Photographs

INCHIE: Thursday 27th July 2023 –

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What a horribly uncomfortable night that was!
Thought storms on and off. A nightmare, that was a smidge overbearing and seemed to last for a while; Confused thoughts, memory prompting, but could I ascertain the exactness… No!
Thanks to…
Going down so often. My lack of concentration. And my newly acquired habit of falling asleep for no reason, this blog was not started until Friday mid-morning. So I’ve cut it short so that I might make start working on today’s (Fridays) a little earlier. Then pray that –, my lack of concentration and Falling-Asleep-Fred, will not ruin getting anything done blog-wise again. Got to get this done ASAP, as the nurse is due to call today… that despite delaying blogging, brought a wicked smile to my face. Hahaha! As if!

I stirred back into Horrors, Fears, Whoopsiedangleplops, Accifauxpas & Worries of Life at 05:10hrs.

Not so good

Not sure about the ankles; they could be getting infected again?

Went to sort the waste bags out, starting in the kitchenette. Well, fancy that, it’s raining again!

Took the waste bags to the front door.
And found the Cancer Check Test Kit on the floor.
So, I opened it and ensured I was as inculcated as far as possible, with equipment and how to take the test.
Then off to the wet room and made a right mess of it first try. I shan’t go into gruesome detail this time. The second effort worked, and the cleaning up took ages!

Carer Richard arrived.
He did the first eye drops, Alarm test, and pouch check.
Medications, second eye drops, and we managed a little chin-wag. Something I do appreciate about Richard. Nice lad. I asked if he could take the package from the Cancer check, and post it for me, to save me from having to go through the painful job of getting the shoes and trousers on. Which he did! Taking the rubbish bags to the chute on the way out. Thank you!

Made brew of Glengettie number one. That’s my lot until evening or night when I will have the second of the two mugs allowed. However, I am allowed as many mugs of the decaffeinated rubbish tea… Urrgh!

Got the computer on…
Within two hours, (10:00hrs) it was…

The rain was still persisting…
The mudslide had increased in size & depth.
The sky went a bluey-dark?

At approximately 12:00hrs, Carer Kara called, with a new girl in training. Eye drops, medications. She soon sorted the new pouch, making it more comfortable and the attached tube was less pulling and tugging on poor little unused Inchie. ♥

13:30hrs… failures were…

This is an old graphic wot-I-dun; his earnings are now over $26 million, plus, a guaranteed bonus in the form of shares!

While Mr Fries caring for customers
was actually working, I thought I’d make an order for next week with Sainsbury’s, to take advantage of their Nectar offers.
But No! The computer said they were too busy; try again later!
So, pissed off, I tried Morrisons; they were the same. too busy; try again later! I tried Sainsbury’s again, but no-go! Tried Morrisons again, and got through. But… when I started to make an order, I realised how much dearer they were than other outlets, so cancelled my order. That left Iceland, so I made one for them for next Thursday. Naturally…

At least it was for only a short period this time.
I double-checked that I had the right date this time. Then again, I thought I had this week but hadn’t, so I checked it once more time. No more double-deliveries of food for Inchy!
That’s the plan anyway!

The rain abated.
Got down to a shower status

Mid-afternoon skies…
Pareidoliable? Yes!
Beautiful!
Signs of more rain to come?
Then, I found this photograph below…
I assume it was a close-up of the sky.
At least I hope it was. Hehehe!

Carer Chris did the last two checks. He seemed distracted. He went onto the balcony to take a sky photo after it had brightened up amazingly, and I took this snap of him doing a pose…
Just look how the sky is so bright, after a gap of about two hours for the photos above this one. Mother Nature again!

Food Time!
Battered balls and mushrooms, and a banana. I enjoyed this. But later found several empty cheese curl packets in the bin.
Guilty-Mode-Adopted!

I went to wash the pots… and what looked to all intents and purposes like a rainbow was coming through the window onto the kitchenette floor..
I manoeuvred my feet so it shone on the toes.
A surreal photo indeed!

After falling asleep again trying to watch my beloved Heartbeat on the goggle-box, I drifted off to sleep at the first set of commercials – missing the programme again. Could I heck as get back to sleep when I wanted to? No! So I got out of the second-hand, £300, c1968, overwhelmingly sickening beige coloured, tatty, uncomfortable, wobbly, germ-producing, falling to pieces, food residue collecting recliner, and took two rather decent for me, snaps of the evening sky.

This one of high up…The bottom one is lower down.
Wonderful!

I returned to the second-hand, £300, charity shop bought, crumb-retaining, microorganism-microbe producing, gungy, moth-eaten, beige-coloured, non-working, bacillus encouraging, incommodious, Haemorrhoid Harold testing, c1968 recliner.
With hopes of getting some sleep in… Ha-ha! No Chance!
The kicked off. Ensuring no sleep for the old codger after that. Talk about persistent, I can’t recall the giving me a chance to nod off.

At about 05:00hrs, I gave up… no sooner had I looked at the clock, wondering if I should try to sleep again or not, and a vicious attack from put an end to that idea! Banged my elbow on the chair arm!

Oh, a quick update here…

TTFN

INCHIE: Wednesday 26th July 2023 – Liberty-Global owned Virgin Internet down only nine times today!

