Into July

 Moving gently into July with a few photos of the wildflower beds at Trentham Gardens.

After getting my blood tested at a local clinic ready for my hospital appointment later this week we popped into the gardens for a coffee and a walk around.  The wildflowers are looking wonderful at the moment.  

I'm hoping that the dosage of medication I am taking can be reduced if the results of the blood test are better.  I was diagnosed with PV (Polycythemia Vera) in August last year,  I know I have to take the medication indefinitely but I would like to taker fewer of them if possible.  

A dear friend of our who has pulmonary fibrosis  says he has become a half day person over the last few years and sometimes I feel the same.  Fatigue overtakes me in the afternoons especially in the hot weather.

Anyway, time to get moving as I have that appointment this morning.  We need to leave earlier than normal to allow for road works and also finding parking at the hospital which is usually quite stressful. All for now.

Harumph!!

The week started off quite well.  The weather was good, washing was drying outside for the first time in ages and we'd managed to get things done in the garden.  By early Monday afternoon we were ready to have a walk around the lake at Trentham.  Just before we left home I went outside to bring the towels in off the line and stupidly left the back door open.  Next thing I knew one of the regular feline visitors to our garden, namely Midge, had got into the conservatory and was challenging one of our cats.  I scooped him up and took him outside - very gently I hasten to add - just as I was putting him down on the side lawn he turned his head and bit deep into my right hand.  Ouch! and Ouch! again. He went through the soft skin between my finger and thumb - I could see through the hole he'd made.  I washed it and applied Savlon and a plaster and off we went on our walk.  By the time we were halfway round my hand had swollen quite a bit and was hurting a lot.  As soon as we got home we rang the surgery and I was told to put a cold compress on it and to come to open surgery the next morning.  Next day my hand was red and tingling as well as swollen.  The doctor gave me a course of  strong antibiotics and I had to go back yesterday for a tetanus booster jab.  In the meantime, on Wednesday morning,  I had to go for an eye test and because I've had laser treatment on my right eye (I had a tear in the membranes at the back) I always have to have one of those tests where they put drops in your eyes to enlarge the pupils. So by yesterday evening I was so miserable with myself - sore swollen hand, aching arm after the jab and blurry eyes which bothered me in the light.

Today things don't seem quite as bad, my sight is restored, the swelling in my hand has gone down slightly and it isn't red anymore but my left arm still aches from the jab and I feel so useless and lethargic.  A day for taking it easy, I think!