I set off, and watched as the bus pulled away from the bus stop, too far for me get there in time! Huh! 
I called in to see ILC (Independent Living Coordinator), Riechsfuhreress and Catwalk Model Warden Deana, she gave me back the appointment letter for the CHD Test, and we had a few moments (Precious to me) chinwagging. Off out to the bus stop I poddled, finding the rain was belting down!
I arrived at the bus stop and thought how lucky we all were to have the 40 bus now calling at the flats, I needed this route as it goes down St Anns Well Road, and the stop is close where I destined for, St Ann’s Health Centre, for the scans to be done.
I alighted the bus near Robin Hood Chase, the first time after the stroke, I used this place, it took me perhaps three minutes to walk from the stop to the centre. Today, I’m sad to say, it took me about ten minutes, as I can no longer get up the steps with the trolley-walker guide. Poor old thing!
The security guard, in response to my having used the handwash, and was looking around, cause I could not remember where to go, he kindly gave me a muttered Hurgh! as he and pointed to the reception desk end. All cleverly done without his elbow slipping off of the counter he was leaning on. Hehe!
I went to the wrong window, and got a head shake in the right direction by way of help by an assistant! The young lady who tended to me, read the paperwork I had given her, and was pleasant enough, as I asked her for the third time, to repeat what she had said. I explained that with the Screening fitted to counter Coronavirus, and my not being able to wear my hearing aids with the facemask on. There was a definite tension in the air, but my EQ could not pinpoint the reason. She adopted sign language and pointed to the well-spaced out chairs at the end of the massive room. Ah, thought I, I’ve got it now, and thanked her, and wobbled to the chairs, they were all free, no one else in sight. Eerie, in a way! Got the crossword book out, but didn’t have time to do any, as the young lady geriatrician urogynecologist lady came to me, and indicated I should follow her. Which I did, to her treatment room.
A non-embarrassing investigation was carried out on the bladder. Endless questions, but she was most patient with my having to ask her to repeat herself throughout the next hour and a half. The procedure was an ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, and used high-frequency sound waves to create an image of my bladder to ensure that it is emptying fully, which looked fully emptied and okay at the time. When I have, if they think it is necessary, the bowel scan, it will be a little more intrusive.
A long discussion, and question and answer session too place.
The lady gave me more paperwork to study, but will all be useful stuff, and relative to my new problems, ailments, difficulties, whatever.
The urine check card is a good idea, great. It deals straightforwardly with my liquid intake advice. Not that I liked the ideas and suggestions. But, they have to be done!
On the slightly annoying side, they want me to drink only decaffeinated tea! A shock for my system that was! I tried it, just once many months ago, and gave the teabags away. It was the most putrid tea I have ever tasted, not that there was any taste, mind! Weak, insipid rubbish! I was desperate now, I mentioned the fact that I had bought Glengettie teas, and Thompsons Punjana teas over the internet, cause no one else sells them from Amazon, but you have to buy six packets at a time! She recommended that I introduce the decaf tea slowly, or it might have an adverse effect on the bladder. Oh, dearie me!
The bladder sample I’d taken with me, was identified from the colour, as level 6 – Very dehydrated, and in need of antibiotics. Thunderglobberisations! She will contact me in two weeks to see how things are going. And has asked the Doctor to order some of the Nitrofurantoin antibiotics for me.
I put away the paperwork given me, thanked her, add departed, a smidge depressed at the thought of decaf tea. Hehehe!
Leaving the building, I struggled down the short flight of steps to the road.
: I got myself in a right-pickle with the three-wheeler as I struggled to get it down the steps. I secretly hoped someone would see me and come and help, because using the rain covered handrails, I could not grip onto them and ended up getting to the bottom, with a sore ankle, and Arthur Itis kicking off! No one came.
It was near deserted on the street, Nottingham’s traditional Pavement Cyclist, vehicles parked on double yellow lines, and vans driving onto the pavement. Humph!
I decided not to go into town after all, and I called in the Co-op One-Stop store to get some wholemeal ready-sliced cobs and cheap bleach. But soon changed my mind. I paid the lady and went out to go to the bus stop back home… and the 40 bus drove by en route to the shelter. Tut-tut! The next one 
was due in 25-minutes. I opted to go on a hobble into town after all.
As I limped along, the rain had now stopped altogether, it noticed that the place was full of student accommodations, and flats, +apartments.
A little further on, as I passed the Mosque, the skyline was of yet another Student accommodation block called Lexus. I recall looking up the details of these new apartments. I found a cut-out from an estate agents advertisement, and the prices seemed amazingly cheat to me, how do they do it? I must be reading this item wrongly, ah, they are shared flats, yet have room for six, with six baths and beds?
