Knees, part 2
Today my knees seemed a bit better - the right one having been giving out under me most of yesterday. So I packed my knitting and a bottle of water (I know about waiting times,) got a taxi round to the local hospital 'Walk In' centre, filled in a form, got seen (for assessment purposes) and told that, effectively, I had 'the wrong sort of injury.'
The Walk In centre is for small-scale traumas, they said. If, for example, in giving out my knee had deposited me on the ground, getting further damaged in the process (not just grazed,) that might have been the 'right kind of injury'.
'For ongoing conditions,' I was told, 'it's best to see your GP.' Yes. Well. Have you tried getting a GP appointment these days? Comes under the 'Miracles take a bit longer' heading!
I came out into the bright sunshine. 'What/where next?' I thought. 'It's far too nice a day to waste just going back home.'
So I ambled, stick moving carefully in time with my right leg, up the road a bit and caught a bus to The Hard. Knees being ok I then ambled round to the Aspex Gallery, where I looked at the ceramics on show, then had a very pleasant lunch out on the patio in the sunshine (having first dead-headed their daffodils. Someone needed to do it.)
Lunch over, it was still too early to go home, and far too nice, so I got another bus to the Queen's Hotel and ambled across the Common. The old name for Southsea Common used to be the Great Morass. It's been, largely, dry and sunny this week, the Common wasn't soggy, as it had been a couple of weeks ago. It did still have a sizeable puddle, kinda decent-sized garden pond size. Had it been a few weeks ago, it would have been full of frogspawn and tadpoles. Perhaps. As 'tis it's slowly drying out.
The Netherlands Circus has left town and there's a fun fair setting up on a similar part of the Common for the Bank Holiday weekend. Whatever else we do, I doubt we'll be going there. 'Too much peoples!'
Then up the slope onto the west end of the Ramparts and a sit down in a semi-sheltered spot, watching the ferries (Isle of Wight and to Brittany) come and go. A large container ship was being double-tugged out, while D43 (a naval Class D ship) was being double-tugged in. Which I thought strange. Surely the Royal Navy should be able to get into port under its own steam? Particularly as the channel there has been dredged to accommodate the new, vast, Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier - which is at least three times as long and wide (probably more.) I dunno, maybe something had happened with the engines.
While there I tried ringing our GP practice to get an appointment. 'Turn up between 8 and 10am or 3 and 5pm to see a member of the Duty Team' (and take your knitting/War and Peace!) I wanted to see 'my' GP cos I want to ask about something we've been working on for a while, as well as the duff knee.
'You can have a phone appointment, that's the only kind of appointment we have at present.'
'When?'
'The first will be 15th May,' which is in fourteen days' time. I took it. Hey, my knee might be well enough to go round if she actually wants to see it.
Since then I've realised that 15th May is a Tuesday, so I may ring up tomorrow and ask them to shift it to 16th May, in the morning. Tuesday mornings might be ok if I was going for a bus/on a bus, but absolutely useless if I'm swimming up and down the baths. Always assuming the knee is up to such activities by then.
The tide came right in, the stiffish sou'easterly breeze dropped and for a few minutes it was just sunny. Then a lighter breeze started from the sou'west. I've often noticed the wind strengthens as the tide comes in, then sometimes drops as it reaches peak tide. I headed back down the slope, back across the Common and, via a couple of buses, back home again. It was a nice out.
The only thing was, having prepared for the Walk In centre, I had no sunscreen with me. Must put some in my bag routinely now. After all, sun is forecast for the next ten days. I really shouldn't catch it more than the once in a while.
Here's hoping the knees are up to supporting me to raid the market tomorrow, we're running low on fruit and veg. For that matter, here's hoping the knees are up to supporting me well into June, cos I reckon it'll be at least that long before anything even starts being done about them. It's still a good service and I'll fight anyone (*looks at the current Minister for Health*) who tries to run them down even further.
Pardon? Yes, Dear Reader, I could go Private, but
a) I'm not sure we have the money,
b) We have already paid, for forty years in the case of H, for such services, and
c) When you're paying for services you're never quite sure whether proceedures are really necessary or they're just being added on to make a bit more money for the proceedure providers. Well, that's what I think anyhow.
So I shall take it easy, rest up, take turmeric (anti-inflamatory) and aspirin (also anti-inflamatory) and paracetamol if it gets too bad. And I shall continue to lose weight*. Not that my knees seem at all grateful for that.
Here's hoping your knees are more cooperative than mine, Dear Reader.
Y'all have a good day now!