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WEDNESDAY 26th JULY 2023

This morning was one of my betterer ones. Why? I’m not sure, but then again, my being unsure, uncertain, unsettled, and unconvinced of my own plans, thoughts, intentions, desires, needs, wants, cravings, emotions or intentions, is nothing new. A degree of semi-perkiness filtered through at first. I lay there on the £300, second-hand, most uncomfortable,  decrepit, Haemorrhoid Harold-testing, creaking, sleep-deterring, nauseatingly beige-coloured, not-working, recliner, with a lack of frustration and depression. Enjoying this lack of worry and fear for a few moments.
I took a photo of the good colour of the night pouch urine. This respite ended when an ailment I’d not suffered for many weeks arose: A , which soon changed my mood. The leg fell off of the chair, clunking down into the drip tray and night, as the once-attached day bag on , falling down to my ankle, straps breaking apart! Skullgranglebonks! What a mess I had to sort out! I reckon it took me an hour to sort things out.
The night pouch attached to the urine in the Catheter day bag was of the Grade 4 colour on the NHS Guide card. Took a while to get it off, though.

& were the next activities for the now very frustrated me.
Four nicks shaving. Lost balance getting the PPs on, and another new bruise acquired on the bum methinks.

The computer was turned on, and updating of yesterday’s blog commenced. Concentration was minimal, though.
I took this rather sad photograph of the morning’s mudslide, through the windows of the balcony. Not much there today.
I took this shot of the front car park on Chestnut Walk, also through the window. Cause it was a bit windy, and a little drizzle coming in my direction.

The ever unreliable Oligarchs of failed again.
And still, their Mafia-type-looking boss, Mr Fries gets his annual salary of $26 million… plus guaranteed bonuses in the form of shares in the Financially vast ! Jealous? Me? Yes!

Carer Shaquille arrived. The lad was in a good mood today. We managed a natter and laugh as he did the eyedrops, medications, medicines, and then the second eye drops for me.

The Iceland order arrived within minutes of Shaquille leaving.
!!!
I could have sworn I ordered this delivery for Thursday 3rd August next week! It seems another cock-up was added to Inchy’s vast collection of & .
Made worse, because there was no room to store the fresh products and frozen! Another Inchy calamity!
The fridge freezer was the fullest it’s ever been! I even had to remove some stuff and dish it to make room for the new things. ! I solved this problem by gifting some of the stuff to people who have helped me, later in the day. The by now assuredly bursting-at-the-seams refrigerator was soon emptied a little when some fodder was gifted.
Still, I should last for food for a day or two now. Haha!
Later, Carer Kara checked the dates for me. Some things had only two days left, but I forgot to write down which they were, and just cannot read the dates even with the spy-glass. The cataract-done eye is worrying me a smidgen, being so bad.
I was a little concerned as to why I bought bananas. I’m sure there was a reason why I’d stopped buying them… but have no idea what it was? However, I polished one off straight away!

Fortunately, the domestic arrived just as $25million salaried Mr Fries went down again. She accepted a bag of goodies, which helped me free some space in the fridge freezer, bless her, that helped my conscience.

Back onto the now-working internet...
For about five minutes and down it went once more.
Sickening, innit!

Carer Kara arrived to offer me help with the finances. What a blessing she is! Kara got into my online bank account and paid yet another bill I’d received earlier in the day, to pay CT4N Easy-Link. Last week we asked for the full amount of money I owed, £79 it was I think, and Kara paid it for me. Now I have another bill? And I’m paying cash for each trip? Kara seemed to think it was alright, so She paid that one too, then sent a confirmation to Easy-Link by email.

Back to grafting on the often interrupted blog updating.
Spent some time as I waited for it to return, updating the tabs for the blog on CorelDraw.

Ten minutes after coming back on, it went off!
I finished the tab-creating on CorelDraw and got them on file for later use.

Back to blogging…
It was suddenly late afternoon. And the sky went a different colour tone altogether.
So beautiful mind you! I did some on each of the pictures that I took. I spent quite a while on this.
In my eyeholes with it, so as to speak.
Finding animals, a ghost, faces and beastly images galore.
Lovely!

Mr Fries’ rather incompetent crew from the useless internet providers were at their worst for a long time. They did not get any better!

I made up some milk roll breast sarnies with soy meat, drenched in BBQ sauce. Naturally, there were the usual thickly sliced cuts from the none-butter butter that is so gorgeous tasting on the bread. And the batter balls were mouth-wateringly wonderful!
No doubt about it, my taste buds have recovered now. A fantastic Taste-Rating of 9.3/10.

I had a go at blogging again.
But not for long.

Carer Chris arrived to do the big evening medications. Eye drops, tablets and capsules, then the second eye drops. I forgot to do the finger in the eye near the nose holding it there for three minutes… yet again! I’ll suffer for this later; when the eye starts itching, the floaters too, and the most annoying is the feeling of grit in the eye. A little pain usually as well. I really must concentrate, cause my right eyesight is getting worse now with all my missing doing this. Note To Self: IDIOT!

I tried the internet on the computer again. I wonder if the $26million salaried Mr Fries at is worried about their crap service?

Of course, it’s gone up since
Jealous? Me? Hahaha! Yes!

Hello…

TTFN, All!

