New journey

New journey

                    This is a fair representation of me hobbling along.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I wanted to wait until Barry had finished all his explorations before I embarked on mine. However, backed up by the rest of the family, he was insistent that I ‘do something now, at least to get the ball rolling,’

It’s been some while since I’ve been able to go out for a ‘proper’ walk. I wrenched my knee in tussocky grass in April 2023 and thereafter, it took several weeks for my leg to recover. I compensated by my right leg taking most of the strain and I started to have problems with my right hip and knee and also my back.

Although I was not able to walk as far or as readily, life continued much as before. This summer, however, my right hip and knee have been troublesome. Whether or not it is relevant, after I had a tooth extraction in July, things became much worse. I said it was ‘referred pain’ or ‘trauma,’ but really, I was fooling myself. I said I would lose weight – that would be the answer, but it wasn’t. Barry took control, as he so often does, and on Saturday I went to have an x-ray at one of the local hospitals.

 I took a seat in the waiting room while Barry registered my details, because of course, I can’t do that for myself (!) and then he called to me. The chap next to me said, ‘You’ve been summoned,’ and I said, ‘It was hardly worth my while sitting down,’ which caused a ripple of amusement among the other people waiting.

Just in case we were confused about which department we were visiting, there were x-ray prints on the walls. I thought they were rather fine, but I only photographed one from an awkward sitting position.  

I didn’t have to wait long, and the process was so quick. Everything moved at the touch of a button. Maybe it’s been this way for decades, but I found it impressive.

Later on, after x-rays had been taken of knee and hip, I sat down to wait for Barry, when the man who’d been sitting next to me, walked past, and said, ‘You’ve moved.’ I said, ‘Not far, though,’ and he said, ‘Good luck, my darling. Have a nice weekend.’

It made me smile.

The results should be available later this week and then we consider next steps.

The previous week I had been sitting in another hospital waiting room, while Barry had something or other done – I’m rather losing track! 

Anyway, I was working on some puzzles in my ‘Haggard Hawks Book of Brain Teasers’ and became aware of the person beside me trying to see what I was doing, without actually leaning closer. I turned to him and said, ‘Do you want to know what I’m doing?’ and showed him the page I was looking at. His wife, sitting opposite, said, ‘He likes doing crosswords,’ and we spent an enjoyable few minutes puzzling out answers.

Not everyone sits, stony-faced, avoiding eye contact in these situations, I’m pleased to say. Naturally, I do recognise that many people in waiting rooms have dreadful problems and for them life is difficult, and I would never make light of their plight.

New journey

 

New journey

                        This is a fair representation of me hobbling along.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I wanted to wait until Barry had finished all his explorations before I embarked on mine. However, backed up by the rest of the family, he was insistent that I ‘do something now, at least to get the ball rolling,’

It’s been some while since I’ve been able to go out for a ‘proper’ walk. I wrenched my knee in tussocky grass in April 2023 and thereafter, it took several weeks for my leg to recover. I compensated by my right leg taking most of the strain and I started to have problems with my right hip and knee and also my back.

Although I was not able to walk as far or as readily, life continued much as before. This year, however, my right hip and knee have been troublesome. Whether or not it is relevant, after I had a tooth extraction in July, things became much worse. I said it was ‘referred pain’ or ‘trauma,’ but really, I was fooling myself. I said I would lose weight – that would be the answer, but it wasn’t. Barry took control, as he so often does, and on Saturday I went to have an x-ray at one of the local hospitals.

 I took a seat in the waiting room while Barry registered my details, because of course, I can’t do that for myself (!) and then he called to me. The chap next to me said, ‘You’ve been summoned,’ and I said, ‘It was hardly worth my while sitting down,’ which caused a ripple of amusement among the other people waiting.

Just in case we were confused about which department we were visiting, there were x-ray prints on the walls. I only took a photograph of one from a sitting position, but I thought it rather fine.

