How is everyone in the current situation? General Chat

Unfortunately I have had to return to the UK from the beginning of May on health grounds and Tootsy remains in France with my wife...
Miss her like crazy and feeling very sad...
Hopefully I will be able to return to France in the near future after I get myself sorted out..

Regarding my grocery deliveries, they already know that I am vulnerable - they were able to check it through my ID number right from the start. I also have to state the following at the beginning of the notes I put on the order:

"I am in solitary confinement in accordance with the Ministry of Health directive because I am 79 years old, severely disabled and live alone."

But they do not know that I am not vaccinated and to just state that on the notes to the order, without saying why - which can get complicated because many people do not understand why it would be so risky for me even when I explain in detail - could possibly cause problems with delivery drivers not wanting to bring things in for me.

A sign on the door would not be seen when the door is open because the door opens outwards, away from the path or the ramp, so any sign would have to be fixed to the wall next to the door frame, the side nearest to the front of the bungalow. And I do not particularly want nosy kids coming into my yard to read any sign. Nor do I want the fact that I am not vaccinated to be general knowledge, as there is a lot of bad feeling about anti-vaxxers and I do not want to be thought of as one.

I guess there is nothing I can really do about it, is there.

I am so sorry to hear this Andrew and do hope that it is not too serious and that you will recover soon and be able to go home to your wife and Tootsy. I am also sorry that I did not notice this while I was typing my previous comment - I was half way through it when the telephone rang and you must have posted when I was finishing mine.

Makes my minor problems rather inconsequential now.

Sorry to hear you’ve not been well, hopefully you’ll be back home with Tootsy soon.x

@Andrew Sheldon I hope you are able to get the treatment you need and will soon be able to return to your wife and Tootsie. Not easy with the NHS operating at around 25%, but urgent cases do seem to receiving the attention they need. Take care, and keep mithering them if you need to.

@who owns who I hope you continue your slow recovery. It is maddening that a momentary loss of attention can have such long lasting results.

I haven't said much about my own case, but on June 9th last year I stepped back to allow a social distance for a neighbour to pass my dogs. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that I was stepping off a high kerb, so I had a heavy fall onto my knees. As Covid infection was at its highest I chose not to visit A & E, and it was October before I realised that I was not going to get any better. The practice nurse at our doctor's surgery, (doctor, what doctor?), authorised a hip and knee x-ray, but nothing happened until I had a telephone consultation with my rheumatologist in January. I finally got the appointment at the end of Feb. The next problem was getting someone to act on the x-rays, - forward to early May for an examination. It seems that my arthritic hip is much worse and the consultant thinks there may be a fracture, so on Saturday I had MRI scans - almost a year since the original injury.
In the meantime I struggle to walk a mile - a good job my dogs are in double digits!

@Malka I agree with the others. You would be wise to have a sign advising delivery drivers to wear a mask when delivering to you. It is not worth taking the chance when you have such a vulnerable health status.

Oh gosh, everyone, I hope everyone starts feeling better soon. Knock on wood, I haven't had any setbacks this year. The prior few years were a disaster. Tomorrow I do get my neck electrocuted!

It's the radio frequency/medial burn thing they do to the spine for pain. I get the pain in my neck and arm, and I get headaches from it. This year I didn't go in when the pain started coming back due to monetary reasons and because I felt that I would suffer through the pain for a few extra months so someone who couldn't suffer through their pain got an appointment sooner. I got talked to by my doctor about waiting like that, so I won't do it again. I never thought I would look forward to having four needles stuck into my neck and a jolt of electricity shot through me. But the immediate relief from pain is glorious. Last week I had the test done (they use a numbing agent instead of electrocution). Before the doctor had even moved the equipment so I could sit up, I was fully turning my neck to see him.

Malka, rather than stating that you are not innoculated on the sign, simply write something like "This home has contact with non-inoculated persons. For their safety and yours, please wear a mask while you are here."

