Post 567 Repair and Recover

On Wednesday I had an optometrist appointment mid-morning, checking on the treatment prescribed in December. The news was good. Both eyes have improved and I can move from emergency treatment back to control.

As the optometrist is not far from Centennial Park I paid a visit to Jim's grave, which is looking really good. I also checked in on Lorraine's burial spot. The headstone is not yet in place. I did some shopping on the way home and spent the afternoon filling out forms and paying bills associated with my hand surgery.

I also had correspondence with our Strata Rep regarding the carpark break-in which I had assumed when writing last week, occurred overnight. I was wrong. It occurred around 2pm on Monday.  As I wrote last week, I went to the dressmaker and Create in Stitch around that time. From receipts and recall, I have worked out I left the carpark around 12.50 and returned no later than 2.45pm. That is the window in which my storage cage was broken into! 

I am assuming the thieves watched me leave and acted quickly. The alternative, that they were tracking my car, is paranoid!

On Thursday morning as I moved my car I noticed something in front of it. When I investigated it was this bag, from Jim's  funeral. As far as I can recall, it contained only the guest book signed by those who attended. Other items, his wedding ring and locks of his hair are stowed upstairs. I imagine the thieves abandoned the book and it has blown away. It rocked me for a bit - a piece of family history lost.  

Friday was relatively busy. First, a catch-up phone call with my longest friend, who, it turns out, has contracted Ross River Fever, she knows not how. That's serious and debilitating. She's a fighter from way back, and will pull through, but it will be a battle. 

The hospital rang with instructions about my Monday surgery. The nurse was terrific - answered all my questions.

I then drove to Glenelg for lunch at the Marina with a friend. It was fabulous - good food and service, great company, a pleasant view and a sea breeze. 

On Saturday I cooked a moussaka so my minder and I would have something to eat after my hand surgery on Monday (perhaps a bit heavy-handed on the nutmeg!), and prepared for my Book Club on Sunday, printing off a list for each member, of what I had read since our last meeting and reminding myself. Most of us were in the same boat when we met, having trouble remembering details about the books we had read in December. It took us quite a long time to catch up on our reading. Between us we had read 52 crime novels other than the recommended 3 since 8 December! Our next month's reading is 17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare and The Black Loch by Peter May. I'm looking forward to the latter.

I had to be at the hospital by 1.50pm on Monday. A friend had rejected my plan to go by bus and tram and kindly insisted on giving me a lift there. It made it much easier, Katherine had planned on picking me up afterwards, but developed a bad cold, so Anthony stepped in, no small commitment as it required an overnight stay.  By 11.30am on Monday the spare bed was made up, the plants watered, rubbish out, table set for dinner, moussaka and Greek salad in fridge, disposable gloves, plastic bags and elastic bands in bathroom and kitchen ready to protect me from water and this blog post ready to this point. My right hand index finger, I realise, is used for most things I do. The before photo (left) doesn’t look too bad, but the cyst will grow rapidly again and risks infecting the joint. I'm not confident I will be able to type much after the surgery.

The surgery went smoothly. My right hand now looks like this and I can hold my iPad stylus as below. Definitely no touch typing, but works ok on an iPad keyboard! I will, apparently, be able to stitch after Thursday when the dressing is simplified and I have some rehab. I have a prescription for an opium-based pain killer which I had made up on the way home. My instructions are to take Paracetamol first, then ibuprofen and the Palexia only when the former have no effect, a routine of which I thoroughly approve and to which I am adhering.

The moussaka and Greek salad worked well for our dinner. There’s enough left over to feed me for a several days, so cooking is avoided. Dishes are in the dishwasher, as washing up manually isn’t the best idea! We watched some television and I wrote some of this at 10.30pm with the stylus as illustrated!

I slept well and managed to have the kitchen sink cupboard empty in time for the arrival of a plumber around 11am. He replaced the broken water meter, replaced my drinking water filter, and measured my bathroom cupboards so his company can advise me on the replacement of a fascia which is water damaged, Neither of us has an explanation for the damage. It looks as if the whole cabinet will need to be replaced, so I await further information.

The local anaesthetic wore off around 9 this morning. The wound stung and throbbed a little, aching a bit late this afternoon so I’m taking Panadol every 6 hours to try to stay on top of it.

I had hoped to finish the four tassels for the Aquile mat before my surgery, but managed only two. I advanced the second evil eye mandala, but didn't finish. It will be a while before I work on either of them . My bandage gets simplified to a water-resistant one on Thursday, so we'll see after that.

Thanks to all who have helped me this week - so many people in so many ways. I am truly blessed - and grateful.🙏🏼 I'm very tired, so posting this early.