Monday 18th March 2019
Maori:Ā RÄhina 18 o Maehe 2019
23:45hrs. There was obluctation from the body when the brain told me to get up. Not because of the ailments, just a general reluctance to rise and face whatever the day held for me. I didn’t move for a few minutes, despite a wee-wee demanding me to.
I pondered: The visit today for the blood test, must get some work done on sorting out the kitchen, I’ll take a walk to the Mary Potter Health Clinic to make sure I know where it is and the layout for Thursday’s Leg Ulcer appointment. Buy some bread. Don’t forget to take the nibble treats for the medical staff. The shower tiles need cleaning… thankfully, many of these brave, but rejectionable ideas faded, and I rose to get the wee-wee tended to. Hardly needed to have bothered, it was just a weak trickle.
I had a check of the pins (legs) while in the wet room. The knees looked better than they have for ages. The remnant of the leg ulcer had cleared up even more, and the fluid retention has gone down a lot. Tsk! I’m going to look a right clot when I go to the centre on Thursday, with legs that will look like there is nothing wrong with them!
The mind was a little vague this morning, concentrating was not easy. Off to the kitchen to do the Health Checks.
Where I found last nights medicine pot with the tablets still inside, I’d missed taking them. Klutz! I just imbibed the Warfarin and Magnesium along with the morning doses.
Made a brew of tea, and got on with updating yesterday’s blog. Finished, I sent it off to WordPress.
Visited the Porcelain Throne. A somewhat reluctant evacuation, still a messy one though. Read a bit of the Victoria Wood biography while I waited for the movement.
Got the ablutions sorted out. Although the legs looked less blown-up, it was another battle to lift the still heavy things enough to get the PPs and socks on?Ā Made sure the HC readings and INR Dose sheet were in the pocket.
I thought I’d have a hobble into town after the limp to Carrington and the Doctors. I took the second Medications, in case I am not home in time. Checked that the nibbles were already in the bag.
08:06hrs: I set off out into the not too bad looking morning, dropping off the bag of recyclables near the caretaker’s door.
Made my way thr
ough the maze of works on Chestnut Way.
The spirits sank an iota when a Paramedic Response car came on site, passed me by and went to Woodthorpe Court!
I pressed a smidge despondently along to the end of the Way and turned right down Winchester Street.
The sky looked to me, to be beautiful if a tad threatening.
I walked down the hill, with the mind having one of its storming sessions. Worries, fears, hopes, needs all fighting each other to get prominence of place in my poor demented brain’s acknowledgement department, that was struggling to cope before the brainstorm began! Huh! I certainly did not want to put up with conceptualising, or even recognising my problems at that moment!
I got an immediate release from the worries when I got onto Mansfield Road and began to walk up the hill. An uncaring, antisocial, inconsiderate, antagonistic, indifferent, animal of a Nottinghamian Pavement Cyclist passed by far too close-to-me, and sped off, weaving around other pedestrians at speed. The scumbag was probably unaware of the results of his threatening and illegal (but no one is interested) actions affected others. Fehl!
A
couple of hundred yards further up the hill, and another Scumbag Nottinghamian Pavement Cyclist flew by me.I’m afraid this one got to me, he was even closer to hitting me, and let out a verbal utterance, “Go forth and multiply!” but using fewer words. Luckily, I was wise enough to speak in a voice that ensured he could not hear me, just to avoid the fit young man doing so, and knocking the-hell out of me. Hehe! I was momentarily cheered when I saw the car pulling out of a driveway, and immediately prayed that it would hit the primate riding the bike. But, no such luck! Tsk!
Over the brow of the hill and down the hill into Carrington. I got in the Sherringham Park Medical Practice, and being in plenty of time for what I thought was my 09:00hrs appointment, and, having hobbled there in less than 55 minutes, I felt almost proud of myself and adopted my ‘Smug-Mode!’
The look the young receptionist gave me, you know, that sort of sideways glance, assisted by the unspoken,Ā ‘Poor old fart’, expression! Followed by her sympathetic sounding words; “Oh, Mr Chambers, you will have a long wait, your appointment isn’t until 0950hrs with Nurse Ann!” As the realisation that I’d boobed again sank in, I found myself replying, nonchalantly, “No problem, I have my crossword book with me”. I smiled weakly, as the self-chastising words in my head burst forth, making me feel such a fool. A right Schlub!
