tests results had dropped significantly. These results I took to the specialist and he has written a letter stating that the abnormality was statin related! YIPPPPPPPPPPEEEE!!
Now I have to speak to my doc as the Urine Protein test came back abnormal, so she upped my medication which will pull this back in line but I will need a note to say this. I must impress on her that it she has to put "Specialist" into the letter otherwise the NZIS might ignore her!
Old Costs=£2687.06
New Costs=£120.00
Total Costs=£2807.06
Since the last posting I have had a series of blood tests and I am now beginning to feel like a pin cushion. My liver function tests were out of kilter so I had them done again, after coming off statins which lower my cholesterol.
I went to see a specialist, at the behest of the NZIS medical adviser, which cost me £120 at a private hospital. I could not get an NHS appointment as it was not "urgent". Well it depend on your definition of urgent!
A week after seeing the specialist I had the repeat tests done, which showed that my liver function tests results had dropped significantly. These results I took to the specialist and he has written a letter stating that the abnormality was statin related! YIPPPPPPPPPPEEEE!!
Now I have to speak to my doc as the Urine Protein test came back abnormal, so she upped my medication which will pull this back in line but I will need a note to say this. I must impress on her that it she has to put "Specialist" into the letter otherwise the NZIS might ignore her!
Old Costs=£2687.06
New Costs=£120.00
Total Costs=£2807.06
Friday, 15 August 2008
Cultural Sensitivities
I was speaking to a Kiwi teacher earlier and I asked about cultural dos and dont's associated with the Maori.
Dont
The head is seen as sacred, the backside is "unclean" (the nearest translation).
So:
Sit on a pillow. Scatter Cushions are OK but pillows for sleeping on is a huge no-no.
Sit on any table. Food goes on table and to put your rear end on the table "pollutes" the table. I can see the reason for this and it seems to make sense.
Beckon a child with a finger. This is a deadly insult as you are beckoning as you would a dog.
With some of the Pasifika cultures the hair is seen as sacred so never touch a childs head, especially the hair.
Do:
Take your shoes off when you enter someone elses house.
Get advice from the Maori culture teacher in the school as to the local peculiarities.
This post will be added to if and when I find out more information.
Dont
The head is seen as sacred, the backside is "unclean" (the nearest translation).
So:
Sit on a pillow. Scatter Cushions are OK but pillows for sleeping on is a huge no-no.
Sit on any table. Food goes on table and to put your rear end on the table "pollutes" the table. I can see the reason for this and it seems to make sense.
Beckon a child with a finger. This is a deadly insult as you are beckoning as you would a dog.
With some of the Pasifika cultures the hair is seen as sacred so never touch a childs head, especially the hair.
Do:
Take your shoes off when you enter someone elses house.
Get advice from the Maori culture teacher in the school as to the local peculiarities.
This post will be added to if and when I find out more information.
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