*Though I did send my apologies into Our Leader at SW group and ask to be excused this week. It's only an ten minute walk either way, if I go slowly, but I didn't want to upset my knees. And I wanted dinner at a reasonable time!
The Walk In centre is for small-scale traumas, they said. If, for example, in giving out my knee had deposited me on the ground, getting further damaged in the process (not just grazed,) that might have been the 'right kind of injury'.
'For ongoing conditions,' I was told, 'it's best to see your GP.' Yes. Well. Have you tried getting a GP appointment these days? Comes under the 'Miracles take a bit longer' heading!
I came out into the bright sunshine. 'What/where next?' I thought. 'It's far too nice a day to waste just going back home.'
So I ambled, stick moving carefully in time with my right leg, up the road a bit and caught a bus to The Hard. Knees being ok I then ambled round to the Aspex Gallery, where I looked at the ceramics on show, then had a very pleasant lunch out on the patio in the sunshine (having first dead-headed their daffodils. Someone needed to do it.)
Lunch over, it was still too early to go home, and far too nice, so I got another bus to the Queen's Hotel and ambled across the Common. The old name for Southsea Common used to be the Great Morass. It's been, largely, dry and sunny this week, the Common wasn't soggy, as it had been a couple of weeks ago. It did still have a sizeable puddle, kinda decent-sized garden pond size. Had it been a few weeks ago, it would have been full of frogspawn and tadpoles. Perhaps. As 'tis it's slowly drying out.
The Netherlands Circus has left town and there's a fun fair setting up on a similar part of the Common for the Bank Holiday weekend. Whatever else we do, I doubt we'll be going there. 'Too much peoples!'
Then up the slope onto the west end of the Ramparts and a sit down in a semi-sheltered spot, watching the ferries (Isle of Wight and to Brittany) come and go. A large container ship was being double-tugged out, while D43 (a naval Class D ship) was being double-tugged in. Which I thought strange. Surely the Royal Navy should be able to get into port under its own steam? Particularly as the channel there has been dredged to accommodate the new, vast, Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier - which is at least three times as long and wide (probably more.) I dunno, maybe something had happened with the engines.
While there I tried ringing our GP practice to get an appointment. 'Turn up between 8 and 10am or 3 and 5pm to see a member of the Duty Team' (and take your knitting/War and Peace!) I wanted to see 'my' GP cos I want to ask about something we've been working on for a while, as well as the duff knee.
'You can have a phone appointment, that's the only kind of appointment we have at present.'
'When?'
'The first will be 15th May,' which is in fourteen days' time. I took it. Hey, my knee might be well enough to go round if she actually wants to see it.
Since then I've realised that 15th May is a Tuesday, so I may ring up tomorrow and ask them to shift it to 16th May, in the morning. Tuesday mornings might be ok if I was going for a bus/on a bus, but absolutely useless if I'm swimming up and down the baths. Always assuming the knee is up to such activities by then.
The tide came right in, the stiffish sou'easterly breeze dropped and for a few minutes it was just sunny. Then a lighter breeze started from the sou'west. I've often noticed the wind strengthens as the tide comes in, then sometimes drops as it reaches peak tide. I headed back down the slope, back across the Common and, via a couple of buses, back home again. It was a nice out.
The only thing was, having prepared for the Walk In centre, I had no sunscreen with me. Must put some in my bag routinely now. After all, sun is forecast for the next ten days. I really shouldn't catch it more than the once in a while.
Here's hoping the knees are up to supporting me to raid the market tomorrow, we're running low on fruit and veg. For that matter, here's hoping the knees are up to supporting me well into June, cos I reckon it'll be at least that long before anything even starts being done about them. It's still a good service and I'll fight anyone (*looks at the current Minister for Health*) who tries to run them down even further.
Pardon? Yes, Dear Reader, I could go Private, but
a) I'm not sure we have the money,
b) We have already paid, for forty years in the case of H, for such services, and
c) When you're paying for services you're never quite sure whether proceedures are really necessary or they're just being added on to make a bit more money for the proceedure providers. Well, that's what I think anyhow.
So I shall take it easy, rest up, take turmeric (anti-inflamatory) and aspirin (also anti-inflamatory) and paracetamol if it gets too bad. And I shall continue to lose weight*. Not that my knees seem at all grateful for that.
Here's hoping your knees are more cooperative than mine, Dear Reader.
Y'all have a good day now!
*Though I did send my apologies into Our Leader at SW group and ask to be excused this week. It's only an ten minute walk either way, if I go slowly, but I didn't want to upset my knees. And I wanted dinner at a reasonable time!