Day: 21 December 2020

♥ Paradise! ♥

Sunday 20th December 2020

23:55hrs: I didn’t really wake from my slumber, per se, as I never got to sleep properly. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up so many times in one night in my life. A minute here, a few in dreamland, and almost shooting awake so often. Very annoying, and not helpful at all!

After taking the missed evening medications, the first thing I did, was to get the Saturday post updated and posted off, well, after a wee-wee of course. No Glengettie brewing, washing or even catching my balance. Not going to be a good day, methinks!

I got on with updating the Saturday Diary, it didn’t take long cause so little happened. Hehe! Here are the photos of the meals that I missed off on the blog. (Sad, innit?)

The brekkers, Super Noodles with added made-up gravy, and a few bread-thins to dunk in the suffusion! Then the minced beef and potato letters. I made a cock-up of the three-letter word I wanted to put on it, though. It should have been ‘OOPS’ to mock how the day ended for me. It wasn’t until I uploaded the photo that I realised I’d put Poo (I ate the S’, but still, there’s a connection I suppose?

The SYS was higher again!

Onto the computer again, and then needed to respond to the call to the Porcelain Throne. Off to the wet-room, hoping for a more comfortable session today.

I got settled on the Throne, and another wee-wee burst out first, and a lengthy, determined effort of the FBL (Forceful-Blasting-Lengthy) style it was too! As soon as it came to an abrupt end, the rear end evacuation started of its own accord.

Another massive Torpedo slowly escaped. However, it was not as long, bloody, or painful as yesterdays, I’m glad to report!

As I was about to stand up, the wee-weeing recommenced. It was an SPL (Steady-Persistent-Lengthy) mode, with a lot of CMD (Cessational Micturition Dribbling) following. I cautiously waiting a while after the motion and dribbling had finished, in case a third bout started.

No one had warned me about how things in the human waste removals bladder and bowel departments would get to be so embarrassing, harassing, cringe-making, frustrating and complicated, not to mention so painful, when one gets older. Or how tremendously easy it will be, to get your medications mixed-up. Or, the selection of ailments and disabilities one may collect in one’s dotage. Like vicious haemorrhoids, new ticker-valve fitted, duodenal ulcers, going deaf, arthritis, cramps, peripheral neuropathy, colour-blindness, a stroke, lack of mobility, all your favourite foods will be barred by the doctors: Brassica [brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnip, collard, watercress etc.] Sweetcorn, cranberries, cakes, biscuits etc. Not to mention diabetes, reflux valve sticking, Nerve ends and neurotransmitters dying, to mention a few that I have knowledge of.

Still, it might be more benevolent not to mention it. Especially while the pandemic is on, and now the New-Strain of Covid-19 being discovered, that can transmit more easily, cause more serious symptoms or render the vaccine useless. (Mr Google told me this)

Still, yer doesn’t like to complain does yer? Huh!

Back to the computer, to start this blog going. The wee-wees were increasing in frequency, and reducing in power and volume each visit. I neglectedly got the Saturday blog posted to WordPress, emailed the link, Pinterested a few snaps, and visited the TFZ and Winwood Heights Facebook pages. Then on the WordPress Reader, and did some comment reading and replying on WordPress.

I made a mug of Glengettie tea, then began making notes to prompt me later on the events as they had occurred.

Worryingly, am almost instant headache came on (and seems reluctant to go away, but later did ease off greatly, Phew!) and Dizzy Dennis paid a few short visits over the next hour or so.

Head down doing updating and graphics in between. (I’m adopting an industrious mode!) Hahaha!

As I was starting to think about what I had in for Josies Sunday meal, the left eye suddenly became stiff-lidded, and very itchy. Ah, well, I thought, I’ll get the ablutions done and that will free-up any gink that might have gotten into the eye, no pain with it, but it blurred the vision too much for me to stay on the computer anyway.

I think I found myself whistling contentedly as I got the zip-up jacket in the bowl to soak wash, then I went to get the ablutions done.

All was going well until it came to shaving, and what I saw in the shaving mirror.

