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MONDAY 7th SEPTEMBER 2026
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Terrible morning first thing; the pains from the back, belly, and legs joined with the leg wounds and brought forth mega-pains. Hard to take.
Carer Ejaz put some of the non-medical heating cream on them and did a good job too. 20 minutes later, the back and belly pains eased off a smidgeon.
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In the afternoon, things took a nasty turn. The mobile rang; it was a food delivery from Asda. Obviously a new driver, and he didn’t know how to get in. I tried telling him how, but the connection was its usual crappy self. I had no choice but to go down to let him in. I got four missed calls on my way down in the lift, and the back pain kicked off big time… and got even worse.
We got up to the flat, and he put the food in bags on the floor. All done, I had to keep bending and stretching to get the fodder put away; the pain doubled. Bad, now! I managed to take a few snaps while I put the food away.
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Today’s snaps
Med Morning, Shepherd’s Warning
A colourful sight of the Catheter contraption.
This was under the contraption, and it was puzzling. I put these paper towels under the pouch. Carer Edward, after cleaning up the areas, put a plaster on the larger one. It’s hanging off now, three hours later. But no more leaks. The bigger one is stinging a bit, but all the smaller ones seem dormant, with no blood escaping.
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Dentist visit tomorrow. Don’t know who will be escorting me yet, Ejaz or Mirza, I hope. Might be a rush, cause I rely on Carers to get me clothed and on time, and to take the things I need with me. Must get up early and get a wash & shave; can’t get shoes, socks or trews on.
It is more painful than ever with this unknown trapped nerve or Sciatica, giving me grief.
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Afternoon sky shot from the kitchenette.
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The day’s visit to the Porcelain Throne again revealed garden peas in the mix; this only happens with the fresh ones, not the canned ones. Might have to stick with the tinned ones in future.
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The flipping fracas with the food delivery then arrived.
Top shelf arrivals.
Vegetable chilli-con-carne, Surimi fish stick; having these tonight. Fancy mushrooms in olive oil.
More treats!
I’ll not mention the struggle and agony again.
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Now I was in real pain. I took a Codeine, and fortunately, in the order I’d bought, there were some Heat Pads for my back and shoulders. I’ll get the Carer to get a couple stuck on after he reads the instructions I cannot read later.
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I thought I’d get some tomatoes sliced, ready to go with the meal later on…Oh, Dearie me!
Flipping heck! One had seemingly dehydrated altogether. Another had gone soft, with an unknown source of fungal growth on it? Of the two other tomatoes I removed, one squashed in my hand. The surviving one, although not as firm as I would have liked, might get eaten. I’ll see how brave I feel.
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Woke up to the chronically painful back pain.
I’ll ask the Carer to put one of the new pain pads on when he arrives. The £850 + installation computer has never worked properly; the computer kicked off early in its failed attempts to find my files. Nothing new there then. I found the leg was bleeding in a couple of areas, one underneath the Catheter pouch again. The right leg ankles were given attention to the desires of my Lymphorrhea. The mystery wounds looked a lot better, though. The back on my right side was as bad as it was when I woke up with it five weeks ago, and luckily when I called the Doctor to make an appointment, I was given the first one available – that is booked for Wednesday, September 16th next week. So glad I got an early one. The NHS has gone to pot.
Did what I could, and took this snap of the morning view from the kitchen. And the Carer arrived. He didn’t see the bloodied tissues in the waste bin, or notice the state of my legs at first. I pointed them out to him and asked him to attach a pain pad to the worst area. Did it in no time. (It fell off an hour later when I  went to the toilet). I managed to get it back on and pulled up my PPs as far as they would go to help keep it on a bit longer. Carer then cleaned up the mystery welts.
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Along came the Food delivery that I’d ordered for next Tuesday… well, I thought I had. YES! I did it again!
Not a lot of fresh food ordered for today, but I did get some of the fresh podded peas that I love so much… and pass them whole each morning. I went heavy on spring water and soda water to make up for it. So many, they filled the edge of the hallway almost completely. I won’t get caught short of spring water again if the hot weather returns. All the soda water was delivered in single unpacked bottles. Those bottles are now residing, standing on the carpet in the hallway nook near the front door. Better get a wash & shave, do my teggies, and get ready to go to the Dentist.
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Had a good wash, shave, teggies done. Managed to get the Protection pants on; not without some extra pain.
I even got a Kaghoul on, but I’ll not be trying that again without help. I got the dizzies, bag pulled, hit my wounds on my leg against the trolley, and felt awful. I even considered cancelling the dentist trip for a while. I felt truly shook up. New Motto for self: Never ever again try to get a nightgown or Kagoule over my head to wear,  without Carer help!
