30/05/22 Blood Pressure

After several years of stability around 120/70, give or take, I've been getting some rather higher readings over the last few days. I had my BP taken several times a day when I was in hospital recently, and nobody seemed very worried about it then. The only thing that's changed since then is that I've got myself completely off morphine (an almost completely off paracetamol as well). Ankle/leg oedema is bad again. I feel I should contact my GP - much luck with that these days! Think I'll start a diary tomorrow and let that run for a few days first.

On the other hand, one of my two home BP machines has just indicated a desire for new batteries, which might explain a lot...

28/05/22 Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

Or is it a blunt stick, I'm never sure and a little searching suggests little to choose between the two versions? Anyway, had a letter from AXA today with the  promise of a refund on my 2022/23 premium. The logic is hard to follow but the main point seems to be that because of COVID they paid out less in claims than exacted so we the customers were overcharged. I'm due for £111 back which doesn't make much of a hole in the amount AXA extort from me every year, but better than...

It was a nice day and the roads will be very restricted over the weekend because of a huge London & Essex bike event, so went to Hatfield Heath for brunch at the Village Tearoom. Took the old lightweight three-wheeled walker which is OK on smooth pavements etc. but hopelesws on rough grass, as on the Green:

It still being a very nice day when we got back, took the scooter out for a trip around the local triangle. 

All OK apart from a bit of misjudgement turning right out of the drive. There was a big white truck just visible coming from the right rather faster than I judged. Also, my max speed was set low for going over the gravel and I didn't turn it up when I got off the gravel and onto the pavement just before our dropped kerb. The result was that I got across with time to spare, but less of it than I should have had. Several lessons to be learned from that.

Here's a bit of life on the open road:

After that, Pill Organisation which now seems more complicated than before although there are a lot fewer meds. And doing my best to get through the pain attacks (mainly left shoulder) without reaching for a fast-acting morphine capsule. These bursts of pain do pass, if I wait long enough.Slow release morphine now down to one a day, or none, rather tan two a day as at first.

27/05/22 Follow-up

Yesterday's first problem was an Uber driver who parked in the middle of the road a hundred yards away. Apparently he was "looking for his hands-free". Whether he found it or not, he spent most  of the drive on the phone in a language neither of us could recognise. And when we got close to the target, it became clear that he didn't recognise the name of the Shard or have any idea of what it looks like. How can you be taxi-driver in London without knowing an iconic landmark that can be seen from half the city?

Anyway, we got there in the end and in time. Mr.Ib was pleased with progress, and we left with a DVD  of images from the surgery.. As usual there's quite a learning curve withe viewer that comes along with the images, and to put it mildly I haven't exactly mastered it yet. But here is one image showing my neck and the robot lining up the screws:

He was quite positive about returning to driving in a few weeks, and that of course will mean a return to boules. The sooner the better for my "mental health"!

26/05/22 Back to the Shard

Later today, back to the London Bridge Hospital, or the part of it that occupies the bottom two floors of the Shard for an early afternoon follow-up appointment with my surgeon. Considering that it will cost us something in the area of 100 GBP to get there and back, I hope we'll get a fair bit of his time!

24/05/22 Physiotherapist

Huge relief to be free of that dressing on Day 14, and to have a shower without having to worry about getting it wet!

Physio appointment yesterday, concentrating on head position. This one is really good - almost good  enough to ,make me revise my opinion of physios in general. Romanian, 23 years over here. Later today, the chiropodist cometh. Essex born and bred...

23/05/22 Small improvements, and cutting back on the pills

Again, very little new. The myeloma remains in full remission as far as I know. The neck continues to improve, although rather unevenly. Walking gets better daily but the retreat of the tingling and return of sensation in my fingers seems to have hit a block - no change there for several days. I'm doing the physio exercises and neck mobility generally and particularly neck rotation side-to side is definitely getting better. That's particularly pleasing because I was warned I might lose the ability to turn my head altogether.

Otherwise, a couple of short trips out, tea in the (sunny) garden, celebrating a significant birthday for Sue. And - a bit more good news - starting to lower my daily intake of opiates. Still on two slow-release ones twice a day but cutting back on the fast-acting ones - only two yesterday instead of the usual four. So my aim by the end of the week is to get off those altogether. Then the slow-release ones, then the ibuprofen, then the paracetamol...

Later today, the physiotherapist returns, and we intend to take the dressing off an let the air into the wound. Fingers crossed for that looking ok!

20/05/22 And the winner is......

The Private Sector!!

The "expensive" dressing provided by my private hospital survived its first shower perfectly, even though I took no particular care to "keep it dry".  And it did the same again just an hour or two ago. But the NHS one started to peel off after just one shower despite taking all reasonable precautions including not washing the back of my head and neck.

Here's the current state of the wound:

As for the myeloma, it's still in remission. As far as I know...