Category: Twitching Neck Nigel

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Sorry, no Ode-No Time
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Mayhem Day Again!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –My brain and body had so much to cope with.
But not getting help, to a degree, is understandable.
A good deed rarely goes unpunished? 
12th Century saying: The earliest known form comes from Walter Map’s 12th-century text De nugis curialium (Courtiers’ Trifles), where a character named Eudo “Left no good deed unpunished, no bad one unrewarded”. History validates this fact.

I’m fed up with failing, things going wrong. Even I find it hard to believe the things that can go wrong… every day without fail. I must sound like a right whimp and moaner… which I suppose I am really.
No time to get an Ode done today, with the same prospect for tomorrow, I’m so far behind with everything. And getting more so each day. 
I’m so confused with all the things happening.

A FEW OF TODAY’S ACTIVITIES, ERRORS, FRUSTRATIONS, AND FAILURES, THAT STYMIED INCHIE & ACTIVATED CONFUSION KONRAD 
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The catheter valve leaked again!
Hours lost in cleaning up and changing socks, and both pairs of slippers are now in the laundry bag!
The might bag valve took off the day bag plastic gripper, I had to change the day bag – No, be fair, a Carer changed that for me as she made the early call… not at 0800hrs, she arrived before 0700hrs, seems the timings have changed as with the Carers who call.

I’ve lost 15 calls a week from the best ones. This morning’s Carer, who I’m not allowed to mention on my blog, is a help, but of course, has not got the time to do all she wants to. But managed to get the day bag changed. Bless her, saved the day there.

I got Four-wheeled-Walker-Wally out of the balcony. Not an easy job for one in my conditions. Painful and I damaged the door getting it into the wet room, and got the things needed into the box.

I received a phone call from a lady, and an hour-long Q&A session took place. Concerning the catheter situation. She will arrange for a different style to be sent to see if I can cope better with them, but she fears they will be more complicated to operate. Thanked her, but forgot to mention that they must be short tubed – Oh, I can’t keep everything in my watered brain!

I rang the Carer to make sure he would arrive on time this week. He said he’d be here in 10 minutes. So, I went down to the lobby to meet him and save some time. I got down to the doors, and he arrived a couple of minutes later… But he needed to go up to the flat to log in at the checkpoint there. Another wasted effort… 
A good deed rarely goes unpunished?
We got to the bus stop, and Carer E took a photo with Kodak Tim 2. During the trip out, he took about twelve pictures and gave me the camera back when we got home to the cell… no, flat I mean. 
In the morning, when I got around to putting the photos in CorelDraw, I lost them into the ether! I thought I might have deleted them, so I checked the Trash Bin, but it was empty! All that effort the lad did, for nothing! Sorry mate.
I’ve no idea how I lost them! SPIT!
A good deed rarely goes unpunished?

We went up in the lift, then down in the lift, and with 
in tag, and The Carer who cannot be named took a photo of me sitting on my . And off down to Shgerwood. This bus, as usual, soon filled up with no less than six people, including me, with walkers. The Carer kindly gave up his seat to a lady who was struggling to get her walker to fit in, and she came over to take the side seat. She lost her balance and fell against my walker, and I now have a pretty new bruise on my fractured knee. Hehe! No fault anywhere, but it proves my motto of the day is still applicable… 
A good deed rarely goes unpunished?

As we got off of the bus, we realised we had time to nip into a shop that usually sells sourdough bread, but the bread shelves were empty. No doubt awaiting a delivery. We exited and crossed over the road via the pelican lights. In the morning, (now), I looked up why they call these crossing Pelican. I discovered that it comes from the acronym PELICON, which stands for PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled, crossing.
Well, I never knew that! Just another fact or figure for me to lose in the haze of confusion, frustration and depression that has taken over my brain. Haha!