As I got outside these flats on my way to town, this umbrella, now deceased, made me remember an incident from many years ago when I was on my motorbike driving to work, along Clifton Lane, and a brolly hit me in the head and got tangled in my helmet! I didn’t laugh at the time, but I did later, Hahaha! I should point out, that in those days, the helmets were cork and leather, and had straps and buckles. In which one of the errant blowing away in the wind brolly’s ribs actually got itself lodged in the strap buckle. I could easily have come off the bike and injured or killed myself. Still, the Good Lord saved me: So that I could live to old age and suffer heart attacks, duodenal ulcers, being shot, hernias, blood cancer, skin cancer, haemorrhoids, deafness, colour blindness, have a stroke, become diabetic, get peripheral neuropathy, have my neurotransmitters die, get made redundant three times, lose… Well, you get the idea! Hehehe!
Where was I? Oh, yes…
I limped into town and called at the Poundland shop. Mainly to get some of the individual Carnation milk cartons, and some lemon freshener spray.
But, after getting some bits in my basket on my way to the milk cartons, I discovered they had none in stock! Gragglespittlegurgle! So, I put the things back on the shelves where I picked them from and left, to go to the Poundland store on Wheeler Gate.
The Nottinghamian folk crossing the traffic lights against the signal. There were many Facemaskless Nottinghamians about on my painful plodding.
The most outstanding photograph of the whole escape from lock-down was then 
taken on Upper Parliament Street!
Can you see the reason in this picture? There is, wait for it… An imitation police officer in it! Yes! The first one I’ve seen in m,y last four Nottingham visits!
I got to King Street, and I took this photo on the corner. No facemasks on anyone, that I can see anyway! Tsk!
I turned left down the King Street hill, towards the City Centre.
I arrived in the Slab Square, not many folks about here, I hobble through the square on my way to Wheeler Gate. Even with such a small amount of Nottinghamian tellurians around, the two non-tax paying coffee con-artist shops were both busy.
I got into this Poundland store, and they only had one pack of the individual milks on the shelves! So, I took that, bought some other stuff. Cheap disinfectant, mouthwash, Ginsters pasties, a can of mild cillicon-carne, Gleam lime & mint disinfectant, and from their new frozen cabinet, a packet of Bird Eye haddock & cheese fishcakes. I’ll have some of these with tonight’s meal, methinks!
Caught the 40 bus back to the flats, and got in, completely drained, tired and in capable of logical thoughts or activities other than those essential.
Like, having a wee-wee. Hahaha!
Lots of anti-maskers where I live, Gerry. Could explain why we are the COVID-19 hotspot at this end of my state. I wear my mask, no matter how stupid it makes me look or how tedious.
Me too mate.
THey held an antimask demonstratiopn in town three days ago, now Nottingham has the highest rate of victims ion the country. No coincidence, methinks, they were all maskless! Huh!
Now they want to decaffeinate you. That’s no fun nu fun at all. Ultra soundilizationing is much better than proctologyizationing by sticking a camera up the old colon to do a colonoscopy. I would think you would be at too high risk for a colonoscopy. But what do I know. Nice set of photos from you out and about time on the streets.
Decaffeinisationing, a horrible thought, and I am resisting it in my mind at least they said to introduce it slowly, or the bladder will suffer more if you go full tilt at it? I’m still working out what that meant. Hehe!
And what do you know, you say, I say, a lot, for this procedure is now being planned for me, after the course of antibiotics, so, Tim, you know a lot, mate! I reckon you have a high EQ!
Colonoscopy:
Ah, thst’s what you’ve been through,
Now, I’m going to have to,
Colonoscopy, the next job they’re to do.
Frets and worries, I have a few,
Coronawhatsit, cancelled many a medical view”,
But for this procedure there is no queue,
Oh, I do feel blue!
Hahaha!
Quicky question please: The little Canon camera, I chrged the battery up fully, and now the green light flashes when I trun it on, or press any setting buttons. Does this sound dodgy to you, Sir? Could this be Canon is poorly?
TTFNski, thanks.
Possibly the battery didn’t charge or it’s not seated properly. Try turning off the camera, taking out the battery putting it back in and see if it acts right when you turn it on again. If it still doesn’t act right, try charging the battery again. Batteries do get where they won’t take a charge or hold a charge. If you have a second battery and it acts the same way then the problem is probably in the camera.
I’ll givr it go, Tim, thanks. Fingers crossed.
BTW I know a lot about this stuff because I’ve been through a lot of it.
I know, Sir.
But decaffinated tea? Argh! Do you have decaffinated coffee, Sir?
I drink caffeinated in the morning and during the day and decaffeinated coffee in the late afternoon and evening. There really is no taste difference in the coffees. You need to get the types of herb teas that don’t have caffeine and the flavors might not be so objectionable.
I hadn’t thought of herbal, Sir. I’m very keen on strong tea, Punjana, Glengettie Extra Strong and Glengettie Gold. (Glengettie ES, was made originally for Welsh miners)
I once tried some decaf, and it was so weak, eurgh! I must get to try some different brands, mate, try to find a strong one.
