Monday, 30 November 2009
Busy day off
Last day of November, a day off work and a planned service on the motorbike before the winter sets in. Last Wednesday I had a puncture repaired after a couple of weeks trying to find the time to get it done. Riding the bike I realised it wasn't running at it's best so today that was sorted. A fellow Deauville rider and good mate of mine Phil Swain popped round to give me a lending hand and some instruction. He's always taking his bike apart and putting it back together so knows his way round the model real well. Thanks to his advice and guiding/helping hand my machine has now had it's tappets adjusted, loose exhaust bolts re-tightened, spark plugs and airfilter replaced and carburetors balanced. Tyre pressures, all lighting and brake pads checked and all that's left to do is a quick oil and filter change (I thought I had a spare filter, but hadn't) which I will probably do this coming Saturday. All told, a very good day's work - Thanks Big Phil.
Chaotic weekend as Dad is rushed to A&E
Friday night I'm on my way ome when my modile rings, and as I'm stationary in traffic I answer it. Andy has gone straight from work to his grandparents for tea (as usual on a Friday) and there's nobody home. Now as Dad can only get about in an ambulance the conclusion is simple and Andy has rung to say he's going straight off to A&E to look for his grandparents. I quickly ring Sue and tell her that I'm going to head straight to the Royal Derby myself.
I've made good ground on the M1 but I'm stuck juct before J24 in the road works when Sue rings back to say that she's phoned A&E and mum & dad are both there as Dad has a problem. I get tgere and find Andy, Mum & Dad - he's in a bad way and has been there since 2:10pm (it's now 6:00pm) so I ask Andy to take Mum home with him, collect his other nan and drop them both of at the Derby Assembly Rooms as they are supposed to be attending a Choral Christmas Concert there and I'll stay with Dad - which is what happens. At a little after 7:00 Dad is moved to the Medical Assessment Unit, where they suddenly have a frantic hive of activity around him for over half an hour which ends with his bed being moved to a quieter corner of the MAU. Andy arrives at about 7:40 and after getting Dad fully checked in and a report on what had happemed we both leave.
Saturday afternoon Mum makes her own way to the hospital, but later that evening I take her up for a visit 7:00 - 8:00pm. By now Dad is much better and I get to talk to the Sister Nurse who I'd finished the checking in process with (that Mum had started) the previous evening. Her assessment is that he'll be OK, probably in for 4 days and that the antibiotics were working, however, it had been a very close run thing and they had nearly lost himduring that aforementioned activity the previous evening.
Sunday Mother came to have Sunday roast with us before going off to visit him again. Sue & I had other commitments so I popped down to see Mum around 7:45 that evening. She said that Dad was even perjier than he'd been Saturday night and appeared to be well on the way to fighting off whatever it was that had infected him.
The summary is that he'd had a blood clot on the lung, had managed to pass it into his urine (which Mum had seen in his catheter) and that following that he'd got a viral infection. When I got to see him on that first visit in A&E his pulse was 130+ and his breathing 34+ a minute. When I saw him again on Sunday evening the pulse was down to 88/89 and they were no longer monitoring his breathing.
Today (Monday) Mum has been uo to visit him and he is now in ward 404 on the 4th floor, room 1. Andy had made arrangements to take Mother up there again tonight so I'll (hopefully) get to see Dad tomorrow night. He's just got in and says that Dad'sthe best he's been for a few week snow, so he should get released home sooner rather than later.
I've made good ground on the M1 but I'm stuck juct before J24 in the road works when Sue rings back to say that she's phoned A&E and mum & dad are both there as Dad has a problem. I get tgere and find Andy, Mum & Dad - he's in a bad way and has been there since 2:10pm (it's now 6:00pm) so I ask Andy to take Mum home with him, collect his other nan and drop them both of at the Derby Assembly Rooms as they are supposed to be attending a Choral Christmas Concert there and I'll stay with Dad - which is what happens. At a little after 7:00 Dad is moved to the Medical Assessment Unit, where they suddenly have a frantic hive of activity around him for over half an hour which ends with his bed being moved to a quieter corner of the MAU. Andy arrives at about 7:40 and after getting Dad fully checked in and a report on what had happemed we both leave.
Saturday afternoon Mum makes her own way to the hospital, but later that evening I take her up for a visit 7:00 - 8:00pm. By now Dad is much better and I get to talk to the Sister Nurse who I'd finished the checking in process with (that Mum had started) the previous evening. Her assessment is that he'll be OK, probably in for 4 days and that the antibiotics were working, however, it had been a very close run thing and they had nearly lost himduring that aforementioned activity the previous evening.
Sunday Mother came to have Sunday roast with us before going off to visit him again. Sue & I had other commitments so I popped down to see Mum around 7:45 that evening. She said that Dad was even perjier than he'd been Saturday night and appeared to be well on the way to fighting off whatever it was that had infected him.
The summary is that he'd had a blood clot on the lung, had managed to pass it into his urine (which Mum had seen in his catheter) and that following that he'd got a viral infection. When I got to see him on that first visit in A&E his pulse was 130+ and his breathing 34+ a minute. When I saw him again on Sunday evening the pulse was down to 88/89 and they were no longer monitoring his breathing.
Today (Monday) Mum has been uo to visit him and he is now in ward 404 on the 4th floor, room 1. Andy had made arrangements to take Mother up there again tonight so I'll (hopefully) get to see Dad tomorrow night. He's just got in and says that Dad'sthe best he's been for a few week snow, so he should get released home sooner rather than later.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Service time comes around
Motorcycles require servicing and after an expensive 20,000 mile service I've been doing just oil and filter changes in the expectation of another big bill at 32,000. However, I have a day's annual leave to take before Christmas so I've booked Monday 30-Nov as a day off and arranged for a mate to pop round to assist in drinking tea and carrying out a full and thorough service.
In preparation I've started to get the bits together, searching out the best price / deal on the internet in order to save a few quid. So far so good and finger crossed I get everything together in time.
Same day a nice man is coming to service the house alarm. Another is coming to fit a shower in the bathroom. And I have to pop out to see the nurse at our local GP practice for an injection. It's going to be a fun and hectic day.
In preparation I've started to get the bits together, searching out the best price / deal on the internet in order to save a few quid. So far so good and finger crossed I get everything together in time.
Same day a nice man is coming to service the house alarm. Another is coming to fit a shower in the bathroom. And I have to pop out to see the nurse at our local GP practice for an injection. It's going to be a fun and hectic day.
Nothing for ages, then they all come along at once
They say that about policemen and busses, but this time, it's about a job. Well more than one to be precise. Angie has been without a job for more months than I was, and that was too long. Yesterday she learnt that she'd been successful in applying for 2 positions one in cleaning and the other in patient care - both requiring CRB checks which are now being carried out and should be just a formality.
Well done sis. Hopefully 2010 will be a much better year for you!
Well done sis. Hopefully 2010 will be a much better year for you!
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