INCHIE: Tuesday 25th July 2023 – Accifauxpas & Whoopsiedangleplops!

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“That’ll be £85.25 and £255 delivery, M’am!”
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The urine was a smidgen darker this morning.

It seems we had some heavy rain last night?
Close-up of the mini mudslide,

The sky looked as if it may have more rain to send.

As it lightened up, I went onto the balcony to have another search for something worth photographing.
Taking this shot accidentally as I tripped over the step getting out of the room.
I take better photos by accident than the others? Hahaha!
An early morning car-washing tenant out there. Shaking his car’s carpets, doing a thorough job. Is he selling it?
The car cleaner was still at it after I’d visited the wet room for the & duties. Excellent parking on the grass from the white van, man.

I had a look at the NHS Falls Team advice booklet.
Had to use the spy-glass to read the wording.
Exercises page above. If I can find the time, I’ll give this a go.
More advice in a safe environment.
With supplying me with the odd , & disorientating me, supported by the effective bone dislodger  & often with agony giving suddenly giving way without warning, I think the chances of this advice being effective are minimal. Look at the last bad tumble, where I spent four hours laying on the floor… that one was due to, I think, the leg just mentally disappeared. In an instant, it wasn’t there, and as I went backwards and landed on the deck, there was no pain from the leg at all… for a few minutes, then the brain got the message from the dying neurotransmitters, and the agony began. 
Reduce Your Risks! Hehe!
Getting tired now; hard to read the mini-print.
Getting Up From A Fall.
I could see the pictures enough to know I had been doing something right, at least in how I struggled to get back up from each tumble. But I use the second-hand, £300, charity shop bought, crumb-retaining, microorganism-microbe producing, gungy, moth-eaten, beige-coloured, non-working, bacillus encouraging, incommodious, Haemorrhoid Harold testing, c1968 recliner, cause its solider to use to haul me elephantine body up from the floor. I say easier; it’s the only way! Of course, if the fall occurs at the door, I have to crawl on my hands and knees back through the hallway into the computer room, which usually entails , messy! And/or poor being set off! In my efforts crawl to utilise the £300, second-hand, c1968, charity shop-bought, eyesore-horrendously grungy coloured, Harold Haemorrhoid-testing, easily-fallout able from, unfit-for-use, not working recliner, to get back upright and recover.

Dreadfully slow, but up to now, it had gone down only once! I blogged on and off for many hours… with…

Going down just once!

But was in a different mode this time!
Little messy squirts, with gaps of up to three minutes and another dollop of splattering… repeatedly!
I couldn’t concentrate on the crossword at all. Hehe!

Got the nosh sorted early.Soy mince, beetroot, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and garden peas!
Wholemeal bread thins and a strawberry dessert were enjoyed as well. Flavour-Rating: 9.3/10. I seem to have found my appetite once again. Got the pots washed and went to freshen up.

The left leg had blown up, and a bruise appeared from nowhere and started to kick off? And gave me a few worrying moments. What next? Don’t answer that!

I olive-oiled the earholes and dropped the bottle, which landed on my .
To round off this little series of , I lost my balance getting the fresh PPs on…
On the way to the wet room floor, I tugged foolishly at the shower curtain, the plastic clips holding the curtain on the rail pinged and shot all over the place, and the curtain covered my horizontal body…
What made me think that a flimsy thin plastic curtain would help stop me from falling?
I spent hours gathering the hooks and getting the curtain back on the rail, but two clips were missing. I spent more time searching for them, to no avail.
Naturally, a man of my calibre took it all in my stride; I even laughed about it to myself. I think I gained another bruise or two on my rump. I thought about taking a blind shot of my rear end but thought better of it.

EVENING ALL; GETTING MY HEAD DOWN EARLY…
We’ll see if it works & sleep arrives.

INCHIE: Monday 24th July 2023 – Meal of the Year!

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BAD NIGHT’S KIP
The darn-nabbed went on for four hours, without any breaks, peace, or sleep to be had. Eventually, I gave up trying. I’d had nod-offs earlier, but they were all cut short by Carer visits, or the new thing now, rally jerking awake violently. It’s a wonder I haven’t had myself off of 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; there were so many of the yet to be named, unnerving episodes of cruel waking ups! Worse than ever, now.
Still, I got a few early photographs done. Stayed up late to get some sunset clouds. TTFN.

The great colour of the urine in the night pouch was impressive.  I put the results of the urine on the Health Check graphic, the wrong way around – 6-3, instead of 3-6. Normal Service will be resumed as soon as possible… that is if , if that pesky nuisance I named leaves me alone at night.

Balcony shot of showery, misty morning weather.
.
Took this one with the flash on, Tsk!
Then this with it off.
took a shot of his own accord, and without
telling me as well! Hehehe!

Later, as the mist departed and the rain did not, I opened the end window, got wet, and took two shots of the end car park.
And a close-up of the morning mudslide puddle
A fair size today

A mug of Glengettie tea and an apple pastry

The Asda delivery arrived
Today, he was a friendly driver who helped a lot by bagging the stuff from his containers into carriers for me. Most helpful chap.
The first bag was emptied and stored away.
Food cupboard stock, and Carers, nurses nibbles.
Two favourites here;
Red Leicester cheese nibbles, &.
Brown part-cooked baguettes.
For the fridge…
Which was well filled up.
As was the freezer!