Jimminy Cricket! Now I saw what the blurring and itching were all about.

I did notice that the ankle ulcer had almost disappeared, and the pasty feet looked much better.

I hastened through the ablutioning and got the maroon jacket washing and hung wet as speedily as I could. I intended to ring the NHS 111 for some advice about the eye.

I rang the 111 number. A recorded voice said something, and the music started.

Recorded questions, with keypad numbers to press in answer was gone through. Back to the music!

Another set of recorded questions came on, all about Coronavirus, tests, symptoms etc. that went on for ages. I’m not sure I heard the questions correctly a couple of times, so I guessed which option to press. Back to the music!

A live lady came on the line and began questioning some more. Nice sounding pleasant, patient woman, with my stuttering, and went through all my details. A methodical list of prompted questions and a set of inquiries as to what happened, then my medical history (that took half an hour).

The lady left to talk to her medical clinician. Colin Cramps was giving me some hassle with holding the phone for such a long time with the arm bent. Back to the music!

Then the lady returned to eye-related questions, and returned to talk to her advisor came on. Back to the music!

The patient, the kind lady, returned and told me an ambulance would be with me in 20 minutes. I was to get all my medications together to take with me. I thanked her kindly and went into a semi-panic mode immediately.

I called at Josie’s to explain I would not be able to do her Sunday lunch. Poor gal had a shock when she saw the eye. Told me to let her know how things are when I return from the hospital. I rushed back to the flat and started thinking about the things I might need to take with me, but I didn’t get far, the intercom rang out a few minutes later. I buzzed them in, they were confirming I needed an ambulance, then returned to the vehicle to get the gear. So I waited near the intercom panel, and they buzzed again and were in the flat telling me to sit down straight away, so I did.

The two paramedics did various tests, and among them, the SYS came out, as the man said; ‘Perfect SYS at 154. This always happens, I get a reading earlier like today of 176, and the medicals get 154 a few hours later?

Off to the Queens Medical Centre, in a wheelchair, so that might be fun getting back home without the three-wheeled walker-guide! The ambulance man took my keys and fetched the walking stick for me from the flat.

At least I had got something right, the Paramedic told me on the way, (had a nice natter en route too!) that the call came through and they were now late getting their lunch-break, but he was smiling as he told me. Adding, ‘We get a £10 bonus if we are late getting our break. I replied, “You’re welcome lads!” thinking it was funny. They didn’t look amused. Oh, dear!

I was dropped off in the Eye Casualty & Laser Clinic waiting room. Where I waited in the wheelchair.

Shortly afterwards, a man came to me, and I could not understand a word of what he was saying. I couldn’t use facial expressions or lips as a guide, cause of the facemask. Not the foggiest idea what he was saying, I asked him to repeat himself a few times, and this did not please him at all.

No pen or crossword book, they lay in the three-wheeler guide bag at home, Humph! But I had put the little Canon Camera in my pocket. I sneaked it out twice during the wait to get seen. Only in the receptions area, among the do’s and don’t list on the wall, was taking photographs, filming or recordings.

I only saw one other patient all the time I was there.

I enjoyed hearing the staffs laughter and banter in the background.

A young lady arrived, and again hearing things was not easy, but she was patient with me not hearing and my Stuttering Stephanie problem. She asked questions there in the reception. Examined the dodgy eye and put some drops in it. She left saying she’ll be back – an Arnie fan no doubt, Hehehe!

An hour or so later, another lady arrived and wheeled me into a room, running the wheel of the deckchair into her foot. Poor thing! Oh, I put deckchair… I meant a wheelchair. She did the vitals checks again, I asked her what the SYS was, 164.

Back to the waiting room. Fell asleep. Woken up by the nice lady, and she wheeled me into her room. All the checks were done again, the BP, the… I’ve forgotten what its called, where they stick the stickers on around you arms legs, chest etc. I asked this lady what the SYS reading was, down to 154 now! That’s good in two hours.

Clambering to get my blubbery body in a wobbly chair to get my chin on the examination machine, I clouted my left leg on a metal corner. Excrement! Gonna be a bruise there in the morning. Humph!

