Walking Away

Walking Away

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Flash Fiction Competition

Decided I've had enough of feeling sorry for myself and yesterday submitted to a site that is holding rounds of story telling. My story 'Dolly' you can read here  http://t.co/BJVh42NvX6  I wrote it from the picture prompt. I respond well  to a picture prompt and wrote this in about 20 minutes, edited it for 5 minutes and sent it off. Yes one of my biggest faults is I do not edit enough. I think what I've written is good, send it off, then re-read it and think "Oh No!!" I have been much better lately and write something, leave it for a while and then re-visit it.  This competition has a 36 hour window so I had to write a bit quicker :) At the moment there is only 4 entries and I'm hoping there will be a lot more.

Let you know how I get on :)

New Year

Appointment at The Fracture Clinic on New Year's Eve. The consultant was really nice as usual and smiled as he told me to be patient. March Fractures take a long time to heal. One thing I'm not is patient well it has been over 10 weeks now. He gave me an option of rest or an operation. I've taken the rest one :) He's given me four weeks off work and referred me to a Foot consultant. I'm hoping by the time I see the Foot expert I'll be healed and walking.

I'm not sure if this is karma because I've never had much patience with people with sticks unless they are very old and then I'm in awe at their persistence to be mobile. I've been blessed with exceedingly good health over the last 60 years with only my tonsils extracted. I'm leaning compassion at my own expense but not readily as I'm berating my foot each morning when I wake up and it continues to hurt. Maybe that's the problem I should relax and let my body heal itself. I truly count my blessings as my sister has a terminal illness and each day she faces it with fortitude.

My friend says use these four weeks to start a novel. I'll probably write a few flash fictions.

Saturday I went to my Auntie Molly's funeral. She died on Christmas Day morning aged 89. I have such good memories of her and her sense of humour. My sister and I stayed with her when I was six and my mum was sent to a hospital in the countryside when they thought she had TB, fortunately she had the lesser of two evils pneumonia and recovered. My dad has newly diagnosed Alzheimer's and after his sister's funeral he kept saying I didn't recognise anyone. My mum sobbed through the hymn 'the Rugged Cross' because it reminded her of her step-mother Gertie who sang it all the time.  My mum at that point was grieving for Gertie. I adored my step grandmother she was one of the nicest people I've ever known, my mum said she didn't have a bad bone in her body. I love my family :)
Treasure yours






      

Thursday, 26 December 2013

Merry Christmas Everyone......

Christmas Day was really lovely this year. My parents, daughter and her partner and their two and a half year old son spent the day with us. Mr T cooked a fantastic lunch and in the afternoon we all went to see my sister at the nursing home where she now lives and her son was visiting too. Later on we spoke to my son and his fiancĂ©e on Skype, they are living in Poland.

My Dad who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's  said he would remember this Christmas for ever. I'm not sure he will remember much of it this morning. My lovely sister has a terminal illness and has problems with her short term memory so I'm sure she will not remember we all visited yesterday but I felt so happy and privileged to be with four generations of my family.

I have a canvas of a photo of myself aged about 10 with my sister and our parents feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, London. (Fifty years ago :) I look at it most days and count my blessings. My son gave it to me knowing how much I loved the original photo.

 
 
 
 
This is a photo of me wondering if my head will fit the Christmas paper hat :) 
Happy Christmas everyone and wishing you all a very prosperous NEW YEAR .
 
 
 
 
 
  

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

March Fracture

Last Thursday my left foot was strapped upright whilst I lay flat and motionless on a trolley being scanned by a MRI machine. As its very noisy I was given thick ear muffs to wear and fortunately I went foot first into the machine so I didn't have to face claustrophobia. I think I may even have fallen asleep as the radiologist said "You okay, its finished?" Amazing how you can relax in the most weird situations. Oh and they ask if you have metal in your body and are especially worried about sheet metal workers and insist on them having eye checks in case of metal particles being ripped from the eyes. Now that is a horrifying thought!

