Inchy: Thursday 31st August 2023 – Cataract done at EENT, QMC

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Woke in the usual jerking fashion. I am concerned about getting things done in time and in the correct order for the trip to the EENT hospital and, if possible, getting the Wednesday blog finished and posted to give me a chance to make a start on today’s blog, tonight.
That doesn’t read right, does it?
Grabbed the Kodak and took some shots of the legs & feet.
I think I took this one by mistake…
A close-up of the feet showed they were still of a different colouration to each other. The ankle ulcer looks like it just might be coming back again. Nothing new there!

Removed the night pouch from the day bag.
03:25hrs: I was up and ready to take on the world… well, I felt okay compared to the last two mornings. The thought of getting out into the world from this flat possibly encouraged me, although I am still concerned about whether or not they will do the Cataract procedure. Odds at 50/50 methinks, if the Blepharitis has not cleared up. Please be cleared up! Off to the wet room to get the ablutioning done.
This took me an hour and a half. The shaving did not go well. Cuts and a terribly bad job done, too. Humph!

All done, although not successfully, I decided to take some photos from the hallway when I got out of the wet room.
Outside the wet room.
Hallway end rubbish and the three-wheeled-walker. That’ll need sorting with the things I need to take with me.
To my right, the kitchenette.
Ott he waste bag sorted and put near the front door.

Carer Richard arrived. He’s nearly done; just a few more calls to make. He looked weary to me.

Did some blogging with
Went down six times in half an hour.

Readied the three-wheeler, and got dressed, then had a quick rinse in the wet room. Emptied the catheter pouch before leaving the flat. Don’t want to get caught out!
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Awaited the Link lift in the foyer.
The day’s events…
Set off to wait for the minibus.
We arrived eventually, as we were taking a scenic route so the driver could pick up another passenger en route on Derby Road from a care home. No photos cause I was belted in and could not get at Kodak Kevin in the trolley.

Only managed to get one photo inside the EENT.
It was a busy visit this time. I started by going to the wrong reception to sign in… Someone saw me looking lost, and I showed her the paperwork, which did not mention the ‘D’ floor. I should have gone up to the ‘D’ floor, so I went up to the ‘D’ floor.

The lady took me into a waiting area, where I waited. A small room with a TV on, only one free seat, where I sat, and my three-wheeled Trolley blocked the other patient’s view of the TV. I got the crossword book out. Later, I was collected and taken through another waiting area into a room to have the eye tested for Blepharitis and signed a form consenting to the operation. Then, back to the small waiting area, where the patients were all watching the TV – but had to sit on the same seat as before and block their view again. I mentioned en route, that my catheter bag was getting full.

Next, another nurse collected me, taking me into the big waiting area. The lady reviewed the details and asked many questions about my health and living habits? No idea why, but I told her the truth. She made up two different wristbands and put them on me… She noticed the Warfarin tab, then went through all the others I’d got on
We then went through each one. She decided that because I didn’t know the last blood test INR level, she took me to the DVT Anticoagulation place, insisting she take me in a trolley seat. Leaving Three-Wheeled_Walker Walter at the mercy of the honesty of the others still waiting. I mentioned en route that my catheter bag was getting full.
The DVT Anticoagulation took the test, and it returned much lower than it has been lately. Which was good!

I was pushed back to the large waiting area and got the crossword book from the trolley, but not for long. Another nurse arrived, a lovely lady, took me into another small room and questioned me about who diagnosed the  Cognitive Impairment. I told her about Highbury Hospital, Adult Mental Care, and how they changed their mind to CI from Dementia. She showed interest in this, and another nurse was summoned and asked me more questions. Where do you live? Why are you not walking soundly? Told them of the Peripheral Neuropathy. They wondered where this was confirmed and what tests were done. I told them, by the neurologists at the Mary Potter Center.

The first nurse returned and went back to the other large waiting area.
Where what was going to happen was explained to me. Then, the anaesthetist joined us in the waiting area. They told me that because the left eye had nuclear & cortical cataracts, they would inject different local anaesthetics in both regions. Oh. Good!

