Day: 19 December 2025

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– He used to be known as Inchie, not Unchie-
– Spelling mistakes now come guaranteedly-
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Ah, here’s what I recall…
Much as I wanted to get up, I couldn’t. I stirred at whatever time it was, but as much as I tried to get up, I couldn’t. The body insisted I nod off again. This happened thrice more, and on the fourth waking, and I was just nodding off again, the intercom door chime rang, and in came the Carer. (Deva vu?). The body insisted I nod off again. This happened thrice more, and on the fourth waking, and I was just nodding off again, the intercom door chime rang, and in came the Carer. No Health Checks were done, the catheter wasn’t changed, and he couldn’t find the Bisoprolol tablets. I was more helpful on this. Even though I’m a one-eyed Inchie, I found them in the drawer, but I had to confirm with him that they really were the beta-blockers. Dilon not understanding me, me not him, it gets a bit farcical at times. Partially deaf, one-eyed, Peripheral Neuropathy Pete, Dementia Doreen, Memory Mandling Malcolm, Sandra’s Seizures… and now I was gambling with the morning medications.

I took a snap of the wonderfully hued view from the kitchen window. Nice. Made a brew and got the computer on.
Carer 2nd call. He put a soluble paracetomal in my bottle of water, Hey, Presto; a shower from the bottle to outmatch Rome’s fountains! Well, it shot up about five feet in the air.
Wot a mess! I had to hand-wash the wet down. Put the dressing gown in the laundry bag. The one remaining clean dressing gown was put on. Still no time for the blog or ablutions, yet.

Carer3, Ejaz – laundry down -back up tried Esay Link for a lift to the Doctor, No go!
Ordered some catheters with the T-valve, but it took four phone calls, costing half an hour.
Tried EE to sort out the new contract – 25 minutes on the phone to be told, a problem; they will ring back in 15 minutes. They haven’t yet (90 minutes).
Ejaz ordered some day catheters with the T-valve, but it took four phone calls and another half-hour.
Now I have to go down to collect the laundry. Ejaz had run out of time. Of course, I kept dropping things and bending down, which was enough to trigger Back-Pain-Brenda and Dizzy Dennis’s pain to come on.

On the way back up to my cell, I had such anger it hurt physically. The utter frustration of things NEVER going right, but Depression Darius had not appeared! And neither had High-Mood-Morris either. I can’t describe how I felt… I’ll try though. Best I can come up with was dysthymia, but I’m not sure what that is; but it sounds depressing in itself.

I made sure the copy of the letter was sent to my Doctor at Sherrington Park Medical Practice. That’s the one with ‘Customer Assessment Nazi’ who interrogates you on why you want to see your Doctor. Recommendations for anything less than you are dying: go to A&E, see your chemist, phone 111, or 999. 111 usually tells you to see your medical practitioner. His superior tone of voice reminds me of Joseph Gorbels… but Joe was friendlier. I always get the sensation after he has refused me an appointment, that he is ticking each rejection on the wall, while saying with great joy, ‘Yes, yes…Yes!’

The Iceland delivery arrived. The driver took the bags to the hallway, and I moved them into the kitchen. Then got them sorted out as best I could, I was rushing a bit, not wanting to make a mess and lose more time, and still had to get the ablutionalisationings done and get dressed.
I still had to get the Khagoule and dressing gowns hand-washed. I did the dressing gowns first, they are harder to hand-wash and took me yonks to get done and hung.
But it had to be done.

Carer Dilan arrived, and I mentioned I had called his company to let them know I may not need a call in the morning, as the ambulance will be collecting me and others from 07:00hrs. His boss said she could send someone before seven to help you prepare and make sure you’re alright. Thank you I replied. Next, in the morning, I asked him, assuming he would be coming, to remind me to put the NHS paperwork in the walker basket, help get it in from the balcony, and get me dressed. He then issued the medications. And asked me if I’ll be in tomorrow morning. Do I have a lack of confidence?

Got on with this blog. I might ask on his last five-minute call to get the trolley-walker in tonight, since it might freeze on the balcony overnight. Busy-Busy!

WOT A PLONKER: IDIOT, TWIT!
I’ve just (Thursday night, late after getting back from the hospital) semi-realised that I might possibly have mixed up Wednesdays and Thursdays in my blog posts! I’ll carry on and hope for the best; hopefully, it makes a modicum of sense, time-wise. I’ve got to carry on, I think. The day’s events get vaguer. No written reminder notes were taken. I may be feeling a little forsaken.

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I rose from the bed at 04:30ish. A definite zobbie-like, half-asleep, fighting to activate concentration and to keep it working. This was a partial success!  Catheter emptied.
I recall opening the computer to check on dates, times, and a list of things needed to take with me to the Hospital EENT.
I checked the hand-washed clothes hanging all over the flat and turned on the heater in the wet room. To help finish drying the clothes hanging on the shower rail, and to warm it ready for ablutionalisationing.
Then moved the four-wheeled walker into the hallway and made sure I’d got nibbles, a bottle of water, and the paperwork needed in the bag.
Then got the stand-up wash, teggies and shaving sorted. I popped on the
Nothing out of the ordinary… which I suppose makes it extraordinary?
Hehehe! Putting on the fresh Protection Pants was excruciating, and the swollen legs made genuflecting even more painful. Obviously, I couldn’t get the catheter bag changed or the socks and straps back on my legs. The urine looks terribly dark in the tube.
Getting lighter now, as I took this snap of the front car park in Citrus Way.