Today I went to the Fracture clinic to get the results but the report wasn't ready so two consultants and one doctor looked at the scan and decided I have a March Fracture, (a toe fracture to us non trauma specialists) so called because soldiers suffer from them. I do a lot of marching around at work.

I couldn't hold back my glee as I was beginning to think the pain in my foot was all my head because for the last 6 weeks it was only less painful than when I went to the Accident and Emergency department. The Doctor looked at me as if I was demented but agreed a diagnosis was a good thing. I've heard stress which I have a fair bit in my life at the moment can materialize in other parts of the body. All my friends have been telling me I'm daft to think there wasn't a real injury.

I'm to wear the Beckham Boot for another three weeks and go back to the Clinic on New Years Eve, hopefully I'm be seeing the New Year in bootless. I'll keep you posted :)

Saturday, 9 November 2013

The Beckham Boot

After presenting myself twice at the local Accident and Emergency Department (A&E)  at the local hospital I was sent to see a trauma consultant at the fracture clinic. Following on from the A&E doctor saying "Stella come and look at the X-Ray its exciting" and me nearly fainting because of extra bone laid down around my big toe which turned out not to be exciting because that happens routinely due to arthritis but a black line at the base of my toe! To be fair the excellent A&E doctor smiled and said "Not that exciting" when she saw my shocked face.

The very professional trauma consultant decided I need a MRI scan to properly show what's happening, a consultation with a foot and ankle specialist and to see the podiatry department. Whilst all this is in the pipeline I'm to wear a leg brace / boot.

What made me smile was the consultant first thought was to plaster my foot then he said no a boot might be better. Looking at me he said "its not very fashionable you know"  I've just had my 60th birthday and in my wildest dreams I'm no Kate Moss :)

It's been three weeks now, one week wearing the boot. I'm back at work, trying to sit more and doing 2 hours less a day. It's better than it was but still hurts. I was really feeling sorry for myself  think it was the daytime TV I was watching constantly and not getting out to walk. It's so easy to become self centred and not count your blessings.

One blessing is the NHS its something we should all be very proud of. It has its failings and that is being addressed but I've always said when you urgently need medical care you receive it. I'm happy to continue to wear this boot till my non urgent appointment comes through for the MRI. Only hope its soon because this Beckham boot has an open toe and it might snow!!       :)

Saturday, 19 October 2013

It will be FINE TOMORROW.....

Yesterday at work I was hobbling all day with my left foot not being able to bear weight. (Not sure if I've used the correct bare!) The day before  I had a slight niggling pain in the calf, nothing to fret about. Leaving work I always walk to my parents home where my car is parked but this time I leapt in a taxi because I just couldn't walk. I was able to drive home as my car is an automatic and you only use your right foot.

The foot looks perfectly normal today, the slight swelling has gone down but it still hurts to put weight on it. Everyone has asked if I've gone over on it, injured it somehow but I haven't. Then Mr T reminded me that on Tuesday I had been called out of work, my lovely sister had fallen at home and couldn't get herself up. With the help of one of her neighbours I had hoisted her up back on the settee. So hopefully I've sprained something and by Monday morning all will be well.

This is a big lesson for me from the Gods because I now know its no fun not being able to walk. Missed lunch out with friends and that's not fun either. :)         

Sunday, 1 September 2013

Phoenix

Nearly missed my story Phoenix http://t.co/clxPlZdl9i . I was so excited when John Zero said it was being included in 101 Fiction and forgot it was going online on 1st September 2013. John asked me to edit the original one I sent in and gave me pointers so I could better edit the edited version :) Thanks John for all your encouragement.

Had fun writing this in 100 words and a 1 word title. I'm wondering if readers think there are two characters the Monster and the Husband or like me think they are facets of just one character. Whatever you think is right. :)

Things I like

  • Writing
  • Wit
  • Voltaire's Candide
  • Theatre
  • Shoes
  • Reading
  • Music
  • Laughter
  • Coleslaw
  • Cheese