The clinician said after checking the eyes thoroughly that I had a burst, a blood vessel. She was ordering some Chloramphenicol antibiotic Eye Drops, and Carmellose eye drops. (I couldn’t remember the names obviously, I took them off of the cartons in the morning) One to used five times a day and kept in the fridge, the other four times a day. (Instant fretting mode-adopted) With the medications, tablets capsules, medicines and creams I’m already on, all I could do that time was get more confused and acknowledge that Accifauxpas are certain to be in the offing, now!

I was wheeled out to the waiting area again. An hour or so later, the lady returned and put in one of the drops, saying she would return (Arnie?) and put the other drops in later.

Two taxi ambulance people arrived to collect me and take me home. (That was a wonderful surprise!) It was a battle to convince them not to kidnap me. (Chortle!) Getting the message over to them, that I was waiting for some eye drops to be put in, was not going very well…

The situation was saved when the eye lady came to put the drops in the bloodied eye. Getting the chair into the ambulance and I clouted the left leg again.

Didn’t bother me much, I still had the thoughts of how I’m going to cope with all the medications without getting them wrong, buzzing around in my head! Still, the woman drove, and the man chatted to me from the front side seat. Nice chap, used to be a doorman-bouncer. We both had a verbal session about the SIA and our similar thoughts on them. They brought me up in the chair and told me I had to sit down in the recliner and to stay there for an hour at least. I wasn’t arguing with them. I thanked him and asked if he’s like a can of something, nope! He shot off, and I was so confused and tired now, it was well gone my usual head-down time.

I called on Josie, to advise her I was back and say how sorry I was to miss doing her nosh.

I hobbled into the wetroom, to take a snap in the better lighting of the condition of the eye. Do you like my waterproof Andy Cap? Haha!)

When I saw the orangey marks running down from the eye-socket, I wondered what the heck it was. (It just shows you how thick I can be!) It must have been the eye drops dropping down, and into my mouth by the look of it? Tired as I was, after washing, I got the drops stored away, the antisocial one in the fridge as instructed. And had a look at the contents list of both bottles.

The spell-checker missed it, but being the well-educated wordsmith wot I am, I caught it! I meant to put ‘Antibiotic’ in the sentence above, not antisocial. Ahem! Gesundheit!

Anyway, I investigated what was in these drops:

Chloramphenicol antibiotic Eye Drops – Manufactured in Greece, Contain Chloramphenicol 0.5%w/v. Borax, boric acid, phenylmercuric nitrate and purified water.  MR Google says it is a yellowish-brown, so as per the above photo, I think that is the one that caused me to involuntarily drink some Chloramphenicol, borax, boric acid, phenylmercuric nitrate and purified water? But it’s bound not to be harmful if they use it in the eyes and ears… innit?

Manufactured in the Republic of Ireland: The Carmellose (Evolve®) eye-drops contains Carmellose (Carboxymethyicelulose sodium), Glycerin, Sodium Chloride Dihydrate, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate, Boric Acid, and water.

Of course, once I’d read this information, I was fully au fait with things and understood all of it. Mmm!

Now all-in and shattered, I made an easy to prepare imitation meal.

But I had to take these shots of the pretty yet daunting cloudy evening sky, while the pasties and halloumi, stick cooked in the oven.

I poddled for a wee-wee and thought to myself, I been at Hospital or travelling to and from, for over six hours, and didn’t need a single release? How’s that then?

I got the plate of meatballs, beef pasties and halloumi sticks served up. No trimmings, I wasn’t up to being fancy tonight.

But, Flaming Nora, it went down well! With the eye still clouding and itching to the point of hurting occasionally, it took me a while to get it eaten, but eat it all, I did! The pots of strawberry and Lemon mousse never stood a chance. Haha!

I actually remembered to take the evening medications, but I still feel a lack of confidence in getting the new medications done without making an error. Fice a day drops, three a day tablet pots, four a dau poo-softener medicine, as and when needed Furesomides… Oy, Oy, Oy!

And, Hey-ho!

Worra Day!

TTFNski.