Well, that's torn it.
At the start of December I picked up a bug. This developed into a cold that lasted for three weeks, at which point I went to see my doctor. I was given the usual advice and told that antibiotics were not a viable option.
By the middle of December I had developed a chest infection and, later, a sinus infection; losing the hearing in my right ear. A return trip to the doctor heralded the same result: antibiotics are not an option.
In the last week of January I had a violent coughing fit, during which I felt something in my ribcage crack. So I went to the emergency room.
In essence they were shocked by my condition. I'd torn an intercostal muscle, lost roughly 60% of the hearing in my right ear and I still had a chest infection; which required treatment with antibiotics.
After pumping me full of drugs, I was asked if I wanted to make a complaint about my local doctor. Which I declined to do.
I can understand the current viewpoint on reducing the amount of antibiotics that are prescribed on a day to day basis. That said, I can't help but feel that there need to be clearer guidelines. Especially given the two month healing time that I now face.