Tag: Doctors

Heatwaves and temperature crashes.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The highest temperature recorded in the town’s history, was how the temperature of Port Augusta was described. The  “Official Temperature”was recorded as 48.9c but the temperature monitor in the center of the town recorded 52.6c. Here, my monitor recorded a temperature of 43c as did the monitor of a friend in another part of town, yet the “Official Temperature” only recorded 37c.

Well, Hi There, yáll.

Part of the local legend and conspiracy theory is that  in the early days of the town, the temperature of the area was “adjusted”  so as not to discourage people from coming here. It was advertised as having a “Mediterranean Climate” although off-hand I can’t think of many places in that area that experience temperatures of 40+C. Anyway, the higher temperatures meant  lower and sometimes, no wind. I  thought this was great and suitably attired,  I managed to get almost all of the leaves swept up. Didn’t bode well for my plants despite the  daily watering and monitoring. It’s also been a busy week in that I have had three medical appointment that were  unplanned. What I mean by that is that doctor called and said he wanted certain tests for Annabell and I  took her for these. And a call that he wanted to see her – that’s later on this morning.

Still and Calm

Last night it was suddenly quite mild and Benji and me visited the Wetlands  and had a good walk around the place. The thing I found surprising is that despite the coolness of the evening, there were not very many people about. I was, however, disappointed to discover that the Wetlands Kiosk was closed. I would have thought it would have remained open late, which would attract more people to the area in the mild evenings. There was not a breath of  wind in the air. The water of the ponds were still and calm – sort of like me, really – still and calm — Yeah in my dreams!

Today – Friday – the wind came back, the temperature fell to the low 20s and we had a few spots of rain – so few spots I think it was scared to show its face after being away for so long.  The heat, is some parts of the state and the country, only served to exacerbate the drought, pushing our farmers further into depression. Many of my plants did not survive and I did have concerns with my young Mulberry Tree, but it seems to come through ok – as far as I can tell.

Walk at 6:10am.

I was hoping to go through to the Port this week and then on to Quorn Hospital but all these doctor dates with Annabell kind of knocked that on the head. She is ok otherwise. She coped reasonably well with the high temperatures this last week and we are going to look at replacing the Air Conditioner in her room with a reverse cycle Air Conditioner. It will give her more control to regulate the temperature to what is comfortable for her. I took Benji out for a walk this morning and it was – as they say -“Fresh”. In fact it was so fresh that I was sorry I had put on only a light jacket – and yes, that’s how far the temperatures have fallen. Sort of giving us a breather before the heatwave forecast for next week. Today, and tomorrow  I have  fundraising days for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This will take up much of the day. Fortunately it’s not a hot day – I think about 24c. We should be ok today and the team out tomorrow should have about the same,

Getting it from both ends!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Just Because
Just Because

The operation went quite well. I say quite well because things didn’t go according to plan. Apparently there was a lot more damage than they thought and I ended up with a lot more done than had been intended. They discovered several bone fragments there  so all of that had to be repaired. I am in bed at home and having difficulty walking – although today I did take Benji for a walk. With my sticks we walked down the hallway into the sitting room, and then back to my bedroom. I was fair exhausted. I have given instructions to Annabell that if I ever again feel that I would like the fairly mild pain to be replaced by an operation and a pain that required pain killers and the inability to walk for a time – I just want her to introduce my brain to a 4 x 2. She says a few days and the pain will go and the need for sticks will  be gone and I can get back to being normal again – well what passes as normal for me.  Benji sits down at the end of the bed keeping guard – making sure that WaWa or her mistress don’t attack me. Annabell brings in the ice pack – in a towel – and Benji sits up and moves towards her. I grab him. Oh he doesn’t harm her or even growl,  he just uses his snout to push her away from me.

 

The entrance to the new part of the hospital
The entrance to the new part of the hospital

The upgraded hospital opened last year at a cost of $60 million. In contrast, the Adelaide Money Pit AKA The New Royal Adelaide Hospital, is the third most expensive building on the planet and costing over $2.5 Billion not even considering the massive delays, problems, cost blowouts and  now probably wont be opened until  sometime next year – September/October is being touted. I have nothing but praise for our people and our hospital. Calvary  have begun construction of a new state-of-the art private hospital in Adelaide and the joke is that the new Calvary Hospital will probably be up and running before the new RAH is opened. The Premier didn’t think that comment was funny.

Easy had a birthday last week and both Benji and I wished him well. I have no idea when Benji’s birthday is but I have decided that his birthday will be the day I  brought him home from Mount Gambier to his new family – the day I adopted him. Seems to me that this is as good a day as any.As I said I missed Easy’s birthday but  Benji and the WaWa hope to be able to attend the  Tea Pawty that Christmas in holding next week.  By the looks of things this is going to be a case of previous years when I had both male and female dogs – Chienne and the Man – this time I think it’s going to be Benji and the WaWa. I would really like  Sooah to come back but with the state of the economy here in South Australia, I really don’t see it happening – which is quite sad really, she is a lovely young lady. After discussions with Annabell we decided that we really cannot do anything with the WaWa until after October because there is still the chance that Sooah may return. After that we will start the process of changing ownership.

Monday and after a quiet weekend the first of the bandages  will come off tomorrow. Provided everything is ok we will remove the second bandage when Annabell comes back from her Coffee Morning on Wednesday. I think the removal of the outer bandages should allow me a greater degree of flexibility and movement and I am quite looking forward to that.Annabell is out for two days at her coffee evening and morning so I have a little time to myself – well me and the dogs, but that’s cool.  You know, I think medical professionals can be very thoughtless at times. Here I am recovering from knee surgery and my cardiologist decided that this would be a really good time for me to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours – a heart monitor at one end, recovering from a knee operation at the other – sleep has not come easy these last few days   :o)  – Yes, you have to smile!!  It’s either that or sneak off and cry in some corner..

