For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Friday 11 August 2017

Picking the bones out of Winmarleigh

Thursday walk with Pete - 10th August 2017

An earlier start than usual - I had a follow-up appointment with the orthopaedic guy at Lancaster hospital at 10:05am. A little NHS tip here but it's a bit of a gamble: we turned up about twenty minutes early and I was seen almost straightaway and bundled off for an x-ray. All in all we were out and on our way by 10:30. Mr Kumar was satisfied with my progress but has referred me for a nerve test because my little finger is still numb. I asked him if I may take a photo of my x-ray on the screen on his desk, and although not strictly allowable he agreed to look briefly in the other direction, so here is the ghoulish picture which I have never previously had the chance to peruse at length.


I think the break was where the upper multiple screws are, but it's apparent that it was necessary to screw into the ball joint and profile the two plates to follow the bone's contours. I understand that getting absolutely the correct torque on the screws is critical. I notice that in keeping with backpacking practice "ultralight" plates with holes drilled out for lightness were used.

After all that, and our early start we agreed that a bacon butty had been earned so we drove off to Booths supermarket café in Garstang - for foreigners: Booths is the northern version of Waitrose (said he snobbishly).

We had a pleasant circular walk incorporating the unremarkable village of Winmarleigh; well there is Winmarleigh Hall which has set up a sort of English version of the American "summer camp" where you can get rid of the kids for the summer holidays.

On what I predicted would be quiet country lanes, we were passed several times by life threatening tractors pulling fifteen foot high trailers of silage. Two thirds of our triangle was on single track road with grass growing in the middle, and I soon worked out, later confirmed by a friendly farmer at Ford Green, that the tractors were using a circular route to avoid each other coming the other way on the narrow lanes.

Finishing off at Café Ambio I am sad to report that today, and on our visit last week, their flapjack has taken a downturn. Oats are a principal ingredient, but the quantity seems to have increased, so instead of a pleasant sticky conglomeration we now have something that doesn't bind properly and falls apart, and because of the superfluity of oats one has a more stodgy experience contrasting with the original treacly munchiness. Pete has carrot cake so is not concerned about this problem, but I can see some drastic decision looming here.

School holidays? Problem solved (if you can afford it)

Waiting for Godot.
Below - zoom to foliage for identification please


Start/finish at "19 - spot height" top right - anti-clockwise

9 comments:

  1. Looks like Sycamore to me. Glad that joiner who did your elbow isn't doing my kitchen. Ha

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  2. Gratifying to see Meccano is still being manufactured, the good thing is if you need a replacement Toys'R'Us do a cheap starter pack.
    Hope you have a great trip next week, sorry shouldn't have said that - hope you have a great adventure.

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  3. At your next visit to the cafe, simply ask for some extra treacle?

    I agree with Alan R - those screws look all over the place! I'd ask them to do it again, Conrad, but more tidily.
    ;-)

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  4. Alan R - I just trust that there was some logic in the directions of the various screws - anyway it seems to be holding together.

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    bowlandclimber - Must see if I can get a starter pack to pop in my rucksack before I set off next Tuesday - thanks for the suggestion.
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    alan sloman - I first ended up at Durham hospital and when the surgeon there saw the x-ray he was not sure how to proceed and requested help from the upper-arm experts at Darlington - I'm not surprised - when they spoke to him I was bundled off to Darlington, so, supposedly this was done by experts in the narrow field of upper limb surgery!

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  5. Very good Conrad. Fabulous visibility! Good luck with the resumption of your Big Walk.

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  7. pretty clear now why your extension and flexion is limited and feels 'blocked'
    and I agree that they need to dismantle it and try again - never mind the patient
    but after you complete your expedition
    bon voyage

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  8. gimmer - you must be joking! Extension and radial movement is improving all the time and the physio was pleased with the progress a couple of days ago. All parties agree that it will never get back to normal but some further improvement is most likely, and anyway I'm happy to settle for it as is, but that does not mean I am giving up on exercises that will hopefully gain some further improvement.

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  9. Slightly. Studying the X-rays more closely, it looks very much as though the fracture was a result of the ulna being driven upwards at the elbow and splitting the lower end of the humerus (your medical followers will know the 'correct' terms) - a bit like a wedge into the end of a log - no wonder it (the operation) took so long and the arm to recover.
    Much more than any old fracture.
    Maybe we should all invest in elbow pads as well as knee pads, helmets and . . . - cricket kit could be useful all round - the image arises of you in whites with a bat instead of an ice axe and stumps instead of poles: what would BP have to say !
    Useful when you reach the well-padded southern shires you admire so much - you would merge into the scene like a native.

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