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What a flipping night I had!
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I’d forgotten to ask the late Carer Richard if I needed the diabetic sock taken off. I didn’t give it much thought until it came to getting into the new second-hand hospital bed. I struggled fumblingly to get in and settled. I got the over-bed table stocked with water, a torch, a mobile phone, and something else, I can’t recall what it was at the moment. I hung the picker-upperer and walking stick on the anti-fall bar and set myself in anticipation mode to get some sleep in. Ha! Within five minutes or so, I was in bliss.
Ten minutes later, the Neuropathy Shocks came from the right leg. I’ve been getting shocks from both ankles regularly all week. They have been short and
sharp, but at least I’ve nodded off soon after each one… But Not Tonight! Oh, no! Once they started this time, they went on relentlessly for half an hour, non-stop! It was terribly painful and wearying. I then realised it may have been caused by my leaving the diabetic socks on. A new pair as well, and decided to do my best to get them off and see how that goes. What a farce! Just getting out of bed increased the hurt I was already suffering.
I got the torch on, it blinked, and the batteries died. Making my getting on my feet even more risky in the dark. No light switch anywhere near the bed.
The highlight of this operation, was once I got up standing, the shocks ceased! YES! I thought it wise to try and get the socks off ASAP.
I used the rubber end of the walking stick to try to pin the toe area of the hosiery to the floor and drag my right foot out of the sock. It didn’t work; I lifted the knee, and, Hey, it worked! when I lifted the foot up. Which left me with a problem, the right foot. Cause Cartilage Carole was the more painful one left to lift, but it had to be done. I eventually got the sock off…
and immediately got a Peripheral Pete Leg Dance, and ended up crashing down on the c1966, £300 charity shop bought, second-hand, wincingly grotty, beige coloured, not working, crumb-covered from the nocturnal nibbling, itch-making, uncomfortable, virus-breeding, easy-to-fall-out-of, recliner, my cheek hitting the chair arm.
Breaking off another bit of tooth from my second-left bicuspid!
Then I bounced off it, landing on the floor. All this in the darkness, for some reason I’d not turned on the room light yet. I hauled up my elephantine-stomached body into the recliner, and from there, it was easy to get up on my feet again.
During the tumble, I hadn’t realised that I’d also knocked the knife and fork off the tray on the ottoman at the side of the recliner. I soon realised this fact as I trod on them both! I may have said out aloud something like; Well, fancy that! I recall thinking to myself, well, at least I’ll have a sympathy-worthy scratch or bruise on my cheek. Hehehe! Later, when shaving, I couldn’t see a single scratch of bruise. Very disappointing that was. Humph!
I put on the slippers, and around 03:30 hrs, I decided
to shave and shower. First, though, the use of the
arose, but not urgently… I thought. I emptied out the Catheter
night bag. Then took a snap of the morning view, put the kettle on and gathered the ablutioning
equipment needed. And off to the wetroom to
utilise the
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I forgot to put stinky on this photo, I used the lesser vindictive smelly. I was aching all over, and it worsened by the time I’d cleaned up the bowl and
myself of the splashes released. Huh!
The red patches on the right ankle, where the shocks come from, seemed to be climbing up the leg. The swelling had probably been acquired during the tumble. The ankle also appears to be bloating up a little again. There’ll be a good reason for this. Mind you, I have no idea what it might be.
The shaving went well again. Only one tiny cut.
The showering was also a good session. Which I was enjoying and in no rush about it. Then the guilt… what am I doing taking a shower at this time in the morning? The poor neighbours! So I came out straight away and turned of the power box the moment all the
water had drained away.
I made up two waste bins and realised that the one from yesterday was still in the hallway near the corner of the front door.
Raining a little now.
Holy Cow! Was it training, or not from the
South? Yes, it was. And very windy with it. The tail of the Mini-Tornado?
During the day, I had
Carer Richard first call and then Carer Selina did a domestic visit. She cleaned the oven for me. Carer Marie next.
Then, Carer Christopher did the evening medications. Peptac.
All bu got caught out again with the catheter day pouch suddenly filling up.
Well over the 500ml mark full this time.
The last of the heavy rain descended. Shots from the balcony, through the window glass, left one to the right.
The second one was taken to the left.
chimed out.
It was two chaps from the fire brigade who came to see me about how I was coping. They were concerned about me setting the fire alarms off and overflowing the taps in the sinks, I think. They seemed to think I should have extra help from the carers with cooking and bathing. I can barely afford to use them now!
Blogging, CorelDrawing and making the Ode.
Hello, the sun’s appeared!
Nice shades in the evening sky. I made a meal.
I took potatoes out of the crock pot, sliced them, and put them in the oven with some cheese sprinkled on them. I added a beef
pasty, which I opened
the pastry and added more cheese to! I sliced a tomato up and got it on the plate. I turned off the computer.
Kept checking the oven and finally laid out the plate above. Added some pickled ketchup. Delicious!
I didn’t.
Carer Tanya arrived and took off the diabetic socks. Chris has not returned the laundry, so we left the socks in an upturned box. Medications were taken, and a night bag was attached to the catheter.
I felt shattered, weary and tired. So when Tanya departed, I got settled in the Social Services provided, bless them, old hospital bed. With no socks on, the
were much less often, and although a broken sleep, I soon dosed back off after each stinging.
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BONUS ODE -Sorry about this!
Do you feel you are an exception?
Or a hoi polloi quotidian?
To assume whether or either,
Finding the realisation needs regression,
Certainly retro-cognition…
You may never find ratification…
I didn’t, despite my concentration,
And this morning… Tarnation!
I’ve got acute constipation.
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Fare Thee All Well!
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Not good at all!