Field Days. Shows and Hospitals

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Royal Adelaide Show

royal Adelaide Show

Mid-July and August are the traditional “Show or Field Days” period.  I think for America it would be about equal to the State / Local Fair. The Royal Adelaide Show is about on the same par as your State Fair.  We have just completed the Eyre Peninsula Field days in which we exhibited the  RFDS Aircraft Simulator. This  brought a lot of interest and has really proved a great way to bring the work of the RFDS closer to the people. It helps to give them more understanding and adds to what they already know about the RFDS and how it operates. We have had people come into the simulator and tell us that they have been in an aircraft but didn’t know much about it at the time.  I had one lady who pointed to the  Humidicrib and told her daughter that she spent the first hours of her life in one very similar. Not that the last weeks or jaunts out of town have been associated with the RFDS but I just thought I would mention it since they are just about over and  the simulator is on its way back to Adelaide. I Believe it will be a feature at the Royal Adelaide Show.

After a long hard look at the little we have managed to do regarding the vine and associated garbage, we came to the conclusion that our little brush cutters are not really making much of an impression. That being so we called in the services of a gardener  and with his better tools, he believes he can have it all out and the ground cleared within half a day. His price to do the job was fairly reasonable.

I was at a fundraiser for the RFDS last night and I have another one this morning and I have to honestly say that for the first time ever, I really don’t feel like it. I think all this running around is starting to catch up with me. That, plus the ton of paperwork that I need to catch up on. The paperwork can be done in fairly short order -it just needs time to get it done..

Can't you let me sleep in peace??
Can’t you let me sleep in peace??

It’s still cold so the dogs have been sleeping in my room at night. I came home from the fundraiser, put the fire on and brought the dogs in. The man curled up on the  second bed with foam underneath it and went to sleep. Chienne did her usual wandering about before she settled down. They slept through until 6am when I got up. They both had their sticks – I hand fed The Man – then  they went back to sleep. Half their luck!! Opps, he’s snoring. Never heard him snore before. Must be having a good sleep.

It’s been over a week since I last looked at this and I am pleased to say that the vine and the other stuff has been cleared – well the plant stuff that is.  What we discovered underneath everything is that the previous owner – or even before that – had used it as a rubbish deposit. There is just so much garbage behind the garage that he will need to fill a trailer and get it all to the dump – old tyres and metal of all descriptions.   It will take a trailer to clear it away before he can even start the new fence.

Most of the paperwork I have completed and have started to catch up on everything. I still think I will continue my “Sabbatical” for another week, or at least a couple of more days before  I allow myself to be out of the house. I have one more serious piece of paperwork to get done and I will do that over the next two nights. Actually I have written the paper just need to sort out a couple of things before I send it off.

Oh the joys of it all. Took Herself to the hospital to see her diabetes person and she recorded a blood pressure reading of 230/90. The Practitioner came   out to see me and suggested that we go from the hospital to see her doctor – the hospital will phone ahead. Well, did this and her BP was 235/90. Of course, Herself just can’t see what all the fuss is about because she feels perfectly well. Brought her home then took her to the hospital today and her BP was 156/90, which is fairly good. However, Dr. is concerned so he is sending

Says it all, really
Says it all, really

her for an ultrasound. So much for my quiet, recovering days. Oh well….

 

 

 

Motorways and a GPS

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Was at the doctor yesterday and the Warfarin is playing up and  the  doctor required that I take him for blood tests. I think it’s all that iced tea that he’s drinking. We get the results in the morning.  On  Thursday I head off back to Adelaide and should be on my way home Thursday afternoon. If I get the opportunity I would like to stop off at Bunnings and look for some additional fencing as well as a few other odds and ends. I may stay overnight ( actually I probably will) and spend some time in town before starting off for home. I have done it in the past and  I am not so keen these days to drive almost 900 klms  in a day. I have seen the day when we drove to Adelaide, went shopping and drove back in the evening, but  these days, a trip to Adelaide is an overnight stay.

I have been doing some work outside and an almost finished with the area clearing. It has been neglected for a long time, including by me. It’s not a big area but if I can regenerate it and use native plants to do it, it should be a nice  area. With Alan being here and being at a doctor or hospital every other day  – Monday, Tuesday and today –  I really don’t feel like doing anything after sitting in a doctor’s surgery or a hospital waiting room. His INR has shot up to 5.2 (should be between 1.8 – 3.0)  He will have to see his own doctor as soon as he is back in Adelaide. His carers are aware of this – I telephoned them this afternoon.

Friday:

On the way back home I stopped off at the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. Not a great success. The place was busy and there was only one lady to look after the shop and the plants and the shop seemed to have taken precedence. I know next to nothing about native plants – actually I know next to nothing about plants period and my sole reason for buying things is that they look nice.  Sorry but there you are. Anyway, I really needed help between the book on local native plants I had bought (“Plant me instead”) and what was available and/or close to what I wanted. So, I thought it best to try another day and  came on home. Excellent weather on both days, although my GPS wanted to take me places I didn’t want to go – like onto a Motorway that is not completed yet – or onto a freeway that changes traffic direction depending on the time of day. I finally found a road that looked like it knew where it was going and took that. Fortunate in that it brought me to the Main South Road, which is where I did want to be. It’s a worry  :o)