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04:40hrs: Awoke with a jump.
Thanks mainly to my ailment , having
a go at me. However, this was a good thing! It ensured that I could get up in time to have a good scrub-up in the wet room before a Carer called, without rushing. Good idea? It did not work out. I got to the wet room, carrying out the traditional clouting ly my shoulder on the door frame, setting off . The need to utilise the  arose, and I got settled on the porcelain to urge the motion along. A hard one this morning. And boy did it flow once it started! It filled the basin more than ever before. I might have a salad for nosh tonight, avoiding the spicy foods. I cleaned things up and got the brush & toothpaste ready. I dropped them both, and both bounced about, ending up underneath the outflow pipe behind the Throne! I grabbed the wetroom picker-upperer and bent down to retrieve the absonded items…
! I got the left arm caught on the lid, and it bled, but not a lot. It hurt, though. Hehe!
Having failed in my rescue operation, I tried again. And scratched my right knee on the same bit of the lid.  Naturally, I laughed it all off, of course.

Made me forget to shave, brush my teeth, take my meds, freshen up, etc.
I hobbled into the kitchen, oblivious to my memory loss, to take a couple of Kodak Tim2 photos of the dark morning view from the window. Determined this time to get some better results than of late.
Ah, well, you can’t win them all. I’ve done better. Then again, I’ve also done much worse efforts. Haha!

Carer arrived, and I think I had a seizure, but did not record it cause I’m not certain. For some reason, I can’t recall much of this visit, which is why I assume I might have had a mini seizure, but no acid tastes were coming up from the guts into my mouth.

I really got carried away with the wordlist reclamationing. That’s the wrong word, innit?
Made a brew, and got back onto building of the new replacement word list.

The second Carer call of the day, painkillers only taken, as this was when I realised that I’d not yet washed & shaved. Tsk!

Something seemed either missing or different on this snap taken from the balcony of the end car park. But, what? Got back to the word listings.

Afternoon sky photographicalisations taken from the kitchenette windows.
The first is to the left, toward the city.
Then wider and a little higher, and the fire alarm went off! (I thought)
But it was the television that had either been left on or it came on of its own accord. I do feel such a fool! One more effort, with the small cloud above seemingly bombing those below with little puffy clouds. Haha!

I Don’t Recall This Happening Before…
But, knowing me, it may have.
The innards summoned me back to the Procelain Throne, compliantly responded.
Settled as comfortably as I could on the plastic seat lid and waited for the contents to start their evacuation. The last thing I recall was feeling the slow buildup as it made its way out of my rear end… Zzz!
As I woke up, 
It was a Carer, I’d fallen asleep on the toilet seat for three hours! Don’t laugh! Oh, go on then.
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PEACE & REST, TO YOU ALL – MY BEST
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I hate every bloody Wednesday!

Often no time to do the laundry,

Nurses call, each one is in a hurry,

But they keep their appealing attractancy,

Concentration gone, Inchy reacts abstractedly,

Getting the cleaning done? It’s chancy,

High-Mood-Horis is an absentee,

Doctor’s appointment is set for next Tuesday.

And the hospital, EENT, for the 6^th of January,

Nowt heard from neurology, it’s all a mystery,

Text from Doctor, I’m to visit the surgery…

Date given? 10^th December, that’s today!

No wonder Darius had such an extended stay!

I wanted help, felt the need to pray…

Phoned Virgin about the remote for the TV,

Well, Carer Ejaz did, it wasn’t me…

He’s a gift, an Angel, a treasure to Inchie,

Carer rang off, spitting blood, aggravatedly,

At customer service, they lack any ability,

They wanted me to send a photographic ID!

My bank number, why, I couldn’t see…

They’d my number, password and word in memory,

We both felt we’d floated into an ethereality,

The man on the line showed aduncity…

Uncaringness, superiority, and asperity,

No affinity or affability, he oozed adversity,

Why did he want my card number? Baloney!

