Doorstep delivery

Friday 23rd September 2011

At 9am I was sitting waiting for the hand physio to arrive.

At 9.30am I was sitting waiting for the hand physio to arrive.

At 9.45am I was sitting waiting for the hand physio to arrive.

At 10am I was sitting waiting for the hand physio to arrive when a car pulled up outside our house. Could this be her?

The door bell rang so it must be.

“Sorry I'm late Mrs Harper”, she said, as I opened the door, “here, have a packet of cereal.....”

Kellogg’s were doing a doorstep promotion for multi-grain clusters. All you had to do was put out the carrier bag which had been delivered a couple of days ago and you’ll receive a free packet of cereal. I'd wanted to try this new cereal so thought I had nothing to lose.

Normally when patients are issued with splints for carpal tunnel syndrome they have to wear them all the time. As I can't walk with stickies wearing the splint, I've to wear it whenever I go to bed and whenever I'm not walking.

It's going to be a bit of a pain keep taking it off and on whenever I come to move. However I'll give it a go.

Knock on wood

Thursday 22nd September 2011

I had a phone call from the 'Hand' physio. Could she come tomorrow at 9am to fit the wrist strapping to my hand. Happy with that.

Had a visit from two physios from the neuro-physio department.

Boy, it was like pulling teeth explaining to them what my problem was. It took 45 minutes for the penny to drop – no hip and back pain means can't move around very much, which means not burning calories, which means putting on weight.

Once it had finally sunk in as to what the problem was they were great. They showed me some more exercise I could do with my weights and gym ball.

They're going to arrange for me to attend the neuro-gym for some intensive physio.  I'll have to suffer the indignity of going thereby ambulance (or patient transfer service as it's called now).

Oh I can't wait !!!

Can't shake that low feeling

Sunday 18th September 2011

Ever since my birthday I've been feeling really low, and what's annoying, is I can't shake it. 

I've been trying to do things that give me pleasure – knitting, reading, sewing – and nothing is working. I'm conscious that my low mood is affecting John. 

I'm trying to be bright and cheerful but all I seem to do is snap at him. I feel really bad about it. 

John goes back to work tomorrow so I'll be back on my own again, staring at the same four walls.... I don't know who's the most depressed – John or me !!!!!

What a wonderful day

Wednesday 7th September 2011

Today was been one of the best day's I've had since having my hip out.

We had a long lie in which pleased John. Sleep and I aren't speaking so it made no difference what time we got up....

After a leisurely breakfast we headed north to Alnwick to visit Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand bookshops in the UK.

It was a place that both John and myself had wanted to visit, but just never seemed to get round to it. My treasured 1902 edition of 'Mrs Beaton's book of household management' which John bought me a couple of years ago, came from there.

The building is rather usual. It's in part of an old Victorian Railway Station. Given its age, it wasn't really Wizzy friendly. However I was prepared to overlook it as it was a fabulous building.

Two hours, several books and a good credit card workout later we headed South, but just to as far as the Metro Centre where the credit card got yet another workout.

We got back home about 8pm, then after changing into my jim-jams, settled down to a bottle of wine (a special holiday treat as I'm not allowed much alcohol due to my tablets) and spent the rest of the evening browsing through the books I bought at Barters.

Bliss !!!!

Why did this not surprise me?

Thursday 8th September 2011

3.30pm and no Paul from Lloyd's with my prescription. Why did this not surprise me!!!

4.pm came and no Paul.

4.30pm came and guess what, no Paul.

As David Banner used to say in the Incredible Hulk, “don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry”, the Customer from Hell appeared!!!!

I rang Lloyd’s and demanded to speak to the manager. No offence to the other members of staff but they are not paid enough to be shouted at.

I told the manager exactly what had happened and that I was not happy. After putting me on hold she came back a few seconds later.

“I'm really sorry Mrs Harper”, she said, “I can't apologise enough about what has happened. I'll get Paul to deliver them in the morning.
“That's no good”, I replied, “I'm going to be out tomorrow so can't guarantee that I'll be in when Paul comes. Can my husband come and collect it now”.
“Of course”, she said.

Half an hour later John was back from Lloyd's.

“You're not going to believe this”, he said.
John explained that he told the assistant at Lloyds who he was and that he was there to pick up a prescription for me. The assistant had a good look around but couldn't find it.
“We mustn't have it”, she told John.
“That's impossible”, he replied, “my wife has just spoken to your manager and she said they were here to collect”.
“I'll have another look but can't see where they can be as I've checked the usual places”.
She came back to the counter and again said they were not there.
“This is ridiculous”, shouted John.

From the back of the pharmacy a woman dashed out and greeted John.
“MISTER Harper”, she said, “I'm the lady who spoke to your wife. I have her prescription ready for you to sign for”.

Unbelievable!!!!!

The Hand (Wo)Man again

*Apologies for there being no ‘Joint Journal’s for several weeks. A couple of days after I published the last entry my mam was diagnosed with terminal cancer and sadly died on March 7th.*


Tuesday 6th September 2011

Had another appointment to see the Hand (Wo)Man this morning.

“I'm afraid you will have to have surgery after all”, she announced, “because if you don't then you will lose muscle use in your thumb”.

