"Nursing care"

I was admitted to Armadale Hospital last week with arrhythmia after 24 hours in Emergency.  I was asked if I had any allergies and I responded "only shellfish." When asked about diet, I explained that I don't eat processed carbs because I have diabetes that is controlled by diet. My bed was near the nursing station and a while later I recall I heard a nurse saying that they were pretty sure that the shellfish allergy isn't an allergy, just a choice.  My name wasn't mentioned, but I felt it was clear that this was about me.  Now I'm not stupid, I know with certainty that I wasn't going to be offered a prawn cocktail, so why would I mention the allergy (for which I have been taken by ambulance to the same hospital a few years ago) unless it was life threatening?  And why were they voicing their opinion on a matter about which I believe they know absolutely nothing?

A little while later I was asked about my medication and the nurse took them from me.  One of these is dexamphetamine, taken for ADHD. The next morning I was given my other medication, but when I asked for my dexamphetamine, I was told that there was no one on the ward who is authorised to handle controlled drugs. Mid-morning I asked again, still no one was available. I explained that it was already late in the day to take the meds, but I am not allowed to drive unmedicated, so I need to take my tablets.  I went back to my bed, and that's when I remembered... I got my normal dose of the tablets out of my emergency pack, went back to the nurse and asked them to witness that I was taking my dexamphetamine, and swallowed them. (I didn't want the staff to insist, if they ever found someone to dispense my meds, that I must take the dose again.)

I can't understand by what authority a nurse who is not authorised to handle controlled drugs was able to take said controlled away from me.  But one thing I know with certainty is that I will never again hand over my controlled meds to anyone, even if they insist.

Another issue is that most of the nurses I saw (in both the ER and on the ward) would try to make conversation while they were taking my blood pressure.  When I asked them not to do this, I recall most of them replied, it doesn't really make a difference.  Well, I think someone should make sure that all of the nurses read up on the effects of conversation on a patient's BP.  It might not make a difference for ordinary, healthy people, but I am not one of them.  For people with diabetes and some other conditions, I understand the difference can be 15 mm Hg, or more.  For me, "white coat syndrome" is simply someone who doesn't know to keep their mouth shut for the 30 seconds or so that it takes to measure blood pressure.