photo credit: Opo Terser
I got home from my weekend away on Sunday to discover that my daughter had been bitten on the arm by an insect whilst walking the dog on Saturday.
Considering she didn’t feel a thing it looked very swollen and red - there wasn’t much we could do about it though on a Sunday so a dose of anti-histamine was administered and lets see how it is in the morning…..
Monday morning came and my girl was in a lot of pain - her arm had swollen and there were little blisters appearing.
She was on a late shift at work that day so booked a doctors appointment.
The doctor said “Oh God!” when he saw it which, on reflection, is enough to scare any patient - he then prescribed two different anti biotics and drew a line in biro around the affected area - telling her if the swelling and redness crossed the line she would need intravenous anti-biotics.
On Tuesday morning it seemed a little easier with less redness although the redness had definitely crossed the doctor’s line, in fact the area was going white - my daughter said she would update the doctor but she felt it was improving.
She saw a different doctor who said he thought it had gone past an allergic reaction and that he was going to treat her for cellulitis. He told her to go home and wait for a phone call to arrange for an i.v canula to be inserted and anti biotics to be given through it.
The first pair of nurses came last night fitted the canula, and gave the first dose.
This morning it is still looking swollen and angry and is painful but my daughter says it is not as bad as before pain-wise…..
Hopefully, with district nurses calling twice a day to administer the drugs - she will now start to get better.
To be fair she is more worried about missing work after only a short time at her new job …. that is the least of my worries as you can imagine!!!
Firstly I want to kill the insect …… if it’s not dead already!!!!
And it is!!!
I travelled by coach to my son and daughter-in-law’s house yesterday - still not up to driving very far and am having a lovely time.
I was collected from the coach station last night and taken out for a meal then we went back to their house….
The last time I was here plans were afoot to blitz their back garden and it has now been thoroughly blitzed.
It used to have a lot (and I do mean a lot) of gravel with the occasional hole where a plant had been inserted and a large but very unstable eucalyptus tree near to the perimeter fence. I say unstable because high winds earlier in the year had caused it to bend over to one side - my son had had to use a block and tackle type mechanism to hold it upright.
But, after all Keiron and Emma’s hard work over the past few weeks the garden has been transformed:
The gravel has all gone and beautifully springy grass is in its place. The tree has been re-rooted and weighted down and has a wooden planter surround with seating areas - it really looks nice…..
Apparently a tree surgeon is booked who will come and remove the top of the tree and make it more stable from now on.
Behind the tree is a tiny but very useful raised bed with vegetables growing in it. Emma is very proud of her broccoli plants and the new potatoes and herbs that are growing there.
Nice potatoes Emma!
Opposite the vegetable patch is their new shed (Keiron always wanted his own shed didn’t you babe?)
There are stepping stones in the lawn that go back to the house..
Where the is a border and patio area and many colourful tubs of plants ..
See the little mole here - smiling for the photo…
It really looks lovely ..
Well I think I should get back to my weekend now so I just need to say…
Well done you two - it looks amazing and thank you for my weekend!!!!
I’m the first to admit I am no good at gardening - I can kill a plant without looking.
My lovely Mum was the one who loved messing around in the garden - don’t get me wrong I love to see plants growing and blooming - trouble is I either kill them with kindness or they die anyway!
The flowers on holiday were gorgeous but then all tropical flowers are lovely, vibrant colours and surviving with very little care.
There was one plant out there that grew almost wild - the flowers looked like Livingstone Daisies - opening up in the hot sunshine and showing all different bright colours.
In the very vain hope of getting a piece of this succulent to root I took a stalk off it and brought it home.
It was quite a small piece and with advice off the internet I broke it into smaller pieces and planted it in a pot…
It looked kind of dead when I planted it but I followed my instructions and only gave it water once a week to encourage root growth….
And…..
One of the pieces started to show signs of life,
I was amazed but even more amazed when two days later,
Wow hasn’t it grown?
But then after another two days..
It’s going mad!
And this morning here it is…
By the looks of things I am growing my own green fingers!!!!
Is it only a month since we came back from Tenerife? So much has happened since and this last week was no exception.
The week started with my sister in law ( who lives on Tenerife, and with whom we spent some lovely times during our holiday) having a double heart bypass operation in a hospital in Santa Cruz. She had gone to have her angina investigated, and after investigating the doctors would not let her out without having the bypass. Thank God they found it, and bless her, reports from my brother say she is doing well and hopefully is back at home as I write this…..
Then on Tuesday my steri-strips and dressing were removed - at last I could see exactly what had been done to my elbow.
So now its down to rubbing Bio oil into the scar and trying to desensitise it - its going quite well except I get some strange electric shock type feelings….but no numbness or pins and needles - so obviously it has all worked quite well.
We were very busy at work all week but one day there was a knock on the office door and a young lady stood there clutching a teddy bear. She said it was a raffle prize with all proceeds going to a children’s charity, for a £1 donation I could choose a name from the card and if my choice was correct I would win the bear…… and guess what? ….. I did!
Here he is..
What a surprise - I never win as a rule..
Fuelled with this new found luck - I bought a lottery ticket yesterday, well why not?
My partner and I had spent a happy time planning what we would do if I won … the big prize of course … not just a tenner. Of course this was done safe in the knowledge that I wouldn’t win, not even a tenner but where would we be without our dreams?
Of course I didn’t win but maybe next time?
Today I had planned to get some weeding done but we have had torrential rain with thunder and lightning all day so I have given up on the idea and been playing in the kitchen instead. My daughter is at work and will be home around 4p.m. so a late lunch of Sunday Dinner Pie is on the menu. I’m sure it will look better when it has been cooked.
And hopefully it will taste good too!
Thank goodness I have been blessed (?) with a wicked sense of humour because this week I have needed it.
