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0515hrs: I burst into life, bounded of off the bed and did a double somersault, catching the night bag as I landed on the floor and did fifty swift press-ups. Then ran yodelling away into the wet room and removed the night pouch. A bit of shadow boxing then…
Well, alright then...
0515hrs: I woke up in the £300 second-hand shop bought, c1966. moth-eaten, bedraggled, grotty, cringingly-beige-coloured, much-dilapidated, crumb-containing from my nocturnal nibblings, bug-ridden, itch-inspiring, not working recliner.
I had to force myself t stay awake long enough to get up and fight against Dizzy Dennis and Lost-Balance-Belinda, as I painfully got the nocturnal bag freed and emptied. I was not in good condition, mentally of 
physically, this morning. Confusion Konrad had a grip on me. However, despite these things, I started the day and within 10 minutes of using the Porcelain Throne, guess who visited me? Yes, it was good old, much missed, and very welcome 
!
Trotsky Terence was in charge of the evacuation. Messy, very messy!
Four-Wheeled-Walker-Wally was still in there, from my returning from the opticians. I made a mental note to empty the pod, collapse Wally, and move it back into the balcony later. It was a big job for me, and it’s complicated because I have to move things around to make space to get to the balcony. (I didn’t)
Off to get the kettle on for a brew of Typhoo. I took a snap from the kitchen. Is that the moon or a light at the back? I’ll try to get another tomorrow.
The Carer Who calls me “Bapu” arrived. She pointed out that the Warfarin Dosage note was still not there. We had another quick search, but others and I had already made them for the sheets without finding them. I said I’d ring the Warfarin-DVT Clinic later to confirm the dosages. No problem in the morning, cause 
Warfarin is taken at teatime or in the evening. Nice that my “Baby-Princess” Carer had recognised it was missing. Medications were given, and she applied Phorpain gel to my knees. Oh, and my lower back.
I decided not to start the blog yet. I searched my Excel Medical file to get telephone numbers for my Doctors and the QMC Warfarin Anticoagulation-DVT Clinic. But the DVT number was not in the file. So I Googled to find it and added it to the Excel file, ready for when I can call. Then found that the number given was the same as the one for the QMC switchboard, so I amended the ones I’d put in the file.
I felt sneaking up on me. This, I assumed, was because I’d done, well, I thought I had done a decent job in getting the contact number… but still double-checked the numbers, just in case Arithmophobia Arron had made me get it wrong.
I tried the Doctor’s surgery first. This first call was answered by a Robot-AI. Telling me I was being transferred to “Our Customer Navigator. Beep-beep. Then I was connected to another Robot-AI. Telling me I had to pick a number to press; Press 1: If you are bleeding heavily or have chest pains, ring off and dial 999. Press 2: If your call is about prescriptions. Press Three; I couldn’t make out what the AI said on this one. But as I needed to know my current Warfarin doses, surely linked to prescriptions? I pressed 2 and got through to a third Robot-AI. “We do not accept prescription requests by telephone, Email, and started to tell me the most convoluted email address I’ve ever heard. Obviously, I could not keep up with what the electroid was blurting out at a rapid pace – so I rang off, pissed-off!
I think it would be easier to get through to MI5 & MI6 than to get to my Doctor! 
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I tried ringing 111 to see if they could advise me on how to avoid being ignored, and maybe even who and how to contact for my Warfarin dosages. Or, not.
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A Robot-AI kicked in. Apparently, I was 23rd in the queue. 
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Then I rang the Queen’s Medical Centre Switchboard. Well, I was going to, when a Carer arrived. I told him of my difficulties, and we both had another search for the Warfarin-DVT Anticoagulation doses sheet. He couldn’t spend too long, but he did his best for me. A total failure, of course, par for the course. Only a ten-minute call at midday. I also mentioned all the photographs that I’d lost from yesterday’s visit to the opticians. Crying in front of the Carer was not an option, even though I felt like doing so. Hahaha!
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Back to phoning the QMC switchboard.
The phone was answered almost straight away. For the first time, I was greeted by a human. Not a Robot-AI. I asked to be put through to the DVT Warfarin Anticoagulation Department, and within seconds, the call was transferred. Was my luck changing? No! It was getting worse, and it was answered by a Robot-AI! 