Late afternoon skies…
Fantastic!
Could be the moon’s surface?

An hour later…

Amazingly, the sky got lighter and brighter not long later.
Just caught the end of the sunset.
Well, almost!

Now for the treat of the Year to date.
Took me a long time to get prepared, I used the air-fryer to do the potatoes. The tomatoes were tasty, and I can’t say that very often from Asda or Iceland bought fruit & veg.
The two sourdough mini-baguettes were smothered in the best tasting… better than any real butter, Asda non-butter butter. And smoked tomato ketchup dabbed on them.
And overfilled with the knuckle. That I sliced without any injury to any digits.

Gorgeous!
A Taste Rating of 9.3/10.
Cause the potatoes were not so good.


The evening carer called, but I just don’t know who it was who came. Chris or Victor, I think.
When I woke up later, the cataracted eye was feeling like grit was in it. So I know that the eye drops were put in, and the night bag had been attached to the day pouch for me.

I soon nodded of after making a note of events on my pad, and yet again the blasted started. I knew I could do nothing, so I accepted it this time and tried to follow my wild thoughts and understand them.

A waste of time that was!

Evening all!

INCHIE: Saturday 22nd July 2023 – Staying Awake Getting Harder Each Day

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Sorry, I looked it up now!

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The tiredness dawned earlier than ever today.
The Chloramphenicol eye drops may be the reason.

Amazed to see that the night bag had no urine in it!
The reason was that the release valve on the day bag it was attached to, had not been opened. A cock-up there!
The day bag was at bursting point. I opened the valve and the night bag filled within seconds.
Decent colour bearing in mind the retention in the bladder had caused a backflow. My stomach was aching a bit, but it soon eased after emptying it out.

An early-morning photo from the kitchen.

Two hours later, rain!

Hurrah! Got the daft soft slippers on!

Made a mug of tea, no biscuits dunked!

Got the computer on.
Within two hours, the 5th…
Gnashing-Teeth-Episode!
Not easy with only a few left in the mouth!

It was off for much longer this time.
I did some CorelDraw work in advance on tabs.
Two Carers called Sam and then Chris. Waste bins sorted out.

Pressed on with the blog for about three hours.

I was now back in the Tired-Knackered-Need-Sleep-Mode!
The computer was turned off, and my concentration collapsed.

Carer Victor woke me up. Did the two eye drops and medications were given. I was so tired out still, even after a kip?

Took this snap and made a pot noodle meal. That’s all I could manage being so tired, and I wasn’t really hungry then. I still reckon the new Chloramphenicol eye drops are the cause of my weariness and lack of desire for food. I’ve only had three biscuits dunked in the tea, in the last three days?

Took these snaps of the mini mudslide in the car park.
The weather brightened up for the first time tonight.

Carer Victor made his last call. He got the night pouch attached to the . Eye drops and painkillers were issued.

About an hour after Victor had left, I was forced out of the grotty-looking c1966 made, charity-shop-bought, horribly beige-coloured, £300, Harold’s Haemorrhoids-testing, non-operational, acne-giving, virus-breeding, rickety, easy-to-fall-out-of recliner; To go to the…

While I was up, I did a safety check, cause some of the carers forget to, and I forget to ask them to, especially when I’m in this tired Fatigued Mode. All looked okay; no taps, hobs, oven, or heaters were left on. I still felt tired! Puzzling! 

I took this from the kitchen window.
Bootiful!

Got my head down again, and turned on the TV.
Which was still on when I woke up at 02:45hrs!
For, you’ve guessed it… another trip to the…
Why have I needed three, messy, light-brown evacuations; When I’m not eating? Could this also be down to the
Chloramphenicol antibiotic eye drops?

CHEERS!

INCHIE: Friday 21st July 2023: Chloroformed? Hehe!

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Sorry, but I fell asleep more times today than ever before.
Very few reminder notes were made. Mainly photographs later in the day, as the tiredness and weariness dawned in the early afternoon. Later, I looked up information on the side effects of chloramphenicol eye drops. I did, but I made a mess of copying it and got this mess of text into the graphic. Sorry.

On waking up, before nodding off again!

Woke up once more, night bag looking good. Got it detached and emptied, securely wrapped, and disposed of.

The new had fallen down the leg, so I readjusted it – Easy-Peasy this morning, no hassle or bother from , , , or at all yet?
A few nicks shaving. As expected
Cleaned and refreshed, and feeling rather good after a broken but long sleep, even on the aged, grotty-looking c1966 made, charity-shop-bought, horribly beige-coloured, £300, Harold’s Haemorrhoid-testing, non-operational, acne-giving, virus-breeding, rickety, easy-to-fall-out-of recliner. But I knew it wasn’t going to last long.
I’m fading, getting so tired I cannot concentrate on anything but the need to sleep earlier every day! Yet I felt good at this time!

I got some potatoes in the crock pot and flavoured them with sea salt, Winiary Przyprawa, and unfortunately…overdoing the pinch of basil, as the lid shot off!
A good stir to dissipate it…
Not that it did much dissipating.
Got the lid on and left it for six hours.

Made a brew and onto the computer.
I did not feel like having any biscuit dunking this morning; I didn’t have any all day. Amazing! Something wrong here!

