Hi everyone, how is everyone doing? My last blog was just over a week ago on the Saturday morning. The weekend consisted of pretty much the usual weekend stuff tv, reading and sports. I was keeping it pretty low key as I had a relatively busy week ahead of me. I didn’t get too many steps in and didn’t really bother with the treadmill. I was tempted to go out for a walk on Saturday evening but got a bit too tired and thought better of it. Monday entailed pretty much the same, the number of series links I have alone would fill your day.
Tuesday came along and the busy few days began, I had my hospital appointment but I found out the main doc was isolating, he had phoned me the evening before to make sure a few extra blood tests were done as he didn’t have access to the notes to write it in. I didn’t think much of it at the time, thought he was off and it was just when I was at hospital they mentioned it.
The nurse taking the bloods got the needle in first time and took the samples, it was mentioned about three or four times about the extra bloods that were needed by about four or five different people. While I was keeping the pressure on after to try and prevent the arm bruising, she discovered she was missing a bottle and so we pretty much had to begin again.
There is a good vein on my right arm, it’s small and close to the surface but very reliable. Beside it is a much bigger vein but with all the use over the years it has a callous over it and is prone to moving around quite a bit. Similarly on the left arm there is a lovely big vein but it moves around a LOT and has a quare callous too. I’d say at best the success rate of getting into that vein in one in three, I always warn them about it, but the inexperienced ones always go for it anyway and with them it’s pretty much not going to happen, but I let them do it anyway, they need to learn.
After a couple of failed attempts, they got a more experienced nurse who got it in first time and filled up the one bottle needed. No real surprises with all the counts all pretty stable and doing well. On the Thursday I’m getting a biopsy so the platelets would need to be over 70, if they were lower they would have given me a unit of platelets but as they were 90 odd there was no need for that. There seemed to be a lot of people getting infusions today with the bank holiday the day before as I wasn’t placed in the usual side room I go to and put in the main treatment room instead, bit more of a wait but it’s not like I’m in a rush.
The infusion all went as planned and once finished I went to the loo and then started to make my way out. After the infusions I always end up absolutely freezing and I was shivering so much my jaw pretty much locked up, I sat in the car for a while with the heating blasting until I warmed up. Home and had a bite to eat and a quiet rest of the day.
Wednesday was going to be a long day but I’d been looking forward to it for a while, I wasn’t quite sure how I would do, yesterday I was still going about with my walking stick, which reminds me, when I got home from hospital, I emptied the car of everything, this included the stuff in the boot. I had thought that I would be able to use the walking stick to hook onto the boot door and pull it down but wasn’t able to. I tried and wasn’t going to stretch in case I done something to my back. Just as I was about to go in and get my stepper in the kitchen I noticed someone walking past and asked them if they could pull the door down, thankfully they did and I had a bit of a laugh at myself.
I got up that morning, had a small bite to eat and then into the car and off to Derry to get the car serviced, I could have got it moved closer to home but they were sort of doing me a favour as it had been delayed two months but more importantly, I wanted the adventure. After driving for a while I realised a few of things, it was getting very sunny, I was wearing a winter woolly hat and I didn’t have my walking stick with me. It’s been a long while since I bothered checking the weather and it being warm didn’t really bother me but jointly with wearing a woolly hat seems a bit stupid, I’ve no idea why I wore that hat as I had planned to wear my cap which I had sitting out so I don’t know how I ended up walking out of the house with the winter one on. Similarly with the walking stick, I had it sitting out to take but just didn’t pick it up.
Neither things really mattered in reality and not having the walking stick was a step in the right direction. Getting there in the car was grand and the back didn’t play up at all. I waited there for the service to be done and so I just sat and read for a while and then a look around the showroom, nothing much to see though, a few vans which if I was to get a new car I’d probably go for but I’m more than happy with the one I have at the moment and should last me a few more years at least.
Service was all good with no issues, after, although very much out of the way I decided I’d go to Portrush and possibly get an ice-cream, which I’d regret later, prrt. I got there and it was surprisingly busy. Obviously a lovely sunny day people are going to go to the beach. Got a spot to park at Ramore Head and walked up the hill towards the town centre but round the back/upper road to avoid people and down the steps to the loos. I was thinking of getting a bite to eat in Indigo Café but I had left my mask in the car and couldn’t be bothered going back and getting it or going to the café and not having the mask. I quite like wearing the mask, it doesn’t bother me, but then I always wore a snood/neck warmer anyway so not too much of a difference. After the loo I went towards the harbour but cut off up the hill using the footpath at the road, round the street at the tennis courts and back to the car park. Got my ice-cream, medium for only £1.50 was surprised it was so cheap and was quite large and most importantly it was lovely. Went and had a seat and watched over the East Strand.
Annoyingly there was a group close by that was feeding the gulls and they were all swooping down and flying around. We were close to the café there too which I’m sure they weren’t too pleased about either. Bloody idiots. Once I’d finished I went back to the car and home.