The electronic-faux-human rattled on, telling me the times they are open. I estimate exactly what he said, as best as I can. It may contain errors, or hopefully not. We are open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between 1100hrs & 1600hrs; and open on Fridays from 1100hrs to 1500hrs. We are closed on Thursdays and weekends. You can contact your Doctor by phone or email, or 111 at any time… Hahaha! Just what I’d failed to do! You couldn’t make this rubbish up as fiction. No one would believe it. Farcicalness & the NHS go together like cheese & onion nowadays.
It’s the young ones I fear for, well, not the Oligarchs or Eton attending youngsters. More of the proletariat ones. The NHS is not fit for purpose.
Unfortunately, the only party I see that wants to cure the faults in the NHS is the ‘Your Party’. But they cannot win an election because they don’t have enough candidates to stand for Parliament.
A sad state of affairs, politically.
Today was a feast of embarrassment, frustration and confusion. All normal here then!
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The end is nigh. No need to say why!
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The ankle ulcer looked likely to erupt again. But blessedly, the Left and 
were rare today, as indeed they were last night in bed, only had three.
I noticed that the finger’s mystery blue patches were back again. They don’t hurt, and it’s not often I can say that about my ailments, especially the catheter tube giving Little Inchy so much stick!
The cut lip from yesterday’s 
was scabbing up already. I could see it later on, and the blood flowed.
I opened the window to take this shot but got wet in the rain.
Sorted the waste bins into one bag.
The end car park mudslide was building up.
tube was so painful this morning.
It took him ages, as the bayonet in the socket had a bit of plastic broken off, making it difficult to fit it in, but he did it. The replacement bulb had a clear glass. Boy, it’s got a bright light; neither of us could believe it.
Carer Sam arrived. I was telling her about the problem and pain with the Catheter. (Which, incidentally, eased off a lot of hours later.) However, the 
pains started almost the second Little Inchie got some respite. 
Still raining!
I think this was an unintentional snap that I took. I’m not sure what I Kodak-Tim’d.
Then the pain lessened, still there, but far less severe.
It’s still raining!
Took this shot later. Came out fairly well.
It reminded me of my cyber buddy, Tim Price in New Mexico. He’s a clever photographer and naturist, amongst other qualities. He lives near a bosque, and his photographs of the local Owls are just great. Here’s one in particular that I think should be in a nature or art gallery. 
This one is how it looks now! Wet!
I think the rain is easing off.
Ten minutes later – Yes, at last!
Well, that should have been easy enough.
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Well, darker this morning!
Jolly unpleasant, but no bleeding.
Ankle ulcer flaring up a smidge.
The hand burn has now lost all its scabs. 
work. So, I got the dangerous job of getting the fresh Protection Pants on and will try the Barrier Cream cap-removing again later. How to describe the performance of getting these pants on is an opportunity for a little humour, I think. 
wobbled about, trying to keep my balance. Which, luckily, I did. During this altercation, I also knocked the pot with the Barrier, Germoloid and Daktacort creams in it onto the floor
painful, all went reasonably well.
Got the catheter refitted, just the pouch to go on when the Carer arrives. Then, I returned to the infamous Barrier Cream’s unmovable cap problem. And Blow me down with a feather duster, the tube’s cap opened easily! So, in future, should the same thing happen, I’ll just try dancing about, stubbing my toe, and throwing the Barrier Cream tube on the floor to solve the issue? Hahaha! 
I took a shot of the morning view. It was well-lit by the time I got out of the wet room. There is a blotch on the photo again. I can’t understand why these 
appear at times and not at others. Mind you, it’s not surprising; there is an awful lot I don’t understand or grasp nowadays. Anything new after the Stroke is not retainable in the grey cells-well, anywhere, really.
, 
or
began as soon as I started trying to sort out the new CorelDraw layout and options. My memory has lost so many things today, yet the early morning mayhem in the wet room came to me distinctly? I do know that the New version crashed twice yesterday after I’d changed some options. And I’ve lost many fonts that the program has substituted with ones that are nothing like the original ones? A bit like ordering food online, which I have to do. I’ve had some amazing substitutions. The best (or worst) was from J Sainsbury. I’d ordered some cherryade. That was substituted with a tin of Cherry Blossom black shoe polish! A close second was From Asda. I’d ordered frozen lamb & mutton burgers and got a bag of frozen chips in place for them! 