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Carer Ejaz arrived in a rush and checked what the appointment time was. Then he put my shoes on mt feet. While doing this, I noticed how red the urine was in the pouch. It had a lot of blood in it as I emptied the pouch, preparing for the trip to the Dentist.
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Quiet a gang of my fellow Windwood Heightonians at the bus stop when we arrived, which grew to 11 or so when the bus arrived five minutes later. We battled for a seat with room for a walker or trolley. We old fogeys, you know. I lost; Ejaz stood in the luggage area watching me hold the semi-collapsed three-wheeled walker. Each time the bus turned or went over speed bumps, Ejaz held onto the trolley to lessen the pain in my back. Not many would do that, or appreciate that it was happening. But Ejaz is a cut above as a Carer. Thanks, mate 😇👍🏻  
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A painful getting on, travelling and getting off of the bus, but we were soon alighting on Mansfield Road, in Sherwood. We crossed the Pelican lights to the other side to get nearer the Dentist’s. As we walked up the hill, we noticed two passengers who carried on in the bus as we got off of it. They told Ejaz that the 40 bus no longer goes to the City Hospital. It turns left and back around a traffic island, and starts the return journey to town. They had dropped off outside the Dentist’s. Ejaz explained this to me and said next time, we must stay on the bus, and it would save us some time and walking. See how he cares for me? Great lad. Shame he doesn’t call so often.
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My hearing was worse this morning, and the back pain affected my concentration. Mountaineered up the outside steps to get into the surgery, with relative ease, thanks to Ejaz’s help. Signed in, waited a short while, and was called into the surgery. Ejaz had to repeat what the Dentist lady said to me each time we fau-communicated.
Amazing, but testing each tooth showed only one that was not good? “Terribly infected”, Ejaz repeated to me.
I was given choices! “I can prescribe antibiotics, but this will not guarantee the pain will not return. Or, I can book you in for an extraction”. I asked her how much this extraction would cost – I didn’t hear her reply, but I did get the nod from Ejaz, the look that told me it would cost a lot. Then I asked for antibiotics. Then she asked Ejaz to leave the room while they did the X-raying of the suspected tooth. This time, using a simpler system, new to me. No plate setup or shields. A plastic thing, whatever it was, in the mouth, making sure the bit of metal was where she wanted it, and a strict command that I bite on and hold it in position. All done in seconds.
As Ejaz returned, I actually remembered to ask for a prescription for some more Duraphat toothpaste. She made a prescription for that and the antibiotics, and handed them to Ejaz.
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I thanked her and went to the receptionists to pay the bill. Only £25 and a bit. Ejaz got me and the trolley down the steps, and walked up to the chemists to fill the prescriptions. I waited near the bus stop and felt so glad I’d now repaired and remembered to take the Kodak Tim 2 camera with me, and made use of it while waiting for Ejaz to return.
I noticed he was returning to me; well, he didn’t – he had had to nip back into the Dentist’s; something on the prescription needed confirming, I assumed. He exited and went back up the road to the pharmacist.
Returning as I took this last snap of Mansfield Road, Sherwood, outside the Dentist’s surgery. The bus arrived minutes later, and was were soon back at the Winwood Heights complex.
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Ejaz was running late now. We got in the flat, and Ejaz answered my chirping mobile phone. It was someone from the EENT, offering me an appointment for cataract lasering. I instantly went into bliss mode- at last! Damnations! I lost the connection when I looked at the calendar to see if the date clashed with another. Ejaz did not have time to sort it out. He told me not to delete anything on the phone, and he’ll sort it out later.
He was thanked profusely as he shot off.
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I got a bit of a shock when I went to empty the Catheter.
I must ring Deana to ask if she had asked Matron Jacky to take a look & advise me. No doubt it will involve me going to the QMC again. £30 taxi fare, and being treated like an unwanted wart on one’s penis.
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A ready meal of battered chicken, rice & veg, two cheese rolls – these would soak up the sweet & sour and Gung-Po sauces. They were delicious!
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I have a sneaky feeling that, possibly, perhaps I should not have had the sweet & sour meal that I enjoyed so much last night. I was lucky that I managed to get to the WC in time. Another close call.
And a long session of lengthy squirts after another. Cleaning myself, and a second splodgy session started!
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My back seemed to be a little less painful for once. But the leg wounds were a lot worse. Can’t win em all!
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I got on the computer to update last night’s episode. Had to hasten back to the WC at all available speed. Unfortunately, I had an accident as I rushed into the room. I reopened the wound on the right leg against the raised metal seat leg. Then, having had a little more luck, I coped with another Trotsky Terence Torrent. Cleaned things & myself up, and cleansed and applied a plaster to the wound. 
