Next to muffin on today’s blog. I’m sorry, but I also made a good start to the day! I did the header cartoon and accompanying graphics, then got on with the ode. It was a late start due to a messy and bloody visit to the Porcelain Throne. Then, back to the Odeing. Then, around midday, I found… I left the tap running and was forced to abandon the blog to get things cleaned and dried where possible. I spent an estimated four hours cleaning the wet room and the hallway carpet. There are hardly any photos from the day. When I finally returned to the computer, I nipped to the kitchen to take some snaps. None are very good, but I’ll post them anyway. Worra Day. AGAIN! Sorry!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – A nice full pouch this morning.
First trip to take snaps.
Not unlike noodles.
I made a brew later and took this one.
OF THE WEEK A work of Farcical-Art to match the best! I dropped a knife I was using to free the drain in the wet room floor. It got stuck in the siding, so I used the picker-upper to retrieve it. It slipped from the gripper and shot right through the shower curtain, hitting a bottle of bleach, which started leaking. That became my first priority, so I put it in the washing basin and cleaned the spillage using several rolls of kitchen towels. I got the water moving again down the drain. A moment of stupid smugness was short-lived. I went to sort the bleach bottle in the sink and realised I’d left the catheter pouch in their soaking, ready to clean it. It had dissolved into bits in the sink, and the plug-hole was now blocked! I didn’t cry, despite wanting to! I turned to get the mop bucket and trod on the knife that had fallen from the floor cabinet where I had left it. I didn’t cry, despite wanting to!
Cleaning up done.
I took the above, as Carer Christopher returned.
He sorted the medications, checked the catheter, and changed the bag for me. He also had a quick look at the Kodak that was playing up. Thank you!
Late now; going to get some food. I should be back in the morning, Very tasty!
Liberty-Global TV was down again! Still, they have to reduce service so they can pay Mr Fries his total compensation earnings of $62m. Jealous? Me? YES!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – I woke up, checked, and removed the nocturnal catheter pouch from the day bag. I was eager to get going with the ablutioning. I seemed to be avoiding the usual morning depression today. That’s good for me! As I pottered about getting the things ready to visit the wetroom, wind emitted from the rear end. So, sharpishly, I traipsed into the wet room to use the Porcelain Throne. It soon became obvious that yesterday’s Trotsky Terence affair was a one-off. I took this photo as the morning sunshine caught the General Hospital. It was captivatingly pretty, I thought.
I was smiling when I sat down. But no amount of urgings and pain would get things moving. So, I gave up, washed my hands, and decided to bet the ablutions after the first Carers visit. As I got into the kitchen, Carer Chris arrived. He got the medications sorted and my socks on. We had a short natter, not that we understand each other, accents and deafness on my behalf. Chris went on his way.
I began taking the things for showering and shaving into the wetroom, and as I opened the door…
It’s frightening how quickly one’s outlook on life can change. Depression can come on instantly and rapidly, followed by self-critical, lambasting thoughts and the desire to spit! I was so annoyed with myself for leaving the damned tap on to run cold. I felt I was physically shaking, I don’t think I was, but it certainly felt like it. I should have blamed They seem to enjoy their brain-battering battles to see who can make my life more rotten. I’m now trying to blame them, but I just can’t help it when something distracts me or I get two things simultaneously. Looking back at my jobs with Tesco, the co-op, and security, I realised that many things simultaneously needed attention. Yet I seem to recall coping well with the incidents back then. In fact, I was the one other people came to for help, and I got it. The anger turned to self-pity and sadness. But I’d sooner have than than the depressions. Well, maybe not really; the guilt of whatever I do that goes wrong also gets to me. Embarrassment and shame are always lingering dangerously for my mental health in the shadows.
I’ve tried to pass at the Porcelain Thrown 3 times until now (16:15hrs), but I have had no success. Blood and pain, yes! Hehe! Luck, well, good luck is an alien to me. Bad luck; A constant late-life disciple of Lucifer.
Carer Sham midday. In a rush, but she still emptied the catheter for me. I had filled up rather quickly, but I’d not noticed it. (Fancy that, me not noticing something, Hahaha) Thank you, Sham. ♥
I eventually got on with the blogging. And, dare I say it, I was doing well. That was a fatal thing for me to be thinking! (Worrying that was)
The keyboard stopped working while typing. The light on the keyboard was still lit up. The mouse was still working. The depression that turned into shame came back. No self-anger this time, just pure frustration and fed-uppers with my rotten luck. Not being technically capable, I investigated the situation. What to try, so all my limited abilities turned to solving the issue. ① I changed the batteries in the keyboard. Rebooted the computer – No, that didn’t work. ② Made sure the sender in the USB port was fully in. No, that didn’t work. ③ I gave up on the keyboard and threw it on the recliner. Keep the pain-givers together. Then, why didn’t I realise it sooner? I realised I’d got a new keyboard I bought ages ago, so I decided to try to set it up. ④ Getting it out of the box was a work of art and must have taken me about ten minutes of struggling. Now, how do I set it up. I investigate the new keyboard further. ⑤ It was a bit of another struggle for me to get the battery hinge off. Fancy that!) Then, I saw it took AAA batteries, not the AA ones I have lots of in the flat! ⑥ Then a stroke of luck. (Worrying that was).
I found that the batteries were inside the computer! ⑦ I put the keyboard dongle in the USB port. Took out the old one. And rebooted the computer. ⑧ I bothered me that it was working. Then I got a Windows message telling me it had been successfully loaded, so I opened WordPress. And would you believe it… HURRAH! It worked! Of course, it had cost me two and a half hours to get it to work. But working it is! YeeHaa!