Carer Chris came to raid the nibbles and drink treats. Haha!
These two must have been the first Kodak Tim snaps taken. Early in the day they must have been photographed, I assume so anyway.
I had to zoom in on CorelDraw to see them. Cataract Katie and Glaucoma Gladys, are why.
gravel path
Massive Memory Blanks.
loads of sugar snap peas, I think. I can’t resist the tasty little crisps, but not hard things. I intend to stop eating them when these ones I’ve got are finished; I’m determined to, definitely! 
So I had a quick-to-prepare, unhealthy, naughty, but very small, mini-feast of flavour.
I’m eating some flavoured potato chips from a packet, along with a full packet of the indulgent, irresistible DJ&A Snap Pea crisps and roasted peas. I also ate a tiny pot of mandarins in orange jelly. Oh, and a vegan cheese and onion pasty. Slurp, licklickingly good! But the guilt tinged it a bit.
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Not much in the pouch.
Urgh!..
I got the diabetic socks that had been returned wet from the laundry and hung them to dry on the balcony. Carer Chris put them on for me while he was nibbling the treats. Haha!
Kitchen view from inside.
These above and below were taken first.
A little later…
Closer…
Bootiful!
Smashing meal for once.
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Sky.
Sky later.
Sky laterer…
Chips in’t oven.
Sausages ready.
Sliced a brown baguette.
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Or it might have been Carer Victor or Israel. Erm, if I remember correctly, I’ll reveal it all on Monday.
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It was not an extraordinary sort of day, with a few intermittent happenings that were out of the ordinary. I can’t recall having a single 
, no, honestly! A carer failed to arrive for the midday checks, which was not all that unexpected; last Monday, a morning medication Carer failed to arrive. The ailments and injuries were, as usual, ever-present.
, added up to three. This seems to be the agreed count these last few days, with my brain taking over masters 
in conjunction.
For some unknown reason, the burn on the right hand of the oven rack is taking a while to stop being painful. Constipation Conrad is back in charge of the evacuations. My concentration is no worse than yesterday. Not that that’s saying much. I think Concentration Konrad is now a permanent fixture. He joins the other ailments as a part of the Mysteries of Woodthorpe Court, with the hobgoblins, spectres, gnomai, phantasms, ghosts, the grotesque succubae, extraterrestrials, ectoplasms, spirits, or the Fata Morganas, that have been sent to taunt, irritate and terminate my already limited saneness of mind, which is losing its marbles?
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I think I saw a speck of blood in the bag this morning when I photo’d it. Likely, it’s just a reflection from the flash, I assumed?
Much drizzle is out there from the balcony’s right window. The usual excellent parking is available from our senior citizens on the yellow chevrons, indicating, do not park here. I’m not jealous that the drivers can still afford to own one. Or that my licence had to be surrendered due to the ailments making me unsafe on the roads. 
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Pants and slippers on again, I meandered out onto the balcony. The rain was still pouring down.
snaps. They were not very good, taken through the window glass. 
There followed an almost rapid selection of 
dressing gown when cleaning things up. Humph!
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To the rescue again. He found the hearing aids within minutes. He’s a very good ferriter. While he was searching, he spotted some biscuits, and he had to have a packet. Hehehe! They had dropped behind the rickety 1962 G-Plan cabinet, and he retrieved them for me. Saved again! 
The evening sky kept changing hue. Well, I thought it did, anyway. Of course, what my eyes see and you may not do… 
vegetable dumpling stew… mixed, unclear and lumpy.
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04:30hrs: I bounded lively out of the second-hand ex-hospital bed, yodelling with joy, got down, and did 100 press-ups. This was followed by 100 toe touches and some shadow-boxing for around 15 minutes or so… 
giving me grief. I lay there after they’d stopped, all warm and snug. I decided to stay there for a while longer… But no! The innards then burst into a threateningly long, gassy rumble! No choice now; I had to get to the ASAP! Which took me a lot longer than it should have. Why? I’ll tell yer! Hehe!
bled away, not to mention the pain (Oh, I did, sorry).
, it became obvious that I was not going to get there quick enough for me to get the dressing gown and pants down in time! 