Not only is my arm very sore after surgery but I have to keep it dry.
I tried having a bath with my arm hanging over the side but it was not a relaxing experience.
My partner suggested wrapping my arm in cling film and having a shower…. I tried it but found I couldn’t use my clingfilmed arm at all because the film, whilst keeping it dry, also kept my arm straight.
My daughter took me to Boots and I purchased this item…
Can you tell what it is yet?
No - it is not a giant condom as suggested by my partner…. it is a shower sleeve - a fantastic invention!
You can use it to cover any limb while showering - even a foot!
It’s very difficult for me to put on - mainly because to tighten the elastic cords at each end requires two hands, but, I used my teeth to pull the cord while my ‘good’ hand pushed the button release. That’s when I started to giggle at how ridiculous I must look!
And, although it’s huge - it works, and I can now shower - so things are looking up!
Is it only 3 weeks ago that we went on holiday - doesn’t time fly!
My daughter and I had a fantastic time in Tenerife, the hotel was lovely and so were the people who worked there..
I’m sure my Spanish improved, particularly with help of this man..
and these guys…
I had a nice birthday and also some special moments with my family who live on the island..
My nephews, Connor and Christian..
and my brother and sister in law -
We got sunburnt together and had meals together…
On our last day we visited them in their house and enjoyed the ‘run up’ to leaving time..
Then it was home and back to work for a week.
My operation was booked for last Monday (11th) and my daughter was due to start her new job round about then (more about that later) but her new employers gave her an extra couple of days to look after me!
So last Monday I had my ulna nerve decompressed in my left elbow.
It was a very different day but I was back home in the afternoon complete with ‘big bandage’…
Note to self - I really must remember to take my watch off on holiday.
It is now Thursday and although I overdid things yesterday and suffered for it - I can honestly say I have not had pins and needles in my little and ring fingers since - first time in over two years.
So on with the recuperation and hopefully back to work soon!
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by Kate on April 23, 2009
photo credit: urbanwoodchuck
Ah isn’t the memory a wonderful thing?
On Tuesday evening my partner and I went to the cinema. This is itself is a bit of an occasion because, to be very frank, there are few new films that we actually want to see.
But ‘The Boat That Rocked’ grabbed our attention, particularly because I had heard Tony Blackburn talking about it on Smooth Radio after he had been to see it.
Pirate radio was a fun, secret pastime for me as a youngster at the time. My little transistor radio would be safely hidden under my pillow until I went to bed, then I could listen to all the ‘new’ music without my parents knowing (?).
For my partner, who is 3 years older than me - it was about meeting his mates and gathering round the radio for some illicit cider drinking and enjoyment of the music.
The film portrayed both of these listening groups and more as it romped through the tale of ‘Radio Rock’, a fictitious pirate radio station, out at sea off the coast of England. It showed the government officials in meetings where they decided that if there wasn’t a law to stop the masses enjoying this pastime, then they would create one. So, nothing’s changed there then!
The music, although it was only excerpts of songs, was fantastic. The clothes were amazing and although the story line was far from real it was a fun packed, laugh out loud film, greatly enjoyed by both of us.
We were still talking about it today ….. and they say that nostalgia’s not what it used to be!!!!!!
photo credit: Son of Groucho
I’m still here!
Having a very busy time at home and at work - trying to get everything done before I go on holiday…. not long to wait now!
And then when I get back I have to have an operation on my elbow so it means doubly getting things sorted ‘cos I will be ‘winged’ (he was going to operate on both at the same time but I said no - for obvious reasons I thought) for a while. I have ‘fizzy’ fingers caused by a trapped nerve that needs re-routing.
So… the garden is looking better - my Mum’s day present from my daughter was new shrubs for the raised bed. They are all in place now and will I am sure look gorgeous when they have ‘taken’. My son’s present was wine - very nice thank you!!!
Also two days before Mum’s day I came home to find these…
and these……
My favourite flowers from my beautiful daughter!!!
As you can see from the photos, through the window, my back garden is mostly patio but there is now a raised flower bed in one corner - there will be photos later but I may need my son to come and take them - he has a good camera and it would be nice to get professional pics before my atrocious gardening skills kill everything off……..
by Kate on March 18, 2009
Well here we all were, happily studying for our Diploma in Child Welfare at Loughborough College between 1970 and 1972.
The question is:
Where are they all now?
by Kate on March 15, 2009
I recently made an online booking for an all inclusive holiday to Tenerife.
I did this last year and spent a lovely week in the hotel in Callao Salvaje, a really nice seaside place where it is not as touristy and manic as many resorts on Tenerife, and as my brother and his young family live close by - it gave my daughter and I quality time with them.
The downside last year was that the holiday included ‘budget flights’ and Ryanair were at their worst. My daughter and I couldn’t sit together and flight personnel were quite rude. I vowed then not to use them again. But booking this latest holiday changed that because my holiday provider chose Ryanair as the carrier.
SO - after discussions with my son during my stay with him this weekend, I decided to upgrade my flights to have ‘priority boarding’ - not expensive, and it gives us a chance of sitting together.
Whilst doing this my son checked the rest of the booking and discovered that we had no baggage allowance booked. We were supposed to go for one week with just hand baggage!
I rang the holiday provider, they said that was correct and to check my tickets as it was down to the airline to work that out - they only booked the flights and hotel!
I have now revised my booking to include priority boarding both ways, 15k baggage allowance for two, both ways and now because we have baggage we have to check in ….. guess what? Yes its another payment, both ways. A total of £65 on top of what I have already paid!
But, worse than all of this would be the embarrassment of arriving at East Midlands Airport and being told that I couldn’t take my case!
So, warning to you - check out your check in allowance very carefully - it may not be what you thought it would be…..