Now, to get the photos of the day on the blog. I went to put the kettle on, and Carer Chris called. He took some photos on the spare camera and changed the settings so that it clicked when a shot was taken. He did it all so quickly for me, too. Bless Him!
No shower again; the hot water was not hot enough.
After putting the photos together, I found the one I thought I’d forgotten to take of yesterday’s meal: caramelised sausages, fresh peas, tomatoes, beetroot & red onions. Early evening sky, Bootiful!
I was going to turn on the TV to watch ‘Heartbeat’ while continuing the blog.
I could not find the remote control! I got the torch and looked underneath the dilapidated, breaking up, partially doored, second-hand bought Hopewell’s E-plan cabinet, with 7 drawers, of which two are still working, hoping to find that the remote had fallen and slid underneath it. I found pens, a pencil, and dried-rock-solid fresh peas. Along with a 1960 Scan Security Certificate of Merit, training courses passed, and two of the missing Health Alert wristbands… along with an old laptop, four AA batteries and an old pair of glasses in a case. But, no remote! I then searched almost everywhere: the junk room, hallway, wet room, and Kitchen. I even looked on the balcony. But no remote was found.
Then I foolishly tackled moving the £300 second-hand shop bought, c1966. Moth-eaten, bedraggled, grotty, cringingly-beige-coloured, much-filthied, crumb-containing from my nocturnal nibblings, bug-ridden, itch-inspiring, not working recliner. I couldn’t get down to look underneath, as the last time I tried, I could not get up again.
So, hauling it around, inches at a time, in the small space it stood in was the only option. I hoovered as I went along to reduce the mountain of dust, more rock-solid garden peas, more pens, and yet another mystery: three packets of French Fries with a sell-by date of February 2020. Ahem! This made me feel so guilty. I nudged the chair a little more and… Saw a corner of the remote control sticking out. Got the bugger! But as I bent down to pull it clear, Back-Pain-Brenda and Dizzy Dennis kicked off, and with the physical jerks, I’d tangled the catheter pouch strappings that needed sorting out. I was not in good shape and left the chair all askew, and I got on the computer to make this rather sad report for my multitude of blog followers. I hope they can both see the funny side. I could, even in such pain. Hahaha! Carer Chris is coming later, I’ll beg him to help me get the recliner back in position. It’s up against the bed at the moment. And I’ll ask him for extra Codeine. I missed one earlier, so it should be okay, I am allowed up to four a day.
Carer Chris turned up, looking a little tired. I told him of the farce with the remote-searching mess, and he quickly put the recliner back in position for me. I was still a little ‘out of it,’ Chris picked up on this. Thanks to him, I got the nocturnal pouch fitted, the diabetic socks removed, and a Codeine given. He also took the waste bags on his way out. Thanks, Chris!
I will get something to eat now. But I’ll not cook in this tired and confused state, and dragging or carrying the nocturnal bag around is too risky! I’ve got some chicken and fresh peas in the fridge. I’ll have a pot of instant potato with them. I won’t look good or be fine dining, but I must eat, and I’ll pray that the ailments let me rest and recuperate for once. Then in the early morning, I must get a good shower and shave. Please let me wake up early! But first, please let me get some sleep! I don’t know who I’m talking to; it’s out of desperation.
Please give me a break tonight. I have Back-Pain-Brenda, Sherida’s Electrical Shocks, Dizzy Dennis, Cartilage Chloe & Carole, Anne Gyna, & other ailments. That should do it.Hahaha!
Confused and tired, I made the no-cooking meal. No problem with the trailing 4ft nocturnal extension tube & pouch.
After washing the pots, I took five shots of the early-morning views from the kitchen. This is the only one that came out reasonably. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I settled in the £300 second-hand shop recliner I purchased in 1966, which caused welts, was uncomfortable, did not work, was itch-inspirational, and contained crumbs. I was intending to watch a recorded episode of ‘Heartbeat’. Soon, I was with Sweet Morpheus for two minutes at a time, repeatedly waking up with a jolt. I gave up the TV idea, and amazingly, or perhaps not. I slowly drifted of back into the land of nod. I woke up five hours later, and the door chime rang out when Carer Maryham arrived.
