Damn It!

For the last few weeks my ankle has been giving me some trouble. I am waiting for an appointment with the podiatrist. [She has a long waiting list.] I know my orthotics need replacing, as I am getting pain from the opposite knee and hip to my damaged ankle.
I have an appointment on Thursday, this time I will ask her roughly how long the orthotics are lasting, and then I can judge better when to request new ones.
Ankle and joint pain from this is being made worse at the mo by the blood problem. I won't explain other than calcium is absolutely necessary for joint and muscle function, and other stuff besides.
Sorry to grumble, but when you used to be as active as I was......this takes a lot of getting used to.

Blue's happy

I got an e-mail this morning from my friend, Blue, in the USA.
The gist of it is that she is happy, she's dog sitting for her cousin. Her cousin has digital cable TV, so can receive the USA channels that air the stuff that is shown on Dave TV in the UK.
Whilst she was here last January we watched a fair bit of Dave as I had only just had an operation on my ankle in December, Blue enjoyed it.

Midori gone to be fixed

Midori is the name of my car, she's was picked up by the accident and repair people yesterday. [She's an MGZR 2ltr diesel turbo, Midori is Japanese for green.]
They left me with a courtesy car, have been told by someone that is a like for like courtesy car, but I don't like it. Blue told me off for complaining about it. I don't like it for one aesthetic reason, it's ugly, but more importantly there are at least two practical reasons I don't like it. The first being the siting of the clutch pedal, the car must be designed for people with small feet as it makes my ankle ache after driving 5 miles, and as I had an operation on my left ankle I think this is an important problem for me. The other thing that I find peculiar is, yes, the car is a five seater, and the rear seat has three full seat belts instead of a lap belt in the centre, and two full ones. But the anchor point for the third one is situated just above the rear screen, to me partially blocking the rear view, and if the rear head restraints are up, they partially block the rear view as well.
I did promise Blue I would try to find some positive things to say about this car, and I will. Cos Blue pointed out, it is a temporary car, and I should be getting Midori back again.
I have already found one positive thing to say about this car. It's really easy to park, but as the wheels are almost at the corners of the car itself, rather than set back down the wing a little, it's hardly surprising. It also has a digital speedometer, which means you can keep a very accurate eye on the speed you are travelling at.

OK! after a drive to have my hair done and legs waxed, I have found something else I quite like about the car. It tells you how economically you are driving, with a MPG readout on the digital display. Plus the "cabin" area is quite roomy, or perhaps that is just one of those things, as the interior is pale grey which could make it feel roomier. The boot space however is very small, although there is a lift up section, with more space beneath.....perhaps the spare wheel is one of the "space saver" ones.

Getting back to normal

Well, On the Thursday after the plaster was taken off, I went for physiotherapy. Every time I go back again he gives me more exercises.
Last time I saw him he asked if I'd managed to go swimming, so that is what I did today. I only did 8 lengths. (Those who read this regularly will know that 8 is only a small amount of what I normally swim, but it's a start.)
Anyway, it feels like I am getting somewhere with my ankle, but I'm not rushing it. I need it to go right and stay right.

Wild waves

Today I set myself a goal. Walk to the supermarket on the prom, to buy their reasonably priced fruit and veg.
Perhaps I should have kept to the more sheltered roads, but there are none to get where I was going.
It was high tide, and the waves were being blown over onto the prom. I love it when it's like that. It was also sunny, so there were rainbows right on the sea edge of the prom, where the water sprayed upwards. I tried to take a photo of the waves, but it doesn't look like I caught them. Will have to upload them onto my PC to look at them properly.
They bounce back off the sea wall, at 90 degrees to the angle they hit the wall, and crash into ones coming it, they then create wonderful "pyramids" of water with frothy crests.
I did the shopping and got back home , tired and happy, glad that I'd walked in more ways than one. Thinking back, it must be at least 6 months since I've managed to walk that distance. The market was just a little too far away for me to walk to.
Guess I'll sleep well tonight. And I think I can say that my ankle is beginning to mend.

Yay! It's Off!

Well, I went yesterday to the hospital.

Firstly I had to go for an X-ray. The wait was about 3/4 hour, they took two.