 

I didn’t have to wait long, and the process was so quick. Everything moved at the touch of a button. Maybe it’s been this way for decades, but I found it impressive.

Later on, after the x-rays had been taken of knee and hip, I sat down to wait for Barry, and the man who’d been sitting next to me  previously, walked past, and said, ‘You’ve moved.’ I said, ‘Not far, though,’ and he said, ‘Good luck, my darling. Have a nice weekend.’ 

It made me smile.

The results should be available later this week and then we consider next steps.

The previous week I had been sitting in another hospital waiting room, while Barry had something or other done – I’m rather losing track! Anyway, I was working on some puzzles in my ‘Haggard Hawks Book of Brain Teasers’ and became aware of the person beside me trying to see what I was doing, without actually leaning closer. I turned to him and said, ‘Do you want to know what I’m doing?’ and showed him the page I was working on. His wife, sitting opposite, said, ‘He likes doing crosswords,’ and we spent an enjoyable few minutes puzzling out answers.

Not everyone sits, stony-faced, avoiding eye contact in these situations, I’m pleased to say.

The Further Adventures of Frodo the Faller – a day with the vets

Frodo had a further appointment with Phil-the-Vet last Wednesday. Although he’s not squeaking anymore and doesn’t appear to be in pain he must still have a daily dose of Meloxidyl every morning for a further fortnight to reduce any swelling.  Phil-the-Vet suggested that an x-ray might reveal more about the causes of Frodo’s problem so Barry immediately booked him in for the next day.

He was going to be sedated for the process, not anaesthetised, but the same instructions applied:-

1:  No food after 8 pm the evening before

2: No water in the morning

We have a two gallon container of water in the kitchen that’s available at all times for the animals and is refilled every day. (Yesterday, Winston was miaouing by the bucket and when we looked we saw it was empty.)

Frodo is a creature of habit. It is his custom to groan and moan for food twice a day and he will never go out to relieve himself in the morning until he has been fed. Directly after breakfast he drinks copious amounts of water, or would, if I didn’t prevent him – too much liquid in one intake after a meal can cause gastric dilatation and torsion. Following that he repairs to the garden and then comes back to the kitchen for his medication.

The requirement not to feed after eight o’clock was no problem. The animals are always fed their second meal well before that time but the morning presented Frodo with some puzzling behaviour on the part of the humans, particularly the female human who feeds him. Food was not forthcoming, which was very perturbing for him. Even more disquieting than that, I was walking round and round the garden with him to try and encourage him to pee. No joy! Then Barry called him out to the car, (now known as ‘the dog box’ as it’s rather like a horse box and serves a similar purpose) and he jumped in but was not joined by the rest of his friends and relations. His mystified face stared back at me as the dog box disappeared out of the drive.

It was a strange feeling to walk the dogs without my Velcro dog by my side but it was quite relaxing not to have to watch out for other dogs all the time. Frodo is as soft as butter with the dogs he knows – any of them can steal his bone or pinch his food and he makes not a sound, but if a strange dog or human approaches when we’re walking he is very vocal so it is easier and quieter to avoid such scenes by taking an alternative route. We find that most experienced dog walkers behave in the same way, for a variety of reasons.

In the late afternoon we had the results of Frodo’s x-ray. There were a couple of small bone growth spurs that were not affecting him so the conclusion was that he had probably trapped a nerve. We were relieved!

Frodo is a very obedient dog and submits quietly to many procedures but he has taken a dislike to the plunger that administers his Meloxidyl. I don’t know whether he doesn’t like the taste of the medicine or associates the syringe with needles, even though he’s never had a hypodermic used on him at home. Whatever the cause, he slinks away, looking very hangdog. We were away at the weekend and Gillian was looking after the animals. When it was time for his liquid medicine Frodo sloped off and she found him at the top of the stairs!