Five minutes later, it returned.

Three minutes later…
Humph!
It had not come back on for fifteen minutes, so I had to shut everything down and reset the box again…
Another five minutes before it returned.

Got on with the blog updating. For five minutes, then…
Left the computer and went on the balcony to take this shot of the mini-mud slide in the end car park.
The
The Internet had not returned yet.

So I took these shots through the kitchenette window of the falling rain; I wasn’t going to open the window.
A close-up.
Wide shot to the left.

The abysmal, unreliable finally returned, and I grafted away at the Thursday blog.

Carers Chris and Kara called. Chris was a little late at 09:30hrs. Kara, on the dot at 12:00hrs.
Angel Nurse Hristina arrived and got the blood taken.
I lovely gal!

Fancy that!

The rain resined, and as I was taking this photo…
The Weariness & Tiredness kicked in!
I was incapable of continuing to start this blog, and I will have to find time in the morning. Gawd, this dead-beatness since taking the new eye drops is getting earlier each day!

Better get the nosh done now; the potatoes were cooked.

I added them to the saucepan of vegetable soup and added a drop of the delightfully-tasty Krakus Borscht.
And some peas to the mix.
Wunderbar!
A delightful nosh, Rated at an 8.9 on the Taste-Rating

I was struggling to stay awake now.
Managed to get the pots washed, then got down in the £300, second-hand, most uncomfortable, decrepit, Haemorrhoid Harold-testing, micro-organism-microbe-bugged, easily-falloutable from, unfit-for-use, not working, recliner.
Sleep came almost immediately.

I was woken up by Carer Chris’s arrival. Can’t recall much of it.

Zzz! Returned within seconds of Chris’s departure.

I was woken up again by Carer Chris’s arrival. I can’t recall much of it, well, anything really, other than he put the night pouch onto the .

I think IO had odd dreams, and they were waking me up frequently – but I soon nodded off each time… well, not the last one. That dream was a bad one that had me trying to make heads or tails about it in my mind…

TTFNski

INCHIE: Thursday 20th July 2023: Nurses Toying With Me! Hehehe!

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Mayhap the oddest day of the week so far.
Unexpectedly Busy? Yes! This blog was not started until Friday.
Being tired after the EENT runabout made me knackered and drained early in the afternoon. But the extra visits were all welcome, all the same.
I faded very early, though; all I wanted and felt needed was sleep.
Fat chance. It can’t be helped. Being a mind-testing set of visits, I had no notes as such to use, and time memory was all I had… Oh, and some earlier-in-the-day photos to prompt me a little. Here goes If Liberty-Global-owned Virgin Media
doesn’t keep going down again. Naturally, it did!

05:00hrs. No night bag attached again, Tsk! The urine in the day pouch was a deep colour. Tummy ache and wind. 

Did the waste bags… Carer Chris arrived to sort me.

Computer on…
2 minutes after getting it back on…
Ten minutes after it returned…

Took these kitchen view shots waiting for the internet…
Up in the sky.
Sun coming up from behind.

Carer Kara arrived. And a blessing she was, as she usually is.
She got the bank payment for my Easy-Link debt payment.
£79.00 was put through to the bank and sorted. Emailed Easy-Link to confirm it. No reply yet. Did the eye drops. ♥

Struggled, and it was time-consuming, but I finished the Wednesday blog and posted off to WordPress.

The landline flashed. It was Phlebotomy Nurse Hristina. To tell me she would call tomorrow morning to take the Warfarin INR blood sample for analysis. ♥

The Asda order arrived.
Nibbles
Frozen favourites!
Fresh food treats!
Drinkies to help the bladder
Fridge refilled now

I thought I was doing well on the odeing, then the rush of helpers arrived – Bless Them All!

Two District Nurses arrived. I’d hoped they were going to remove , so that I could have a go at seeing myself after the Finasteride course of tablets had finished. I did not realise that the penicillin tablets had run out, and not the above.
I was hoping to give manual wee-weeing a go, and that I could pass water voluntarily again. With the (hopefully) now-reduced in size Prostate. If the tablets had worked.
But they seem to have put me on another course of these.
The embarrassment brought forth some witticisms from my lips. As the nurse reached for some of my kitchen towels to cover me up – Carer Kara came in while they were ‘doing me’, and I quipped, a postage stamp would have done! Hehehe!

I remembered I’d got some potatoes in the oven for my meal. Kara kindly went to check on them for me. A Lidocaine (a local anaesthetic) and Chlorhexidine, (an antiseptic) tube were shot into Little Inchie. Stings a bit, but a nurse laughed and mimicked, “Oh, oh, oh!” Which took my mind off of the pain. Clever gal! Then… Dang-dang-dang, Dang!
The insertion of the new tube began…
Naturally, my being the brave, heroic sort of young man, there was no grimacing, chewing of the cushion on the c1966, £300, second-hand charity-shop bought, crumb-containing, odour-retaining, Harold’s Haemorrhoid-testing, nauseatingly beige coloured, non-working, virus-breeding recliner which I was sat on, howls of pain, nor exclamations of any sort, like, ARRGH! or anything of that nature while the tube went in.
.
But this inserting nurse was a no-messing-about one; I think she did it last time, too, straight in unhesitatingly. It was soon all over and settled! Thank you! ♥

Kara did the eye drops and medications for me.