I got seated and doing the puzzles. But only for about five minutes or so, and my beloved Nurse Nichole arrived and called out my name. She had seen my name come up when I logged in at the reception on the computer, and her next patient had not yet arrived, so she could hurriedly fit me in for the blood taking, to save me waiting.Ā Now, this kind of lovely action brought me back to a much better mood! How thoughtful she is ā„. She took the blood in record time, still managing to natter to me a little, which was also appreciated. I asked her about the name of the thing I have to ask for at the Mary Potter Leg- Ulcer Clinic on Thursday. It was a ‘Glide’. I handed out the nibbles, and thanked everyone, and departed. Setting off on the second and longest part of the marathon hobble, into the city.
Just by the traffic island junction with Gregory Boulevard, I spotted some new life forcing its way through in the hedging. Bootiful!
As I tackled the steepest part of Mansfield Road, passing the Rock Cemetery, the feet, not the legs, began to become my most painful problem. Gawd, they were stinging, even the toes! But I did nit at this time regret making the marathon hobble. I felt with my not getting any decent walks in for ages, it was needed. It was only the plates-of-meat that complained about it.Ā Hehe!
I veered off down Huntingdon Street and called in the Lidl store. Where I bought a Melton Mowbray pork pie, German-Smoked cooked meat, part-baked sourdough baguettes, chicken thighs and remembered to get some cornflakes this time. Paid the lady at the checkout, and left to go on a walk-about to take some photographs of the older parts of Nottingham. But the feet objected, so I changed plans, and made my way directly towards the L9 bus stop on Queen Street.
I swear the toosies were getting so bad now, I must have looked like aright cripple to anyone watching me. Wish I’d taken the stick with me now… but that’s me all over, wishing I had done something different. Humph!
As I limped by the end of Clinton Street, I had never seen so few people walking through it in my life ever! It looked rather sad, really.
I ambled along Upper Parliament Street, and many Nottinghamian Pavement Cyclists were spotted. But taking any photographicalisation would have meant stopping and starting walking again, and I thought the feet would not like this. Oh, dearie me, they were playing up! That should teach me not to miss having walks regularly whenever I can.
I was the only passenger to get on the L9 bus. IT felt a smidge eerie, cause usually there would be a good few others waiting, including some of the Winwood Heights residents, but not today.
At the Victoria Centre bus stop, about twelve did get one, including Elizabeth from the flats. We had a little chinwag, and she told me off for doing the walking, and not demanding better service from the medical people. A right character she is, we all love her to bits.
Arriving back at the flats, with my feet not being in good condition, I got off of the bus last, so as not to delay anyone who might be in need of a wee-wee, up. Haha!
Lizzie had shot off ahead by the time I got off. But I gritted my teeth at the pain and managed to take these photographs as I hobbled on and caught up with her. Note the proximity of the roller near the barriers that form our old folk’s temporary footpath, complete with metal legs as obstacles to trip over and the lack of room. Just thought I’d mention it.
We had a good laugh and chinwag and moan en route and in the lift. I like the colour of Elizabeth’s coat. Said our farewells as I got off and Lizzie went up another floor to her flat.
I got in the apartment and set about doing my best to ease the pain from the feet. What a good idea, I thought!
If you had seen the performance in my trying to apply the Surgical Spirit to the feet, you would have thought of a scene from ‘Faulty Towers’ or ‘Some Mother Do Have Them”. I probably went through much more pain applying the mixture, as any pain it might have eased on the feet! In fact, I had to use the picker-upperer stick to affect where I could not reachĀ (which was about 90% of the limbs), I ended up cutting a toe with the edge of the grabber! I spent over an hour doing it, and felt much worse than when I started the job!Ā What a Schmuck of a Zeyde!
My body, mind, concentration and outlook faded fast. I did the Health Checks and took the medication, and got the nosh prepared while I was still awake. The weariness increased abruptly. Humph!
The meal was made up of two flat-bottomed buttered tomato cobs, Marmite crisps and cheese buttons, yellow and orange mini-tomatoes, chicken thighs and the last of the mini-chicken sausages. I enjoyed the flavour of this effort, but the tiredness and exhaustion I felt, meant I did not eat it all.