“How bad will that be”, I asked.

“Bad”, she answered.

It never rains but it pours!!!

When we arrived home after being out for most of the day there was a message left on our answer machine. It was from Lloyd’s the chemist. They had lost the prescription script that had been sent over on Friday from my GP’s surgery. Why does that not surprise me?

I rang them back and they explained that not only had they lost my script but they couldn't find any of my details on their computer.

“You must have something”, I exclaimed, “as Paul automatically delivers my items every month”.
“All we can do is arrange another script from your GP”, said the little woman, “however that can't be done until tomorrow as it’s 4.45pm and the prescription line closed at 4”.

I let out a big sigh.

“It'll be ready on Thursday”, she said.
“Thursday”, I cried.
“It takes two days for your GP to arrange a script”, she replied.

As the Customer from Hell I know when to argue and when to simply let it go. The latter was appropriate for today.

“Can Paul deliver my items as normal”, I asked.
“Of course”, she said.

Why do I think I haven't heard the last of this.....?

Personal trainer

Friday 2nd September 2011

Scott who is to become my personal trainer at the Aquatics Centre rang this morning to introduce himself. He was a very cheery and loud person. Full of fun, which is what you need in a personal trainer. I would image there's nothing worse than a boring trainer – where's the motivation....

He explained that as he hadn’t received any paperwork from the neuro-physico department (one of the physico's is supposed to be coming to see me, whenever....) he felt it best to postpone my induction appointment scheduled for next Tuesday.

He wants to read my referral notes thoroughly before starting me on the training programme in case he does more harm than good.

I can see his point. 

A trip to the Eye Infirmary

Thursday 1st September 2011

All day my right eye had been itchy which is a sure sign that I'm getting a cold sore on it. However whenever I'd looked in the mirror I couldn't see any blisters.

While I was waiting for John to come out of the bathroom so we could do our weekly shopping at Morrisons, I had another quick look in the mirror to see if I could find any little tell-tale cold sore blisters.

They were hard to find as they were on the white of my eye, however they were there.....

“Huston. We have a problem”, I said to John when he came out of the bathroom, “I've got a cold sore in my eye”.

“Right”, said John slowly, as he always does when he's thinking.

We both had a think of what best to do in getting me to the eye infirmary.

“We have three options”, I said, “one, we go now and leave the shopping until tomorrow; two, we go shopping, drop off the stuff back here then go; and three we go to the hospital in the morning”.

“OK”, replied John, “so what do you want to do”.

“I'd rather not have option three given that the blisters are actually in the eye”, I explained, “how do you feel about going shopping tomorrow”.

“I don't....”, John replied, “so that leaves just option two. Happy with that”.

We pulled into the Eye Infirmary's car park at 8.50pm. A porter opened the side door for us.

“You may have a long wait”, he said, “as it's rather busy tonight”.

As the receptionist only works office hours, to get any attention you have to knock on the triage door.

A nurse popped her head out of the door, wrote my name down on a bit of paper, then disappeared back into the room.

A couple of minutes later I was called into the triage room. After taking some details I was back into the waiting area. There must have been a dozen people before me. Spending the evening in their A&E wasn't something I had planned to do tonight !!!!

The door into the doctors consultants room opened. “Marie Harper”, called out the doctor. I had only just sat down......

“So what can I do for you”, asked the young lady doctor.

“I've got some cold sores in my eye”, I replied, “I get them quite a bit”.

“Any other medical problems”, she asked.

I looked at John who had come into the consultants room with me and we both laughed.

“Where do I start”, I replied, and gave her a very brief history.

“Poor you!”, she said, after I had finished, “you have been in the wars”.

I was given the usual eye ointment and we were back home at 9.20pm.

The night was still ours....

The return of the back man

Wednesday 31st August 2011

Yet another visit to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

This time it was to see the Back Man. I am to tell him what I already told him back in June about having an operation on my back. The answer is no....

One of the nurses called out my name so I slowly made my way to the nurses station.

“Take this slip down to x-ray”, she said, handing me a white form.

“Why”, I enquired, “I wasn't told the last time I was having any x-rays today”.

She had a look through my notes, “it's for your right hip and right knee”.

“I'm here for my back, not my knee”, I replied.

“Kermit has asked that an x-ray of your right hip and right knee be taken on arrival at your next appointment”, she snapped..

“I'm here to see the Back Man, not Kermit”, I said.

She looked at my notes again, “waiting area two”, she barked.

About twenty minutes later we (my Mam have come with me again as John couldn’t get time off work) were called into the consulting room.

“Good afternoon”, smiled the Back Man as he sat on the consulting room bed, “I've had another look at your MRI scan and I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do for you”.

“But I thought you said you could operate”, replied my Mam.

“I thought that too”, he answered, “but having looked at the MRI scan again there isn't anywhere for the metal rods to be attached to”.

He brought up my MRS scan on the computer, “the rods would go there”, he said, pointing to the discs, “and they would be held into place by putting screws into the hip joint and pelvis. Unfortunately as you don't have a hip joint on your left side, there is nowhere for the screws to attach to”.

I’m just glad I had initially decided against having the operation as it would have been yet another blow if I’d built up my hopes only for them to be dashed again.