We got into the opticians, and I sat down on . The receptionist came over a minute after she’d taken the details from my friendly Carer, and asked if I wanted to look at the frames. I explained that I’d like them with bigger frames… adding, with a cheeky smile (she said later), that it would be at a smaller price. She did larf!
The first frames I selected were a great size, and as I was being careful in picking them off the hooks in case I got the PN shakes, she came over and said, “Let me get them for you”. They were £240! This removed my interest in them, and I selected another pair, £40, ah, that’s more my barrow, I said. “What about this pair?” she said, choosing a pair a little smaller. £30! They’ll do for me, thank you. And she put them aside for me. The Carer asked why I selected those plain Jane frames? I told him they were the cheapest they had. He replied, with a cheeky smile on his face, “I’m not surprised; they’ve probably had them in stock for years. Nobody under 80 would pick them.” I bet you wore them like that in the 1950s! We both laughed, and the lady behind the counter had a titter as she’d heard us talking. That was a highlight of the day. We made four people laugh! Great! For a while, this prompted a short visit from . Which lasted the whole time I was having my eyes tested in the tiny room we had a lot of trouble getting my into. The optromatist wasn’t too taken with that. But, being as Horis was with me, I soon changed her views with a few witty answers to her questions. Even she smiled a few times. Especially after the eye test, and she told me I hadn’t got Glaucoma, it’s a sheer covering cataract behind something or other that I can’t remember what she said it was. I blurted out just what I felt. “Well, what a pillock I am! All these years, I’d believed that when I had my right eye cataract lasered, he told me I’d got Glaucoma coming in the left eye, and they would call me back in when I’d recovered from the lasering I’d just had. I remember telling them in the City Hospital stroke ward the following week, then at the Mary Potter Centre when they were diagnosing me with Peripheral Neuropathy, just before I got shot at work…”  
I thought she was going to cry with laughter!

Aha, I’ve got CorelDraw going again, but don’t ask me how I did it, I know notteth!
I’ll catch up on the missed photographs.
Carer helped with the Health Checks
Early morning shot from the kitchen.
Carers & nurses table.
The catheter leak marks.
Erm… er… erm…
Dropped the toothpaste, bent down & clouted my head on the sink.

Back on the bus up to the flat, walked through Winwood Court and Winwood Heights to Woodthorpe Court (my prison block) and up in the lift to the flat.

Shame about me losing all the photographs taken in Sherwood, but I had a few more minutes, so the disaster did not hit me too hard. When the Carer left, the phone calls started coming, and then, rather unfortunately for me, took over, and High-Mood-Horis hopped it.

Another Carer came, and, like yesterday, gave me only one Warfarin tablet. We could not find the paper on the DVT Warfarin result & dosages. I thought this week’s each night was either 1½ or 2? Of course, I may be wrong. I’ll phone the DVT Warfarin Clinic in the morning to ask them. Too late now. It’s a mystery what happened to the prescribed dosage slip. I’m still hoping I’ll remember something.

I tried to make a start on this blog, but the tiredness and weariness brought on by all the hassles that had got to me like never before. But, there were a lot of them, and with me fretting over getting ready to go out, the hobbling, etc… Although for part of the trip, good old granted me a visit, and I was leg-pulling, teasing and being teased, and dare I say it? I really think on that trip out, I was happy, contented, in a different world!
But not now.

I started thinking of making something to eat, and the landline chirruped up.
The line’s connection was not good; a lady spoke about catheter problems with a leaking valve. The poor lady did more listening than talking, however. I felt so low, I just waffled on about all my problems. Not knowing why, but knowing that she could not help in any way, bless her. 
I waffled on about all the help promised not coming, the financial help not coming. The wheelchair problems, the neuropathy results, the short hours of the Carers, and not being able to afford extra, thus I’m living in a fleapit and incapable of bending without a risk of a tumble, Dizzy Dennis or Lost-Balance-Belinda episode, to move or clean anything. 
Eventually, I got around to letting the lady speak about the catheters, after apologising for gabbing on.
She asked about the actual problem. I explained about the PN and stooping to reach the valve to open or close it. With me now being one-eyed, I tend to rely on the clunk when it shuts or opens to let me know. This affects me in many ways, badly sometimes, when I have to genuflect or bend. I think I mentioned my problem with the dying neurotransmitter, a part of the PN, and either cannot pick anything up, or even at times let go of things. This may be a cause of the problem, and I can’t see or recognise when the valve has not been closed. The very kind and patient lady suggested we might try a different type of catheter and valve. If I heard and remember rightly, these have butterfly valves, and she thinks I may have more difficulty with these. But she will try to get some for me to try. Bless her cotton socks. Ignorantly, I’ve also forgotten her name and where she was from. I keep doing this. I’m rather skilled at it now. Huh!
The silliest thing I forgot was to ask for short-tubed ones; the normal or long ones really do make me off balance and dizzy, having to reach down so far to operate, take on or off, or remove the catheter. But I’d talked that much, I think I confused myself.
If she is reading this, I’m so sorry.