I related this to Trustpilot immediately,

Virgins’ Trust Rating was just 1.3…

Tried again to phone the Doctor in Neurology,

To tell him I’d got Peripheral Neuropathy,

“We only work Monday, Tuesday & Thursday,

That’s what the AI thingy told me today,

I mopped the kitchen while Ejaz did the laundry,

The bending made me go off balance & dizzy,

Had to order Catheters to catch my pee,

Tried to ring the Cardiac Surgery,

In an effort to be sure and guarantee…

My next appointment was on the 1^st of January,

Depressed, miserable, and feeling poorly,

I need a miracle, or even a hopeful epiphany,

I’m moaning; Heaven may hear my plea…

Whatever will they put in my elegy?

I ask this cause I’m running out of energy,

“He came, He failed, then left feeling empty,

He was in agony, and also self-angry,

Confused, and rightly felt ashamedly,

Aged, now considered to be curmudgeonly…

Self-fault-finding, grumpy & grouchy…

Cantankerous, querulous, and crotchety,

 Only Carers & Nurses visit Inchie…

Ambulances take him away occasionally,

Iceland, Asda, Ocado, with a food delivery,

He’s never been accused of being unfriendly…

Although he has been a détraquée.
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Nearly all of the day is in the Ode.
Hectic, without my Carer I’d have lost in a mind of confusion and uncompleted tasks.

In the morning, I deleted all of the photos on Kodak Tim 2, thinking I’d already put them in the WordPress gallery – I hadn’t!

Not a lot then…
What a clot!

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I woke up with persistent jerking in his morning routine to the left routine… right, left, left, left, right, left in progress.
Then the stabbing pains returned as joined the action. No choice but to get up, take some hopefully calming but not very good Peptac, and take Lansoprazole early to get it working faster, and tell the Carer I’ve taken them.
I had to remove the nocturnal catheter pouch first, so as not to tempt fate by walking around with four feet of tube and carrying the pouch. Thus reducing the chances of yet another by tripping over them. The nurse who I was told would come to look at my arm and leg injuries would come on Sunday night or on Monday. Hopefully, she will arrive today.

Then I went to the wetroom to visit the Porcelain Throne. Oh, dear…
Not as sloppy as things have been for the past few days. It started the moment I was seated… it came, and came, and came again. I tried to recall what I had for dinner last night, but my brain was temporarily out of order. And stayed that way all day. And
 It was as bad as he’s been in months; this bothered and hindered me all day long. That said, it cleared a little around 20:30hrs, and I took advantage to start updating this blog. Another hectic day for the old man!

Back on the timeline, I went to the kitchen to take a photo of the view. It was sprinkling with freezing rain, and I thought how dark it was this morning. I checked my ‘Cool’ retro clock calendar to find it was only 04:30hrs, and I’d been up for about half an hour. I cussed myself a smidgeon, fool!
So, I made use of the time I thought I’d got, emptied of crumbs, and washed and dried the glass-and-plastic nibble containers. I’ll get them refilled later.
Was still getting at me, so I took an over-the-counter bought Co-Codomal. I’d dosed up well, and the Carer is going to give me some more later.