In fact, I fell asleep eating it, waking up some hours later. Moved the amazingly unspilt tray to the side, and drifted off again. Zzz!
As my uhtceare about the dream faded, a rather violent rumbling and grumbling from the innards, convinced me to escape the Ā£300 second-hand recliner with all 
haste and get to the wet room. (Knocked my leg ulcer against the corner of the ottoman, in doing so, Humph!)
I made a start on this blog before I forgot all that had occurred. Then went on to updating the Saturday post. Got it finished and sent off. 
Got the plate served up, got comfy in the Ā£300 second-hand recliner and started to imbibe the meal. 
23:45hrs. I woke up with the brain in confusion. The regular rampage of fears, embarrassments, and uncertainties kaleidoscoping around harassing my mind, like a nubivagant bird in turbulent skies. Determined, 
I operated the lift button on the Ā£300, second-hand, ci1968 rickety recliner, it worked on the third press, and as I stood up, the smarting sole of the left foot was so tender, it made me jump and I toppled-over onto the foot-ottoman! After extracting my lumbering jelly-mould-stomached body from the footrest, I had a feel around for any injuries. Apart from a bit of scraped skin and a small blue bruise already coming up on the shin, all looked and felt well. My embarrassment and frustration were not. Hehehe! 
I limped to the kitchen to get the kettle on. I opened the unwanted unliked new window, with its glass I can’t access for cleaning and its view-blocking, light stopping thick frames, and took this picture, while I waited for the kettle to boil. 
I checked the pins. It looked like the leg-ulcer really was making a comeback. It seemed to be getting redder than it was last night. The tingling and itchiness are getting stronger. Still, maybe this will not be a bad thing if it does return. Then I will have something to show the staff at theĀ Mary Potter Health Centre, instead of just photographs of what it looked like eight weeks ago when I first visited my Doctor, and she took a swab, and said ‘In about two weeks you will hear from the Health Centre with an appointment for them to look at it. The little fibber, her! Hahaha! 
The resulting figures seemed okay to me, apart from the increase in weight. I’ve never been heavier in my life! I hoped this was just due to fluid retention, but I don’t know. 
Fodder readied. The mini-chicken-sausages and potato mini-hash-balls were delightful. The highlight of this meal was the seasoned baked beans, though. Here is my recipe (using canned beans in tomato juice). Seasoning: half a teaspoon of demerara sugar, generously poured over distilled vinegar, mustard and two big spoonfuls of Chinese sweet & sour sauce! Mix the added ingredients and leave to marinate, stirring occasionally. When you get the saucepan on the heat, keep the heat on low, but for a long time. I did mine for forty-minutes on the lowest setting, then, just before dishing it out, I turned up the heat, and stayed watching over it and stirring all the time. (From the best selling, Inchcock Craddock Cookery Ideas. Hahaha!) Bootiful! 9.2/10.
Off to the wet room, in need of the Porcelain Throne. I soon found out that the boil that is coming up on the inner thigh, had been joined by another one or more, they were tender and sore, on the posterior (The poetry comes free, Hehehe!) 
However, it was another easy evacuation for me, no bleeding from the rear, only from the boil, or whatever it is, gave me any pain. I checked out the pins (legs). They were a little bloated, some of the papsules and pot-marks seemed to have done a runner, with one new one appearing. No, two, I just spotted the bottom one.
Then I did the second set of Health Checks early. I caught sight of a mini-rainbow on the horizon and opened the unwanted hard to clean, light and view-blocking new window, to take this photograph of it. Not as awe-inspiring or large as rainbows in other parts of the world, but a rarity here. A bit like common sense and logicality are rare in Inchcock and politicians in the UK.
I heard a lot of mechanical commotion as snapped the rainbow, so I bravely (given the last few days Accifauxpa record using them!) got the stepladders out, so that I could take this picture straight down, of the busy-bees working below. 
I went out to the bus stop, and the others joined me and those already at the stop. 
When I got off of the L9 on Front Street in Arnold, I crossed the road and went straight i
Went to check the legs out. 
Although the flavour and taste were grand, and a worthy 8/10 rating, I’d made too much. I ended up eating only about a third of it, but I enjoyed what I did consume. 
Went to made a brew, and poured it out. As I was taking a photo of the evening sky, the dreaded wet and warm feeling came from the PPs Protection Pants. 