The night Carer arrived and again offered me just one Warfarin tablet, I’ll tell you about another farce I had over the missing Warfarin Record Card tomorrow. I kept searching for places I hadn’t looked for the Warfarin DVT dosage card. I even got up when I woke up early in the morning… honestly, I think I looked in the fridge? Strewth, I’m losing it!

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COMING TOMORROW…
Revealing the whereabouts…
of the Warfarin-INR-Dosages!
Dang, Dang,Dang, DANG!

I await my coming ventriculostomy,
Dream of becoming once again healthy,
But the chances of that are weeshy,
Today’s Ode is not at all a threnody
Not critical, mocking or snotty,
Despite my brain being slommacky,
I lived another day, and wrote this palinody
With nothing in it that is kvetchy!

Cheers & Thanks, Each
💟 Keep Safe & Well! 💟

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A Hellious Day. Nothing has been done on this blog until Wednesday morning.
Up late, Carer Bitu.
Kettle on,
Snap of the view.
Computer, CorelDraw to make the graphics… After an hour or so of struggling with the temperamental programme and getting nowhere, ARRRGH!
The valve on the day catheter bag had come open!
Left leg strapping, sock, leg, slippers and carpet coated in urine! Not sure how I managed it, well, I do, I worked it painfully, but I got both strappings and undersocks off. Naturally, all the bending brought on Dizzy Dennis and Back Pain Brenda. I carried a bowl of water and Dettol into the computer room and washed the feet as best I could.
Getting feet out of the bowl and onto a towel…
Clunk, thud, down on the floor!
I bounced off of the recliner, thus lessening the pain of hitting the floor… then pressed my alarm wristlet. The controller said he’s calling an ambulance. I explained that all I wanted was someone to help me get upright again. But he insisted. He said later he’s called them, but it will be a long time before it arrives, as the hospital (QMC) A&E currently has 11 ambulances waiting to unload patients collected. 
I tried to make myself as comfy as possible, but it seemed only my lower back really hurt.
Something like an hour later, the door chime sounded. I could not get up, of course, I assumed it was the ambulance people. I saw the light come on in the hallway and saw it was a delivery driver with the food order. He soon got me back up. I pressed the alarm again to tell the controller that I was back up on my legs and feet and only a moderate pain in my back. I noticed later that there were some bruises on the left arm. But they would have been made, I imagine, when I hit the recliner on the way down, so no indication of Warfarin problems at least. The ambulance would not be cancelled and would still arrive within the next four hours. The driver put the food into the kitchen for me. I thanked him profusely and started sorting the food delivered into the cupboards and the fridge. No Butter Butter, Polish Sokalow sausages, Extra Strong blue Stilton cheese (Can’t recall ordering this). And some Coffee for the nurses. 
Close up of the sausages that I’ve taken a fancy to. It used to be women, but old age dictates fancies now. I rushed this job, because the mess made and bowl, etc, needed cleaning and freshening post haste.
Christmas bikkies, the Lu for Jenny & Frank, the others for nurses and carers to indulge in.
The back did get a bit worse after all the bending needed to clean up the spillage and freshen the pong from the leaking Catheter Pouch.
I checked all of the stock of catheters, four boxes, and three boxes of them had the same dodgy, loose valve connector on them. I’ll ask a Carer to change the leaky valve one now, later.

Oberstgrüppenführeress Warden und Primo Ballerina, Warden Deana.
ILC (Independent Living Coordinator) called to see what was what. I explained and showed her the different valves, and she rang Matron, I think it was. But I can’t recall the outcome at present, so much had happened and was to happen yet today, Confusion Konrad had a heyday!
Then, I had to get washed and changed into day clothes, ready for the still-incoming ambulance to arrive. I moved the four-wheeled walker off the balcony and into the wet room. Put the mobile phone, some snacks and NHS paperwork in the basket. Then, I struggled into the day’s clothes to wait for the emergency services to arrive.

I got a message, a text came in from the Doctor’s surgery, but they had left a voicemail, and I didn’t know if I would be able to hear it, even if I learned how to access it! I’ll ask the next Carer.

Sister Jane rang to see if I was alright. As we were speaking, I heard a noise from the hallway, and assumed it might be the ambulance people coming in. I felt guilty, but had to ring off. Sorry, Jane! 💟

A Carer Arrived, and he rang the voicemail for me. Ashamedly, I can’t remember what it was about now. Had it been important, surely I would have?

