Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Needles and Planes
Today has been a day of needles.
Ouch!
This morning I had a Vitamin B12 injection. The nurse went through all my medications and bag equipment and did basic health checks.
Why do they take blood pressure at these times? Injections worry me - and my blood pressure was high. Within a minute it had dropped 20 points. I guess it would have dropped another 20 if she did it again.
I saw that my potassium and calcium levels are now within the range of normal.
I have little pots for samples - again. I shall see the doctor next Wednesday to see if infections might have been halted.
We then went into town - I had sat on my glasses! Last night one of the lenses dropped out completely, but I managed to get that back in.
The man at Spec Savers fixed the looseness and the bend.
And Bill ordered new specs - he followed my lead in wanting non reactor light lenses.
After lunch we both had an appointment with a needle - flu jab time of year.
I was handed an envelope with yet another pot for a sample!
They are really on the ball of keeping up with health checks.
There was also an another envelope for a Monk - Jamie!
I suspect that they felt they ought to check him out as they had not seen him for a long time.
Bill explained that it would be some time yet (if ever) that Jamie would be requiring health advice from them.
Bill, having had one needle felt he should match my two, so we went to the hospital with his blood test form and he had his routine check done - to make sure that methotrexate is not doing damage.
This evening I can feel the flu jab. I always do. My arm will swell a little and a large red patch will appear and the arm will feel tender and sore for a week. But that is better than the flu.
We both said that if we were offered it we would take the swine flu jab.
Maybe Bill will get the protection - methotrexate lowers the immune system.
Work I had planned to do was put to one side when our neighbour, Rose, came round.
So I still have a dining table covered with stock and no more items have been listed on EBay.
The weather is deteriorating now - lots of rain to come they say.
It was raining on the Sunday afternoon of our Kent week - though that was the only rain we saw. We were very fortunate to have picked the good week in October once again.
We chose to visit the museums at Manston.
RAF Manston began operation in 1916 and during both wars there was much activity.
This corner of Kent was nicknamed "Hellfire Alley".
I was brought up to despise war - and quite right too.
But I think it is a shame that I sensed that it was wrong to have any interest in war. The politics of a war are normally beyond me, but the way war has affected the lives of people (on all sides) fascinates me. I appreciate that all sorts of hidden strengths were found by both service personnel and those struggling to survive at home. The tragedies of partings and deaths move me.
The museums looked at all the intricate aspects of war and both Bill and I found things to interest us.
There are 2 museums at Manston. One is dedicated to the Spitfire and Hurricane planes. The other looks at the complete history of RAF Manston - and beyond; the RAF do not now have a base there.
Battle of Britain scene - Hellfire Alley.
Photography in a museum can be difficult. The objects displayed are in an alien environment - a modern building with bright lighting.
We liked these sculptured heads of airmen. There were airmen from each of the countries involved in WW2.
Manston has now been developed as an international airport.
Bill and "his" Chipmunk.
This engine on display also held memories for Bill.
I took this one just so that I could title it "Chocks Away"
A poster which sums up the RAF pilots and crews in Hellfire Alley during the Battle of Britain.
Ouch!
This morning I had a Vitamin B12 injection. The nurse went through all my medications and bag equipment and did basic health checks.
Why do they take blood pressure at these times? Injections worry me - and my blood pressure was high. Within a minute it had dropped 20 points. I guess it would have dropped another 20 if she did it again.
I saw that my potassium and calcium levels are now within the range of normal.
I have little pots for samples - again. I shall see the doctor next Wednesday to see if infections might have been halted.
We then went into town - I had sat on my glasses! Last night one of the lenses dropped out completely, but I managed to get that back in.
The man at Spec Savers fixed the looseness and the bend.
And Bill ordered new specs - he followed my lead in wanting non reactor light lenses.
After lunch we both had an appointment with a needle - flu jab time of year.
I was handed an envelope with yet another pot for a sample!
They are really on the ball of keeping up with health checks.
There was also an another envelope for a Monk - Jamie!
I suspect that they felt they ought to check him out as they had not seen him for a long time.
Bill explained that it would be some time yet (if ever) that Jamie would be requiring health advice from them.
Bill, having had one needle felt he should match my two, so we went to the hospital with his blood test form and he had his routine check done - to make sure that methotrexate is not doing damage.
This evening I can feel the flu jab. I always do. My arm will swell a little and a large red patch will appear and the arm will feel tender and sore for a week. But that is better than the flu.
We both said that if we were offered it we would take the swine flu jab.
Maybe Bill will get the protection - methotrexate lowers the immune system.
Work I had planned to do was put to one side when our neighbour, Rose, came round.
So I still have a dining table covered with stock and no more items have been listed on EBay.
The weather is deteriorating now - lots of rain to come they say.
It was raining on the Sunday afternoon of our Kent week - though that was the only rain we saw. We were very fortunate to have picked the good week in October once again.
We chose to visit the museums at Manston.
RAF Manston began operation in 1916 and during both wars there was much activity.
This corner of Kent was nicknamed "Hellfire Alley".
I was brought up to despise war - and quite right too.
But I think it is a shame that I sensed that it was wrong to have any interest in war. The politics of a war are normally beyond me, but the way war has affected the lives of people (on all sides) fascinates me. I appreciate that all sorts of hidden strengths were found by both service personnel and those struggling to survive at home. The tragedies of partings and deaths move me.
The museums looked at all the intricate aspects of war and both Bill and I found things to interest us.
There are 2 museums at Manston. One is dedicated to the Spitfire and Hurricane planes. The other looks at the complete history of RAF Manston - and beyond; the RAF do not now have a base there.
Battle of Britain scene - Hellfire Alley.
Photography in a museum can be difficult. The objects displayed are in an alien environment - a modern building with bright lighting.
We liked these sculptured heads of airmen. There were airmen from each of the countries involved in WW2.
Manston has now been developed as an international airport.
Some charter companies are opting to use Manston now - and the local paper had articles and letters concerning the fears of local residents about the increase in night flights.
Bill and "his" Chipmunk.
Bill had been a member of the Air Training Corps in his teens and had the opportunity for some flights, amongst other activities.
He went up in a chipmunk.
I think he might have some regrets that National Service ended a few months before he might have been called up - for he would have joined the RAF
This engine on display also held memories for Bill.
He is almost 100% certain that this engine was once housed at Crawley College when they ran apprentice courses in avionics.
He can remember it being removed - with much difficulty.
I took this one just so that I could title it "Chocks Away"
A poster which sums up the RAF pilots and crews in Hellfire Alley during the Battle of Britain.