That gets the point across without focusing it on your health. If someone asks for details just tell them that you don't want anyone to potentially get a mutated virus so you are being extra cautious.

As to posting it, maybe someone can configure a hanger for it so it can stick out from the outside wall for easy viewing.

Just some ideas that might work.

@Andrew Sheldon, I hope you are able to get things sorted out sooner than later and return to Tootsy and your wife. This is the time when you need their comfort more than ever. Best wishes

@CaroleC, I’m very sorry to hear of your accident, and how long you’ve been suffering through pain from it. I hope the doctors come up with a plan that will help relieve your pain, that sounds scary to just now find out you may have fractured something almost a year ago. Keep us posted please.

In my case it wasn’t a momentary lapse of attention, it was my blood pressure dropping when I’d gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I remember feeling extremely dizzy, sitting down, but I woke up crumpled on the floor in the hallway, extremely confused, after falling, out cold, across the hallway and hitting my head on the wall. The front of my shoulders were scrapped too, so I hit the wall with my face and then my shoulders.

@Malka, No need to applogize or feel sorry, at all. You were not being selfish in anyway, so please let go off any feelings like that. I was making an attempt at humor... not sure that it came across the way I intended.

I have had some concern as to how you were doing. I definitely know all to well how much not being able to sleep well throws everything off. I can also relate to the memory issues. I keep a piece of paper on my fridge and write down what time I’ve taken herbs suggested by my acupuncturist, a prescription medication I take as I feel I need it (helps with sleep, anxiety, prescription antihistamine), and anytime I take something for headaches, which I take either ibuprofen or Tylenol. Sometimes I write it down before I take something, sometimes after. The other day, late afternoon I wrote down I’d taken the antihistamine and 2 ibuprofen, but then couldn’t remember if I’d actually taken them. I didn’t remember opening a plastic bottle, or opening a drawer where I keep the other one. It’s a scary feeling.

I’m disheartened to hear there are still issues with that dog next door. Her owners sound completely irresponsible, and Nala might end up paying for that, although it sounds like the authorities are hesitant to do their jobs. You should have every expectation to not have Tikva or yourself being chased, attacked or knocked over by an out of control dog. Would it be possible to get the ninja (I’m sorry his name escapes me at the moment) to go over and give them a talking too?

I am still getting headaches, and they seem more frequent than they were 6 weeks ago, but they usually aren’t too severe. I’m also having some memory issues. I still sometimes have issues with my equilibrium too. I’m not able to work a whole day yet. Maybe 3-4 hours spread out throughout the day, with multiple breaks. If I push too hard I get this feeling in my head and sometimes my feet will feel clumsy. More so the right one. I need to be more diligent in doing all my physical therapy exercises, not just some. I was discharged from physical therapy because they said despite the fact my second major reoccurrence of symptoms was lasting longer than the first reoccurrence, I had all the tools necessary to continue healing. I think it’s partly an insurance thing. Still a little light sensitive but much better than I was. It’s been 5 months now, so I definitely have post concussion syndrome. I will be making an appointment with the doctor again soon. I’m not feeling able to return to work yet, and I will need to find a new job as I got fired from the last one while I was on a two week leave from work ordered by my doctor. I didn’t want to go back anyhow but I’d never been fired before, and if the business had more employees it would have been illegal to fire me, and that law actually changed at the beginning of the year, to fewer employees, so he wouldn’t be able to do that now.

I can’t very well find a new job and then tell them I need a half hour break every hour or so...

Despite all that I’ve been plugging away on various projects, just slowly. The demolition has been done 6 weeks ago. This Wednesday I have a guy coming over to dig out a few stumps with an excavator and than drill some footings with a tractor for the new building. I’ve kept the original foundation and I’m adding onto it.

I’ve got a few more loads to haul to the dump, hopefully only 2. I’ve been 3 times in the past 4 days. I will say that I will never go to the landfill without a mask ever again. Great place to wear one. Previous to that I had a 15 yard dumpster dropped off that I filled up, and that is when I had the more recent reoccurrence of symptoms that hasn’t fulling gone away, and that was 6 weeks ago.

