The Left-Handed Blood Test
As my left arm is the one affected by the stroke and because it was also broken in a bullying incident at school, I generally as for blood tests to be taken from my stronger right arm. Today, Today, I had my weekly Warfarin blood test in the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St. Edmunds because I was going to Felixstowe and it was more convenient being on the route I would take.
Today though the blood was taken by a nurse who was left-handed. She took it from my right arm as normal and it was very pain-free. Not that I find having blood taken at all troublesome. Because she was the wrong way round did it help?
But I just wonder, if we never think how we take a blood test! But also I might be lucky, in that they never seem to hurt and all I have to show for them a few hours later is a tiny spot. C on the other hand, feared them and had tremendous trouble taking a test.
But it has to be said that some jobs may be better done, by someone who is left or right-handed. For years, my father said that to be a compositor, or someone who sets letterpress type, you had to do it right-handed. But then he hired a temporary comp, who was left-handed. There was nothing wrong with his work at all, but he was just a bit ungainly to my father’s experienced eye.
Why Am I Sleeping So Much?
Since I glutened myself after coming out of hospital with the stroke, I’ve been sleeping a lot. My stroke doctor thinks I should have problems sleeping, but I don’t. I’m also suffering badly from hay fever, but that is the weather and the pollen. Is this just a normal healing process or am I still feeling the effects of the gluten? Surely, as my body recovers, it will be using up what B12 I have in my body. My nails are soft, which indicates to me I’m low on B12.
Mending Fences
Last night I replaced a fence rail, that some horses had virtually chewed through.
It was very satisfying to do something practical. I perhaps found it difficult to saw through the new rail, but banging 150 mm. nails in was actually easy. Even holding the nail in the left hand wasn’t difficult.
I shall do a second one today and then post a picture.
Oddly, I found walking with my 50-year-old claw hammer as a balance in my left hand. It was much easier than using a dumb-bell. Usually, the dumb-bell slips out of my hand at least twice on a walk, but the hammer didn’t! Speaking to a physio today, he felt it was because the hammer was thinner and easier to grip, but also, the dropping was probably due to tiredness.
Why Haven’t the Germans Struck Off Incompetent Doctor?
A local story that has been around for months, is the case of the German doctor, Daniel Ubani, who killed a patient in Cambridgeshire. He refused to appear at the inquest and a couple of weeks ago, was struck off in the UK by the GMC.
But yesterday, two brothers were arrested in Germany for protesting, where the doctor was giving a lecture.
Obviously, Germany treats its bad doctors differently to how we do!
Wildlife Therapy
I went for a lovely walk this afternoon at Fen Drayton Lakes. Is trying to spot and identify birds with my perhaps less than perfect eye-sight, good therapy after a stroke? It won’t hurt, that is for sure. But I did see a common tern, lots of swans and lots of dragonflies.
I also spent an hour walking the stud. Sad to say that there is now only one baby duck, as the moorhens or something else has killed or eaten the other eleven. Saw quite a few hares too!
I’ve also taken to walking around the stud carrying a 2 kilo dumbell, throwing it sometimes from hand-to-hand to try to improve my left hand. Is this a good idea?
Let’s All Support Nobby
Nobby Stiles, one of the heroes of 1966, has had a very small stroke.
I wish you well Nobby and here’s a deal; you get well and I’ll try to do the same!
What is it about a problem shared?
Farewell to a Brave Man
I’m not the greatest fan of rugby union, but I can remember Andy Ripley in his pomp. Andy has just died after a long and valiant battle against prostate cancer. He will be remembered for a long time.
Let’s Help Crime Victims and Families More
This excellent article was written from an American perspective, but it is applicable everywhere. We spend fortunes on punishing offenders and not enough on the one hand providing services such as mental health care to stop them offending in the first place and also to provde real support to victims and their families. All we do is get more vindictive and cut services in the place where they might make a difference. If we take Derick Bird, who so callously murdered 14 in Cumbria, was enough done to check he was the right person to have a gun licence and also did he get the mental heath care that he probably needed. My GP worries about me, because I’ve lost my wife to cancer and can I cope with that and my strokes.
For those in favour of the death penalty, just think what difference it would have made to the Bird case. It would not have deterred him from killing and as he killed himself, it wouldn’t have made any difference afterwards except to give a ghoulish pleasure to the tabloids.
If we retain the death penalty, we are just as inhumane as the likes of Bird.
Years ago, I met Jimmy O’Connor, who had been convicted of murder and sentenced to death. But he was repreived and later married the barrister, Nemone Lethbridge. He became a successful playwright and probably did more good in his later life. Do read the story of Jimmy O’Connor’s life in Wikipedia.
Where did I meet Jimmy? At a children’s birthday party in Notting Hill. Whether it was one of his kids, I don’t remember.
Warfarin
I don’t know whether I said, but I’m on warfarin now.
It’s a complicated regime with regular blood tests, the need to be careful with certain foods and alcohol, and avoid getting cut or bruised. But it obviously works, as there wouldn’t be so many people on it.
It strikes me though that it’s a big opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, in that if you could create a new and much better drug and regime, which was less hassle and avoided the expensive blood tests, you’d laugh all the way to the bank.
If you search the literature, things are stirring, so let’s hope.
Costa at Addenbrookes
Costa in the Food Court used to have little packets of two Doves Farm cookies. Excellent and reliably gluten-free. Not any more though, but they have a gluten-free chocolate macaroon, which wasn’t bad, but not as good.
Surely in hospital they should cater for all!
The Anonymous Widower 