Back to the small waiting area. Still only the one seat available for me to use, the TV blocker! I think I heard the groans when they saw me coming back in! Hehehe! But not for long; I was walked into the operating area five minutes later.

Inserting the local anaesthetics was much more painful than when I had the other eye done. But I had been warned. The procedure made me jump a smidgeon on a couple in quick succession, and I was rightly reprimanded and told not to move.
It took a lot longer than the right eye.

A lady escorted me back to the larger waiting area, where I was given a biscuit and mug of tea. I couldn’t drink the weak, warm, tasteless tea, but thankfully, I dunked the two biscuits in it. Hehe!

There was no chance of seeing the crossword clues, so I sat and analysed those around me. There were around 12 other after-procedure patients, many with carers and family with them.

The time was getting close to the arranged pick-up from Easy-Link. So I got up and tried to work out the way back to the lifts, and a nurse asked me… “Whatever are you doing?” I’m off. I said! “You’ve not been released yet!” I apologised. She got me the needed paperwork, eye drops and instruction notes. While doing this, I suffered a rather perky but short-lived , which drew a lot of attention to me. Nurses came out of the woodwork to see if I was alright and were amazed when I told them I get these almost daily; they can have me over, give me a tumble, but this one was nae bother; I’d the reception desk to cling onto. The nurse rattled out instructions to me about tending to the eye. At least I think that was what she was saying. She then escorted me to the lift and the main doors. Bless her cotton socks!

Arrived as I was leaving the building. Spot-on! Following are the photographs I took through the windows of the minibus. Where memories were prompted, I’ve revealed them. Haha!
Leaving the hospital to Lenton Lane.

Towards Derby Road.

Side street off Derby Road.

Another side street off Derby Road.

Derby Road nearing Canning Circus.
I spotted that the old TA HQ was abandoned, vandalised, and very sad. Not that my memories of that building are anything worthwhile; I only visited it twice. But it brought back the days of my youth and my signing on… the best thing in my life up to then! Great fun and well-paid!

Huntingdon Street into the city.

Above & below…
The oh, so changed Shakespeare Street. The long-gone fire station and another abandoned building.

Left onto Mansfield Road.

A little further up…

Last Mansfield Road shot as we turned right into Woodborough Road. I recalled the old days with the trolleybuses. Even the blue-coloured Notts & Derby trolleybuses ran this route.

Huntingdon Street.

Mapperley Tops.

As the rain came, the chap dropped me back at the flats.

I got swiftly out of the rain and into the foyer.

Taking this selfie in the lift on the way up. With taking this in the reflection of the shiny wall, I thought at first they’d done the wrong eye for me. Hehehe!

I got inside, put the trolley in the corner, and emptied urine pouch.
I was sorting out what Carer Kara needed for the medical changes – the eye drops starting again, the hospital’s instruction, and a copy to go to the doctor.
Put the drops on the Carers table along with notes.
As I went to get the drops from the three-wheeler, Carer Marie came in the door. I explained about the eye drops starting over again. Then she issued the medications for me. Nice gal.

I got on with updating this blog. Up to now, the smoke & mirrors number-benders, known as…
and…
have only been down for…

I got this far and then got a nosh prepared…
For hungry I am! I took the photo with the SD card left in the computer reader slot. It looked fantastic on the Kodak screen. Carer Marie read the instructions on the ready meals, both three minutes, in the microwave, so that made it easier.
But they came out well undercooked. Horrible!
Taste Rating: 1/10! Made up for this with some bags of cheesy curls, a banana and an iced lolly.

Soon settled in the c1966, £300 charity shop bought, second-hand, wincingly grotty, beige coloured, not working, crumb-covered from the nocturnal nibblings, itch-making, uncomfortable, virus-breeding, easy-to-fall-out-of, recliner, and sleep came easily – No nocturnal Thought Storms!

Each time I shot awake, the eye was more painful. Humphs!

TTFNski!

Taken my Carer Marie for me!