Im trying to remain upbeat and just do what I can, not push too much, but keep doing stuff. Inaction is my enemy. To much action is also. Trying to find the balance

@Toedtoes I have never heard of that method of treating pain, but I am glad you have found something that works for you. Nobody has offered me any pain relief so far - strangely it is the early hours of the morning which are the worst. I am stealing the odd sheet of my OH's prescription medication, and combining that with paracetamol and ibuprofen. Strong pain relief would probably knock me out anyway.
What an unfortunate bunch we all are!
Eddie has been blocking again, so it was back to the vet this morning. He is to have another bowel op on Thursday, (his fifth). This time he will be having cryosurgery, and needs to be starved for an extra day - liquids only - he is not going to like that! Ed is very fit for his thirteen years and I'm sure he will bounce back quickly, and it will good to have him tidy enough to appear in public again.

@Andrew Sheldon, I hope you get well soon and return to your wife and your beloved Tootsy.
Good luck.

I think I had better answer all comments in one place - I hope that is OK.

@CaroleC - I am really sorry to hear about your fall - accidents happen but to have to wait until nearly a year before having scans is terrible, because in the meantime you have probably caused more damage to your already bad hip. So many people have been affected by the lack of and/or delay in getting doctors/hospital appointments/tests and treatments due to the Health Service being so full trying to deal with Covid.

Poor Eddie having to have yet another op for his bowel problems - I can quite imagine how unhappy he will be, being starved for an extra day. Cuddles for both him and Merry from me please. I dread to think how unhappy he

I had a word with Amit about a sign and he thinks it inadvisable as it could cause more problems than it is worth. It seems that every couple of years a new group of a few youngsters decide to play silly boogers. In the past we have had those that play "knock down ginger" - knocking on doors [mostly of the elderly people] late in the evening - or hanging around outside various houses making a racket after it gets dark. The latest that has been happening outside my place is whistling, knowing that it will start Tikva off. It is only maybe five or six boys but Amit reckons that if they see a sign, which they will as it will be under one of my outside lights, they will pull it down - or something.

So I am just going to have to rely on quickly grabbing a mask and putting it on, and do what I have been doing, ie backing as far away as I possibly can.

@Toedtoes - I hope the procedure works and that it helps with your pain. Being able to turn my neck is one of the [unfortunately many] things that I miss - I keep a hand mirror on the shelf next to my table so that I can see what Tikva is doing when she is on the couch behind me!

As I have just said to @CaroleC I have been advised against putting up a sign. It is not as if I get many people here as it is - the only people apart from delivery drivers being Amit, my lovely new doctor when she came about a month ago, and Ram, my vet, who was here last week to give Tikva her Parkworm shot etc. And they have not really been that close to me for more than a couple of minutes.

@who owns who - if I did not have all important things noted as reminders/alerts on my computer, I would be stuck! And I keep a note of out-of-the-norm things on an online diary, just as I started doing for Pereg all those years ago now. Prescription meds and any supplements taken on a regular basis are in weekly pill boxes, different types for different times, ie morning/before and after meals/evening, and those that are prn or are herbal/homeopathic are kept on a shelf in the kitchen. As is a small container which only has six paracetamol [Tylenol], not that I ever take even that amount in a day, and I only add another six when that is empty. I am very careful with all kinds of meds.

I am really sorry that you are still getting headaches and are limited in how much you can day. There is no point in me nagging you again to still take things easy, is there, but please keep listening to your body. If things do not get done then they will have to wait, but I hope you can get an appointment with your doctor soon. As for finding a new job... nothing I can say really that will help you.

As for Nala - I do not want my neighbours to think that I am involved if anything happens to her, so Amit [ninja!] is dealing directly with the Local Authority about that. I’m disheartened to hear there are still issues with that dog next door. The only person who has confronted them directly [apart from them obviously hearing me screech "Nala, lech ha'bayit" - Nala, go home] is Hai from the macolet, who came over the other week when he heard me screaming when she went for me.

