Progress

Martyn had a go at the piano yesterday, and though he’s conscious of some left arm weakness, his fingers were doing what they were told.  A great relief to us both.  We’re keeping an eye on his blood pressure, which is consistent and reasonable.

Progress also in the garden: the spuds are planted and starting to shoot through the surface of the compost, and the runner beans are planted and growing well.  I’ll perhaps start some dwarf French beans in pots today or tomorrow.  Some of the bedding plants are planted or given away, and the rest are hardening off outdoors.  The pelargonium cuttings are almost ready to plant, to replace the primulas in the basket at the front door: they are still flowering, but will be due for replacement soon.  The roses are growing like mad, but the greenfly are back, so I’ve been round with the spray bottle.  The recent warm weather has really got things going in the garden, including an uninvited beech tree, which has suddenly burst into leaf.  I’m rather fond of it, but recognise that it’ll eventually have to go before it gets too big.

Bulletin from Forges-l’Evêque

On Friday, Martyn awoke with some symptoms consistent with his having had a TIA in his sleep.  No crooked smile, no slurring, no trouble holding both arms up, but trouble getting his left hand to type or play what it was told.  NHS 111 ran through the usual diagnostics, and advised seeing the doctor within the hour.  The doctor had gone to lunch, and we got an appointment for a couple of hours later.  The doctor rang back within minutes, asked a few questions and dispatched us to A&E.  Cutting a long story short, we spent over five hours at the hospital, where he was thoroughly assessed and scanned, then discharged, told to take aspirin and a blood pressure pill, and referred to the TIA clinic.  First thing on Monday, the hospital rang, calling him in for a 10:30 appointment.  We were there for just under three hours, during which Martyn had a preliminary consultation, an MRI, an ultrasound examination of the blood vessels in his neck, an ECG, a blood pressure check and a talk with a consultant.

It transpires that he has had a small stroke.  Although he is a bit shaken by the turn of events (moi aussi, d’ailleurs...), he seems to be functioning perfectly well, with only some very slight weakness on his left side.  He seems to be using his computer keyboard normally - problems in that respect were among the first signs of trouble on Friday - but I think he’s reluctant to try the piano for the moment.

We have nothing but praise for the way the NHS swung into action.  True, there was a bit of hanging around in A&E: thank goodness we didn’t arrive six hours later, it being Friday pm.   The hospital’s free Wifie allowed us to watch some of Martyn’s favourite TV programmes on the iPad while we waited, and that was a great help to us both.  

If there’s one criticism, it’s that the prescription he was given on Friday could only be dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, which by then was closed to outpatients until Monday morning.  Fortunately, the blood pressure prescription is identical to mine, so we could get him going on that straight away.  The hospital gave him a first dose of aspirin, and the local chemist fixed us up next day with dispersable aspirin for the princely sum of 55p.  Parking at the hospital has made a small dent in the housekeeping, but that’s a small price to pay.  

Reducing the blood pressure is now the priority, and he has also been prescribed a statin, again identical to my prescription, but this time provided by the hospital on the day.  We are reviewing the diet, and in due course will step up the exercise.   

Couple of good trips out

A week past Friday, a fine, warm day, I suggested on the spur of the moment a visit to Sissinghurst Castle gardens, where we hadn’t been for rather too long.  Well, they seem to be coping despite our neglect.  The daffodils were going over, of course, but there were lots of fritillaries and pulsatilla in flower in the lime walk, and plenty of primulas.  From there we headed down to Hythe for lunch looking out over the sparkling sea, and then ambled back gently across country.

We should be grabbing such fine days to do a spot of gardening at home, of course, but the weather has turned chilly, windy and wet - even with some hail showers.  The weeds are growing vigorously under last year’s new plantings by the landscapers, so we’ll need to get on with that pretty soon.  I’m struggling to find containers and space for all the seedlings in the sitooterie, and have had to move the pelargoniums to the cold frame to make room for the squillions of antirrhinum and other seedlings.

Yesterday we went with the U3A bird watching group to the London Wetlands Centre at Barnes.  A wonderful place, well provided with paved paths (made, evidently, from crushed concrete from the old Barn Elms reservoirs) and excellent hides.  We saw all sorts of waterfowl and waders, plus dozens of sand martins, a few jackdaws and even a snipe or two.  The journey was quite convoluted: we had opted for our little country station where there’s free parking, and whence fares are substantially lower.  Two changes and a bus ride later (and guess which old fool forgot to check that he had his bus pass in his wallet?), we were there soon after the mainliners.  All the connexions worked well and quickly there and back, and the various changes provided much needed exercise.

I’ve had, I hope, the last of my two-yearly appraisals at the hobby, since I retire 15 months hence - if I’m spared.  It seems to have gone OK, but of course I have to wait for it to be signed off by the appropriate committee.

Our travel plans being a shade less extravagant this year, we’re planning a spot of household maintenance.  Two of the WCs need replacement, and we’ll take the opportunity to put in a new basin with a cupboard under it in the cloakroom.  Two of the tradesmen are lined up, but it occurs to us that we also need to finalise a list of jobs for the sparky.  Oh well, no pockets in shrouds.