Christmas, Health, and the Future.

Monday 8th February.

Hello people, yes I know its been a while since I last wrote, but I'm here now.
Firstly let me wish everyone a belated happy and hopefully Healthy New Year.  

Well, talk about 'the best laid plans'.... My last post was written on Tuesday before Christmas, well the next morning, (Wednesday), I was woken with excruciating pain in the left leg and it turned out I had developed a DVT in the left groin. An ambulance took me to Burton hospital who then sent me to Stoke on Trent hospital where I spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning being injected with clot busting drugs whilst trying to keep my left leg elevated. 

I'm not one to whinge and moan in hospital, I think that generaly the majority of nursing staff do a good job sometimes under a great deal of pressure, but by lunchtime on Christmas eve I had had enough and insisted on being discharged and allowed to return home to Bracken.

Over the next couple of weeks I injected myself daily and gradually regained the use of my left leg, in fact now I'm more or less back to how I was before the DVT. I now have to take Warfarin daily thats an anticoagulant, (stops the blood clotting) to hopefully prevent any more DVT's  fingers crossed!

I also have to go for regular blood tests to check the INR (thats the rate of clotting).

Now you are probably thinking what a terrible Christmas I must have had? Well to be honest I had a lovely Christmas!! Mainly down to my Sister Jenny who was an absolute diamond, and there are not enough words to describe how grateful I am to her. She not only changed her plans for Christmas to look after me but came up to Bracken and finished cooking our Christmas dinner.

Graham and Jaq also came up Christmas morning for an hour or so, so all in all I had a lovely Christmas!

Jenny  also ferried me to and fro to various hospitals until I was able to drive myself again, I don't know what I would have done without her.
I should also like to thank Rod and Sue from Narrow-boat Clara (next mooring to me), they were aboard their boat over Christmas and New Year and popped in regularly to make sure I was ok, and also my good friend Paul, ( next door but one) who also popped in to check on me.
Thanks people I really appreciated your help.

Tuesday 9th February.

Hello again, 

I had to attend Burton hospital today for a blood test. What a nightmare trying to find somewhere to park within 'hobbling' distance of the main entrance! The car parks were full to bursting with queues of cars gridlocking the entrances and exits! Eventually we found a space where some nice person was just about to vacate so we dived in! I say 'we' because Jenny came with me as chief navigator.

Having parked up we then made our way to the blood test department only to find it absolutely full. They were attending to number 11 ticket holder when we entered and I was given number 36 so only 25 people in front of me! Good job I wasn't planning on going anywhere I thought. Now I have to wait for a phone call to tell me whether to alter the dosage of Warfarin or continue as I am.

I'm glad I dont have to inject myself anymore, The injections had to be into the stomach area so after 14 days my stomach was a mass of bruises!

I thought I'd publish some photos in case my readers were getting bored with all the hospital talk, so here we go..........

My bestest little sis cooking Christmas dinner on Bracken.

Number one Sister in Law Jaqi

Bestest Bro, with HAIR!

House sparrow.

Tree Sparrow.

Mrs Moorhen, up the tree as usual.

Coal Tit (I think) or might be a Great Tit.

As far as the engine is concerned, I am waiting for RCR (River, Canal Rescue) to get back to me with prices for supplying and fitting a second hand BMC engine (with warranty. They've been out and assessed the job and given me a rough estimate. Now I'm just waiting for firm figures and to give them the go ahead.

I did the majority of the work myself on the fitting of the present engine and I really don't want to do it again so I'm going to let someone else do the work this time and with a warranty on the replacement I should have some peace of mind.