Another day in the life of Inchy Gerald Chambers. Living Proof that Bad Luck in later life is to be expected. Nae, in his case, is guaranteed. Without Cogniscent Impairment Iris, Doreen Dementia and all the ailments he’s accrued, life would be so dull. Dull sounds attractive to him. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – TTFN
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – BUSY DAY TODAY BUT, VERY LITTLE WAS ACHIEVED. Conrad Konfusion, violent Dizzy Dennis interruptions, and mini-seizures galore. However, I am pleased to report that Twitching-Neck-Nigel and Electric-Shocking-Sherida were both very kind to me. I still have a problem with my Morning Blood Pressure, though. It was 160 yesterday morning; had it been 161/70, instructions are to call 111 and/or 999 to inform them if the SYS is over 160. It was close again this A.M. at 158/58. Carer Marie was with me later when I took the second, and it was down to 131/63. Hopefully, this glitch, if that be what it is, will level out. The cheap food delivery and about eight other tenants’ orders were left down in the foyer. Amazon did it yesterday, and EMri today. Go-Wrongables & Mysteries. Tsk! Carer Shaquille helped with the socks, etc. Carer Marie was on a domestic call, and then Carer Kimberley did the lunch at the same time as the financials, which she couldn’t do until someone showed her what needed doing and how to do it. She helped where she could with other things, though, which was lovely. Carer Israel, I got a food order from Ocado. I had a heck of a job getting the stuff in the freezer and had to dish some older stuff to make room. Then, there is the farce with the low-cost food order. I’d not have known it was in the Foyer, but Jenny, my saviour, was going out with Frank and called on the intercom when she noticed the [parcels dumped in the lobby by EMri. Thanks a lot, Jenny ❤. I took my box up to the flat with Warden Deana, who took the others to people’s parcels to the flats. Grrr! Amazon! EMri, Grrr! Deana to the rescue. 💕 A mystery water leak as well, Humph! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
From the beginning… I woke up most unenthusiastically, around 06:00hrs. I just laid there for several minutes, wondering if it was worth getting up. For EQ Quasimodo (New name), the instant I returned to mock-life, “This is going be a bummer, mate!” He was right, of course; he always is. I recalcitrantly forced my monstrous, gargantuan-bellied body from the bed. As if to prove EQ Quasimodo was right, I knocked my new spectacles off of the bed tray and bent to reach the nocturnal catheter pouch to remove it. I wondered how much it might cost to get them repaired, as Dizzy Dennis gave me a howler of instability moment – which made me grab the ‘Don’t-fall-out-of-bed bars. Thus, I stubbed my ingrowing toenail on the metal leg stump of the itch-creating, bruise-giving, catheter-tube-tugging, crumb-decorated from my nocturnal nibbling, God-awfully uncomfortable, cringingly grotty, no longer working, dirty beige, anti-sleep designed, c1966, second-hand bought for £300 ten years ago from the charity shop, recliner. I got the pouch off, grabbed Wooden Walking Stick Willie, and needed to visit the Porcelain Throne. The Day Had Started! What a mess! Cleaning up me, the porcelain, and including the very-swift, 10-second almost liquid Kharki fluid, then applying the Harold Haemorrhoid ointment. I reckon it took me 15 minutes or more! Then (can this go on?) I caught my shoulder on the door frame as Dizzy Dennis had another go at me. Care Shaq came and issued the medications, got my socks on for me, and as he was talking to me, a rarity that it’s usually me doing all the nattering and moaning, Hehe!I had a mini seizure, and have no idea what he was saying. I don’t think he noticed, but yes, he must have. He’s a canny lad. I may have things out of order here, but they all took place. The food order arrived. A big one. I struggled to find room to store it all away. The one red onion I ordered was a bag of about nine big ones! Luckily, I got the Milk Roll loaves, a big bag of red potatoes, and some Norwegian-cooked bacon. It looks horrible, but I’ve had it before, and it has a great flavour. I also got six bottles of long-life milk, bleach, yoghourts, and more. When I finished getting things away, I put the kettle on and started the computer. I returned to the kitchenette to make the brew of Glengettie and saw water on the floor near the window. I mopped it up with kitchen towels using the Picker-upper-Paul. But could not understand where it came from. I told each carer and showed Marie what I’d done when she came on the domestic call. It saved her mopping the foot anyway. Hehe! I left some towels where the water may have come from because there were water spots on the window ledge; the ceiling showed no signs of a leak. When I checked later, they were all dry. At first, I thought the catheter might have had a puncture, but it hadn’t. Conrad Konfusion! Still not started on a blog, I got more seizures, strong ones, and I found myself at the kitchen sink washing out an old flat cap! I put it on a rack and put the bowl underneath it. I think it should be dry within 6 months or so. I’ll go and check it now (nine hours later). Hahaha! The wet can be seen as it sinks down, and dirty water is in the bowl. I think I’ll have to wash it again.
The DVT Anticoagulation Warfarin Nurse called to take my blood. In and out like a shot she was. Leaving blood pouring out from under the tiny plaster and a tiny bruise. That doesn’t happen usually, not for a year or more. Aha, a spot of rain with the sunshine. Such beautiful clouds for me to view. But it was changeable throughout the afternoon. I should have said earlier that Carer Kimberley cleaned my wound. But my getting in a mix-up chronological does not help with the clarity or lack thereof. It felt like minutes later, I was on the balcony again with the Kodak taking… no, the cheapo camera, taking shots after the drizzle had stopped. Well, the rain kicked off again. So, I poddled with Micky, the four-pronged walking stick, out into the balcony. I started to take this series of photos of the rain through the windows in different directions.
I honestly cannot remember taking these pictures. How did I manage to take these snaps? Why didn’t I lose my balance and tumble on or over the running boards?
How did I not remember?
I think that most of the time out there, I was pondering over the dream’s events?
How did I recall it all so vividly? This event was the mystery of the day for me. I started this blog very late. It seems like it’s going to be another working into the morning job. I came in and back on with the blog. I went to empty the pouch contents into the jug and to the restroom to empty, clean, and disinfect the jug. I had another mini out-of-it. I’m sure I sat on the loo for a while. It only lasted a few minutes, and when I came out, boy, the skies had changed. The sun burst through! The sky brightened, the clouds dissipated, and sunshine got through! The seizures diminished, just the odd mini one. I set to work again, trying to catch up on this blog.
After Carer Victor’s last call, I went to look at the vast choice of food I could have later.
I took these shots on the right to capture the change in view.
Then I was off to the kitchen to see what was to be done foodwise. I decided on a salad with some chips. Maybe!
