Tag Archives: bronchitis

Friday 22nd February 2019 – HAVING HAD …

… a really bad night last, I couldn’t wait until 08:30 came around.

At 08:33 I was on the telephone. “Could Dr Plunet see me for 5 minutes some time soon?”
“How about 09:30?”

Eat your hearts out, NHS.

With not having had even a wash since Monday and not daring to try a shower, I had as good a scrub as I could and then headed off – in Caliburn because I couldn’t walk and I wasn’t really all that much up to driving either – down to town.

I was seen immediately – by a locum as the doctor is on holiday. He examined me, had a good listen to my bronchites wheezing away and identified straight away what was the problem with me. And I was right too. The viral infection is back.

So loaded up with medication, a loaf of bread and some pears, I headed off back home.

And having dosed myself up – back to bed where I lay and sweated myself to sleep.

However, the medication must have done some good because a while later I was up and about feeling better. The cough had eased, the streaming head had calmed down somewhat and I could actually think straighter.

This afternoon, Shock! Horror! after a bowl of soup I started on doing some work. I have so much to do that I haven’t done, and so much that I should have done these last few days.

So now is the time to press on. One of my web pages from 2005 is attracting media attention – positive attention too for a change. But the style is quite dated and needs rewriting, so that was my first task today.

And that took me longer than I expected too. But I kept on plugging away and even found time to make a start on the missing blog entries. They might be up to date sometime soon.

But not right now. It’s late and I’m off to bed. It’s Saturday tomorrow but I’m not going shopping. I’m not eating anything so there’s no need to buy anything. I’ll have a leisurely day instead and build up my strength.

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Friday 22nd December 2017 – WHAT A DIFFERENCE …

… a day makes.

24 hours ago I was at death’s door. I don’t think that I’d ever felt so ill.

I’d crawled off to bed early, consoled myself with one of my favourite films of all times, Casino Royale, the version starring David Niven and one with a whole raft of jokes running through it that would never ever be tolerated in the politically-correct environment of today’s United Kingdom.

And if that couldn’t cheer me up, then nothing could. And so I lay there desperately hoping that I could drop off to sleep, or that I would be struck by a thunderbolt, or the earth would swallow me up.

This clearly wasn’t going very well, so at about 03:00 I set the alarm for 08:30. Now that I had finally decided to go to the doctor’s, it would be rather a shame if I were to fall asleep and miss it.

And fall asleep I must have done, because I was off on my travels. Somewhere in mainland Europe in World War II dealing with escaping Prisoners of War. The Germans were actively looking for them and so we had hidden them in some small bulkhead rooms in this Navy destroyer. They started to have a good search of the ship and I realised that I hadn’t chosen a good place because there was no escape route from these rooms. Trying to think of a solution, one of my assistants came up with the idea that if we were to say nothing and the Germans might not notice them. And even if they did, they might not make the connection.

The alarm awoke me (so it was just as well that I had set it) and I struggled into the living room for my medication. No breakfast again, but I did manage to stagger into the shower.

I could stagger down to Caliburn and we had an exciting time driving to the doctor’s. I definitely wasn’t really up to doing that. But it’s a good choice, this doctor’s, because it’s on the bus route and there’s a chemist’s within a short walk.

By the time that I arrived I was in agony, but the doctor gave me a good going-over. Apparently I have one of the worst cases of bronchitis that he has ever seen. He gave me two options – a course of medication or 8 daily injections in my rear end. No prizes for guessing which I chose!

Having to obtain some more money from the Bank (thanks to this temporary bank card from Fortis Bank) I went for the medication from the pharmacie. And this is going to work out to be expensive, this health issue.

Just round the corner is the Casino supermarket so I called in for a tray of Clementines (Christmas isn’t complete without a tray of Celemntines to attack) and a loaf of bread to freeze. After all, I’ll be starting to eat again someday soon, maybe.

Back here, I had the first helping of the medication. And much to my astonishment, it wasn’t all that long before I could feel an improvement. To such an extent that I polished off the rest of the soup from yesterday. And that made me feel even better.

As a result, seeing that I don’t have any leeks, I went out again to the Casine and picked some up, along with a bag of mixed nuts, a pile of water (I’m almost out) and a couple of other things too. And, for the first time for almost a week, I almost felt a spring in my step.

This evening I’ve nibbled on a few things. I’m still not up to a cooked meal but who knows what I’ll be feeling like tomorrow.

But the problem is that I’m not much of a one for doctors. I’ve always been a believer in building up my own immune system to fight off illnesses and ben prepared to suffer for a few days in the process. I’m finding it difficult to come to terms with the idea that since my splenectomy in January 2016 I no longer have an immune system.

I’ll just have to get over it.

And I’ve not crashed out once today, or retreated under the quilt, and it’s 23:00. I must be feeling better?

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Sunday 15th July 2012 – WE WERE IN …

bourrées de vergheas puy de dome france… Vergheas today.

That’s the farthest extremity of the Canton of Pionsat and so we had an early start.

Not as early as my start though. Having had two consecutive early nights (and a third one in a moment) I was up and about before 08:00 – on a Sunday – with no alarm – and for no particular reason either.

When was the last time that that happened?

bourrées de vergheas puy de dome franceThe Open Day at Vergheas was by far the best-attended so far, and there were the local musicians in attendance.

You can see the two old women there turning away on their vielles à roue for all they were worth while the men were having a good old go at the accordion. Everything in 3/4 time of course – nothing complicated here.

bourrées de vergheas puy de dome franceThe Bourrées de Vergheas – the local folk-dance troupe – were in attendance too. And after giving a demonstration of a few dances (all in 3/4 time of course) they grabbed hold of all of the foreigners present and had them up on the floor dancing.

Even Marianne was invited to dance and I’ll publish the photo sometime unless I receive a well-filled brown envelope in the meantime. It was certainly an exciting way to spend a morning – much better than staying in bed.

bourrées de vergheas puy de dome franceThe dance troupe, by the way, caters for all ages as you can see in the photo.

There was even a little girl of about two or three dressed up in traditional Auvergnat costume having an immense amount of fun there with all of the grown-ups.

As you know, I’m all in favour of involving the youth of the community in these events. It is they who are the future and if you don’t engage with them then the traditions of the area will all die out.

But Marianne is not well – she has her bronchitis again. Hardly surprising – I reckon that we will all be developing gills sooner or later if this awful weather continues.

But Marianne became worse and worse as the morning wore on and in the end I had to drive her car home to Pionsat.

All events are now cancelled for this week while she recovers.

This afternoon I finished the rock music radio programmes and not much else. I’m thoroughly worn out too and at all of 23:19 I’m off to bed too. I can’t last the pace these days and I dunno what’s the matter with me.

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