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The District nurse arrived to take a look at the leg wounds. I showed her the photo of the red blood from yesterday. She thought the same thing as I did, amazingly. The walking and bus trips yesterday must have pulled the tube, causing the bleeding in the bladder. It was an okay colour this morning. She thought the cotton-wool-looking bits in the bag indicated both of our trauma guesses.
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I soon got myself tucked into making corrections I’d made on one of the Word files. I spent hours on it but failed to sort them all. Had another bash at them later.
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The leg was giving me some bother, even when seated. I took a break and made a pot of noodles, adding some extra yeast, light soy sauce, & dipped some potato in it.
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Then, sat down in the £300 second-hand shop-purchased in 1968 recliner. Which is welt-causing, uncomfortable, not working, itch-inducing, and crumb-containing. Ate the noodles and fell asleep, having a few seizures to break the peace for over two hours. Then had to get up, painfully, to get to the Throne in time again! A follow-through as I was beginning to stand avoided a lot of mess that would have needed to be cleaned up this time.
I moved into the kitchenette and took these photographs of the rather dull sky on view to the left. Dropped the kettle; it’s alright; it still works. Then took a second shot to the right. Then moved the large waste bag into the other room to empty the small ones into it. Dropped it; more cleaning up! My pleasure, of course.
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Ejaz tried to reach the EENT about the missed call when they offered me an appointment. But it took so long to get through that he gave up and said he’d try another day.
The chances of an appointment still being available are about zero by now.
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Went to check on the potatoes and peas cooking.
And the lightbulb blew.
Luckily, the new Carer is about 7ft tall, and he got the new lightbulb in for me.
He also gave me the wrong dosage of Warfarin, well, I think he did. What was on the printed list was only half a tablet different. It was far too late for me to check with the surgery. He thought I’d used an old, incorrect list and that the one on his mobile was correct. I imagine half a tablet difference wouldn’t be dangerous.
I’ll try to remember to check tomorrow.
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I’m struggling a bit. There are ten areas of my body in need of thrice-daily Porpain or Voltaren gel. Back rear, left and right, up the backbone, neck, both shoulders, both arthritic knees. More painkillers to cope with the toothache; Dentist on Tuesday. Both leg wounds need to be redressed twice a week. Haemorrhoids, penile fungal lesions, ear drops, eye drops, Catheter contraption, weekly visits from the nurses. INR Warfarin level has never been so consistently low. I’m using the Zimmer frame or two sticks as standard now.
Getting into the kitchen is so painful and takes so long; I’ve stopped bothering. It’s the getting up and sitting down that is the most painful; for whatever it is I have going around my back, front down my legs, up my spine into my neck, it’s, I’m guessing. With the earliest appointment available when Carer Ejaz rang up to book one being 4 weeks away – four weeks of ever-increasing agony- I might find out on the appointment day, which is next week, 16th September. 
It’s all these that are killing my best asset, time!
Even typing is painful, and depression seems to be in a permanent mode lately. Because I’m taking so long to apply my medications and ointments to all the areas in need each day, I’m not getting a shower and don’t shave often. Everything is taking so much longer to achieve.
My usual getting-drained time of 16:00hrs hrs starts at 13:00hrs hemerinely.
Another oddity, I think due to the peripheral neuropathy, is the number of times I’m dropping things: saucepans, pens, camera, mobile phone, bottles or mugs, food, plates, cutlery… anything, owt I am grabbing, holding or lifting presents a danger of either being dropped, or, amazingly, I cannot lose my grip on some things? I actually had a can of deodorant in my hand for two hours until the Carer came and had to force my fingers to let go of it. At least it produced a moment of humour for him and me. He was amazed at my strength, but it wasn’t that, of course. It was the neurotransmitters that were making me hold on to it, but as they were slowly dying, the brain was misreading their message… I think anyway. Two Doctors at the Mary Potter Centre, and having all the electrical readings analysed, told me this would happen eventually, and they could do nothing; it is impossible to repair neurotransmitters. That was in about 2008, so I think I’ve done well to have lasted this long, awaiting the forecast, turning into reality.
The back is getting worse. I’ve taken some snaps this week, but after dropping and breaking two cameras and having to buy another, not many, I’m nervous about taking snaps nowadays. I’ll get them on with any memory I have of them. I think they’re in order, more or less chronologically… ish.
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I thought this night pouch would burst before I could get it to the WC to empty it!
Notice that the Warden put on my inner door…
Carer did not read it, apparently
Evening view, kitchen
Taste the difference: potatoes arrived today
This cut spud was the first out of the bag.
It didn’t make it into the veg stew.