In the afternoon, no ambulance had been called yet. Someone called me and asked so many questions about my condition; the call took an hour or so. No idea where she was from, but I caught her name (I think): Gloria. She said she would cancel the ambulance.
Bear in mind, I may have got things a little mixed up chronologically across all the calls, but I reckon this may be a valid account of the order. I should have known better than to say that!

The Doctor’s surgery rang up. To tell me the next INR blood test would be on Monday, Tuesday or it might have been Thursday. Yes, I forgot again.
So, I emptied the four-wheeled trolley basket of paperwork, nibbles, etc., and folded the trolley back into the balcony storage area.

I got the kettle on and was about to start the computer again, and another call came in from someone. More questions, and now they have decided an ambulance will be calling tonight. Oh, dearie me.

Almost went over again as I got the four-wheeled trolley back out from the balcony. Refilled it with nibbles, NHS paperwork, etc. and got it back in the wetroom for when they call for me.
Worranother Messy Day!

Another call with a load more questions came in. Whoever it was said they will not be collecting you. Unless they think it is necessary after testing your vitals and condition.

They arrived and did a load of checks, body, vitals and asked questions. They were here for a good while, leaving after telling me they thought I was fine. The ablulance men left this note on the left. For me this note, report, in advice. The usual stuff:

Call Lifeline or 111 if you fall, collapse and cannot get up: Any injuries, especially to your head. Chest pains or difficulty breathing. Bleeding or severe pain – If you suspect a stroke, heart attack or any of the following: Loss of consciousness –  Fits or seizures that are not stopping – Acute confusion – Breathing difficulties –
Severe bleeding – Severe burns/scalds –
Severe allergic reactions – Call 999.
There are a few in there that are almost regular with me, Severe confusion that comes and goes when ot wants is part of my life now.

I got a meal made. I was hungry by now, had settled in to eat it, and the Carer came in. I told him I didn’t need any medications and about the ambulance visit.
A shame it was cold chips for me by the time I got back to eating them, but it was tasty even then. 8.2/10.
I fell asleep with the empty tray and things on my knee. Woke up later, the tray and plate were on the floor. The cutlery and empty dessert pot were entangled in my dressing gown. I found two empty Teryaki-flavoured crisp packets in the waste bin, and a biscuit-and-nibble jar on the floor to my right. I may have had a seizure while asleep and knocked these over.

I took this sad effort of a photograph while doing the washing and cleaning up. Then, as I turned back to get my four-pronged Fifi walking stick, I lost my balance and went full tilt to my right – thank heavens it was to the right; the wall was there and saved me from another tumble. Phhhew!

I’d but the not safe to use cather bags, and bags of nappies, no, I mean protection pants on the bed, and had to take the four-wheeled walker out of the wet room to get a wash, and put that next to the bed – so could not get in it! I settled into the c1968, tatty, scruffy, unkempt, uncomfortable, virus, microorganism, bug, bacterium, bacillus, germ, parasite producing, eyesore-horrendously grungy, disease-fermenting second-hand, beige-coloured, £300, charity shop bought, crumb-retaining, moth-eaten, non-working, itch-encouraging, incommodious, Haemorrhoid Harold testing, catheter tube yanking, recliner. No place like home!

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So, it’s no surprise the High-Mood-Horis does not call very often. I think I’ve caught my depression!
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I’m beginning to think that moving into a home is a good idea, now. The flat is a right mess, and a danger in itself to me getting around. I’ve got and still am in a pickle with ordering unwanted food.
The Carers’ time cannot be increased, so they can’t do any cleaning, help with finances, or handle mail & emails. I’ve a stack of unopened mail that, when the Carers started, was dealt with weekly for me. 
No flat cleaning has been done for weeks now.
No date-checks on the food being done, unless I remember to ask them… Hahaha!
The Catheter is not changed unless I remember to ask. They just do not have the time. We thought it was a good idea to buy a wheelchair, so I did. Then they could get me out once a week. But no… they didn’t have time to help me order one, so I did. The wrong one. That’s still on the balcony with the next one I bought. 
A Carer, well, two Carers did try to help with the magically difficult-to-fit leg plates, but they are still not fitted and are next to the old 3-wheeler and four-wheeler walkers on the balcony. I explained this to someone when I was last in the hospital. I was told they could help me with this when I am released. They will call me to set it up. Also, help with the finances… but I’ve heard nothing from anyone.

