This was greeted by the wife, with something about an operation, so I asked 'Who, you?', and she said 'No him'. this was the lady I had last seen in hospital. We had spoken a few times on the phone, but every time I had wanted to call it was inconvenient, as she had appointments etc. I complimented her on the fact that she looks and sounds much better, and then heard the story of how her husband had had an emergency operation for a hernia the week before. I'd had no idea. Fortunately the wife has carers in, and they took over, and the family helped as well. We chatted for a while, and I checked that they have enough shopping, and help with shopping, and people for their church were providing meals, so they seemed to be coping, but he cannot drive for 6 weeks.
When I got home looking forward to a nice bowl of soup, husband greeted me with the news that he'd had a phone call from our Daughter's husband to say that she had fallen down some stairs and had injured her ankle, so about turn, pick up the key to her home,and we both got in the car and husband drove up there. I let us in and shouted 'It's the cavalry'. She was lying on the floor, and managed a smile, but was in a lot of pain. She had been rushing to answer the phone over what she thought was a work related problem, and had jumped down the last 2 steps.
Lydia was upstairs having had a nap. We helped Daughter onto the sofa, and I got their first aid kit out and put a crepe bandage over her tights. Hopefully that would give the ankle some support. After a short discussion, it was decided tat I should be the one to take her to our local 'Urgent care' centre, which replaced our A&E. Granddad would look after Lydia and collect Nathaniel from school, as he knew where to go. I helped Daughter to the car, and when I got to the hospital, parked so I could help her in, then re-parked safely.
It was about 1.30 pm when we arrived. I booked her in, no one offered her a wheelchair, so we sat on the fixed seats. Fortunately we found plenty to chat about. There were lots of people waiting. There was a small vending machine, and feeling a bit peckish, I got a packet of crisps. Daughter wanted a Cola and a Kitkat. Later I also bought a longish Tunnocks wafer. At 3.35 pm I approached the desk and asked how long we had to wait for her to be seen, as she hadn't been triaged. I was told she wasn't to be triaged, they only seemed to be triaging the children. There were also 4 people ahead of her. I'm sure that people who arrived after us were seen quicker. I tried to get a hot drink from the vending machine, but all combinations of coins dropped straight through, so I had to settle for a cold drink. Eventually her name was called, and I helped her hobble into the doctor's room. As he removed the bandage, and she removed her tights, the ankle visibly swelled. The Doctor examined her said he thought there was no break, and sent her for an x ray. He told me where I could get a wheelchair, but we found an abandoned one, and I had to pull her rather than push. That didn't do much for my poor back. We waited a while for an x ray, than back to the waiting area to wait for the Doctor.
after a phone call to husband, he was instructed to feed the children pizza from their freezer, and I believe he had the leftovers for a late lunch.
The Doctor pronounced that nothing was broken, just a bad sprain, and then sent us to wait for a tubigrip and some crutches. Whilst waiting we and another family were talking to a chap who had arrived with a very deep cut on his knee. He told us he hadn't noticed it at first, he is a tree feller. He had hit himself with the axe at about 1.30, but hadn't been able to leave the woods for ages as their brand new truck refused to start. The other lady get him some paper towels as he was bleeding through the pad they had given him. Fortunately they took him straight into the treatment room, but we never got to hear how he got rescued from the woods.
Daughter was called in again,and came out with tubigrip,and wielding a pair of crutches. I had to move the car to get her in but we were soon on our way to her home. It must have been around 6 pm when we arrived. We waited for her husband to arrive home, then came home ourselves. The next day her husband had arranged to work from home.
Husband spent part of the morning fixing a new saddle to his bike. He had found the original one too uncomfortable. He had also got me a bike lock but the one he chose was too heavy and bulky,and too expensive. Whilst he was working on the bike, I got mine out, put my helmet on, and rode backwards and forwards between the 2 garages, and round the garage areas. then I walked up the hill, and cycled along the cul de sac. It was easy coming down the hill. My bike has Sturmey Archer gears, I cannot cope with the Shimano, but it took me a while to remember which is the highest and the lowest and when to use them.
On the Wednesday morning I was up early, as daughter wanted to go into work,as she had a course to attend. I drove her over to her workplace, a few miles away, then took Lydia to Sainsbury's with me. Daughter's husband was working from home again, so had taken Nathaniel to school. Husband collected Nathaniel later, and brought him to our home then I drove to pick up Daughter, then back home to collect the children and take them home.
On the Thursday morning we arrived at their home to a bit of chaos. Daughter was suffering pain from being in the office, Lydia was clingy and running a temperature, and Nathaniel had got hold of the calpol bottle, and was busy helping himself when Son in Law found him. Lots had been spilt on the floor, but it was impossible for anyone to work out how much he had taken, so he had to go to the A&E at Watford and be checked. They decided they could manage without us, so we came home and I caught up on some housework.
Later, we drove up to the cycle place up the road and I got a refund on the lock. Then we drove over to the other side of our town where there is a smaller Sainsbury's. I wanted to buy some of the chocolate which is connected to the Christmas advert. Our local Sainsbury's kept selling out. I had found some in the smaller Sainsbury's, which I wanted for gifts, but also wanted some to try. Eureka, they still had some. At first over all over the stores they were selling 5,000 bars an hour, as all of the profit goes to the British legion, it's a worthwhile cause. We bought a couple more things there too.We sampled the chocolate later and it is very nice.
We were nor summoned on the Friday at all, Daughter's husband got up mega early, drove her to work, deposited Nat at school, Lydia at nursery,and worked from home again to try and meet his deadline. At some time during that week I planted yet more bulbs, and someone must have heard me digging, as he turned up looking for worms.
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| Mr cheeky |
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