Waifs & Strays #2:

I had felt a little better yesterday evening and told Cc I'd be fine. How wrong could I be? Not only could I not sleep, I was having terrible hallucinations. I was very frightened!

I also developed abdominal pain which I couldn’t really account for and, by this time, I was for some reason sweating rather profusely and just waiting to see if I was going to have an episode of Diarrhoea and Vomiting Time passed! As soon as it was a reasonable time I phoned Cc. When she heard my story she went for the leaflet that came with my new drugs.

Cc suddenly realised on reading the leaflet, that my symptoms were all listed there as a very rare(less than 1 in 10,000) side effect of a new drug which I had been prescribed in May after my brachial embolism.

She advised that I stop taking that pill and would call a doctor in the morning, or sooner if needed.

I tentatively agreed with Cc that she could try offering me an egg for my lunch. At 11 am, however, I phoned to cancel as I was now feeling very nauseous. At 11.30 am I called again for her to come over. She cheered me up as we did the puzzle and the crossword in the Sunday Telegraph.

When Cc arrived at tea time with a little taste of lamb and mint sauce, I was unable to recognise, the flavour, another of the side effects. At least I was beginning to feel better!

This photo is a stray common spotted orchid growing amongst the wood chippings in my shrubbery!