When I escape again, I’ll investigate, mate!
Cheers.
I really don’t see what the problem with caffeinated tea is. You’ve been drinking it since you were a wee one I assume. Over 65 years?. Well, I think caffeine in your tea is the least of your worries.
I remember a story about a guy in his eighties who was recovering from surgery. He asked the nurse for a cup of coffee. The nurse worried about giving the old codger coffee right after surgery told the doctor the guy wanted a cup of coffee. The doctor said give it to him, he’s in is eighties, coffee is the least of his worries.
The nurse, or I should say Urologist, was concerned with the constant infections and didn’t want me on antibiotics all my life, so told me to change to decaf tea. I thought, ell hoew long hve I got left? Should I deprive myself of one of the few pleasures left in life? Hahaha!
But with you mentioning herbal, I’ve never tried those, so will have a look on my next escape.
Or maybe, just not bother? You’ve a point about having more important things to fret over.
Cheers, Sir, haveth a good day.
I’m not following the doctor’s connection between infections and caffeine. Caffeine is not biotic, so there is nothing to cause an infection. I looked it up and there is a lot of about caffeine and incontinence in women and that it tends to be inflammatory so it can be more of an irritant, but caffeine does not cause bladder infections. I’m sure all the various drugs you take that might conflict with one another effect your urinary tract more than caffeine.
That sounds good to me, Sir.
The NHS card says:
Drinks that can affect your bladder
Caffeine: Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cola and other fizzy drinks. It can make any symptoms of urgency or frequency worse because it relaxes the muscles in your pelvis and urethra. It can also reduce how long and how deeply you sleep, so you are more likely to wake up, and need to go to the toilet at night.
Cutting down on the amount of caffeine you drink could improve your symptoms. You should have a maximum of two cups (250ml each) a day. However, if you decide to cut down, reduce the amount you drink gradually, to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness and irritability. Alternatively, you could have
decaffeinated versions of these drinks.
———————————–
That sounds advisory, but the urologist sounded like it was an order! Two cups of tea a day? I’ve had five up to now, and enjoyed them!
Hey-ho! I might just carry on and see if things get worse or not?
I’ve got the Hubbard’s Chilli-con-carne for nosh tonight, Tim, fingers crossed its not up to your Caroline Reaper chilli hotness! Hahaha!
Cheers, cuddle for the cats.
That is correct. But it doesn’t give you infections, like your doctor suggested. Caffeine in coffee and tea is diuretic, but it’s also performance enhancing. So athletes use caffeine to increase their performance, but there is a limited level of caffeine athletes can have during competition before they get busted. I knew cyclists who used caffeine suppositories instead of drinking coffee. Quicker absorption and less need to pee.
She reckons it irritates the bladder, but I’d soone carry on with the good tea I enjoy, and Phwert to it! Haha!
I think I read about a bloke who won the Tour de France getting into trouble, that might have been the reason.
Cheers.
Blood doping is the one riders in the Tour de France get busted for. But there is steriod use and other drugs, caffeine is minor in an even the size of the Tour.
This cycle racing sounds all crooked, Sir. Hehe!
A recent blood test informed me that a tad of anemia has joined my fellowship of disorders, for some reason, I feel inspired to attach a name for proper identification purposes (PIP). Anne Anemia sounds right to my hearing-aided ear.
I have an appointment next week with my gastroenterologist, I have not a single doubt that a colonoscopy will be the likely procedure they’ll schedule — possibly my 25th colonoscopy since 1975 meguesses.
Good heavens, I’m nervous and haven’t had my first one yet, Timothy. Hehe!
With any luck, with all the Corona delays, by the time I get the appointment, they’ll have to do it in the coffin. Then it won’t worry me. Hahaha!
Laughter is a medicine of sorts, thanks, Sir.
It is actually no big deal. They give you, Versed, is a sedative that blanks out all memory of the procedure. Lisa has a paradoxical response to Versed, however — a heightened awareness of all goings-on, including the conversations of the doctors and nurses in attendance. It’s a very rare side effect, but then again Lisa is a very rare bird entirely, a very good thing of course 🙂
Well done Lisa!
But here in the UK, things are not so reliable, Billumski. When I had a barium meal, the ydid not give me any chrytals for passing afterward! Four hours on the Throne, blood everywhere it could get out from, and my mate called, and got an ambulance. Hey-ho, I’m just lucky, I guess!
Holy Throne, Sir Inch. Four hours on the throne is a looooooooooong time, by gum. OOOOOMMMMMGGGGG. Not to mention the blood leaks. Look for visits by the Guiness World Record team and a Tate call.
Hahaha! I just can’t understand why I’ve had no inquiries from both or at least one, of these organistions, Billumski.
All my suffering for nowt! Tsk!