Happy New Year!

by Bryan

7 comments

1 Kryten42 { 01.02.24 at 9:50 pm }

Hi Bryan and all 👋🏽🖖🏽

I certainly am hoping 2024 is a better year. I spent a bit over 3 Months in Hospital again. Got home Thurs. 28/12/23. Actually I was in 2 hospitals. The Bendigo Hospital decided they couldn’t handle the problem (Viral & Bacterial infection of bones, blood & tissue mostly in my right foot & lower leg. Sent me to a Hospital in Melbourne that specializes in that area. Spent 2 Months there & had 3 surgeries. Originally, they said I may be looking at a full amputation below the knee. In the end, only the bones in the 4th & 5th toes my one on the right side of the foot needed to be removed, but a lot of tissue from the foot also. Been on Antibiotics for the past 3 Months & a lot of other meds. Also taking Insulin now, a combination of a long term & fast acting in a single jab twice a day. The wounds are healing well & I have a home medical service every 2 days to check & change the dressing. Have to wear a special Cam Walker Boot that goes almost to the knee, & a special shoe on the left foot. They are a nuisance! But necessary.

I made good use of the Black Friday sales whilst in hospital & got a new mobile phone & some other things I’d been saving for. retail therapy! 👍🏽😊

Anyway, slowly getting better. Estimated 2-3 Months before I’ll really be mobile again, though possibly with some kind of support, from walking stick to a frame. See how I go.

I truly do hope you are well & the work isn’t still being a pain! Take care & good luck Brian. 👋🏽🖖🏽

2 Bryan { 01.04.24 at 11:11 pm }

I assumed you were busy when I didn’t see you in Comments here or posting on Mastodon.

I had a friend who had a nasty foot infection caused by stepping on oyster shells in murky water. He spent months of going to the outpatient clinic for intravenous antibiotics and then over to a specialist center for hyperbaric treatments. The specialist didn’t want him in the Hospital as in his opinion there are fewer and less dangerous infections in the average home than in any hospital room. Howard has a hell of a scar on his foot, but he still has it.

When I go shopping I always get a cart which I use mainly as a walker/frame. I have a cane that I keep in the car in case I’m parked well away from the shops. I use it for stability. I don’t want to fall.

This getting old sucks. Things seem to randomly stop working. After all that hospital time you’ll need to start slow but work on it. You know how to do it.

3 Kryten42 { 01.07.24 at 3:49 am }

Thanks Bryan. 😀

Your friend Howard was very lucky! That could have been much worse. I’m glad he is OK, and smart move Bryan taking a cane with you, I suspect I’ll be doing something similar.

My balance is shot to hell, was worse the first two Months in Hospital after surgery. Especially given the problems I have with my right foot after the accident in 2007. But it’s slowly improving. I won’t be going anywhere for awhile yet though.

I needed something new to keep me busy. Been watching movies & Series & listening to music, napping a lot. But it get’s tedious after awhile. Even the games I have that I’ve played a lot were OK for awhile… A friend started playing the old Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO-RPG game a week ago & asked for some advice. I played it 2013-15 & really liked it. I always meant to pick it up again, but when EA picked up BioWare, they slowly f’ked up every game they made! My friend told me EA sold the rights & code to a company called Broadsword, that I’d never heard of, last year & that they have been doing a lot of work on it. Upgraded graphics, a REAL Free-To-Play choice for players to start with, with a reasonably priced monthly VIP subscription if they want it, etc. So, I decided to see for myself. And yeah, he was right! Much better. So, I’ve been busy with that the past 4 days. It’s brought back some great memories! 👍🏽😊

4 Kryten42 { 01.07.24 at 11:53 am }

We are having a heel of a storm! My unit was completely flooded about 3 hrs ago. 1-2 cm of water over the laundry, bathroom, kitchen & most of the lounge. Two bedroom carpets were soaked. I put a call into the SES (State Emergency Services) but they are flat out dealing with hundreds of floods across the State. Left an emergency message with the agent. I should get a call after 8:30 AM (almost 5 PM now). Half of the power points here don’t work, mostly ones just above the floor. Kitchen ones are fine, they are about chest high, including the one the fridge/freezer is plugged into thankfully! Good thing I have lot’s of extension leads & power-boards & heavy-duty duct tape! This carpet & underlay will definitely need replacing now! And some other things too.

I guess I’ll find out in the morning (I hope) what can be done. This is just what I don’t need right now!

5 Bryan { 01.08.24 at 10:35 pm }

I thought y’all were supposed to have a hot & dry summer because of El Niño. My winter is warmer and wetter than normal. My camellia bush started blooming before Christmas.

Yes the carpet might dry if it was pulled up and put outside, but the padding below it will just go moldy and cause health problems. A wet dry vacuum will pull out the surface water, but if you don’t take it up you are farming mold and rotting wood. Depending on how high the water rose the electrical might be fine, but if there’s still water in the lower power points, they are going to need to be dried out. We install them 35cm above the floor, but can still lose them in hurricane flooding.

At least you have a game to play and a working kitchen for snacks and drinks. Fans and air conditioners are your best friends. Don’t work too hard.

6 Kryten42 { 01.09.24 at 2:35 am }

I figured you would know what I’m facing with the flooding. 🙂 Certainly nothing unusual in your piece of the World! Not exactly new for us in Central Victoria either. We had a massive downpour & floods November 2011, just after I moved here, after a decade long drought! Land was rock hard, so all that water had nowhere else to go.

I got an eMail from the agent saying that the rents have been suspended until an investigator comes & reviews the damage & submits a report. Given how many homes, offices etc. have had minor to severe damage, that could take some time. Good! I can use the rent money for other things! 😉 😀

Today was a surprising nice, sunny, warm, medium humidity, day! Did 3 loads of laundry, mainly towels I used & other things that were soaked in the dirty water.

The Physiotherapist came this morning & said we should try a walk outside, & I could use the Vit. D. LOL He’s not wrong! It went very well, I have been doing a daily exercise routine he gave me over a Month ago in Hospital. He wanted me to walk down the driveway & back, but I said I think I could walk town the street to the corner & back, it’s not long, only 4 housing blocks. I managed it OK, but was a bit tired when we god back, but he was quite pleased at my progress. I told him I was a tough old sod, not some young lad that get’s tired getting out of bed! He laughed well. 😀

Other than that, I am taking things as slowly & carefully as I can. So don’t worry Bryan, you know me well. 😀 With all the crap the Universe has tossed our way mate, we have survived better than most have or would!

I have a good reverse cycle A/C unit here, has a very good dehumidifier. It’s quite rare that I have to actually use the A/C cooling system, which is good as it costs more to run. It’s the humidity I can’t stand, and the dehumidifier also drop’s the temp around 6-7 C as well. 🙂

You take it easy also my friend. I truly hope you catch a good break in 2014! Please take care of yourself. 👍🏽🖖🏽🥰

7 Bryan { 01.15.24 at 7:10 pm }

I haven’t forgotten you. I’m herding cats …. dealing with tenants who don’t understand the concept of a hard freeze in Florida. Local stores don’t carry winter necessaries so you have to order plumbing supplies and hope they arrive.