So, I made another mug of Glengettie tea and took a second picture of the view. 
Getting my oversized stomach with its balloon-like fluid-filled, rock-hard legs out of the ci1968 second-hand, rickety recliner was not so comfortable this morning, but I managed it. The legs, particularly the knees, although not as bloated as they have been, were so stiff and showed great reluctance and disinclination to allow me to move or bend them, but, eager-enthusiasm to inflict pain on me when I tried to. After gingerly getting to my feet, both soles were tender when I tried to walk, but walk I had to, only a few paces mind, to the EGPWWB (Emergency Grey Plastic Wee-wee Bucket). The following leak was of the SSDWW (Short-Sensationless-Dribbling-wee-wee) mode. 
A check of the pinsĀ (legs) revealed far less wrinkling and gnarling of the knees, but I think another leg-ulcer might be coming on. Another SSDWW was needed to be taken. I reckon the overnight fluid increase in the legs might be the reason for the less mangled knees?
Aha! Something looking a little better with the results from the sphygmomanometer this time, eh? Although the drop in the Dia with such a low Sys is confusing to me. 
I pressed on with the updating of the diary. 
forgotten how to do it. We both gave on the task! Haha!
spring closer for me on the end window after I’d taken photos of the workers below. I hope the emergency services don’t need to get down to Woodthorpe Court in a hurry!
for us, while he gobbled one of my black tomatoes down his gullet! Hehe! 
I decided on some Texan Style sausages, a baguette, and a fancy tomato for my nosh. With a fresh orange juice and a naughty Limoncello.
I even had to empty the bucket. Which was when I checked the legs when had a wash and got into the night attire. 
I was going to open the unwanted light & view blocking window, to take aĀ picture of the rain that was accompanying the gale force winds blasting head-on into the building. But when I went up the stepladder to open them, the wind was so strong it blew the window in and rapped me on my left knuckle as I closed it again. Humph, good start to the day that! Did the Health Checks. 
was flowing blood all over the place. Crickey, this is not good! After getting things cleaned up, and partially stopping the lesion bleeding. 
I took a photograph of the legs back in the kitchen. It might sound odd, even for me, but the first time I looked at this photograph when I downloaded it later, I thought for a moment that the EIBWBBBs (Evil Ironclad Boll-Weevil black biting beetles) had left some eggs in my legs and they were coming out of hibernation under the skin! There were that many new tiny blotches appeared that looked the same shape as the weevils do. Haha! A bit of reddening here and there gave the pins a bit of colour for a change.
I made a start on this post. Hearing the moaning winds, I thought I’d get a photo from the new unwanted balcony. When I got out onto the shell, the gaps in between the windows ensured that it was windy, wet and uncomfortable in there. I realised that reflections could not be avoided, but did my bestest to take a shot of the rain-soaked scenery. 
Back to the computer, it was going again now, but rather jittery. The Ocado order arrived. The fancy tomatoes, planned to go on my vegetable and tomato sarnies for dinner, looked different and attractive. The Sicilian green and some Spanish Blacks. 
The highly decorated and attractive looking foyer had suffered from things being blown in with the very extreme winds every time the doors are opened. 
Then, I got the sarnies made, a different variation today. The mushrooms, onions and turnips went well with the tomato sandwiches. 
Last Health Checks were done. 
I had to laugh at my self; I must admit, waking up and moving straight away, enforced by the demand for the Porcelain Throne needs, was almost comical. Following last night’s Accifauxpa with the stepladder, there were not many parts of my 
The sys and Dia were down a bit. Most noticeable was the fall in temperature, though, it’s tumbling down so far, this week. Monday: 34.8Ā°- 34.7Ā°-34.6Ā° this morning, 34.2Ā°, If this keeps on, I’ll mention it to someone at the surgery or call 111 and ask if this is okay. 
Then went on the WordPress Reader. 
That lies somewhere between the twilight zone and a wormhole slipping through a tear in the fabric of outerĀ 
I got the clothes, there were not many of them, into the airing cupboard and topped the tea up with a drop of boiling water, and got back on the computer to update things. 
I rubbed some pain-gel on the arm and took this picture. Showing Cavendish Rise, in the rain. I was somewhat satisfied with how this one came out. 
ci1968 recliner, and listened to some Acker Bilk and Ken Colyer jazz on CD. 
