Well, it seems a long time since I posted a blog.
On Monday 17th August I set off with Jill (my daughter) to drive to Preston for shopping. On the way I felt flu like. By the time I got into a shop in Preston my whole body was a shivering trembling mass. Jill drove me straight back home and I went to bed. On Tuesday I still felt bad but pottered about until I noticed a rash on my ankle. I rang the doc at 4:00pm, saw him at 5:00 and was back home by 5:30 on a course of two different antibiotics. My GP’s diagnosis was erysipelas ( a bacterial infection).
On Monday 17th August I set off with Jill (my daughter) to drive to Preston for shopping. On the way I felt flu like. By the time I got into a shop in Preston my whole body was a shivering trembling mass. Jill drove me straight back home and I went to bed. On Tuesday I still felt bad but pottered about until I noticed a rash on my ankle. I rang the doc at 4:00pm, saw him at 5:00 and was back home by 5:30 on a course of two different antibiotics. My GP’s diagnosis was erysipelas ( a bacterial infection).
The rash continued to spread up my leg and by Friday it looked as though it had been covered with beetroot juice and a blister the size of a ping pong ball had developed on the rear of my calf. I went back to the GP. The blister was lanced. The GP drew an outline of the rash with a biro and told me to contact The Primary Care Trust at the hospital if the rash spread over the weekend. It did.
With assistance from Jill on Sunday evening we went to the PCT at Kendal where the same antibiotics were prescribed, but double the dose, and to be administered intravenously by a team of nurses visiting me at home four times a day. A canula was fitted and I was given the first iv drip – by the time we got home it was nearly midnight.
On Tuesday 18th August I grumbled to one of the nurses that there seemed to be no improvement and nobody had bothered to look at my notes (I was in Kendal hospital about three years ago with a similar affliction on my scalp and face). To give the nurse her due she went back to the PCT and examined my notes and it was discovered that the antibiotic I had been given for the last thirty six hours had been totally ineffective before and I was summoned to return to the PCT. I had to ring Jill at Witherslack Hall School where she was attending a teachers’ training day in advance of her new appointment there which starts in January. We got to the PCT at about 4:00pm and by the time we got home again it was 7:30.
After this the new antibiotic started to take effect. The leg is comfortable whilst elevated but intensely painful to walk on. Yesterday, Friday 28th August the canula in my arm came out and the nurse at lunch time had two valiant attempts to put a new one in, but it seems my veins are not very prominent or user friendly for this procedure, so yet another three hour round trip to the PCT was necessary. The nurse who was supposed to be the wizard at inserting canulas managed at the third attempt.
So it is now Saturday midday and I am typing this waiting for the next nurse visit.
During all this upheaval I ordered a new i Phone and when it arrived I found there was no O2 coverage in this area so it was sent back. Today my new i Pod touch arrived which is a compromise but still a fantastic toy. Jill heard on the grapevine that O2’s exclusivity deal with i Phone expires on 8th October and after that it will be available to other networks. If Vodaphone can supply with a sensible contract I would want to take that up and hopefully sell the i Pod touch on eBay.
Finally I would like to thank Jill for her care and the sacrifice of a large part of her summer holiday in looking after me.
With assistance from Jill on Sunday evening we went to the PCT at Kendal where the same antibiotics were prescribed, but double the dose, and to be administered intravenously by a team of nurses visiting me at home four times a day. A canula was fitted and I was given the first iv drip – by the time we got home it was nearly midnight.
On Tuesday 18th August I grumbled to one of the nurses that there seemed to be no improvement and nobody had bothered to look at my notes (I was in Kendal hospital about three years ago with a similar affliction on my scalp and face). To give the nurse her due she went back to the PCT and examined my notes and it was discovered that the antibiotic I had been given for the last thirty six hours had been totally ineffective before and I was summoned to return to the PCT. I had to ring Jill at Witherslack Hall School where she was attending a teachers’ training day in advance of her new appointment there which starts in January. We got to the PCT at about 4:00pm and by the time we got home again it was 7:30.
After this the new antibiotic started to take effect. The leg is comfortable whilst elevated but intensely painful to walk on. Yesterday, Friday 28th August the canula in my arm came out and the nurse at lunch time had two valiant attempts to put a new one in, but it seems my veins are not very prominent or user friendly for this procedure, so yet another three hour round trip to the PCT was necessary. The nurse who was supposed to be the wizard at inserting canulas managed at the third attempt.
So it is now Saturday midday and I am typing this waiting for the next nurse visit.
During all this upheaval I ordered a new i Phone and when it arrived I found there was no O2 coverage in this area so it was sent back. Today my new i Pod touch arrived which is a compromise but still a fantastic toy. Jill heard on the grapevine that O2’s exclusivity deal with i Phone expires on 8th October and after that it will be available to other networks. If Vodaphone can supply with a sensible contract I would want to take that up and hopefully sell the i Pod touch on eBay.
Finally I would like to thank Jill for her care and the sacrifice of a large part of her summer holiday in looking after me.