TASTE RATING 8.6/10
Monday morning snap.
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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The reason for my trip to the A&E infirmary…
Started failing to install the Catheter tube,
No-go into Little Inchie,
Not through the nurses’ deficiency,
Earlier, I was feeling pretty perky,
As I got off the bed, I felt all whoosie,
Nurses rescued me immediately…
Laid me down on the bed, carefully,
Seizures ensued, repeatedly,
Considering it a medical emergency,
Why are they here? I’d have no memory,
Each of many times as I made a recovery,
Who is who? Why are they here? Weirdly,
Rose with help, took a tumble…
Ejaz said later, I was talked tarradiddle,
As if I’d been on drugs or the bottle,
Then, taken away to the hospital…
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In a corridor, then a room, and then,
corridors, bays, again & again,
A handsome medic, called Ivan,
I.D.’d me, soon changed the pouch for me,
With blood in, he was Ukrainian,
The Catheter badly, I was kyboshed,
Lifted home, again painfully
New ailment; in the back, feet & knee.
Methinks it is sciatica,
Got home through rain & thunder,
No time for blog or reader,
New ailments bring limitations…
I join others who are solitudinarians…
Pathetic, lost, sad and incapable,
To the WC, was soon in trouble,
Took me too long, due to my sciatica
Then the pain made me wobble,
A fall. Catheter pouch lost some widdle,
Involuntary rear-end evacuation,
Pity the  Carer can’t use teleportation,
Five hours later the Carer arrived,
Got me up as I begged & directed,
Even more painful than I expected,
Friday, timed my walk into the kitchen,
12 minutes, then I abandoned
my mission, for tea to be brewed
Phoned the Doctors, as told…
By the can’t-come-out trict nurses…
To tell of my new ailments & curses,
I’ll book you in for next slot free,
16^th of September, on Wednesday,
All due to fitting the wrong Catheter,
And the bloody sciatica!
All caused anthropomorphically.
I’m so sorry,
For the agony,
Tried the Zimmer frame today…
Will I wake in the am? Who can say!
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It’s all gone wrong… again…
But much worse this time.
I can barely walk; I even tried the Zimmer, but no better than two sticks. Doing the blog is agony.
Cannot wash, shave or do my teeth.
The last three trips to the Porcelain Throne, unable to walk, I only managed a slow little shuffle and could not get there in time. The place is a pigsty.
Virtually deaf until I get the issue mended. Np blogs until this whatever it is; it’s agony; let’s get the grip pm the pain lessen. And if the cataract or TBI sessions come, bet they clash with the dentist,  Bank, deliveries and/or… 

I’d np goog. It is no good; I’ve got to stop.

TTFN.

Sorry I didn’t get this posted earlier.
I’ll try to get a blog done when I can. But so much time in daily medicationings, medical appointments, and my back & legs are terrible.

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Another chronically wasted day. No shower, no laundry done, no reply yet from email ot the Carer Company about the financial situation, and on top of that, I was all over the place, losing things, deleting things, making errors galore; and all with a confused outlook. Sorry about the little moan again, but that’s how it went.
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I deleted the photographs taken on the camera after downloading them to the computer. Then later, deleted them from the file, thinking I had already put them on the blog. I shan’t tell you of how angry I got! Especially when I broke and dropped and shattered the glass biscuit barrel. The language I came out with surprised even me. Boy, did I get Angina after this. It is likely that I lost, misplaced, or couldn’t find umpteen things: dates, letters, my mobile phone, the TV remote control, even the walking stick once! Losing patience with me, I got me so wound up.
So, a sad block. Or even blog!
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Afternoon skies.
Still saw the beauty in them
A little later, after the Carer
Got me on my feet. (A tumble)
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In the evening, still not having made a start on this blog, I tried to calm down and make a concerted effort to begin working on Friday’s blog. Got the computer on. I just kept switching things off, back on and crossing my fingers. 
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Yesterday…
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Not sure which year…
Dad & Brother Pete
Railway Houses, two up, two down
Brookfield Place, the Meadows
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Long time ago…
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Sister Jane, Hubby Pete 1974
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Jane & Inchie… 1950?
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AN IOTA OF HUMOUR
Waking up, I felt a bit better, if not my best,
Jumped out of bed and thumped my chest.
Did some press-ups, 200 at least…
Back somersaults, a hundred squats,
To the balcony, for an hour’s hopscotch.
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Tue 18th Aug 2026
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To-dos for tomorrow. Tomorrow… the worst day of the year. Not sure if there will be a blog. Embarrassed!
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Cooler today
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Potatoes boiled with Soy sauce.
Rating: 8.2/10
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