Carer Dilan arrived as promised, early, to help me get ready in case the lift arrived early. I’d forgotten he did not know how to change the catheter bag, so I had to leave it on. It’s four days past the changing date, but what can I do? The Carers who know how to do it are not calling on me now. Hence the dark brown wee-wee. He’s not very good at putting on the leg straps. But he’s still learning the job, and he’s a nice enough bloke. HE got them on, but they were lumpy. He got them on so quickly I couldn’t follow what he was doing. I paid for this with more pain later in the day. He helped me get the trousers and oversocks on. Issued the medications and asked if I wanted anything else. I replied negatively and thanked him as he shot off.
I was fully dressed, with all items either in the walker or in the coat pockets. I thought! I didn’t realise at the time, but I’d forgotten to put the hearing aids in and wore the reading glasses.

I didn’t know the time, but the ambulance came nice and early to pick me up. They were patient with me when I asked if I could just check the lights and electrics, and insisted I go down in a wheelchair, one of them taking Four-Wheeled-Walker-Wally with us down to the ambulance. And off we went.

They had no other patients to collect, so they took me straight to the hospital. One went inside with me to show me where to go and booked me in. Then I sat on the walker, waiting for them to call my name.
It didn’t take long, and a lovely young lady tapped me on the shoulder to wake me up… Yes, I’d nodded off. I’ve always been a dynamic person. Hahaha!
The lady went through a few questions and began the eye test. I felt a bit awkward as I struggled to get into the positions properly, but she was patient with me.
I seemed to lose what the lady was saying towards the end, she put some of the deep yellow eye drops in…
I’ve no idea what happened for a while then…
I came back from what I knew must have been a seizure, because of the acidic tastes coming up into my throat, mouth and nose.
The Emergency Cardiac Assessment Team (CATS) flooded the room and were checking blood and ECG on my ticker, while questioning me. I had not recovered from the Seizure properly, but did pick up someone telling the team that I was clutching my chest.
That I believe, I do regularly after a seizure in response to the acid reflux that comes up from my innards.
I was taken to a cubicle in the A&E. By the time I’d got there, I was back to normal… well, my version of normal. That’s too strong a word, really. Hehe!
The CATS team did more tests, the whole kit & Kaboodle. Capillary blood glucose (CBG) test and a urinalysis or blood ketone test.
As I awaited the results, I thought they would likely be good. A cardiac Doctor carried out a question-and-answer interview with me.

I sneaked some Kodak Tim 2 photos in. Nurses came regularly to do blood tests and BP. I felt as if I caused them a lot of bother, and I was a bit embarrassed.
This, on the left, was taken clandestinely from the first cubicle I was in.
They moved me to another area, and more questions followed; they seemed worried about the size of my right leg. Saying the left one was bloated, but the right one was dangerously so. An appointment will be made with a Diabetologist.
I had to look that one up when I got home.
Then they moved me to the main EENT waiting-and-booking area, where the ambulance woman had taken me when we arrived at the hospital, which seemed a long time ago. A nurse came to me and asked if I’d like something to eat. ‘Yes, please!’ I answered. She kindly brought me a plastic cup of water and an egg sandwich.
I’d been there a while and sat on a chair with my legs resting upon Four-Wheeled-Walker-Willy. Best I can make out on the photograph, this was about half-past two. Another nurse came to me an hour or so later. Saying I look uncomfortable. I was blissful and kept nodding off. She moved me into another chair, and this is when I took the photo. Throughout the day, I’d been getting texts and calls. But most said, ‘This Call/Text failed. I got calls from the Carers’ office. 
At half-past five, the ambulance arrived.
When I got in the ambulance, I rang the number, and it was Carer Dilon. I told him I was on my way home and would be there in 20-30 minutes.
What a mistake to make!
When I got in the ambulance, I was the only passenger. ‘Soon be home’, I thought…
WE went to the Neurologist’s place to pick up a patient and his Carer, the man being on a stretcher.
Then went to the main entrance, where they brought someone else out and into the ambulance. Then to I know not where, to drop one off. I took some photos inside the ambulance on of dark night. This one on the left was at the front entrance to the QMC, Derby Road end.

I’ve no idea where we were, but it was about half an hour later, as the rain came on heavier, almost musically playing a tune on top of the ambulance. When I took this snap, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.
I’m not sure where this one was taken either.
But it wasn’t far from the prison… no, flat.
Haha!

I was ravished! But too tired to risk cooking. So, I made a cold nosh. Marmite sandwiches and some cheese curls. Enough to satiate my hunger.
Carer arrived, unsure, both of us, whether to take medications as I’d missed two rounds while at the hospital. I just had a Dose of Codeine and one of Warfarin. Whether I did right or wrong may never be reasoned. I got the computer on and made a right mess, as described earlier!

I worked through until now – 04:42hrs – honestly!
I made a brew of extra-strong tea. While doing so, I took a snap of the view from the kitchen window. A bit of a failure, wasn’t it? So, I tried again. I had another go at getting a decent one this time. Ah, this was a much better effort.

Blimey, the Carer is due in 2 hours, and an hour later, the final food delivery of the year, I hope. I think maybe the blood drink and injection they gave me at the hospital temporarily perked me up, cause I don’t honestly feel all that weary or tired. Brain-fogged? Yes!
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Been up for 23 hours now!
Why? How?

TTFNski