Then I got the meal ready.
Simple food for a simple man. Hehe!
Flavour rating: 7.2/10, fair enough

Night carer Chris came early. Which made me think I could watch my favourite ‘Heartbeat’ episodes. I fell asleep after he’s done the eyes and medications, as he sat at the Carers desk.
I woke up, and he was on his mobile.
No doubt female related. It sounded like he was speaking his native tongue, so I kept my eyes shut to avoid disturbing him for some time. He got the night bag onto the Catheter for me, the pouch in the drip tray, and off he trotted.

No chance of watching ‘Heartbeat’; the first episode had almost finished, and not that it mattered cause I drifted off to sleep again. I’m doing a lot of that lately? Twice at the hospital, several times yesterday in the flat, and now again!

I was woken around 20:40hrs, as Carer Chris came to do the last 22:00hr check. Eye drops and Peptac.

No sooner had he left, I fell asleep again!
This time I was almost jumping awake every few minutes, repeatedly. It wee’d me of this did!

I got up, grabbed and hobbled into the kitchenette for safety checks. Being so tired, I thought I may have left a tap running, a door open on the fridge or oven on from cooking the potatoes. All was okay.

I took this Kodak shot of the beautiful late sun setting.
To my Pareidolia’s Delight, I spotted what looked to me like a shrimp in this photograph. Can you see it?

The rest of the night was Sleep, Wake, Sleep, Wake, Sleep, Wake, Sleep, Wake…
Grrr!

Toodle-Pips!

INCHIE: Wednesday 19th July 2023 – Back to the hospital day

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04:25hrs: I was Gobsmacked, to find the hot water was hot. What happened last night will remain; One of the many mysteries of Woodthorpe Court, with the hobgoblins, spectres, gnomai, phantasms, ghosts, grotesque succubae, extraterrestrials, ectoplasms, spirits, & Fata Morganas, that have been sent to taunt, irritate my already limited saneness of mind? 
I was so pleased to be able to get into the wet room with hot water available to get my ablutions tended to.
IU got the shaving tackled first. Five tiny cuts; which was good considering that I’d got three days of beard growth to remove, and of course, the growth behind my ears and back of the neck. Knowing I was going to struggle to get the feet cleaned…
I had a cunning plan… and a Eureka moment while using it!
I stood in the bowl with soapy water, and… wait for it… baking powder in it! Jiggling watch foot repeatedly while I did the bleeding… er… shaving. When done, I looked down at the water in the bowl, and all the collected dirt from the soles of the plates had floated up to the top of the water! Grrreat Idea!
I pass this tip on to other old farts who cannot get down to wash their feet, free of charge, naturally! It really works!
A lot of aftershave was needed to stop the bleeding, a good spray of Brut deodorant and the medications tended to.

Carer Shaquille arrived and helped me into the crippling shoes.
Did the drops and tablets, and I got on the computer.
Domestic Denise arrived, assisting me to get Velcro’s shoes fastened. I got things gathered together from the list I’d made, to take with me to the hospital.
Made the template for this blog, and turned off the computer handmade a brew of Glengettie.
Tea GlengettieI checked on the day pouch contents with a view to emptying the pouch. The colour of it caught me out, and seemed too dark suddenly, compared to the night pouches urine.
It was still flowing in.
The phone rang, it was a lady who I could not understand a word she was saying. This took my attention away, (it takes very little nowadays) and I forgot to empty the bag.

The landline chirruped and flashed. It was the chap from EasyLink. Advising me that the total owed to them was… £79!
Carer Kara called in for a minute or two, and I mentioned that I can still not get into my online banking to pay this bill.
She could not do anything until later, but kindly said she’d get around to it for me. Nice gal!

I got down into the lobby with Three-Wheeled-Willy the Walker and awaited the arrival of the lift from Easy-link. Which arrived nice and early. It was the lady who took me to Highbury Hospital. We had a chat and laugh en route to the QMC.
The traffic was heavy with queues to get into the EENT department. She had to drop me away from the unit and walked me in through the doors, bless her.

I managed to find my way into the main hall (for once) without having to ask someone. Haha! As I approached the doorway, I felt the nearly full pouch dropping down my leg with the weight!
Two nurses accompanied me into the toilet, but I could not get my leg high enough, and almost fell trying to. So the Angels fetched a cardboard pot and emptied it for me.

Then, in to see a female doctor to have the eyes pinhole tested.
This took a while; she did a good patient job of it.
Then escorted me into another waiting area to await being called in to see the surgeon-doctor.
Another good long deep examination. Difficult at times cause I could not hear what he was saying, and moved in the wrong direction a few times. But he was also understanding with me.
And pleased with the results. He gave me some different eye drops to use for the next four days, in place of the , and put some in so I can start the course in the morning.
Cap on vials, one drop only each time. Four times a day, starting on Thursday 20th July 2023. He handed me a letter to give to the lady in reception on my way out. But I forgot to! Huh!
As I got to the desk, I realised I had a long wait for the agreed pick-up time. The driveress did say to phone if I get done early, and I asked the receptionist to call Easy-Link, please.
She could not get through to them and told me to take a seat while she tried again. Which I did!
I fell asleep, and the lady woke me up to say she was still trying to get them for me. I thanked her and nodded off again.
She woke me again, to say that Easy-Link were on the way, but traffic is horrendous with the school holidays.
I meandered around taking sneak photos.
Exiting patients from other departments.
Can’t recall taking this one of Three-Wheel-Walker Willie, or why?
Got to the doors and out to take some more.
Are folks awaiting lifts?
Taxi.
Turned back to go inside again.
I met a lady who had just had her cataract done and had a gossip. Back out to await the Easy-Link arrival.
This boulder was used by smokers going out for a break methinks. Hehehe!