I have now resorted to giving him a small biscuit after his dose much as children sometimes are given something to take away the taste of ‘nasty medicine’. Naturally, the others must have a biscuit, too. I shall have to adjust their rations accordingly!

I can see through you . . .

. . . or at least I can see through your clothes.
Manchester Airport in the UK is conducting trials of a very powerful x-ray machine in its efforts to counteract terrorism.
The machine is a full body scanner which 'sees' through clothes to the body beneath, showing clear images of piercings, prostheses and private parts as well as more dangerous hidden items.
No good wearing flattering cover-all clothes - all your lumps and bumps will be on display in clear black and white. The images will only be seen by one person in a remote location and will then be deleted. I foresee a new crime - selling images to interested parties!
Passengers may still opt for the more traditional check-in, preferring to remove shoes, belts, coats rather than revealing all.

Castaway – doctor or vet?

I have always said that if I should ever be cast away in an inhospitable place I would hope that among my companions there would be a veterinary surgeon. In my opinion they are far better qualified to deal with day to day emergencies and of course their diagnostic skills must be infinitely superior since their patients cannot tell them what hurts where. Of course, I'd have to stand on all fours – or on my back with my legs in the air (done that, for babies, four x umpteen times!)

I don't doubt there are good doctors and bad vets – I have met examples of each. Based on our experience over many years, my trust would be more readily placed in a vet than a hospital doctor. I know at this time of year the hospitals are full of newly-trained, apprehensive doctors who are expected to put into practice what they have absorbed in six years of training. Again, some will be splendid, some adequate and some should go back to medical school.

I have no idea of the experience of the hospital staff who recently - I was going to say 'treated' but that would be inaccurate, so, who recently 'saw' my fourteen-year-old granddaughter. Kiri had hurt her ankle badly playing football (her team won the game!) My daughter took her straight to the Accident and Emergency department at Dorchester Hospital. The leg was x-rayed and no break was found. 'Someone' decided that it was a bad sprain, told her she must use it and would not give her crutches as she 'didn't need' them. Kiri could not put her weight on it and burst into tears every time she tried. Gillian, very worried, took her to their family doctor who immediately suspected ligament problems and arranged for Kiri to have some crutches.

Days passed and Kiri's ankle was very swollen; she still could not put any weight on it, the pain was intense and she was taking strong painkillers regularly. In order to straighten her foot she had to carry it over to the opposite side of her body, above her other foot and allow gravity to work on it. Gillian went back to the hospital several times without getting a satisfactory answer. Eventually, almost a week later, she was told that they 'thought' Kiri had snapped her Achilles tendon and so they put her leg in a cast. So Kiri has had many days of pain, lost many days of schooling and given her parents a few more grey hairs – and Gillian has had to overcome the attitude, so prevalent in medical and educational circles, of being an 'over-anxious mother'. I applaud her for her fortitude – my grandchildren are lucky to have her and Paul as their parents. (My son and daughter-in-law are similarly to be commended!) It is appalling that a young girl should have to endure such (lack of . . .) treatment and such pain.

We have had several animals over many years that have led active lives and suffered occasional injuries. The vets' treatment has been immediate and to the point. By way of direct comparison one of our cats damaged her leg and the consulting vet immediately diagnosed and treated cruciate ligament damage. On other occasions treatment has always been urgently applied according to need.

Perhaps the Government has set targets for the NHS that do not encompass injuries of the nature that Kiri has endured. Perhaps the emergency departments are so focussed on meeting objectives and ticking boxes that they have lost sight of their primary function – the relief of pain and distress.

My apologies – this is a very personal rant. Make no mistake – if someone is in dire need through injury, accident or chronic illness, the National Health Service is wonderful, truly – and certainly my sister, among others, would not have had the peaceful, graceful passing that she had.

For 'everyday' emergencies those of us who can afford private medical insurance are thankful – but it's WRONG. There must be a better solution. (Education is another bugbear . . . ugh . . . later!)