I’m not a good decider or decision-maker nowadays. What day is it? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – May Contentment Enfold You! TTFN. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I got my head down last night, about 01:00hrs. I woke up at 01:15hrs. Nodded off again, waking up with an streaking up my right leg that nearly me nudged out of the bed. I’m sure I heard a buzzing coming from the leg and bottom! Luckily, I hit my head on the anti-fall bar. But sleep was out of the question. I tried, but the shocks were coming so often I gave up and went on the computer. Once on there, the shocks stopped. But I was concentrating on just for once, getting the blog finished earlier, sooner, quicker. When I eventually realised that they were no longer coming, well, the odd one now and then, it was too late to get back in bed cause the carer would be here in a couple of hours. So, I decided to get the ablutions done. No showering; the noise from the drain would wake those below me up. I extracted the nocturnal pouch from the catheter. The shocks had at least made me pass more wee-wee. Hahaha! Expecting reluctance from Constipation Conrad, I got in the wet room and picked up the crossword book. It wasn’t needed or used. Tsk! I casually but carefully got the PPs off and sat on the plastic seat.
Well, no torpedoes today; there was no doubt that Trotsky Terence had regained command of things rear-end-wise. The porcelain filled up with what looked like Oxo cubes, but Kharki, not brown, and many of them. Getting cleaned up, washing the lower regions, and then getting the fresh PPs on was as difficult and painful as ever. It took me so long that I feared the Carer’s time was coming, so I rushed the shaving and body wash. The same goes for medications. The results were four shaving nicks and one deep cut. A stubbed toe – miraculously, I didn’t knock the ingrowing toenail! Also, I forgot to do the teeth. I got a long Kaghoule on and went into the kitchen, fancying a mug of Glengettie. I took these photos, although they were not good ones, of the morning view. I went to turn on the computer, but I got distracted by the noise from the baby alarm in the hallway. I never made the brew! It was some mail that made the noise I heard. I was not in such a good mood then. A damned depression came on instantly as I realised the things I needed help with sorting for the letters. HMG sent three of them! (TV licence), the bank (2) and an unopened one after the shock of the first few. As I got on the computer, a barrage of painful… well, no, they just made me jump, but this time went on and on at me. This encouraged me to look up the cause of these shocks on the computer and find out if there was any help. There are some sites in America, but not the NHS. I spent far too long looking this up. The Carer arrived relatively late, not that it mattered. I mentioned the problem of the shocks, and she tried to help me with a problem from XL. Carer Sham, it was a nice gal. When she left, she took the laundry bag with her. I’m surprised I remembered that. Haha! I did a search and copied some information that I found.
Phytoestrogens? But it informed me what I should eat and drink to help. Soya beans & chickpeas, yes, I eat them two. Flax – What’s that? Broccoli berries have been barred for me by the cardiac team.
It is too high in vitamin K. Tea is limited to two cups daily by Urology.
Advice: to keep moving. I’m bending down all day, emptying the catheter bag. Cut out beer and nicotine. I did that in 1975. Eat Omega, found in fish. Last month I bought some smoked haddock, and very nice it was, but it was only a half fillet, & cost me over £6!
So, it seems that when they throw my cadaver in the fire on my way to St Peter’s gate, there might be more sparks and flames than there usually are? I must warn the crematoria. Hehehe!
We had a drop of rain this afternoon to teatime. I got the Kodak out and took these three view shots into the balcony. The rain didn’t last long… Sounds like something the wife used to say to me. Haha!
I turned the oven on to heat up. I’d forgotten about the fresh beer-battered chips in the fridge. They are labelled “Use by yesterday,” but I’ll risk it. And a ready-made Shepherd’s Pie with a root vegetable potato topping. I made the nosh. It has a delightful flavour. I ate it slowly and savoured every mouthful.
The evening view was one of those ‘everything-had-brown’ in it. Great!
I fell asleep in the itch-creating, bruise-giving, catheter-tube-tugging, crumb-decorated from my nocturnal nibbling, God-awfully uncomfortable, cringingly grotty, no longer working, dirty beige, anti-sleep designed, c1966, second-hand bought for £300 ten years ago from the charity shop, recliner.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – September 9 also marks the Day of the Homeland, European Heritage Day, International Sudoku Day, National Grandparents Day, National Wiener Schnitzel Day, and Rosh Hashanah. Oh, & the day I got thrown in the Nottingham Canal off the Wilford Road Bridge when I was about six years of age.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Haemorrhoid Harold was harassing, harrowing, harrying, hurting, and stinging from the moment I woke up, and he kept at it for most of the day. Not that he, Dizzy Dennis, or Colin Cramps bothered me at all. I just laughed them off.
I was taking off the nocturnal wee-wee pouch as Carere Richard arrived. He told me it was a 7 on the NHS scale. I think I must have put the wrong photo on. Tsk!
The medicationings took me longer than the wash & shave did! Constipation Conrad was back in charge, but I think he is struggling to keep the top dog spot. This morning, there were signs of liquidity in his five smaller-than-recent torpedoes. I just thought I’d mention it. Haha! Owt for a laugh me. Common as muck! It’s amazing how I took such a decent shot of the wet room as I departed. You can see which way I swayed to shoulder charge the door frame. I’d forgotten why I took it now. Some misconceived humorous quip or other. Tsk!
The seizures were rife for a while. Then eased of in the afternoon a little.
I returned to the wet room to do the tidying and mopping I failed to do the other day. But where the hell I’d left the mop was anyone’s guess. I did a Sherlockian search in every room and the hallway. Baffled I was!
So I gave up, got the computer on, and got on with the blog catching up. After many hours of slow, grinding progress… with the seizures still visiting and my mind wandering, I did another search for the mystery of the mop disappearing. I pulled the shower curtain, but I was certain because I’d not had a shower, it would not be in there… and it was! Aha, I’d found my bamboo mop! I didn’t use it, as a Carer arrived and forgot about it.
I thought the colour was a lot deeper about the ninth emptying of the mini catheter pouch, but then again, with my achromatic vision.