The minibus arrived, and we had a great journey home! Lots of waffling, I was in my element. Said our farewells, and up in the lift to home sweet home… well, the flat.

Took this selfie.
Seconds later, the weariness came over me.

Got in the flat and rang Meridian to tell them I was back.
Then the absolute pleasure of taking off my shoes.
Boy, were the feet aching now! Yes, they were!

The view from the kitchen window was marvellous, cloudwise.
Gorgeous!
To the left a bit.
Then onto the balcony to take these two.
To the right…
and close-up!

Carer Chris arrived.
Started this blog update.
Carer Chris arrived later for the last visit.
Did some more blogging, and Carer Chris arrived.
Explained the new Eye drops change for a fortnight.
I think I’ve got it right… but?

Making the nosh, as the evening sunset started,
so I took these snaps.

Then made up the nosh.

TTFN

INCHIE: Tuesday 18th July 2023 – Feeling Senticous

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I realise this may be hard to swallow, but I made yet another worrying set of this morning.
I was sat here at the computer desk… well the 1963-bought, falling to pieces, Hopewell’s E-Plan Sideboard, with the doors falling off, having one of my regular panicky modes. And Carer Kara arrived, which always has a calming effect on me. She asked if both of the Thursday appointments had been moved to Wednesday, or just one of them? Panic-Mode Status up to Defcon three! I’d not thought about that! I think she got the idea I was getting worked up when I started to sob and whimper?
Would the Hospital expect me to go two days running? The thought of having to catch a bus and tram there and back put fear in my heart. Mind you there was a fair bit lingering in there, over the thought of having to get trousers, socks and shoes on after the 2-hour ablutioning session each time, already)
Kara got the details and said she’d try to sort me a lift with Easy-Link and find out about the appointments for me.
When the second Carer, Sam arrived at midday. All had been sorted out, much to my amazement, Easy-Link could fit me in! Also, both appointments will be on! Yes!
A quicker-than-usual blog though, I have to find the time for the full ablutionalisationing session somehow.
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An excellent shade of urine!

Not much rain last night, and no dog to watch bathing in it!

After tending to the needs of the , which was very messy and phooey…
I went to make a brew of Glengettie.
Tea GlengettieAnd took a photo of the tree copse area.
Bootiful!

Got the computer on…
After three minutes! ARRGH!

As it returned, Carer Kara, my Angel of Mercy arrived.
See the Prodrome above for further details.
drops in, medications supplied, then after five minutes, the drops inserted. I remembered this time to stick my finger in the eye for three minutes.
Well, Kara reminded me too!

,
This lasted for about five minutes…

This lasted for about one minute…
Then surprisingly, it stayed on for two hours! So I got as much done as I could in that time.

Then Carer Sam arrived for the noon visit.
The great news is that the appointment is for one day only, and the lift had been arranged with Easy-Link. Brilliant!
Sister Jane phoned as Sam was about to leave and answered it for me. Jane said she’d ring back later
Well fancy that!
So, I called Sister Jane back. She rang on the mobile that I rang her on, I can’t remember her number on the landline.
We had a good natter. Turns out she’s just had her cataract done again. But the poor thing’s experience was the opposite of mine. She was in pain afterwards, and she still is. Poor Jane!
We still managed a laugh or two though; that’s us!

I got on with blogging, again-this believe it or not, was the last failure up to now… a period of four hours! From the
Doing well, aren’t they!

Earlier shot from the computer chair, that I’d missed.

The oddest ever trip to the Throne this was… well, maybe not!
I really thought that was losing his grip on the evacuations. For things didn’t seem to want to start moving, naturally, I thought this could mean a cement torpedo or two… but no! After a good ten or twelve minutes on the crossword puzzle... WHOOSH!
Splatter squelch, and all over in less than 30 seconds.
What a mess to clean up!

Into the kitchenette…
Got the potatoes on the boil…
And took this picture.

Then the above snap of the legs, feet and toes.
They did not look like they were mine!
So much improved inflammation in the lower leg, no leaks from the , either! However: and were making up for that. Both get frisky as the day goes on.

Better get the nosh sorted out before the evening Carer arrives.
See you in a bit…

Tuesday Morning Catch-Up
The evening meal
Cheese & onion pasties, potatoes, peas and beetroot.
Cheesecake for afters.
Flavour Rating: 7.2/10.

Went to get the evening’s ablutions done – No Hot Water!

Carer arrived. I mentioned the lack of hot water and asked him to get someone to call the NCH maintenance for me. In and out quickly tonight; the lad was looking tired. Eye drops & medications sorted.

I got up to wash the pots.
Wonderful view!
Close-up of the wonderful view.

Zzz!

