Thursday 16th August 2018

Maori: Rāpare 16 o Akuhata 2018

0420hrs: Woke up with the head filled with fears, frustrations, and confusion. Confused over the two DVT telephone calls and what I have to do next after the two calls from the hospital, Will Duodenal Donald ease off. How do I reduce the content of the Enoxaparin needle before injecting it? Will I make it on the Skegness trip, and can I get someone to help in ringing the surgery for me?

I rose out of the recliner and got the computer on, to check the emails in case any had come from the anticoagulation DVT people. None had, but I got an email from the doctor’s surgery.

This means today. So again I’ve got to go out when I feel so tired and weary in the afternoon, to fetch the medications, I assume to be an Enoxaparin syringe – hopefully, filled with the right amount of dosage for me to prod into my stomach. Hehe!

I made a brew and carried out the Health Checks. The machine worked the first time.

Pleased to see the weight had, at last, stopped going up. Even if it is only short-lived and temporarily.

I got on with finalising the Wednesday post. Took me two hours, but I got it done and posted off to WordPress.

I was about to start on this blog, and the much anticipated and overdue summoning to the Porcelain Throne arrived abruptly.

This brought about an entertaining few minutes for me. Twenty seconds to complete the messy evacuation, two minutes to clean up afterwards, and fifteen minutes or so, strategic planning and battling the Ironclad black biting mini-beetles!

I got eight of the Ironclads caught on the stick thingy on the Critter Kill card. But there were two dozen or so on the shower area floor. I nabbed one, but having got down to get him or her, by the time I got back up, the others had scattered. To where I don’t know. Humph!

I decided to try and make up another of the traps and was well pleased with this one. I got it about right, I think.

I left it in the corner of the shower.

Washed my hands and returned to the computer.

Just about to begin this blog for the second time, and the intercom rang.

Edward from Morrisons with the order.

He said it was raining heavily outside. Nice chap Edward.

Got the things into the kitchen and unloaded them into the cupboards and fridge, which was now a little unkempt and certainly full up again. Shame Mode Adopted!

Trust the rain to fall when I have to go out to fetch the Enoxaparin and book an appointment with the nurse for the extra blood test.

I sent an email asking for an appointment.

After clearing the fodder away, I noticed how the rain was still falling and the kitchen windows had gained some new light brown coloured blotches on the outer cellophane coverings.

The wind sounded as if it was up as well, the plastic sheets were flapping about.

I was surprised to hear the hoists coming up with the workers in this weather.

Maybe, the rain will clear off some of the blotches so I can see out of the windows a bit for a change?

Once again, I made a start on today’s post.

The rain looked to be set in for a while yet.

Then I went on the WordPress reader pages.

Moved onto the TFZer Facebook to catch up on events, post piccies etc.

Went for a wee-wee, rinsed and then got yesterday’s diary updating started. Took me a long time again, the old concentration was not at its best yet. Many errors needed correcting. Got it completed and sent off.

Cleaned and put the small potatoes in the crock-pot with some sea salt, malt vinegar and mint in the water.

The rain had eased off by the time I went off to do the ablutions.

A much larger Ironclad black biting beetle was found swimming in few drops of water that were left in a basin I use to clean the sponges in.

The little scallywag was probably having her morning shower? Hahaha!

After I’d have my shave, I picked up the flannel to find another Ironclad black biting beetle, Knocked at it while holding the facecloth over the WC bowl. It fell in the water, and just climbed out, up over the edging and down to the ground. 

I didn’t have the heart to kill the brave little fella.

Getting in the shower, I spotted several Ironclad black biting beetles high up on the curtaining. I knocked them off and swilled them down the shower drain. It took me a while, there were a fair number of them.

They will probably climb back up when I’ve gone.

Sorted the black bags and took them to the rubbish chute.

I was all ready now, I went out of the front door with my bag. Then back in the flat to change into my long distance glassed from my reading ones. Shlimazel!

Down and out into the now sunshiny morning. Avoiding getting knocked over by the traffic somehow, I got to the Nottingham City Homes, Winwood Flats, Unterscharführeress Wardens Temporary HQ, Willmott-Dixon workers breakfast and tea-break room, Sarcasm & Insult distribution area, Tenants Socialisation Shed, Telling Inchcock off Zone, Things like crockery and pottery to be stolen from, and residents room, hut.

Had a natter with Obersturmführeress Warden Julie and Warden Deana. Always cheers me up, having an unserious chinwag and laugh. And I had some more at the bus stop with Cindy, Jenny, Shirley, Josie, Frank and some others, for a few minutes or so before the bus arrived.

I dropped off at the bottom of Winchester Street, and took the same route as yesterday, along Mansfield Road, up and down the hill into Carrington. (which, as I found out later, I will be taking again in the morning, Tsk!) The plates-of-meat weren’t half stinging, but Duodenal Donald was a lot easier, and Anne Gyna only bothered me the steep parts of the journey.

The young Nottinghamian gentleman Pavement Cyclist who was freewheeling down the hill I was climbing up, really is a naughty boy, passing by me so close, too! ‘If you are too scared to go on the road, you shouldn’t be cycling in the first place, Mush!’

OVer the hill and down right to the Carrington Pharmacy.

I went in and explained what I had come for, the Enoxaparin that an email from my doctor’s surgery informed me they had sent to you. A bit of a kerfuffle ensued between the three assistant and the pharmacologist. Another lady came to me to check my birthday, while the pharmacist stayed as usual at the back, offering me an occasional glare and sneer, that indicated his indifference and annoyance at this old twit bothering him again. The lady returned several more time to ask me questions, nicely though, bless her. No signs of irritation emanated from her whatsoever.

