Recent Reading
Sadly, this seems to be the last book in the Mitchell and Markby series. I will try and read some of Ann Granger's other series - I know there are the Inspector Ben Ross books and the Campbell and Carter books; has anyone read any of these and if so what did you think?
This book was good although for some reason I still can't warm to the chief characters in this series.
This was a lovely little booklet - I can really recommend Alex Woodcock's book "King of Dust" it is brilliant.
An interesting Shire book on Medieval Masons - I learnt a lot!
I checked on Amazon and two of my favourite series had new books - I loved both of them :)
I can't stop reading the Hillary Greene books - they are so good even now she is doing a different job. It is yet another series I am going to finish soon! I need to find some new authors!!
I really enjoyed this Inspector Banks book. Another series I am going to miss as there aren't many more left to read!
Garden
The Blue Tit chicks finally fledged - 3 out of the original 6 that hatched. Not brilliant news but better than some attempts in recent years.
The following photos of the garden were all taken by D.
Holly Blue
A new beetle species for the garden. I thought I had identified it but D has since come up with an alternative id so now I am not sure. Will confirm in a future post if I get positive id - may put photo on Twitter and ask for help!
Sage and chives are flowering - so pretty and the bees love them.
Red Campion in the wildflower meadow.
Yellow flag in the bog garden.
In other news I haven't been very well and have had to stay at home to rest my leg. The week before last my ankle, lower leg and foot swelled up. I assumed at first it was due to a side effect of the blood pressure tablets I take as it has happened before but the foot got worse so I had to go and see the GP. She diagnosed cellulitis and gave me pencillin but I also had a blood test as a precaution! To my horror early that evening I received a phone call from her saying that one of the tests was positive and could I go to the medical assessment unit at the local hospital. Well I have a phobia about hospitals and that particular one has bad memories for me for certain events re my family in the past so it was a nightmare.
We were there about 3 hours which I suppose wasn't too bad! Blood pressure taken (sky high no surprise there!), another blood test, ecg. Finally saw a doctor who thought it was cellulitis too but I had to have a blood thinning injection "in case" (they were worried about clots as cellulitis symptoms similar to another condition). I could then go home as I wasn't prepared to wait another 4 hours for more blood tests results! I have to say despite the waiting the staff there were excellent!
I had to go back next day for ultra sound scan of leg - thankfully there were no signs of any clots and then up to what they called the Emergency Day Care Unit for the results to be confirmed by a Dr. We were there over four hours. Another blood test - finally saw a Dr who confirmed there were no clots and doubled my dose of pencillin and gave me 10 days supply - far more than the GP gave me!
My leg is slowly recovering and is now almost back to normal. I had another blood test at the GP's and the only cause of concern is that my sodium levels are borderline and I have to eat a bag of crisps a day! -you couldn't make it up! Another blood test next month to check on that and I have to go back at some stage for another scan of leg to check (I think) that the lymph glands have gone down?
One thing I have learnt is to be grateful for good health when you are well because things like this can strike out of nowhere. I remember B had cellulitis last year but nowhere near this fuss he was just given pencillin although he did see a different GP!
I hope everyone is staying safe and well. Take care.
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 and those by my son with the Canon SX50HS. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if any one wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would appreciate an email first - thanks)
14 comments:
Oh dear, I'm so sorry to read about all the problems with your leg. It sounds just like my experience a couple of years ago, back and forth for scans and ultra sound except in my case it was a blood clot for which I had to take blood thinners and again when it migrated to my lungs twice in the past two years. I'm glad your problem turned out not to be clots and that the penicillin you have been given is working. I hope all will be well again soon. It's good to have colour in the garden and also lots of reading when you have to stay at home. Take care and best wishes:)
Rosie - Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I do remember the problems you have had and I have been thinking about you a lot in the last ten days especially when I was having those tests etc at the hospital. I am so sorry your problem did turn out to be clots and having to take blood thinners. You have my sympathies. Leg still a bit swollen although it looked fine this morning when I woke up - it seems to get worse as day progresses so I am still sitting around a lot hence all that reading! Up until then I had not been reading so much. I will be checking the lists you kindly put up on your blog of books read for some ideas for new authors you have given me so many in the past :) Take care too Rosie as I know you are having a really rough time healthwise at the moment.
I am sorry to hear about your health problems, I hope the treatments get you back to being fit and healthy again.
I can sympathise with visits to medical establishments. Over the last few years I have spent many an hour in them with my mum who turned 91 this year.
CherryPie - Thank you. Swelling now goes completely overnight but seems to come back slightly in the day. So it is hard to do much.
I remember those visits with my mum too - it was somewhat wearing especially queues in outpatients :(
You poor thing! That sounds really nasty. I admit I had never heard of cellulitis so had to google it. I'm sorry you had such a hassle with all the hospital and doctor visits but it's better to be safe than sorry although it can be very worrying waiting to see doctors, not to mention very boring!
So glad you are on the mend and will soon hopefully be able to get out and about and back to the caravan. Take care xx
P.S. Your garden plants look lovely and it's semi good news about the Blue Tits.
Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Cellulitis is nasty believe me makes you feel really unwell too :( I only knew what it was because OH unbelievably had it last year! It was awful in that hospital surrounded by people no-one wearing masks - a horrid experience tbh and I hate hospitals anyway! Wish it would just go away completely fed up - it goes down to normal overnight and then swells a bit the next day.
Thanks re the garden plants.
Sorry about the leg ☹️
At least you got 3 fledged.
Have you tried Andrew Taylor yet?
BTW have you read Veronica Stallwood?
The Quacks of Life - Thanks Pete - wish I could say leg was better. Not as bad but worried about it.
I haven't tried Andrew Taylor or read Veronica Stallwood - off to check them out now on Amazon!!! :)
The lydmouth books for Taylor would be my first for Taylor . The Air that Kills. Stallwood isn't on kindle alas. Have you Ellis Peters Cadfael books?
The Quacks of Life - checked have first Lydmouth book by Taylor on Kindle not read yet. You may have recommended it before? Checked out Stallwood - as you say not on kindle and books look expensive or some of them do. Couldn't find Air that Kills. Haven't got Cadfael books but have added to wish list - thanks Pete.
You have not finished with Hilary yet, there is a new book Murder on the train and it takes place to some where you have been
Billy Blue Eyes - Thank you. That new Hillary book sounds interesting! I have 2 left to read then.
Oh, RR, I'm so sorry to hear about the cellulitis. Like you, I am also a hospital-phobe ... though it often feels as though I'm spending half my life in one, thankfully (usually) as an outpatient ...
Caroline Gill - Thanks so much.
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