INCHIE: Monday 17th July 2023

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Unbelievable! Talk about a reversal.
This morning my worries, fears and panic over not getting help done with so many things were exactly the same. Zilch, nothing was advanced or sorted. But, did I care? Nope!
I really can’t understand it. I was so laid back about things, but the niggles, fretting, and frustration had evaporated, and stayed that way until a few minutes ago, as I started this blog belatedly. Now, All is back to the tension-ridden, nail-biting, sorry for me, considering silly things. It is possible that the wound beginning to heal, but my ankle infection still itching (a good sign). And even the left hip was causing me far less hassle this morning. The urine colour in the night bag was so clear, too.
Comes to something when you have no idea why one suddenly gets the spirits raised a little, but don’t understand why?
Another quickie I’m afraid though. because when I got up after removing the night pouch… Liberty-Global went down.
Even that didn’t sink me into a depression. Confusion Conrad did pay me a long extended visit, though!
Something was amiss with me this morning? Onward…

Pleased with the urine shade, though there was not much of it.
That should have concerned me, but it didn’t.

Got the computer on, it went down within a minute!
So, I couldn’t check to see if the hospital had confirmed the change of appointment days or not. Not that it mattered much to me this Monday… it normally would have.

Into the kitchenette.  to get the kettle on to make a brew of Glengettie. Something else different here. Normally, with my restriction to two mugs a day, I would not have made one so early in the day. (I got up at 0335hrs) The sky was a lovely blue.

A summons me to the diverted me to the wet room.
Well, that’s where the bog is. Hehe!
I even had time for a few minutes of cross-wording.
I even managed things using just a third of the toilet roll.

Back to the kitchen, taking this photo of the morning view as it was getting lighter quickly now.

Waiting for the kettle to reboil, I noticed how well the legs, feet & toes were looking.

When it returned I made a start on updating yesterday’s blog, a fair bit to do… not that it bothered me.

Carer Richard arrived. I believe he was concerned about me being so cheerful. Hehehe! In his usual no-fuss manner he got the first eye drops in and issued the medications. I got him a cold drink from the fridge. Lemon & Lime. Then he did the second eye drop and issued the medicine. Believe it or not, I did not squirm at taking this horrible aniseed-flavoured reflux medicine, for the first time ever I think. Something was still amiss this morning?
Said farewell to the lad as he departed, wishing him a good sleep.
Richard took the laundry down for me. Thanks.

Back to the computer…
Even now I not too wrangled?

I was just about to post off the Sunday blog…
Now the irritation was beginning to return.

Got the laundry bag made up.
The computer is back on but after an hour or so…
Now the bile was brewing!

I started to take photographs each time the went down. I’ve collated them all here with the approximate time taken for up to 17:00 hours. Some great on some of them. More later.
1300hrs
14:00hrs

15:00hrs. See anything in this one? You must?

15:10hrs. Raining a bit…
16:40hrs.
And the one below, a few minutes later.
How I got the terrible colouring, I don’t know.
I was a close-up shot though?
Nothing like it looked colourwise, But you can see a man or bear in the left cloud? Or the hand rising? Or is it just me? Hehe! Spitting blood now at

Carer Chris arrived, full of the joys of spring.
  drops, then the tablets. Next the lousy-tasting Antacid medicine. Then the eye drops.
Drink from the fridge, and the
Aniseed medicine. Spit! Haha!

We took some photos from the balcony of the clouds.
A dog investigating the mudslide water…
Decide it was bath time, and had a jolly-good jumping-about session. The tail wagging furiously! Great!
Carer Chris took these two for me, catching the shiny rooftop on one house as it caught the sun. Must have sun-power-shields?
The cloud formations had changed a lot, but they were still wonderful, almost pretty some of them.



Puffer clouds high in the sky – I love them.
Lower, the skyline ribbon. With its fingers pointing up skywards, beasts and I see the abominable cloud-man. Haha!
18:20hrs: An open oyster there?

21:40hrs: Getting the late meal sorted, and captured this late sunset shot. Bootiful!

The Nosh!
Imitation ham sarnies 7.2/10 Taste with some of…
I find the delicious not-butter, butter, tastier than any proper butter. 10/10 Taste-Rating!
Potatoes crock-pot cooked with sea salt. 3/10 Taste-Rating!
Canned garden peas. 7.3/10 Taste-Rating!
Tomatoes halved. 8.2/10 Taste-Rating!
Soy lemon yoghourt. 7/10 Taste-Rating!
If my calculation is right, that makes overall,
a Taste-Rating of 7.1/10.
I used the Windows calculator.

Of course, a man of my education, I could have done the calculation in my head… but would have got a different figure.
I recall some results as I read my final school test in 1960.
Different days of various exams meant some of the lads had skipped school to avoid whichever they were not very good at;

Mathematics: 34th out of 34 tested.
Chemistry: 25th out of 32 tested.
Metalwork: 28th out of 29 tested.
Technical Drawing: 29th out of 32 tested.
History: 29th out of 32 tested.
P.E: 32nd out of 34 tested.
Geography: 12th out of 28 tested.
R.I.: 15th of 32 tested
Music: 30th of 33 tested.
Woodwork: 18th out of 19 tested.
English: 1st out of 34 tested!

True. Hahaha!

TTFNski!