I was surprised at how well I was able to manage, not only without the stick but in general, it wasn’t a massive walk but it was definitely the longest walk outside that I’ve had in maybe a year or even longer. It was nice but not exactly relaxing, I’m still quite tense and stiff but that will ease in time. Fresh air though and a bit of an adventure.
That evening I did feel a little rough, again similar to the last few times I’ve went out and it’s been a lovely day, I seem to get used to the warmth and then sitting around in the evening I get a tension headache and the heat in me stays centralized and my arms and legs get cold. The house isn’t cold it’s sitting about 20 degrees and I could just stick on the heating but I don’t think it would help.
Thursday I had a Tesco collection and called round to my parents for a short while and off to hospital for a biopsy of a thing I’ve had on my head for at least a couple of years. It may have been there longer but with my fringe moving further back, pretty much the top of my neck now, it’s much more obvious. It scabs over and falls off, leaves an indent, scabs over falls off leaves an indent. Pretty much does this every couple of weeks. It had scabbed up and was very tempting to pick off but I was doing my best not to and of course on Tuesday it fell off itself, there was still enough there for them to get the sample they were after.
My tinnitus was really bad with being in the car the day before and the room was a bit echoey, the nurse and doc/surgeon, not sure how to refer to them… the two people were talking over each other a bit and hard to hear properly. All went grand though and ended up with a couple of stitches where they took the sample. Phoned the GP to get an appointment the following week to get them removed but had to wait until 3 or 4 days prior before I could book it. Seems a bit silly but I can only imagine it’s something to do with covid and they want it to be as close to the booked day as possible so if there are any symptoms they can prevent you coming in.
Seen the most atrocious driver I’d seen in a long time, I was in the car park just facing the Cancer Centre and they overshot the turn to go up the ramp from the disabled parking to the first floor and literally kept just going back and forward without changing the angle of the steering wheel, finally they thought oh if I turn it this way when I reverse then the other to go forward, I might actually make it up. I kept my distance from them as that is a two-lane ramp and getting out the exit is much tighter. They surprisingly got in to the exit ok. I say ok but only to reach the machine to put the card in. If they went forward, they would have hit the rail with the side of the car… but they mustn’t have paid or lost their card or something cause they were pressing the button to speak to someone rather than just putting in the card.
I did leave them plenty of space for them to reverse out but I wasn’t taking any chances and put on the reversing lights, the woman behind me moved back and I did too to give even more space. Eventually they realised they couldn’t get out and reversed and drove off somewhere, I then quickly went to the machine and got out before I seen them again. Shocking they are allowed to drive.
Gradually as the evening went on, I noticed where they took the biopsy was getting more and more sensitive. I watched Clash and Wrath of the Titans in 3d with the newer projector, I was very impressed with it and wish more things were in 3d like tv and sports, would be great. When I leaned back and put my head on the pillow it moved where the biopsy was taken and was a fair bit tender, this was pretty much how the whole night went when trying to sleep. Any pressure on the back of the head or if I moved it put a bit of pressure on the cut and, not exactly sore but definitely an unpleasantness. I’m sure this will settle in time.
On Friday I took it easy, doctors orders for a few days and I started playing Final Fantasy VII Remake, I’ve been meaning to for ages but just haven’t. Now that I have, I’ve completely got sucked into it and really enjoying it. I always enjoy getting zapped into things and been a while since something like this. Pretty much the whole weekend was taken up with playing that and some tv, not much reading and fewer films too.
On Sunday morning I remembered about the Covid jab and still hadn’t any word back about it. The hospital doctor got a nurse to talk to me about where to get it, which I knew how to do but the GP told me to get advice on it which I assumed would have been more than just where to get it but meh. I thought since they aren’t getting back to me I may as well go over and maybe get some advice there or just get it. It was at Queens and when I went the nurse I was speaking to on Tuesday was there so she was the one to give me the jab. Didn’t even notice it going in and had to wait around for a while after and then went on home.
Apart from the arm being a bit tender and a tension headache, the tension headache I had that morning before getting it anyway, all is pretty normal. The rest of the day was spent on the PS4 and finally to bed, head is still a little tender but is gradually easing.
Got some great news from a friend that morning too, as precisely what we were talking about at the time too this sentence is for you. The rest of you can all wonder what it is.
Now that it’s Monday morning I’m going to have another quiet day, I might, very much might try a go on the bike and see how I do, I think the main problem will be getting on and off and the stopping. My back is still pretty tight but the aches have settled a hell of a lot. Still get the odd niggle but it’s very much bearable. I don’t want to do anything that’s going to trigger it. I’ve had enough of being sore and would just like a day were I can be asked “how are you today?” and genuinely reply and say “I’m ok” and actually mean it. I don’t think it’s far off now.