All Change

Tuesday was a day of appointments, firstly I had an Orthopaedic review with the Specialist, I had always had respect for, he had been looking at the possibility of surgery for my right knee, however it appears that the Government changes here, have begun filtering down before they have even been officially introduced.

The Doctor stated that neither of my knees were bad enough for surgery, and despite in the past, my weight not being an issue, now it appears it is, he wants me to lose 25kg. Now don’t get me wrong, I know I am not slim, but that would take me down to 78kg, which I haven’t been since probably my early teens, throughout my Police Service I was between 111-113kg, and physically fit. I appreciate that losing weight will help my knees, but there is losing weight, and becoming ill.

He went on to say, that he would like me to go on a ‘meat only’ diet, like he was on, and yes he had lost a lot of weight, but he looked gaunt and ill, he is younger than me…I think!… but now looks a lot older. Initially the idea seemed appealing, I love meat, but later I realised the financial cost was going to be enormous, no bread, arepa, biscuits, vegetables or fruit, just meat, eggs, cheese, and best butter.

I have looked this up on the internet, and it appears to be a dangerous diet, especially as I already suffer high blood pressure, am pre diabetic, and a few others near to the line, which this course of action would probably take me over.

I also have the other problem, that every Medic I see, tells me to go on a different diet, it is time they got their acts together, and one Doctor be responsible for making the recommendation.

At the end of the Consultation, I came away with an order for 20 sessions of physiotherapy, 10 sessions of hydrotherapy, and a nerve block in my left knee, to be possibly performed by the Doctor who damaged my hip prosthesis, I wasn’t feeling on a high!

That afternoon, I had another appointment with the ophthalmologist, to see if I needed minor surgery on my eyes, fortunately I don’t, drops and creams for six months should resolve my streaming eyes first thing in the morning, some of the medications I can get from my Health Provider, others I have to buy, so we will see how it goes.

Going back in time, over the week-end, which was a Bank Holiday, so Friday to Monday, I finished installing the new lighting system on my trailer, the Amazon comments that said people installed them in 20 minutes, must have been people that removed one set of lights, and replaced them using the same wiring. I knew it would take a bit longer, because I was changing the system entirely, on the car and trailer, but it took me three days! At least I know it works, and if there is a problem in the future, I know where everything is.

Yesterday, I made a decision, I was fed up with Marcela’s business associate, he had been saying, that he was coming to cut the undergrowth in the orchard for weeks, but never came, so even with my physical problems it was do it myself, of pay someone else, out came the brushcutter, filled up with petrol, ensured it had enough line on the spool, and started from the top working down.

It wasn’t too bad at first, but then it got steeper, with all the rain we have had recently, the ground was soft underfoot, and kept giving way, making it hard work.

It was like clearing a jungle, I wasn’t happy, I hadn’t had to do this much work, since we first moved in.

However I was glad, I had made the decision, because two trees, that two years ago I had spoken to Marcela’s associate about, were still in the same state, less that a dozen fruit on each, and only a leaf or two, then, he told me they were dormant, all I can say is that they have had a bloody long sleep, I think they have a problem, and need removing, replaced with new trees, there was another higher up, which was totally dead, that will have to be replaced, if this continues, Marcela will have no business. I have seen the man today, and told him to look at them and make a decision, Marcela can’t afford to keep losing trees and doing nothing about it.

Anyway, I continued cutting the undergrowth, I got to within four meters of our boundary, when the earth moved literally,

where my brushcutter is in the photo, my feet went from under me, and it was like being on a helter-skelter, myself, along with the brushcutter went scooting head first down towards the quebrada / stream, it was only the small tree, you can just see directly below my brushcutter, that stopped me, and saved me the two meter drop into the water! It might have looked funny, but at the time…!

Anyway, I decided someone was telling me, that it was time to call it a day, however with the state of the land, it took me about half an hour to get back to the house, two steps forward one back. I was not in the best of humours when I arrived.

In the afternoon, I paid the price, it wasn’t my back or hips, it was my knees, having to stand as if I was a mountain goat on the side of the mountain, took it’s toll, so I took to my bed, with the tens machine, which certainly helped.

Today, is a day of rest, I’m sure I will find some small jobs to keep me occupied, but nothing exerting.