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Morning view. Later than usual, of course. I was still in bed when Carer Chris arrived.
I know where it went. Hehe!
Got the computer on, and went into a Mind-Blank stroke
The day bag had filled quickly again.
I went to the kitchen to get some potatoes in the slow cooker and took these two shots of the view.
I tried to get the Asda (Walmart) bag and label in the shot. They were called Asda Extra Special. Likely Special because some of them were in an especially terrible condition. See above! But, they did give me a moment of pareidoliaing, and I spotted features of a face and bald head on the skin of the spud. Can you see the lips, eyes and an ear in the picture?
Still, it comes!
Got the nibble box topped up.
Pork pies, beef pasties, Mediterranean vegetables, Eurgh-flavourless Moroccan tomatoes,& baguettes.
Turning a little lighter at last as the afternoon went on. Wonderful clouds.
Got the dressing gown to change into later.
This great shot was taken to the left of the kitchenette window.
This one is to the right.



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A LONG DAY…


Morning view.
Through the balcony windows.
Afternoon views.
A few hours later. Bootiful!
Huh!. I missed this shot taken earlier.
I got it within 2 seconds… when I looked at the revealed answer. Hehehe!
The burnt potatoes from the large saucepan.
The mess where things had boiled over.
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Up and about at 05:50hrs:
First, a heavy-duty visit to the Throne was called for, so I sat on the Throne. It soon became apparent that
full charge of this morning’s evacuation operation. I waited for what was obviously going to be a
I could feel the solid torpedo as it crept agonisingly slowly and ever more painfully towards daylight. I got the crossword book and pencil from the floor cabinet and tried the puzzle. Blimey, I was doing well with it.
As I went to get the kettle on for my brew of tasty Glengettie tea, I took this snap of the morning clouds in view from the kitchen.
no idea what I was doing until
As I sat there, I felt the need to return to the Porcelain Throne. Thinking there would be no rush, I didn’t exactly respond immediately. That was a
mistake, and I should have been aware of it with my changing evacuation state. I did not make it to the WC tub in time!
two visits. Life can be such a bugger, can’t it, when one gets older.
cloud face in sky
Time to get some nosh. Vegetable soup will do me.
Another selection of late shots, that are without doubt an absolute Pareidolians Delight.
I put the potato chunks in the oven. They baked up well, nice and crispy, just as I like them. This added a crunch to the soup.
The soup. with its added can of garden peas.
on it. Next, I toyed with the remote control for the bed movements. Not the easiest of things to read in the torchlight. But I had to turn the lights of and use the torch to get into it. I managed to get the top end lower, but now I have the end bit raised up wonder my knees. I’ll see how that goes.
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Dark again.
Motionless.
Carer Christopher called. The little scallywag.
First view with Kodak Tim.
Whoops!
Oh, dear!
The clouds are even more beautiful now.
Later I took another shot of the kitchen sky view.
Still too dark.
Any idiot could work this one out…
Sorry about this…
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clouting of my head on the power box today.
Onwards to the photos.
The wet room farce was over. It looked good after three hours of mayhem and cleaning it up again… and again, and finally, once again this morning.
This is the first 
The day pouch was filling up swiftly today.
My first mug of Glengettie tea of the day.
The postman dropped my Anticoagulation results DVT, INR, and through the letter box. An increase in dosages. It’s a smidge low.
The most amazing cloud formation this evening.
The second mug of Glengettie was enjoyed while I was blogging away merrily. The authenticity of the last bit is dubious.


Better get the nosh prepared… it’s nearly midnight. 
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Dark urine again.
My first effort at shooting the morning view.
I did a better job on the second one.
The waste bags were amalgamated
The early morning J. Sainsbury order arrives. As explained above in the intro. I set about sorting the food delivered. But it was not easy.
Got the Carer & Nurses nibble box filled.
Tomatoes, milk, Leicester cheese, lemon-flavoured yoghourts, and some Jamaican Patties.
DVT nurse and the love of my life, Hristina, arrived and delicately took the blood samples.
Certain that I would not make the same mistakes this month, I pressed on. With just three days left to do, I almost discovered I’d got the wrong dates on three earlier sone ones
The catheter pouch had filled up again.
The afternoon sky.
The front car park.
Filled really quick this time.
Smashing!
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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… 
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 nervously tackle the computer again. It seemed to be working, not the delete button, but the mouse at least scrolled.
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?
Not sure when I took this one. Nice, though.
Took this Kodak Tim shot after washing the pots after the mini feast.