After a good ten minutes, the same lady returned to me again. “We have not had any communication or information about any prescription for you!” That really cheered me up! Haha! But my EQ told that on this incident, the staff were not in tarradiddle mode, and were being honest with me. So I said I would walk back to Sherrington Park and find out what’s what. At the back of my mind, I thought it might have been my error somewhere along the line).

Went into the practice and explained everything to the receptionist. All about the email that someone sent from the surgery, the phone calls I’d had from the DVT and Cardiac units at the QMC and City hospital, the changes in the Warfarin doses, etc. A locum doctor joined in trying to investigate what had gone on that caused the failure.

The other receptionist joined in the what I perceived as phonus-bolonus that was going on in an attempted cover-up or blame passing tactics? Then Nurse Ann joined it. My EQ knew that something had gone wrong with the prescription procedure in some way. The dark stares and quiet voices shared between the staff, said a lot to me.

Eventually, Nurse Ann spoke to me, asking if I can get to the surgery for 0900hrs in the morning, Just what I need, another mile and third hobble for the third day on the trot! But hey-ho, she was trying to help) she would do the extra INR blood test and the CDH blood test and urine, etc. at the same time, thus saving me going in yet again for the Monday test.

She took me into her treatment room and spoke with me, saying nothing about what had gone wrong, but she did say she knew what had caused the problem. I thanked her and gave her some nibbles.

I departed and walked back to the Carrington Chemist, once again with a prescription that Nurse Ann had given me.

Mr Sneerer, the pharmacist, withdrew out of sight into the back out of view when he saw me enter the shop. Grumph! I handed the pleasant lady the prescription, and she was giving me the Enoxaparin (Later found to be Clexane injection syringes, but I suspect it is just a different trade name for the same medication?) within I minute – 40 seconds? A dubiousness came over me!

Late now and I was getting into the falling asleep mode, but I had to pull myself out of it, for I had a lot to get done still before the day had gone

I went into the Lidl store to see if they had any more of the delicious shortcrust biscuits, but they had not. Sob! I just got some wafers to top up the nibble box and a packet of Assam Tea, for only £1.56. Paid at the self-serve till.

Out and on the bus back up to Sherwood. I arrived there with about half an hour to go before the L9 was due in. So I called in three charity shops and had a look to see if any had a DVD copy of ‘The Negotiator’ on sale. None had. So, up to the bus stop. Caught the L9 and back to the flats.

The place was busy again. The Willmott-Dixon lads were busy everywhere. Especially on the Winchester Court, doing the cladding.

In the centre, the new extra-care block was coming on leaps and bounds.

At the end of the Walk, I could see Woodthorpe Court, a welcoming sight for my tired, burning, aching feet. The thought of my having to limp along this journey again for the third time in a row tomorrow, which means me having to get up earlier than usual as well, did not inspire any confidence in me. Hehe!

As I hobbled along Chestnut Walk home, there were new signs on the road and pavement, even on the grass verges all the way along. These were location signs for electric and water pipes and lines that need the ground digging up to lay them for the new unit.

New trenches were being dug in readiness for the water and electricity companies to make a start on the task.

I painfully tried to increase my rates of knots of hobbling, to get into the flat before there might be a risk of leakage from the lower regions. Hehe!

I got around the lorry without too much difficulty.

Into the flats and had a much-needed short-sharp-wee-wee. Made it in time.

Got the kettle on and did the Health Checks and took the midday medications.

Then got out the prescription and read the paperwork that came with the Enoxaparin.

There were two double-sided dirty-great sheets to read. Not that I understood much of it, mind you.

Nothing like the ones I used last time the INR was too low.

The needles seemed more prolonged, but thinner to me.

I skilfully (I thought anyway), injected the flabby tummy while pinching the wobbly flesh as instructed. Then took a photograph my pretending to be sticking in the hypodermic in the same area with the now empty of contents needle. Clever eh? Cause I couldn’t take an actual picture of the process, with only having two hands you see. Hahaha!

They require to have two shots a day now. I’ll have to take one along with me along with the usual medications on the trip to Skegness on Saturday. So looking forward to this day out. Just hoping the ailments don’t bother me too much, and that the plates-of-meat cope alright with wandering around. Oh, I must remember to put some PP’s in the bag. At this rate, I’ll need to take a shopping trolley with me. Hahaha!

I got with updating this blog for… wait for it… six hours! What a klutz!

Got the lamb and potatoes into the oven.

Checked the area where I’d injected myself. I was most surprised to see no bruising like when the nurses did the job? With it being called Clexane and not enoxaparin as the main title, might be the reason for the lack of bruising? Not that I’m complaining, mind, it’s just that I get the feeling I might have injected in the wrong area of my wobbly tummy? Hehehe!

I hope I did it right. I  can ask Nurse Ann in the morning if she’s got the time with already kindly fitting me in extra.

So tired, and the plates are still burning and stinging. And another walk to do in the morning. I’ll be too crippled to walk around Skeggy perhaps? I hope it is a comfortable bus we are going in, might get the head down then. Haha!

Got the nosh served up.

A successful cooking session that took all day, actually. All the ingredients came together, you know, were ready at the same time for once. The baby potatoes were cooked in the crock-pot first, then removed dried and sprayed with butter oil and added to the minced lamb roasting in the oven.

The mushrooms were boiled slow and long with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. The swede parsnips and onions were cooked separately with lamb seasoning, then added to the pan. The sliced potatoes were done in the oven at the same.

I can smugly claim a Flavour Rating of 9.45/10 for this effort. Hehe!

I got the pots in the washing up bowl soaking and settled down to watch some selected TV programmes.

Fell asleep!