I made a pot noodle for myself, the only person in the flat. Hehe! I took it back to the computer and enjoyed it very much. It’s starting to look a little gloomy now that the sun has gone behind the thick clouds, or the thick clouds have gone in front of the sun. Erm…
Do you have any idea what it is that I’m waffling about?
I’m still working on the blog, making errors, wandering off to other things, and then coming back and finding I’d made even more cock-ups. I’m lost today.
Oh, what a colourless sky. It’s a beautiful view.
Carer Chloe visited. I was in the middle of the last seizure of the day. I talked a lot but did not have the faintest idea of what to say. Yes, I have; I’ve got it now. I opened two letters while she was here: from the bank and Meridian Charges. Then, after Chloe went, the first depression of the day hit me. It came on so quickly. Ten or fifteen minutes on, it still lingered, but was I bothered? No! I was really!
The sky changed so often over the next three hours. I took snaps of many of the changes but missed many because I was trying to keep up with the blogging.
The colouring changed between photographing sometimes.
Not as sensational as those that Tim Price takes in New Mexico, the sies there are magical. And Tim is too, with a camera. Jealous? Me? Of course, I am! Hahaha! The skies here over the last month have been so drab. Tonight was a pleasure.
I have some potatoes baking in the oven, and I have pressed on with the blog up to this point. Now that I’m tired and confused, I’ll get a meal prepped and be back in the morning.
Good Morning!
Made a meal, but just as I was about to take the tray into the front room to the £300 second-hand shop purchased c1966, welt-causing, uncomfortable, not-working, itch-inspirational, crumb-containing recliner, Carer Precious arrived. He carried it through for me. But I forgot to take a photo of it. Carer Precious issued the meds, removed my diabetic socks, and linked the nocturnal pouch to the Catheter Contraption. Zzz! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Well, apart from Dizzy Dennis, Electric Shock Sherida, Loss-of-Balance-Brenda, and the new ailment of ‘Ice Cold Tingling Titianna’, who caught me out several times as she gave me momentary bursts of tingles that felt like ice cold water, and those on the legs making me think there was a leak in the catheter. As far as I can remember, not a single Peripheral Neuropathy Pete leg dance! Duodenal Donald, Earache Erasmus, Back-Pain-Belinda, and even Haemorrhoid Harold were of little bother! The mixed-up head & brain were the most prominent antagonists. That would be Doreen Dementia & Incognitive Impairment Iris. Oh, I forgot, the Mini-Seizures started on the afternoon, they blanked out much of whatever took place for a few hours. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Another waking to find that the nocturnal pouch was too dark again. But at least the bag was a little fuller anyway. I can’t win them all, but little things like this are good. Cartilage Choe gave way as I turned to deal with the pouch, and I banged it on the ‘fall out of bed’ stopper bar. I laughed it off! I dealt with emptying the pouch and sealed it for disposal. Then, off to the wet room, I trotted. Well, I limped with For the third time on the trot, a nuclear bomb-sized clump evacuated. Karki coloured. It was solid and so painfully slow to pass into the bowl. I cleaned up, had a stand-up wash and shave, got the medications done for various areas, put on the dressing gown, and returned to the main room. That’s the one with the c1968, tatty, scruffy, unkempt, uncomfortable, virus, microorganism, bug, bacterium, bacillus, germ, parasite producing, and disease-fermenting second-hand, eyesorely-horrendously grungy beige-coloured, £300, charity shop bought, crumb-retaining, moth-eaten, non-working, bacillus encouraging, incommodious, Haemorrhoid Harold testing, recliner, the ex-hospital bed in it, and entry to the balcony doors in it. I spotted its state: unkempt, scruffy, untidy. I had a twinge of guilt come over me. I was determined to find the time to sort the mess out sometime today. Cause it didn’t get done! My warped mind sent me off to do other things. I can’t recall any of them getting done, though. Tsk! I went onto the balcony, initially when I saw it raining and thought the mudslide at the end car park might be worth a shot. There was hardly any muddy water there. Then I spotted someone behind one of the vans. The Inchy But it got nowhere, as I felt the pouch tugging on Little Inchie. So I emptied that instead. Then, my mini-seizures kicked off. Mostly short by frequent ones. All bar, the last one in this series, was a cracker. I came back, as if to put it, and found I’d been on CorelDraw and made some quizzes. I found a mug of tea made and gone cold in the kitchen, and the worrying bit was that I’d left the hot water tap (faucet) running again! In the morning, I found these dated shots of the mist and rain on the camera’s SD card. According to the details on each picture, these three are in chronological order as they were taken. I assume they were taken at different times because of their different shapes: the more square ones were taken on the cheap stand-by cameras, and the wider ones on the Kodak. So, I assume we had some more rain, but I missed it through a seizure, falling asleep, or Doreen’s Dementia. Hehe! Obviously, a late-night shot was taken at some point. And not a very good one either. I think it might be bad enough to get into the Tate Gallery? Tasty battered onion rings, crispy oven-baked potato chips, wholemeal bread rolls, a giant spring onion, and lemon mousse to follow. I enjoyed this one. I washed up and got the nocturnal catheter pouch attached.
Gone midnight again, and I soon fell asleep in the c1968, non-operational, tatty, scruffy, unkempt, uncomfortable, germ-breeding, Harold Haemorrhoid-Testing, sickenly dirty beige-coloured recliner. ruined another night. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – TTFNski!