! Tore the pants getting them down, and lifted the dressing gown up – else I’d never have made it. The evacuation, well it was the worst ever 
session, ever. Especially with some of it getting splashed onto me, the bowl, the lid and the floor
I made up the waste bags into one. And realised that I was still carrying the night pouch around with me. What an absolute plonker!
king into the doorframe, so kept my good eye on the spacing, clever that I thought… 
…I tripped, banging the side of my mouth. Naturally, for me, anyway, I found afterwards that 
, and I had another broken tooth. Extra Codeines taken.
and Gragnagles! I got the computer on and was using CorelDraw, but the delete button stopped working on the keyboard! Then, the mousse scroller went on strike as well.
I nervously tackle the computer again. It seemed to be working, not the delete button, but the mouse at least scrolled. 
Arrived. She was coughing a bit still. She was kind enough to check the dates on the stuff in the fridge, not that there’s much left in there other than opened sauce jars, visitors’ drinkies, and the pasty I’ll have tonight. Either I’ve lost the photo, or I’m going mad.
The wee-wee is not coming so fast today. And I’ve been trying to drink more after the farcical, ridiculous, losing battle I had in the wet room. Humph!
Carer Kara came. Usual visit and Domestic today. I was so glad at last to get some help. 
calls. 
I got some potato cubes from the freezer and got them sorted out, getting rid of those I could that had the dreaded eye roots in them. These were Sainsbury’s, too, not Asda (Walmart). They probably get them from the same place. 
A late afternoon shot taken at great risk of knocking over the knife block (I’ve nowhere safer to put it) or catching my finger closing the window. Haha!
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No recollection, but I took it, obviously.
Vaguely recall taking these from the kitchenette window of the miserable morning.
Must have intended to tell you a story of the medications, judging by this photo. Not the foggiest idea what, if anything happened. Although I woke with an aching ride shoulder this morning, so just maybe a tumble to doorframe charge?
I must have been in a rare with-it mode here.
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Not sure when I took this one. Nice, though.
Took this Kodak Tim shot after washing the pots after the mini feast.
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Woke and rose at 04:15hrs: After over five hours of kipping! Grrreat! Took me a while to nod off, but I only had three, I think 
didn’t visit me once! But, as usual, when I moved, this time it was both 
& 
giving me grief, and it must have taken me five minutes to get to the wet room. More on that later.
, I’m surprised I have any skin left on my head; it was falling off all day. Later I rang Sister Jane, and she and hubby Pete were not in good health at all. Jane’s cough sounded terrible. I’m worried about her now. As I moved to get the B17 tablets that Jane had told me had a
Passed well, not a bad colour.
Kitchen view.
This is getting bad now. This time, as I was trying to get a decent shot, a 
, not only that but 
joined in as well. Then, after taking the sad pictures and closing the window… 
, I knocked the knife block off of the window ledge. The tip end of the cheese knife broke off when it hit the floor. 
I made a brew of Glengettie and got the computer on to work on this blog. A new Caregiver arrived and Medicated me, put the diabetic soaks on for me, and had a little natter. What about escapes me now. Tsk!
or maybe 
, but I recall nothing of this time whatsoever. The rot had set in.
called, and I bluffed my way through. I think, in fact, I did not stop talking to the poor gal. It would help if I could remember what she was talking about. I think I may have, possibly, conceivably mentioned the Lurgy because Joanne sounded like she had a sore throat… or did she?
What amazing views.
Gorgeous.
Oh, how I’d love to recall the pleasure of taking them.
I do recall taking these.
Best nosh in a long time.
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The nocturnal catheter bag was removed.
Say no more…
A tablet was found on the carpet.
Complete reversal.
Plenty of time for the cross-wording.
Wash & shave.
The new slippers are back on!
Waste bags sorted out.
This’ll see me to the funeral.
That filled up qui
Then, some spare straps.
Blimey filled up again!
But I did get to do some crosswording.
I tried to take some decent shots of the evening view as I titivated the stew I was cooking.
A bit wobbly this one!
Blimus! Filled again!
I’m not sure why I made such a fowl-tasting bean stew. Make the regularly, but have never done one with such a terrible flavour? Eurgh!
Caught the moon.
Then, the lights in the night.