DVT DAY 134

Monday and its up early for a shower before going to the GP for my 28 day injection. Before I am dressed my youngest comes into my room laughing and shows me a picture taken by her partner of the three cases of Lindt chocolate balls in three flavour that have been delivered to her house. She is an assistant buyer for a large chain of retailers and had jokingly said to the Lindt representative that she missed the face to face meetings they had pre COVID because of the goody bags that the chocolate companies always brought with them. The representative said she would send her some goodies. My youngest was not expecting three cases, each containing 8 boxes of chocolate truffles! I think her partner was rather taken aback as well, but I am sure that they will manage the situation.

My partner drives me down to the surgery where I ring reception to tell them I have arrived. Always tricky at that time in the morning as it is “Can I have an appointment “time on the phones. I get through and I am directed to the back door. Donning my mask with a newly acquired head strap to hold the mask on I wait at the back door. I should explain that due to the insubstantial nature of my ears they will not support the elastic strap of the masks. My nifty plastic strap provides “buttons” that the elastic straps can be attached to, therefore no irritating slippage or sore ears.

I am let into the surgery by the practice nurse and shown to the clinic room. The injection is mixed as I loosen my belt and provide access to the relevant flab. This injection is not quick due to the volume of stuff to be pumped into me. It is always sore due to the nature of the bulk and the ingredients themselves. At the time of the injection it’s the usual “sharp scratch”, it is afterwards that the soreness takes hold and then it’s a case of keeping busy and having hot baths.

We return home to make breakfast and to organise the rest of our day. I roam the garden making sure I know what the young guy who is coming to tidy the garden is going to be doing. I also do some pruning and tidying to pass the time. When he arrives, I make him strong builders tea and show him what needs doing, he is young and enthusiastic, which I need to keep in mind when talking the work through with him, otherwise the pruning and clearing might border on the blitzkrieg style of gardening. He sets to and I make bread before lunch. We sit and talk and then my youngest daughter assists her mother with a home hair kit, which goes exceedingly well.

I do some work and start the blog until lunch time when we sit down together and chat and idle for a bit. The young garden guy leaves and a little later we wave farewell to our youngest daughter as she heads for home and her treasure trove of chocolate. I return to the garden and start to plant out what is left in the green house and to tend the plants already dotted around the garden. I harvest my first crop of broad beans and peas. Not a huge haul but enough for tonight’s pie that I shall be making.

I beaver away continually planting and tidying till I am too tired to do more, is pie making time. I set to and prepare the pie while my loaf finishes. So by six o’clock  had pie ready for the oven, fresh bread and an aching back from todays work. The rest of the family are out for a walk so I return to the blog and TV football. I am annoyed to have missed a phone call, the second one of the day. It doesn’t sound much but to chat and hear different voices from the family is important. I Spend time unpacking my new resistance training mask, which I am going to use to exercise my lungs and build my breathing capacity. It is the equivalent of training at altitude so there is a possibility that my blood platelet count will rise, which it could do with at the moment.

Its going to be an early night for me and a possibly a soothing bath to ease the soreness. Tomorrow I have a research meeting but apart from that I am hoping to write. I find that writing helps to keep me focussed and in touch.