As I was taking this picture of the evening view, I had a terrible premonition… a feeling of certainty that tomorrow would have moments as bad as today!
And it did!

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TTFN
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My plans for today were well scuppered, delayed, and, at one point, deactivated. Why? Good question, which’ll be answered.
I stirred very late. Carer was at the gate. I was all over the place, out of it and feeling like I’d had no sleep. Dizzy, unbalanced. No idea about the visit, but do recall the Carer leaving, suggesting I try to get back to sleep. Which I did as soon as he went. Ah, I remembered and changed this nine hours later: The Carer changed the day bag today. Or, was that yesterday? 

I’m struggling here.

Waking up three hours later, with the acid upsurge from the innards. So I was aware that I had at least one sleeping seizure. A few more came over the day, bringing confusion and throwing logic out the window.
After each seizure, I felt incapacitated; well, I was supposed to; they didn’t stop until about 17:00hrs. Then I started getting on with the as-yet unfinished Ode. Well behind with everything again, Hymph!
However, I did feel a smidgen better for the extra kip I’d had. A lot better than earlier. Had the mini-seizures left me alone, it could have been a good day. Don’t know why I said that.
I’m not sure if I woke up earlier and went into the kitchen, but when I went in to get the kettle on, the hot water tap (faucet) was running, and the water was frigid. Made a brew and got the computer on to check the calendar and change it. And found snaps dated 30.11.25, so must have taken them. They were not very good. I also noticed some fresh-looking spillage on the floor near the fridge.
What’s going on?
I also spotted that I had already changed the date on the battery calendar clock.
What’s going on? After drinking the tea, I limped to the wet room of get the ablutions done. Forgetting there was no hot water, I started to strip, and it was so cold I thought I’d turn on the wall immersion heater. It didn’t work. Yet, I had so much confusion in my head, I don’t think it bothered me much, as I recall.
I got the computer on to check the Google Calendar and see if any critical emails had arrived. I went to take photos of the view.
The first one, I may have taken last night with Kodak Tim 2. I was struggling to get it together again. View from the kitchenette window on the right. At least I think it was.
On the left, a shot from the balcony of the end car park, through the window. Where have all the vehicles gone? Mystery!

I came back in the cell… no, flat, and for some reason, without logic, I’m sure, I set about working on the replacement word list again. I was still on it when the Carer arrived. Medications issued, Phorpain Gel and Barrier cream used.

Then the series of concentrated hits hit me. About gout in an hour, I reckon, I only realised due to the acid upset from the innards and confusing dizziness that followed each one. (I am feeling much better now, the seizures have departed (20:00hrs).
Initially, late this afternoon, I kept changing tasks, leaving each one unfinished and starting another, which I never completed. I hope the Neurologist received the video a Carer recorded; we sent it to him via email. I need help with this problem now, it seems to be getting a little more frequent. He did say he could, but he doesn’t want to give any treatment until he’s seen what happens when I’m having one. To avoid making an incorrect diagnosis. So, I was happy I had a mini-one while the Carer was here… about two weeks ago, I think. But I’ve heard nothing back.
Frustration is growing, and of all ailments to get nasty, I hadn’t expected it to be …fair enough, with I’d been eating some undunked cookies earlier.

The bickie barrels were refilled.

Cookies on the right, and caramelised savouries on the left.
Kitchen window shot. Catching the sun popping out after the rain clausa dissipated. I just missed getting a seagull in this snap. So I waited around for them to fly past again.
I felt sure I’d caught a few of them, but I see none in this photograph. Dang quick, nasty things these seagulls!

A little later, when I was taking this shot,
rang out, and I went to the door to find a box outside. I took a photo of it, or, to be more accurate, I thought I took a photo of it. But off went from the SD card into the ether… again.
Here is what the box contained. Bombay potatoes! That’ll do me for tomorrow’s nosh. Beet stew & chips for tonight. I’ll need to ask Carer for help in reading the instructions on these Bombay potatoes.

NOSH TIME
Vegetable curry with added mixed pickle.
Harry Ramsden Chip Shop-Style Chips, lots of sea salt & vinegar added. Two cheesy-topped bread rolls. With two child-sized strawberry desserts. Nice!
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Sadly, once again…
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TTFNski!