Then I went to see the consultant's "sidekick". He was happy with the progress and said that he wanted the plaster off, and then he would look at it. I was dreading him saying, "nope, slap another one on"
After Sam and I laughing the time before, I was a little apprehensive at the cast being cut off by the saw doodah. I asked the nurse how it knew not to cut flesh?
She showed me. The blade oscillates, and only cuts hard objects. She showed me that so long as she didn't keep it still it wouldn't cut flesh. She warned me it might tickle. It did, as it vibrates as it cuts. While she was cutting the cast she told me how they used to take them off, and still do in developing countries! They use knives, and just cut into the cast!
However the lightweight casts are much easier to remove she said, as well as being lighter and stronger.
Just as she finished taking the cast off the doctor came. He was very happy with my "progress" and gave me instructions on how I should progress from now.
For now I can walk on it, but I still need crutches for the time being, I have to build up slowly, go to physiotherapy, and DO AS I'M TOLD. I go back in 6 weeks for another check up.

Now the funny bit.

A "colleague" has a habit of earwigging, (eavesdropping,) on other people's conversations, and after probably doing that, he said to someone at work that my operation had gone "disastrously wrong".........Aww! shame...I'll let him live in his fantasy world, then go back and he'll be off with PTSD because of the shock. Can't get rid of me that easily! The others know I'm OK, and NO-ONE has disabused him of his fantasy, so you can tell how well liked he is. At least that made me luagh.
I'm off for my first Physio session on Thursday. Perhaps I'll get tips on how to reduce the swelling, which I think is causing the stiffness. Mind you, I didn't use my ankle for 6 weeks, and for the previous 12 months my foot collapsed, so I have to learn to walk correctly again.

Happy New Year?

I was far to cross yesterday to even think about writing about this.
I've been off work since September with an injury. I was waiting for an operation to "mend" the injury.
Anyway, I had the operation in December, after a long wait.
I thought I had 6 months off on full pay, turns out, no, not unless you have worked for them for 5 years! Otherwise it is a proportion of the time.
So, "Why Happy New Year?" I hear you ask, well yesterday I got my bank statement, and I found out my wage for December was reduced. What a lovely way to find out.
I have been in touch with work and asked them to send me a letter detailing the reduction in my wage, and I'm going to pass this on to my solicitor, as he said he would fight any reduction in pay I got. I didn't realise it would come so soon.
There was smoke coming from my ears yesterday, I was so mad. But....there's nothing I can do about it. I can't go back to work unable to put my foot on the floor. I would constitute a health and safety hazard, especially in the Food Technology Room, and the consultant did not want me to return to work until I have had physiotherapy to ensure I am walking correctly again. If I had a "seated" job, perhaps I could go back soon, but as my job is very mobile, I can't.
That's my moan over now.

Appointments all done

Went for my appointment with the consultant again yesterday. He was running late, so I was in late, didn't ask him about pain relief, but he has put me on the waiting list now,he also sent me for x-rays, there were 4 of them. There was no indication how long I may have to wait.
I went in on the bus, as I didn't want to drive through heavy traffic on my way home, as it would be "rush hour", and I didn't want to put myself through driving in heavy stop-start traffic with my ankle as it is.
Today I'm paying for it, as I have been in pain all day, and haven't been swimming, just been relaxing, either lying down reading my book, or sat on the settee with my foot up.
It's been quiet all day as well, cos Sam has been at Barrow, sorting the bar out there, and now she's working the evening here. She is supposed to be getting the bar in Barrow sorted out, so it can make money, cos by the sounds of things it is only just breaking even.
Edwin isn't back until tomorrow evening, so it's very quiet here.

I am still here

The last few days have been so busy. I haven't had much time to do this.

The masonry on my house has been painted, around the windows. It looks really nice.

I have been helping Oliver get his things gathered together for Uni.

I've also finished off my mini quilt. Sewn a couple of "Viking hats" in fleece fabric.

Filled the book shelf with books from the boxes in the back room. Been swimming twice,and normal household stuff.

And I've been reading.

I have been keeping myself busy cos I've been signed off work, and it will be until I have had my ankle operation, and recovered, so I'm not looking at short term, probably at least 4 months, maybe 6. So I have not got to let myself get bored.

I have a mental list of jobs I want to get done, and am going to work my way through them. (I don't mean the list is a mad list, just that tizn't written down anywhere.)

I have some fabric I want to make into clothes, it would be nice to sit and knit, and have some wool just waiting to be knitted. Also, I intend to make some more quilts. With a view that in the future I will make bedsized ones. (The picture is of the quilt before I quilted and finished it.)

Nervous?

Am writing this before I go to work, cos by the time I have finished tonight I know I will be too tired to do anything.
I know I can't stand all day, and will be exhausted by the time it is time to come home. My ankle is hurting already, and I'm sat here crying. I hate not being able to do what I should be able to do easily.
I might write some more when I come home. Although I think I will go straight to bed after tea.