I then got the Health Checks done. Recorded them and noticed some things, apart from the SYS being a little high, which is nothing new since I got out of the Hospital on my last stay. My temperature was creeping up, although it had been low, so no problem, methinks. The blood results had gone down a bit this week. The urine was a fair bit deeper in colour. And the Whoopsies & Accidents had increased a lot. Today, I dropped more things than I have for… ever, I think. Also , or to be precise, it was my . The doctors warned me years ago what would happen, and they were spot on. Neurotransmitter imbalances are linked to various neurological and psychiatric conditions, making them crucial targets for treatment. Imbalances contribute to depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple seizures and Alzheimer’s. It’s only this year that I have started letting go of anything I am holding, and, conversely, there are times when I cannot let go of things. Funny really. The above was printed in 1995 by the NHS. (I found it on the web) Since being diagnosed, I was told there is nothing we can do to mend dead nerves, so they didn’t give or offer any treatments. Then, when I had my stroke. Nothing has been done medically since they released me. Then, when the seizures started, nothing had been done. I had one face-to-face meeting with a neurologist, who said he needs a video of me having a seizure before he can assess the safest route to take. Two weeks later, I had one while a Carer was here, and she recorded it. We sent it to the Neurosurgeon, and I felt I’d taken a step towards getting some help now. That was on November 3rd. Still haven’t heard anything back. The other Neurosurgeon on my 3-week visit to the Hospital told me about the water on my brain. Mentioned the chances of a Trephination. I heard nothing more.
A week before being sent back to my cell… I mean, flat, a Doctor came to the bed I was in with a smile on his face. “Well, we resuscitated you…” I must have looked gobsmacked, I was. “You had heart failure… can you not remember?” No! I wondered if he’d come to the wrong bed? No memories of leaving the ward at all.
The help from the social, half promised in the form of finances, a computer, arithmaphobia, and housekeeping didn’t arrive either.
That’s another thing, no help with the depression.
It took me 3 weeks after I’d lost vision in my left eye to get to the optician for an assessment and for him to refer me to the QMC EENT of an evaluation. I believed it was Glaucoma. Why? I’ll tell you… 
When I had the cataract done on my right eye, the surgeon told me I had Glaucoma coming in my left eye. Once you’re over this, we’ll get you booked in for treatment. That was four years ago. So, naturally, I assumed the sudden lack of vision in my left eye was caused by Glaucoma. But, no. The optician said it was cataracts and referred me to the EENT clinic for acceptance. Three weeks later, I got a letter telling me I had been added to the waiting list. If I haven’t heard from them in five weeks, ring them.
Since coming out of the last extended stay in the Hospital after a tumble, I’ve had two more. But they were only visits to the Hospital, no staying in. Last Sunday, I took a tumble. I think a Carer rang the Community nurses. They said someone will call later today, or on Monday morning. A nurse arrived today, Tuesday. I believe that the impaired vision, my now being one-eyed, is making my balance worse, and I’m bumping into more things now. Just thought I’d update you. Hehe! Sorry. 

Staying with me nearly all day today. Could not get a look in today. As if I wasn’t feeling down enough, I had two food orders on the same day, 3 hours apart. I’m scared to open the fridge, it’s that crammed with food. But the social lady is on her way to help me. Huh! I just cannot recall making two orders. The first one, yes. The second, well, no.

The Carer arrived late today, not that I noticed at the time, I’d got stuck into making up the replacement word list. Why? I don’t know, honestly. Yet guilt may have hit me a few times, and I did try to get some jobs done. But did not start the blog until late. It is now well past midnight, and I’ve still got some company.  

As I was taking this snap of the view on offer, the Asda delivery arrived. This was expected, and the Carer helped me get the food to the kitchen, bless her.

A good few bags, I’d loaded up with the bottled water again, to keep plenty in to satiate the demands of the Catheter and bladder. Four litres a day as a  minimum
Sponge fingers. No-butter butter, yoghurts aplenty.
Chestnuts, sourdough sliced bread, Cheesecakes,
BBW skewers and some mini pork pies.
Visciously strong Ginger beer, garden peas, and the sliced bread, with designer cheapo mini Swiss rolls.
Swiss Rolls; Nothing but the best, they may be the cheapest, but who else that Asda go to all that trouble to save you doing it with your teeth as you consume these little delicacies? Please note how they pre-crush these miniature delights for customers. I think I may have overdone it on the cheesy bread rolls and small baguettes. 

I pressed on in a depression, building my new word list. If I can live another twenty years, I might get it done to see me to the magic 100. Hahaha!