00:05hrs. I woke, in what I can only describe as with a stinking attitude and demeanour. It had to be said! It was as if someone else was controlling my thoughts. And those were a mixed bag of fears and apprehensiveness, littered with feelings of sybylline foreboding.Ā Naturally, I hoped these sensations would go away. Which they did later.
Went to make a brew, an discovered that the fridge-freezer had developed a concerning noise. A sort of faint cough (Splutt), followed immediately by a dull clunk-clunk! It reminded me of a similar sound that the hot-water-geyser gave out in the flat I was living in around 1966. The one I got thrown out of, due to the amorous attentions of the landladies daughter. Humph! 
Then got the ablutions tended to. Too early to use the waste chute when I left. But I did take down a white bag of recyclables and put it near the caretaker’s door. Walked along Chestnut Way to the end and stopped, turning back to take this picture of the Windwood Heights complex. The weather was looking a bit gloomy, a nip in the air, too.
But, I was feeling so good at getting out and about after such a long time. I got a move on to keep off the cold, faster than I should have really, cause Back-Pain-Brenda kicked off before I got to the bottom of Winchester Street. Tsk! 
By the time I got near the top of the hill, the traffic was beginning to build up. 
Brenda was bothering me.Ā Good, this is!Ā 
A few hundred yards from the surgery, I came across this piece of Nottinghamian Street Art. 
subject of masonry ignited such passion. Yet the explosion of interest that surrounded the Tate Gallery’s exhibition of US artist Carl Andre’s Equivalent VIII, better known as The Bricks, triggered a national debate. Purchased by the Tate for Ā£2,297 in 1972 and exhibited!” 
Out to the bus stop to get to Sherwood, and I swear it was even colder out now. 
reliving sad memories, as I stood to wait for the bus. But the daydreaming didn’t last long, thanks to a lady who trod on my corn foot as she entered the shelter. The sky with its fast-moving clouds looked beautiful.
schmooze and laugh with her. 
I had a go at sorting the bottom cupboard out again. But the fluid in the legs stopped this activity within minutes; the bending was just too painful.
I did the last Health Checks and got the nosh serv
01:05hrs. When I woke, I found it hard to believe how long I had slept for, considering all the hours I nodded off for yesterday. At least I was in a slightly better mood with myself this morning. The self-depreciation had eased off a bit, and I thought today might bring forth a better frame of mind and less anguish. My thoughts were still Farmisht, but for some reason, I was living with them more comfortably?Ā Probably, most likely, due to my defeatist relinquishing and renouncing of any hopes of improvement in my sepulchral, bleak existence. 
Especially after I checked the legs. The gnarling of the knees had lessened, they were both of the sameish colour, though they had moved positions again. Ha-ha!
I rang Jane back and although still a struggle to hear everything she commanded and lambasted me for, at least we didn’t lose the connection this time. During this telephone-chinwag, I discovered I was overeating, too much bread and must cut-it-out. The buses being cut-back will make me walk further and be good for me. And… oh, I’ve forgotten the last telling off subject…Ā Hahaha! 
Got the nosh served up, such as it was. 
As I was getting my horrendously over-stomach-burdened blobby-body from the Ā£300 second-hand ci 1968 recliner, I was still in a state of dwaal, and made a right mess of getting up on my feet! I got up and caught my balance okay. In fact, I felt a little pleased with the ease in which I had achieved this! (A mistake that, I soon realised!) As the first step was taken, I felt something crunch as I stood on it with my besocked right foot. I’d trodden on and broken my second favourite pen. Annoyed with myself, I unthinkingly bent down a little too quickly to pick up the pieces… had a Dizzy Dennis visit, went down on my knees with the right patella landing on top of the plastic bits, and bruising the already dodgy knee, and simultaneously cracking my elbow against the corner of the Ottoman. (I actually stayed down on the floor for a few moments, selecting expletives to use later on this diary!)Ā Not a great abecedarian to the day!Ā What a doddery old Schlub!Ā 
I had a rare moment of deep thinking. Having missed a few Warfarin doses this last ten days or so. I decided to have an Enoxaparin injection to boost things.Ā 
Then got some brekkers sorted out. I had one of the French made soft baguettes left from last nights nosh. 