It is now Sunday, 15:00 hrs. Finally, I’ve started yesterday’s (this one) blog. When I’m done, I doubt I’ll have time to start tomorrow’s until late on Monday. So, I’ve have to cut down the time used on it again, or the contents. But I love doing them so much. The ailments, especially the new ones, are causing me to spend so much more time doing similar work that would take three hours now, taking me 5 hours. That’s just the physical ailments; the others, especially the mini-seizures, are getting to me. Going in to let the NHS look at things on the 5th of October. That is if I had not been arrested on the 15th of September when HMG Recovery Enforcement Officers came to get the money for a TV licence I’d already paid for and demanded their £1000 fine if I didn’t. So, I may be in prison, but I’m sure they’ll let me out to go to the hospital. Hehehe! It might be nice not to have to cook and clean up, and there will be a nurse on duty 24/7 for us prisoners. Yes, I’m not going to pay! A quick few mentions, most prompted by the pictures taken.
The nocturnal night pouch was unattached from the day bag. Still a dark shade. I might get that investigated while I’m in prison? Hehehehe! Early morning shot of the clouds and mist. Taken from the balcony. Gloomy is the word I’m looking for, I think. I swear this visit, well, the actual evacuationing, was more painful than yesterday’s was. I did get a few extra cuts shaving this morning. That was due to hindrances The other ailments on good Inchy-bashing form for the day were as follows; , , and .
When I’d finished and was about to leave the wet room, a twinge of guilt came over me at the state of the place. I took the decision; well, I decided to get the dump cleaned up and sorted. A rarity there! I’ll do it now, I thought! I bent down to pull the floor cabinet away from the wall, A and kicked off in unison. Down I went, but not far. I fell against the wheeled trolley, so minor damage only was caused. At least physically. Only to my pride, as the mini-tumble flicked the release valve on the catheter, I weed on the floor that I’d struggled so painfully to clean yesterday.My new-found dedication and determination to get the room sorted out… rapidly faded into the ether! I may have muttered, “Sod It!” Or something of that nature as I left the mess for another day. It would’ve been nice to do it before I went to prison.
Several hours passed, and I was doing various things, not connecting or finishing the one I’d started. But somehow, I felt a smidge lively… I wasn’t, but I thought it.
Some catheters that Carer Kimberley had very kindly ordered for me were delivered.
Minutes later, the PP’s
Then the food delivery, three minutes later Got them into the kitchen to sort them out. Sorted. I got some of the red spring onions that sorted the meal. A sad tonight. I’ll try to be inventive. No idea why I thought that.
Hours later, I started on the graphics for this page, but I only had two done. I’m not sure if it was the craving for the onions or that I was so tired, but I got the nosh prepared.
Well, it was different, I must say.
Lashings of No-butter butter and some Marmite were in the wholemeal rolls. Don’t cringe! Hehe! Vegetarian sausages, white and red onion, concrete-like so-called cooked beetroot, tomatoes, and sugar snap peas. Slurrrp!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 05:55hrs: I woke up and took a few moments to figure out who I was, where I was, and why I had woken up. No joking! I think it must be possible to have a while one is asleep. This could possibly explain my bafflement when I stirred. It didn’t help much when joined in the confusing morning equation. As confused as I was, I wasn’t in a depression until the thought storming started, but I was then. Steve harped on and on; The computer problems, the TV Licensing Prosecution, the damned stupid and painful Catheter Contraption fitted, electric shocks shooting up my leg, the guilt of being so inadequate in even needing help to get dressed! Many other things were thrown at me at almost the same time. Things from 70+ years ago, mistakes, bad choices, stupid options that were taken… then, as I was trying to get out of bed, I stubbed my ingrowing toenail toe on the bed support bar. This was followed by a sharp-jarring pain from the catheter tube on Little Inchy, which took my mind off of the earlier depression and replaced it with a sickening ‘Sorry for myself’ moment. Lacking clarity or precision might be nearer to the optimum delineation. The nocturnal pouch was later checked and saved for colour classification by a carer. I’d regained a modicum of logicality by the time I’d made a brew of Glengettie and drank it.
The usual start, with the throne duties first. And what a change there! It was all over in seconds, but a ‘cunning plan’ from Trotsky caught me. I’d cleaned myself and WC up and was getting the shaving tackle ready… luckily I was only a hobble and a half away from the Porcelain Throne when a second wave arrived. I made it in time, but it was a close call. Had I needed to remove my PP’s, I’d have messed myself up. Luckily, if that’s the word, I’d taken the PPs off when in bed cause they and the catheter were causing me such pain. I did my teeth and then carried out the various medicationings, got some fresh PPs on, and forgot all about having a shave. I put the tackle away, thinking that I’d had one. Is there any hope?
I took an earlyish morning snap of the view from the kitchenette window. It was a bit nippy out. Brr! I closed the window, and I started updating yesterday’s blog. But, as usual, I got an idea for today’s Ode and spent ages on it, then almost forgot about yesterday’s not being done. Onto CorelDraw and Carer Chris arrived. Chris got the diabetic socks on for me. Medications were issued, and he mentioned that the catheter conglomeration looked rather painful. He was on the button there! Hehehe! He took the laundry down for me. I hope it returns today; the smaller socks were both in it.
I had a couple of minor seizures, I think, so I gave the computer a rest. And started to sort the waste bins out. As I emptied one, I
burst into life and dropped on the bins. Crumbs were scattered over the carpet. So I unplugged Vaccumm- Vincent to clean them up. I made a decent job of it, and as I turned (a little too quickly) with Vincent to replug him, visited, , just enough for me to kick the bin over that I’d just emptied Vincent’s contents into!
The day started badly… it’s still not getting any better!
came in to do a battery check. We had a little natter. Well, I told her of the day’s disasters. Hehehe! I love to laugh, but I get minimal opportunities nowadays. They are so precious to me!
