I see it is at least a year since I last posted here. I really must try to keep up with blogs.
So, this year has been a mixed bag. Most of it has involved struggling with a very arthritic knee and chasing appointments at various hospitals in order, I hope, eventually, to get a knee replacement.
The latest was this account, which I posted along with my Christmas cards to explain why there was not the usual individual newsy letter.
Sorry there are no individual newsy letters this Christmas but events have overtaken me. I was quite happily awaiting an op for a new knee and the surgeon had promised me I would be in his six spots before Christmas.. Then I went for a pre-op appointment and my heart, which had been behaving impeccably since having a change of tablets, decided to go wonky and start missing beats again. So I got sent for an ECG and the anaesthetist decided he wasn’t happy and I got given extra pills and removed from the list as ‘unsuitable for operation. The pills put the heart right but while I was waiting for them to relent the knee swelled up enormously and I couldn’t put my foot to the ground to get to bed. Fortunately I have an emercency button and was rescued two very kind paramedics who gave me morphine and carted me off to hospital. It turned out that it had been bleeding into the joint and I spent a couple of days packed round with ice and two more evenings on morphine as it did a replay each time. My dear friend Emma, thank heavens, moved in while I was away and has beem coming daily to feed ducks and sheep , walk dogs and post my amazon books [that is what in the absence of any teaching keeps the wolf from the door]. I’ve more or less recovered from it all now and am back on the list but I simply dare not set foot on the sheets of ice outside my door and my poor car is sitting under the snow. The big freeze started the first day of my week in hospital so I wouldn’t dare try to start it till it thaws as it is diesel and I expect that had frozen to a jelly.
One day Emma and her step-daughter, Penny, took the dogs up the mountain.
Apart from all that, things are OK. I am going to publish a book of Welsh poetry, not mine but the poems written by my neighbour’s uncle, who was killed in 1917, is famous and out of copyright.. His nephew approves and a friend who is a native Welsh speaker is proof reading for me. I’m also publishing a book of short stories for a friend of a friend, this one, unlike the friend’s books that I publish free as he helps technically, will probably earn me some money.
My own writing is going on all right and I have several children’s animal books out there and plans for further ones. In particular I need to do a whole lot more illustrations. That takes a lot more time than the writing.
Assuming the ice thaws, I am going to spend Christmas with a friend who will welcome the dogs. That way Emma won’t have to deal with them and can have Christmas in peace with her family.
That was Nov 28th. Meanwhile it has thawed and I’v actually been able to drive the van, exercise the dogs [with van] and feed my own ducks and sheep. I ran out of hay but Oli managed to bring me another bale and if it doesn’t snow before tomorrow afternoon, I shall buy the wherewithal for sheep muesli. Can’t get it till tomorrow as my weekly odd jobs helper can’t come till then. Also if it doesn’t snow I shall actually attempt to get to market. So far I have missed all the Christmas trade [if there has been any].
As for the knee. I’ve just been summoned for yet another pre-op appointment on 28th January. This in spite of the fact that the cardiac specialist declared me OK for anaesthetic some time ago. And I was told I would not be put further back.
