Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 25 June 2023

Diane: I was reading about the smoke around the upper Midwest. Photo of Chicago (where the air quality was 'only' 209 - so not quite as bad as your area) showed a woman in workout clothes striding along the waterfront where you could barely see the buildings just across the inlet. And in Grand Rapids Michigan it was 255 at noon..

Diane - Yes, I have been looking forward to the Conference for several months, and the indifferent food has not marred my enjoyment. Last night there was a repeat of the delicious apple crumble and custard - that makes up for a lot! It's very hard work, but I'm learning a lot and meeting some lovely people. A friend who went home at the weekend kindly lent me a cardigan to wear in the very over-air-conditioned main hall. But the poor lady next to me yesterday was actually shivering, so she had the cardigan ... and I coped with the cold. I have always had a good thermostat and can cope with most situations ... :)

Lindy - I do hope there are no after-effects from your fall. Sounds nasty. Take extra care over the next few days in particular.

The air quality over the Pond sounds dire again. Keep safe, all those affected.

LINDA – I hope you have no delayed aches, bruising, etc. Dear Friend, please be careful – that is not the sort of trip I want to hear about. Thank goodness your OH was nearby.

LYNETTE – Sorry to hear you have been in hospital. I hope the waiting is not too long for your knee.

ANNETTE – I agree – who has time to think when they fall!

DIANE – I’m not sure how bad is “Code purple” but it sounds bad.

Our metro hospitals have had “Code White” declared about twice a week recently. That means there are no beds available for patients admitted to emergency. What do further patients do? Oh, they are “ramped” ie they wait in ambulance outside hospital. . . thus ambulances not available for emergencies and so it goes on.

I have been sitting in the sun in the bay window preparing to sew buttonhole band on to my cardigan. Temp is a balmy 14 C. Perfect for OH’s walk but he is snoozing in his TV chair (stiff neck to come).

Thank you for all the hugs and concern. I did have a split second to think as I fell, Annette, but did not put my hand out to save myself which probably saved me from having a broken wrist! What I thought as I fell was "how near am I to the big garden trough, as I'm a goner if I split my head open!?" Fortunately I missed it by a few inches and fell onto empty paving. My elbow, which I expected to be shattered, is in fact the least damaged, with a small purple bruise even though I only had a thin blouse on.

I went like a bag of potatoes, as they used to say, so was not braced for impact. Perhaps that helped!

Got up in the night & found that my leg won't support me, so hobbled with a stick to the bathroom - thankfully very near. This morning had to enlist my OHs help to get down the stairs! Now resting as can't do much else! My OH half carried me out to the garage to see the new w. machine & hear tips on its operating from The Man who installed it for us & took the old one away. It's now on its third load!!

(My knee is swelling all the time & I'm taking paracetamol for the aching. Not too badly bruised, surprisingly- not a bad thing being well upholstered)

Pat - How kind of you to loan your borrowed cardigan. I can't stand being cold & would have had to find someone warm to hug! At least you say you're enjoying the experience, apart from the cuisine.

AQ -- Thank you - I'm usually ultra careful but it only takes a split second to make an unwise decision. My OH says he's now reviewing the position of the step so that we don't fill cans & then have to climb down from where we have the water butt and the tap.

We also have the problem of ambulances having to wait to put their patients into the care of the hospital and there not being enough teams or ambulances to go out to new calls. Its dire.

LINDA!!!!

PLEASE get that knee checked - if it has continued to swell, there could be a fracture in there which you haven't found -
you say you couldn't walk on it, and I am remembering my broken femuur a few years back. PLEASE get it xrayed somehow!!!

Linybird: I agree with OG - I tore the meniscus in my knee years ago and it didn't start hurting until a day or so later. Very frustrating I know, but best to get it checked out.

LINDY Maybe you should take the advice!! OH was taken by ambulance to Raigmore recently, query heart???? When they got to the hospital he had to wait in the ambulance for 1 1/2 hours. The paramedics said that was nothing out of the ordinary and they often had to wait longer.