August 2021 Monthly Update

August 2021 monthly update from Garry. Well, what can I say? I’m still not allowed to cycle, my wound is still weeping, and summer seems to have disappeared overnight! The district nurse comes to visit twice a week to check my wound and change my dressing. Which is good, apart from never knowing what time they’re going to arrive and sometimes not even what day!

As a consequence, I spend a lot of time waiting in at home! And with all this time at home, I’ve finally got around to publishing my June ride videos on YouTube. Something I know you’ve all been looking forward to!!

I still have my blood checked regularly, which shows my infection markers coming down. A promising sign that the infection I had is abating, although my wound is still weeping, which isn’t a good sign! Although I no longer have that negative pressure pump on! I developed a nasty rash along the line of my dressing! Where fluid was getting caught between the dressing and my skin! So they removed the pump and haven’t put it back on! Although I don’t think my wound is leaking enough now to warrant the pump. A change of dressing once or twice a day, which I do on the days the nurses don’t visit, seems sufficient.

For some strange reason, I get very tired and usually have to have an afternoon nap! And find walking very tiring, although I force myself to go out for a walk! And have walked to the seafront a couple of times. That’s when I’ve not had to wait for the nurses to visit! I think, or rather I hope that the tiredness is down to my antibiotics! As it is one of their side effects.

What To Do

I was bored one day (just one!?) and decided to read the complete list of side effects that might occur with my antibiotics (Rifampicin and Cefradine), which I’ve got to take until October! And noticed that they now give me an excuse for some of my existing traits apart from exhaustion!

Irritable; definitely!

Confusion; always!

Unable to concentrate; what did you say!

Difficulty speaking; wthat!

Skin rashes; don’t need any more of them!

Itchy skin; watch some of my videos!

A Waste Of Time

I had an appointment at the hospital with what I thought was going to be my consultant. Unfortunately, it wasn’t! It was just with a member of the orthopaedic team, which was fine with me, or so I thought!

“well, it’s been seven weeks since your operation. How are you feeling?” asked the young man who I thought was another consultant! I just gave him a blank look!

“seven weeks? Four weeks! I think there’s a bit of confusion here! I replied rather angrily, thinking, shouldn’t you have read my notes before seeing me! It’s only been four weeks since my operation! I was readmitted into hospital and with an infection in my hip and had to have another operation!”

“Oh, yes, um, err, no, there’s no confusion here, let me just look at your notes!” was the reply.

“are yes I see, well how is it now?”

“leaking”, I replied!

“right, um, well, we need you to see Mr Wakeling” (my surgeon).

“that’s who I thought I was going to see!”

“right, yes, um, err, right, well don’t worry, I’ll get Mr Wakeling’s secretary to phone early next week with an appointment, you really do need to see Mr Wakeling!” Tell me something I don’t already know!

The one good thing that did come out of the appointment was that I was allowed back on my bike! Although I took that with a pinch of salt, he didn’t exactly fill me with confidence!

Out For A Ride Or Maybe Not

I did go out for a ride a few days later! But I wasn’t feeling particularly good, so I cut it short and came home after only a few miles. It was probably for the best because when I spoke to Kari, the infection control nurse who’s been looking after me, she reversed the decision and said not to ride my bike! And I’m not holding out much chance of getting back on my bike until my wound has stopped weeping!

Considering I’ve not done a lot this month, I certainly seem to have had a lot to say in my August 2021 monthly update!