I got a phone call, but the line was bad again. It was the Doctor’s surgery, where I was told my INR level had risen but was still within range. Adding to keep to the last Anticoagulation DVT Warfarin Clinic dosage until December 22nd. Any new bruising (When have I ever got any new bruising?) I’ve to report it. I forgot to ask who I had to report it to.

The intercom rang forth: “Hello, hello… what now?” It is not the Carer’s time yet? It was the contract nurse who came to take my blood.

Back to the slow, oh, so slowly being done word list.

The computer froze!
I feared the worst (with my luck, it’s only natural). Despondent, I turned off the computer to give it a rest, while O prayed and made a mug of tea.
I opened the fridge door to get the milk, and a load of food fell out onto the floor.
Including the yoghurts – two burst open and left me a right mess for me to clean up. Grrr!

A painful task with all the bending to get at the dessert that had seemingly made a beeline for the corners to run into, and between the cabinet and the cooker. Still, I wasn’t bothered.

Back to the computer and restarted it, fingers crossed.
Well, it opened, but rather slowly. I opened Excel, then Word; these programmes were even slower in loading. So I used CCleaner and found out the price is going up by 20%. I blame Starmer!
Then I used Norton to clean it again… Well, fancy that. Their costs are rising, and to keep using the cleaner bit on it, I have to pay from now on! 
My eyes, well, eye was feeling the strain of so long on the computer, was getting no better, and now had joined it. At one time, she was so vicious it hurt, but she’d soon had a brief bit of fun, then faded back to the micro-suddering. Thankfully.
Then I opened CorelDraw, and while it was open, I tried to upload the pictures from Kodak Tim 2. Which went okay. After importing them, whenever I moved one, CorelDraw left a duplicate. This left me more depressed than ever. I turned of CorelDraw.

ARRGH! A Second Food Delivery!
It’s doing this so often, and the self-loathing and inability to stop doing it are getting to me. I’ve been promised help with it, but no one has been.
Fried onions, extra strong cheddar cheese (which wasn’t strong at all!), milk, Sokolow sausages, a jar of pickled tomatoes, and bicarbonate of soda. Out of sight, wait for this… Nine one-litre bottles of soda water! More desserts.

Back to the computer, and the Google browser kept closing down of its own accord. All off, and rebooted. Getting nervous now.

I took a break and thought I’d get the cheeses out of the fridge (Carefully) and plan tonight’s meal. I say , “Tonight, it’s already morning.” Much to my further chagrin, I found that one of the Moroccan tomatoes had gone mouldy, and two had gone soft!
Cheese, fried crispy onions, caramelised red onions, and thick sliced sourdough bread, well buttered with no-butter, butter was my plan, if I can stay awake.
A super-salad tonight… well, it would have been, had the Moroccan tomatoes sold as ‘Extra Special’ not tasted like sour liquorice! But I’m afraid they did!
The Extra Mature cheddar was nothing of the sort. The Stilton was super, as was the sourdough bread.
The Polish tomatoes were tastier.

It is now about 03:30hrs, I’ll put the pots in the sink and get down 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, and get some sleep.
But, no, not yet. 
I felt a warm trickling inside of the right leg strappings. No doubt the fluid was coming from dear old , and I had to get the socks off and wash them so they would be dry for the morning to use. But by the time I’d painfully got the leg straps off, and found there was a lot of blood in with the pmpth fluid. So I filled a bowl with hot water and Dettol, and washed the feet. No Carer to help now, and I could not get the other medical socks or the straps back on, too painful a job. I cunningly got some cushion leg bandages and somehow managed to get them on as low as I could reach. And got down with a large quilt of my large-bellied body! Sleep came quickly.

,

TTFN

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– ODE CANCELLED-
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BLOG TOO.
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Sorry, a few photos taken before the ambulance arrived
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TRY WGEN I GET BACK

Had another tumble.

And the catheter bag leaked,

Struggling with virtually one eye now.
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All the bestest!
,
I’ve gett some old odes on.

CHEERS

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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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