The Faraway Nearby Diary of a Taranaki Tech Traveller: Part 6

Flu shot due. Txt reminder arrives from the surgery. Phone for an appointment. Get a txt reminder the day before the appointment. Very helpful when sometimes I’m too busy having fun to know what day it is.

Realise I need some prescriptions renewed so on the computer go to managemyhealth.co.nz and log in with my password. Select prescriptions and click on those that need renewing then ‘send’. The doctor will get the request, write the script and it will be waiting for me to collect. Click on ‘Health Records’, then the ‘Recalls’ tab to see if I have any check-ups due. Click on ‘Lab Results’ and see all are flagged normal by the doctor. I open the records to see more detail.

Remember I’d seen a notice saying Manage My Health now has an app, so I go to the App Store and download it for free. It will be handy if I’m away from the computer, particularly to make appointments or request repeat prescriptions. Remember a conversation with a friend about a similar service, called Health365. I’m sure it operates in much the same way. You can only see your own records.

School holidays! They do come around more often than they used to. I remember I’ve booked a motel via Booking.com for the July break but my son’s family can’t make it so I need to cancel. Most Booking.com reservations have free cancellations. Easy to use the app to find places that match requirements – beds, price range, even pet friendly. And easy to cancel! I like it.

New York! My brother is there for six weeks – a celebration in anticipation of his upcoming 70th. He’s booked concerts and operas every second night and accommodation in a series of Airbnb homes – private people who rent you their house, room or whatever they have on offer. He’s on his own at the start and finish, so has a room in the Bronx then later in Queens, and a two-bedroom apartment in the middle when a friend will be joining him. All travel, tickets and accommodation have been arranged over the internet.

He sends me a photo of spring in New York – flowering trees outside his window. I Google ‘NY street trees’ then look at his photos on my phone and decide they’re probably a flowering pear. I’m looking forward to more photos and stories.