Mini Me Update [ 29/07/24 ] : House Move Incoming

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Hey everyone! How’re you doing? I thought I’d check in with a very brief mini-me update as I’ve not been around much recently and unfortunately that’s not going to change for a little while longer yet.

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Immune System Ass Kicking

So, I came down with another flu and chest infection. The latter is a bit of a nuisance as I’ve had several of them over the last few years and permanent lung damage as a result.

Two weeks of antibiotics plus another week of waiting and I still can’t fully kick it, but it’s much better than it was. My breathing is a touch worse anyway as I’ve just changed inhalers. But it’s not all bad. My new inhaler looks a lot like a kid’s Lego creation. 

Ouch! 

The extra coughing and sickness set off another problem in my shoulders/neck, which led to intense continual pain and the inability to move my head. I don’t know if I looked more like a robot or a zombie, but it wasn’t pretty. The latter has now improved and I paid a small fortune to see my private physio again to work out some of the “rock hard” knotted up muscle that’s causing more issues with my dislocating shoulders.

24 hours later and I did my ribs in. Again. It seemed different to before and the feeling was disconcerting so I ended up seeing the GP. Turns out it’s pulled intercostal muscles plus costochonritis, hence why my ribs on the left outer side were so swollen up and very sore to the touch. Naproxen (prescription inflammatories) I already have did the job the reduce the swelling and the doc urged rest to be able to heal the damage. She couldn’t rule out another cracked rib but because the treatment is the same, the NHS won’t X-Ray rib injuries…

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While I’ve tried a little rest here and there, the days since have been pretty much the same as usual. You can’t really get bedrest no matter how close to death’s door you feel when there are things to do and you need to look out for someone else. The timing is sod’s law when we’re moving house in a few weeks’ time… It makes me want to scream, if only I had the energy to.

House Moving Time Incoming! 

It has been a long time coming but we are finally moving home. The last few months have been full of continual phone calls and emails between me, estate agents and solicitors but we’ve finally exchanged and have a move date set for 9th August. My birthday, no less. My birthdays over the last few years have been pretty miserable so at least it’ll be interesting this year, albeit stressful. 

I’ve been doing bits for sorting and packing gradually for what feels like a long time now and I’m still so far behind on it all. I’m acutely aware of how difficult it’s going to be in the final week as so many things can only be done towards the last minute, after all. My mum isn’t too well and her mobility is very limited with her spinal problems amongst other things, and my dad has made the whole situation rather miserable, so moving is very different now compared to when we moved 14 years ago.

I’ve been doing as much as I can with sorting, changing addresses, organising, tidying, cleaning, packing and so on, but it’s on top of everything else. When living with chronic illness, fatigue and chronic pain, even just one of these life to-do-list things is hard enough without seemingly hundreds of them to deal with each day. I’m going to get my parents and myself moved even if it kills me. Famous last words? I hope not, I’m quite looking forward to the new place.

I finished my medical negligence legal case that took years of grief to get through and it was a laughably awful outcome. The settlement figure was a joke too, but at least the timing was right. I’ve given the full settlement to put towards the new house as otherwise my parents’ could never afford it. They ran out of time looking for something more reasonably priced, only to find there isn’t anything. I may be unsure whether I have enough money to actually buy bedroom furniture, but at least I could do this for them and ensure we get a more accessible home in a more peaceful location.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder : No Home Internet

I also just wanted to say we’ve no home Internet for a while, which is certainly a test of patience. Hopefully the new service I’ve arranged will be up and running within a week of arriving at the new house, fingers crossed. Using public wi-fi and some rather naff mobile internet for only a couple of days so far has certainly reinforced how immensely difficult modern day life is without any-time online access. There are so many things you can’t do without it. Requesting medications, banking, emailing the solicitor, using my printer, looking at cute dog photos.

Just as a side note, if you’re looking for a new internet provider, my experience with TalkTalk over the last few years has been so diabolical that I cried when I could finally say I’ve been able to cancel our service with them. Just a thought, you might want to look elsewhere… 

The State Of Our Emergency Healthcare System

I was driving up the road the other day and saw a woman in her 80s lying on the pavement on a day that was surprisingly warm for the UK. There was a gentleman knelt down by her but looking a bit unsure of things. I did a u-turn and came back down to see if they needed any help. Apparently nobody else had stopped and they’d been there a while.

This lovely (truly, just lovely) guy said he’d called for an ambulance and was told it’ll be at least a 3 hour wait. THREE HOURS for an ambulance, on a pavement, baking in the heat that likely caused her collapse in the first place. He couldn’t take her to the hospital because he was driving a construction van and there was no way he could get her up into the high cab.

We helped her up, I brushed off a few leaves as she was covered all over her head and back, and gingerly walked her to my car. Cranking up the AC and sitting down comfortably seemed to help and she said she was already starting to feel a bit better. I drove her home and the gentleman followed us. He got her back inside her place while I stayed in the car to call to cancel the ambulance.

I found an 80-ish y/o lady lying on the pavement earlier, collapsed w/exhaustion. Ambulance wait approx 3hrs! On a pavement, in a #heatwave. Plus several hrs wait @ A&E no doubt. I drove her home. The state of our #NHS is disgraceful. #Health #Cheltenham #Gloucestershire

— InvisiblyMe (@invisiblymeblog) July 19, 2024

111 was pointless and I gave up. 999 wasn’t much better but I got there in the end and managed to get it cancelled. Nobody seemed to care what had happened. Of course this situation could have been much, much worse. She had managed to lower herself to the ground when she felt unwell so she didn’t fall hard and injure herself. If she’d been lying there a further three hours getting dehydrated and suffering heatstroke, the situation would have been very different.

It’s a sad, awful situation with the UK’s NHS. The emergency services do an incredible job but the state of it is just heartbreaking and immensely infuriating. People are suffering – people are dying – because nobody can or will get a grip on the core problems breaking the healthcare system from the inside out.

But it also made me smile to think how wonderful this gentleman was to have stopped, waited with her and even followed us back to her home. I was sorry nobody else stopped to help before I did to drive her, but his kindness and compassion – something we’d like to think we’d see in everyone but sadly we don’t – brightened my day and would have been absolutely priceless for this lady. I’m so glad I stopped to see if I could help that day and I hope more people think to do the same – if possible – and if ever the need arises so we can all look out for each other.

How’ve you been? I hope you’re all keeping as well as possible. I’m sorry I’ve not been online as much but I’ve missed my Wordpress family, so I just want to say thank you for sticking with me if you’re reading this.

Take good care of yourselves 🌻

Caz  ♥

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