- if I have missed anyone - please forgive me.

@CaroleC It's called radiofrequency ablation. It basically burns out the nerves that are sending pain messages to the brain. It doesn't work on all back and neck pain. My doctor recommended it when I started getting headaches for weeks on end in addition to the neck and shoulder pain. Relief can last 6 months to a couple years. I've been getting about a year of relief.

Your hip may feel worse in the morning because of the pressure put on it while you sleep. You might try a pillow between your knees to help hold your hip straight while you sleep.

@Malka glad you talked it over with your doctor about the sign. That makes sense.

Until I got my first treatment, I didn't actually realize how constant my pain was. It never went away completely. After the first treatment, I got up off the table and I was suddenly pain free. When I got in the car to drive home, I realized that I was able to turn my neck instead of my whole torso to look behind the car.

@who owns who I hadn't heard how you got your head injury. That's awful. Hopefully you've resolved the low blood pressure issue at least?

I cannot turn my neck more than a fraction - or bend or straighten my back, due to fused vertebrae - and osteoporosis makes things even worse unfortunately.

Incidentally, Amit is not my doctor - he is a very good friend who looks after me like he looked after his mother, who was my first optician when I came to Israel in 1985. He is a year older than my daughter and has my Power of Attorney [except for financial matters] and deals with things that I cannot, and I trust him implicitly. He is nicknamed The Ninja, or The Yellow Ninja as he frequently turns up on his yellow first responder motorbike!

My doctor's name is Ravit. Olga, our previous doctor, left some time last year - we had a new one [Naomi] but she did not stay very long - obviously being a peripatetic doctor was not to her liking - and now we have Ravit who is lovely and who says she will not be in any hurry to leave.

@Toedtoes, I had been having horrible insomnia and had been to the doctor. We decided together that I should see if taking two weeks off of work helped, and to not try Meds because of previous substance abuse issues (alcohol). It didn’t, and so after another 5 weeks she prescribed me something. That only worked so so, so after a week I was prescribed something else. That caused my blood sugar to go way up so that I was constantly thirsty and peeing literally all the time, so obviously not sleeping. Stopped taking that and went back to first meds for one night. Apparently the combination of being fluid depleted (low blood volume) and going back to the meds dropped my blood pressure. I haven’t taken either of those meds since. I will in the future need to be conscious of meds that could drop my blood pressure, as I already have naturally low blood pressure, still in the healthy range

Oh Carole, whatever are we going to do with you? A&E straight away if ever (which I hope not) it happens again. It must be in the name. My sister Carole had a fall and waited nearly four months in constant pain with her arm before going to the doctors. Fractured wrist which needed a cast to get it right.

On the forgetfulness I can empathise. I have an Amazon Alexa thingymabob that reminds me and my OH half to take meds twice a day. Without it I'd forget and within 5 minutes of taking it I wonder if I actually did. To get over that, we take them immediately the annoying Alexa tells us to so if we can't remember having taken them we just assume

@who owns who I have sleep issues. My doctor prescribed Belsomra. It works very well and I don't get the side effects that occur with other sleep meds. Now that I'm retired, I tend to just go with it. If I don't fall asleep until 4 am, I just sleep later. I never schedule appointments before 1 pm.

When I had a kidney stone, I had to take Flomax. That dropped my naturally low blood pressure even more and I got dizzy spells when getting up, but norhing as bad as yours. I did ask my doctor about the side effects - specifically the "erections lasting 4 hours or more" (I'm female). He said not to worry.

@Malka That sounds awful. I really try not to complain about my pain because I know there are others who have much worse. My pain affects my daily life but isn't debilitating. And I have ways to reduce/eliminate the pain on a fairly long temporary basis.

My doctor gave me a stronger trearment this time. Very sore muscles at the moment. But I know the end result is worth it.