More in the garden

This is long and boring but it’s for my record.

When I arrived at the appropriate department in Hexham Hospital I was seen by Alberto who informed me he’d be giving me a steroid injection. I expressed surprise as I’d had no diagnosis. He said the arthritis is minor to moderate in both knees and the problem is inflammation around the knee. Any weight on it will cause the pain. He talked me through the process and got on with it. He explained I’ll have to really rest it for 3 days then take it very easy, introducing walking gradually. If there’s no pain I might be tempted to think it is better but it’s not, the issue of atrophied muscles is still there. I’ve not to do the exercises for a few days and then really get cracking with them.

We just got home in time for another blinds installer to check out the conservatory for an estimate, before the chauffeur drove me to Morpeth to the dentist. As I suspected the tooth/crown that fell off went in the bin and I can’t have another as the bit of tooth the crown was attached to also broke off. I won’t consider the £2000+ for an implant, but rather than leave it as it is and risk an abscess on the root I have got an appointment in July to have the root out. I couldn’t get that done today because of just having the injection.

I’m falling to bits! But if I’m pain free I’ll be so grateful.

I’m ordering an artist’s rucksack that has a stool attached so that I can sit down when we are listening to information about Roman ruins on our next trip. I’ve been warned about keeping walking to a minimum.

The rest of the day is spent sitting in the sun enjoying the scent of the azaleas and reading a few chapters of my art book then a bit of Jack Reacher. There’s humour there.

Yesterday the bomb disposal squad were in a neighbour’s garden. Today - It’s the green green grass of home - cannabis farm found in the old Co-op building. (During Covid it was in a disused hotel). If only I’d known I’d have had Queen Victoria’s painkiller of choice.