Minutes after Deana had departed, the door chime chimed. I’ve noticed that it does that occasionally. The Postlady delivered three letters. One a bill. The other two from the TLA (Television Licensing Authority) informed me that an Enforcement Officer visit has been granted the right to call on me to collect payment. A £1000 fine may be applied if the licence fee is not paid on this visit on September 15th. Nice! Keir Starmer starts by stating that he means to go on with the liquidation of the older generation. Starmer’s total travel bill for his time in charge of the CPS stood at £236,485, which included first-class flights. It states in the letter that anyone over 76 years of age does not need to buy a licence? I phoned Deana, who gave me a reference number to give to the bully boy or girl when he or she arrives. The day started badly… it’s still not getting any better!
I made a food order from Ocado for next week. I can starve until then. At least that would please Starmer! Haha!
Getting depressed again. I got the Kodak and took this shot on the left of the flat’s Chestnut Way car parking. Not a soul in sight! Then I took this one on the right. To the left of the apartments. (It sounds much posher than flats, dunnit?) Haha!)
Next, off into the balcony. To take a shot of the dead-end car park. I felt the weight of the mini-sized catheter pulling down at the same time as Little Inchie felt the pain. Arghhh! I hobbled back into the flat and emptied the pouch, and all but went over again, as nearly had me over as I bent down to my foot to retrieve the bag. Fed up! I limped cautiously back onto the balcony to take a final photo. The rain had started. We need it, though; we’ve not had much this summertime.
The day started badly… it’s still not getting any better!.
I’ll investigate what food to have for nosh later on. No, I won’t. I’ll go on the WP Reader. Some great photography and poetry were posted for my pleasure by other bloggers!
BEEF IN STOUT GRAVY With a baked potato, halved and salted. Wholemeal bread rolls to soak up the gravy and get stains on my humungous, horrifically hefty, hanging-down stomach! A couple of squirts of BBQ-flavoured ketchup on the spuds. Naughty, but so lovely! I got the pots washed with one hand. The other was carrying the nocturnal catheter bag in hand. Then I put the bag on the floor and took this snap on the right. It looked ominous, yer peaceful at the same time.
Got down in the itch-creating, bruise-giving, catheter-tube-tugging, crumb-decorated from my nocturnal nibbling, God-awfully uncomfortable, cringingly grotty, no longer working, dirty beige, anti-sleep designed, c1966, second-hand bought for £300 ten years ago from the charity shop, recliner. Intending to watch some recorded episodes of ‘Heartbeat’. I kept falling asleep and playing back the recording to catch up on what I’d missed. The chilly-cold body tingles, along with the , assured that I didn’t stay asleep for long each time.
When I got onto the bed, the same two ailments then joined in with to give me a horrible night’s rest! One of the worst nights for months. Tsk!
Thanks to Electric Shocking Sherida, I slept on and off, from the ankle up the leg. The nocturnal pouch was again only partly filled, and the tube held almost brown urine stuck in it—the blowback discomfort was not a good experience. I got the pouch and went through the same routine as yesterday. Throwing the bag around and shaking the ultra-thick tube until the flow restarted and the blowback pains eased. The nocturnal pouch filled very quickly. Once I’d got the night bag off, the farting diddy day bag filled up straight away. I had to keep emptying it all day. The bending down so often upset Dizzy Dennis. But as of now, 17:05hrs, just the one tumble, but I didn’t go down on the floor; I fell in the c1966, £300 Oxfam charity shop bought, second-hand, wincingly grotty, beige coloured, crumb-covered from my nocturnal nibblings, itch-making, uncomfortable, positively unhealthy & dangerous, no longer operational, virus-breeding, easy-to-fall-out-of, Catheter-tube-trapping, recliner. I sensed the blood coming from Harold’s Haemorrhoids and made for the wet room to clean and medicate things. Pain and blood, but no evacuations of anything else. I gave up and started to do my other ablutionary duties. Teggies, nasal clearing, earhole olive-oiling, then got shaving. A few nicks here and there, but I’ve had far worse. A good body scrubbing, no areas missed off. Hehe! Then, it was Harold’s Germoloiding time. The Catheter scars on the leg were Germolened, as were the under-tummy flab area and the man’s breasts with a barrier cream. I left the painful one till last. Dang, dang, dang, Dang! The Nerisone ointmentating of poor Little Inchies fungal lesion. Now how can I describe the pain when I rub it in? Dire, agonising, grinding, yes, they’ll do! Agonising was left for Constipation Conrad’s visits to the. Well, the first two produced nothing but pain. The third attempt, while Carer Chloe was present, was classed as Super-Agonising as the brick-like content slowly crept out. Amazingly, there was very little bleeding, just a few specs in the evacuated product. Sorry, this tale of woe is out of sync. I can’t find my earlier reminder pages. Perhaps I threw away the wrong sheet. I know. It’s hard for anyone who knows my lucid, alert character to think I may have forgotten something.
The list was lingering this morning. turned up and looked after me; it was grand. She rang the Doctors for me, making an appointment for Saturday, October 6th, for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination. Chloe looked at the catheter mess and rang the District Nurses for me. Someone will come out today to check it over. Iceland delivery arrived while she was here. She helped bring the bags in and assisted me in putting some of them away. Bless her. She took the waste bags with her as she left. Thank you, Chloe.
