It’s now ten days since the medical profession applied heavyweight medical equipment to some of my more delicate bits. I’m pleased to report that the bleeding has stopped, the swelling has gone and I’m now resigned to the indignity of the catheter. Only five weeks before the replay.
I’ve been doing some thinking about my leg too and with a combination of exercise and stretching it seems to be improving. If I can keep that going I should be back to proper walking by the end of the week.
The only remaining problem was the changing of the leg bag. I haven’t changed one before so I was slightly apprehensive about what might happen. As it turned out there was no problem – everything went without a hitch and I am now connected again.
There was a potential for trouble but I managed to avoid it. Depending on which brand of product you use there are between two and four lengths of tube between catheter and leg bag. The brand issued by the hospital has 4 lengths. They fitted me with a 30cm tube after the operation.
So they obviously gave me 30cm tubes with the kits they sent me home with. Well, you’d think so. Even with a 30cm tube I have to take care how I set things up. The consequences of getting it wrong is that you squeak like a hamster and have to wipe the tears from your eyes.
Fortunately I checked before opening the packets, as the tubes supplied by the hospital and District Nurse are all 10cm. Fortunately I’d ordered the larger of the two sizes available on prescription (a different brand from the hospital supply) so the ones I collected yesterday allow me to walk without trouble.
It’s tempting to launch into a collection of catheter anecdotes (I have a few…) but I will maintain some pretence of good taste. Well, I will after a couple more paragraphs.
My latest scheme is to experiment with food colourings. I’m looking forwards to showing the doctors a bag of lurid-coloured liquid and seeing what they do. Julia is refusing to help with this, but has suggested beetroot. It is, after all, well known for turning urine red. I’m currently taking a proton pump inhibitor as part of my doctor’s crusade to test every sort of pill known to man, and this may prevent the desired result. I also really hate beetroot, which is another drawback.
On the other hand I’m not sure what constitutes a lethal dose of food colouring. It’s the sort of thing you need to know, because although brightly-coloured urine is a joke, food poisoning is no fun.
Beetroot would do it for winding up the doctor, for sure..
The thought of one squeaking like a hamster brought tears to my eyes. 🙂 Hopefully this ordeal will be over with before too long.
Four weeks if I’m lucky… 🙂
I have been taking Lansoprazole for many years because of the side effects of some of my arthritis drugs. I was also put on Ranitidine because of reflux acid and put up with it for a year but had so many really unpleasant side effects from it that I asked to be taken off either it or the Lansoprazole. I was allowed to give up the Ranitidine and am feeling much better. I am also trying to cut out as much sugar as possible which I know is one of the main causes of the reflux. This is a pity because I love cake and pudding. I can’t eat much fruit or salad either. My diet is now extremely boring but the reflux is disappearing slowly. I am sure it would go completely if I could stop worrying about my daughters. I would like to be able to tell you that I am losing weight but sadly I am not. I am struggling to find something else to give up or cut down on to gain a sylph-like figure.
Oh dear, that sounds very frustrating.
They originally put me on Lansoprazole when I was on anti-inflammatories to reduce my finger to a state where they could inject the joint with steroids.
After a break I’m back on it as I’m now taking aspirin. Not happy to be taking a pill to counteract another, but I’d be less impressed by damaging my stomach. 🙁
Hope you will be able to enjoy cake again one day.
So do I!
🙂
Try a liberal dose of turmeric.
Good call – both luminous yellow and good for arthritis! 😉
I use it in my cooking quite a lot.
I must use more, for health as well as winding up doctors.
hello Sir – I could not help but nominate you for a sunshine blogger award in my last post (https://lifeasiinterpret.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/sunshine-blogger-award-nominated-and-nominating/). I thought I would acknowledge how much I like your blog. all the best!
Thank you. 🙂
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Good that you find it easy to grow… wish I could say the same 😉
That’s life isn’t it? 😉
I’m glad you’re taking the opportunity to look for ways of moving ‘scientific’ knowledge forward.
Sorry you don’t like beetroot.
Yes, it’s so easy to grow I would love to like it. 🙂 I may get over it as I push the boundaries of science.
I’m with Julia. Perhaps you could get over your hatred of beetroot. It would be worth the fun.
I’m seriously considering it despite my relationship with satan’s salad veg. It’s too good an opportunity to miss. 🙂
Glad you are feeling better.
Thank you.