I put the rest of the stuff away; there wasn’t much. Three annoying substitutes: They always substitute bread they have none of with the same loaf, which tastes like paper. It was flavourless and broke up if you dunked it or tried to spread No-Nutter Butter on it! They did have a new fresh meal in a bag, 3 for £10, which I tried. I opened one of the boxes, and it can be cooked; the meat and gravy in the bag, not the box, Hehehe! In five minutes. There was more fat than meat, but I’m a fair man, so I’ll hold any more judgement until I see how it tastes later. I must be unprejudiced, even against a company that takes off the delivery charge if you spend £40, then adds a Bags, Picking & Packing charge. But at least with them, you know something will be out of stock, and crap substitutes will be sent; as for the crushing of the fresh food… We had a smattering of rain laterer a lot, mind you. I had a stroke of good luck as I closed the balcony window. The camera fell, and I caught the shoulder strap, so I saved any damage!
The District Nurse arrived and said she would order some short-leg-tubed catheters for me. I’ll have many limbs and parts shorter than they should be. Naturally, the almost brown urine that had been stuck in the tube and the fresh wee were much lighter now that she had arrived. Humph!
Two hours later, as I hope you can see in this photo, I’m glad Carer Sham saw it to prove I was not crying wolf. Sham told me the urine in the day bag was equal to a seven on the NHS chart. The tube was again blocked with brown urine, and the flow-back sensation in the bladder was uncomfortable; I put that mildly, mind you.
The drizzle drop stopped, and I got the Kodak to take this shot from the kitchenette window. Then Carer Christopher came. His first shift back at work. Medications were given, and we had a quick chinwag-waffling session. Then, off Chris trotted.
Two sunset photos were taken as I went to check that I’d not left the oven on high and the hot water tap running, too. Tsk! Nitwit! I assembled the needs to cook the beef in gravy and make oven-cube roast potatoes. I’d accrued a bit of enthusiasm for this meal-making Everything is in place; I got the oven warming up for the potatoes. Carer Chris arrived. His last call of the day. I told him of my losing the thousands of photos from the computer. And that I was struggling to get some more taken to replace them. Chris took some snaps of me on the computer without me realising while he was making up the medications. I found them on the camera after he’d gone. Bless him. Here’s one of them. I must have been in mid-moan status as I appeared to be grumbling over something on the computer screen. Another cock-up?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – The cook-in-the-bag beef and gravy that looked so fatty would be cooked in the microwave oven. It takes five minutes, but I found the nouse to use the necklace timer as I put the potatoes in the preheated oven. I knew that they would take around 40 minutes, so I set the timer on my neck for 30 minutes, and then I got the meat in the microwave. The chunks of fat in the bag merged with the gravy, and it tasted okay to yours truly!
To the wet room. The scab had come off the knee injury from when I took another tumble. The bottom of the leg had gone down a lot, but not the knee area
Constipation Conrad must have taken a vacation yesterday cause he’s back again. Arghh!
Got the computer on. And was doing nicely, I thought. Which for an hour or so, I was… Then… When I tried to save the work done on CorelDraw, messages told me there was not enough memory to save the file. Try saving in a different location or with a different name.
I tried doing this several times but had no luck. I bet you are not surprised by that! Then, the message on the screen changed. I can’t recall exactly, but it said something like, “You are using memory while it is not there.” Remove as many unwanted files as you can, then try again. What a cock-up I made of this!
At one point, I stopped swearing, spitting, and howling and cried instead. But anger replaced the frustration. I tried all the earlier options again and deleted as much as possible. I found an NHS folder and opened it; there was nothing in there, so I deleted it. Then, a file I could not recognise was empty as well. Gobblediclonk! I turned of and restarted the computer, not expecting that the CorelDraw would have saved the working file, but it had, well, most of it. I tried saving it to another name in a different folder, and wallah, it saved. I was over the moon!
I TRIED TO UPLOAD FROM THE CORELDRAW FILES! THEY HAD ALL DISAPPEARED! I’d earlier updated the Labels file with one for each day of September and the WordPress Templates for the same period. Finding they had disappeared is when the tears flowed! I also lost all of my photographs, puzzles, labels, WP items, and others I can’t recall. I keep realising when I go to open the non-existent items to use. There are no health check listings or appointment dates and times. I’ll find more later, I know it. I now have to start them all from scratch again. Grrr! Boy was, am I miffed! What a pillock!
I then rang a computer repair place, well emailed them asking if they do home visits and roughly described my problems with the computer, and there are plenty of them. Then, I tried a different one: The Computer Man. After using their website to email them, I discovered they are an amalgamation of computer engineers. They will contact me when they can. I might have been better off not using them. Ah, well, it’s too late now. Whoever answers first, I suppose. Computing took me at least five times more time as I had to recreate lost items constantly. It was irritating.
I can’t get around to messages, comments, or WP Reader. And with my short-term memory, I keep forgetting the new locations of what bits I have started to recreate and need to use.
Just look at this later catheter bag emptying colour. It seems more like the colour of weak tea! The problems mount up. I wish some help would.
I’ve spent endless hours trying to get going again, but it’s so slow, and I’m getting knackered now. 23:00hrs.
I did get a bit of excitement.
I saw the smoke on the horison and took the above shots.
I’m tired out, hungry, dirty from not showering & shaving, depressed, frustrated and plain fed-up!
I’m confused as well. I’ll see if I can stay awake enough to go on the WP Reader and comments. I did, but I didn’t really enjoy having to rush things. It limits the pleasure. There is some fine poetry and photography today.
Took a decent shot of the early evening sky.
This is the window I forgot to close and hit my head on when I was prepping a meal.
Then, I took this terrible shot later while checking how the cooking was progressing.
.
A liver, bacon and mash ready-made meal. Bacon and some instant mash were added.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – I didn’t, but I got two of them – Hehe! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Yet another frustrating day. I’ve had enough, I have to say, Lost files, more time will be lost, thrown away, Computer, health problems, depressionally, More battles physically & mentally, Mind you, the scabs fell off of my knee! The one thing in which I was lucky.
