last leg pt3

Jan 19th At last - headway

It seems they have now granted me Incapacity Benefit rather than Income Support... again, only backdated til August at the moment, but I saw a nice lady at the Housing Trust at 3pm who read all the letters I took with me and came to the conclusion that the DWP and Lewes District Council have fecked up She's taking it on for me and will be sorting it out in due course. She has warned me it might take a while but at least it means that LDC will stop hassling me for money I haven't got - it also means that my tax credits will be reinstated so I'll have a little bit more a month to live on
And hopefully in a couple of months I should have a nice lot of back payments winging their way to me

Just in time for rally season ..... after I've cleared some of my debt off, of course


Then I got drenched on the way home - I fecking hate crutches, it means you can't wear a coat
Jan 22nd I've been to parent's evening at Mikey's school this evening and I thought I'd share - cos I'm fecking chuffed to bits

I saw all the teachers of his key subjects (except geography cos she was too busy)
He is top of the school for science, history and maths - and I believe he is top in geography too cos it said so in his report last month.
But get this:

He is very probably in the top 5% of the country for maths

All the teachers had very nice, positive things to say about him and tonight I am one very proud mummy
Jan 27th Here's me waiting to hear when I can go and have this poxy op. From the way my consultant was talking t'other week - it was going to be very soon. I just got a phone call from a woman from the hospital to say she's calling to a) make an appointment for the nurse to call me for a pre-op (I did all this when I was at the hospital week before last but because it's a different hospital they're going to do it again ) and to arrange a consultation with my consultant.
WTF do I want a consultation with him for? I saw him 13 days ago and he said "You need another op" I said "ok" he said "Right, let's get it sorted"
She then went on to say the next available consultation is on .... March 13th
I then told her that my consultant did say he was trying to get me in last Friday as it was urgent.... why the feck do I have to wait til March?
Miss Prissy Pants said - oh he's very busy and booked up.. blah di blah

Well - you'd better check with him then - cos he said it was urgent.

So, she's gonna check with his assistant and call me back Thursday.
Grumble, grumble
Jan 30th The op will be on 20th Feb - got the go ahead today from Miss Not-So-Prissy-And-Very-Apologetic-Pants. I have to go up and have MRSA swabs taken before tho - just waiting on that date...

Feb 1st Snowing here - has been on and off all day Fecking cold again too... can't wait til they take this metalwork out - I'm getting like Grandma Clampet - I can forecast the weather through my knees
Feb 9th I wanted to go down the town to get some bits today but it's pishing down here so I have to stay in
Feb 16th Right, start the positively charged thoughts now please (ommm, ohm whatever ) I'm going up today to have swabs taken to check for MRSA (they're making me go all the way up to Haywards Heath to have this done and won't let me go to my doc's surgery even though they offer this service) then roll on Friday
Feb 19th Right, got to be in hospital for 8am tomorrow My mate's really happy about that cos it means she's got to pick me up at 7.15am Op's scheduled for around 9am (I'm second in the queue) should be out around 11.30 :pray:
Will be up at crack of sparrow fart so I can have a cup of (black) tea before 6am
Feb 20th 4.19pm I'm home
Got back about 2.45, bit later than expected as had to go on a drip cos the blood pressure was a bit too low. Everything went well, I think - don't know what they've done cos the consultant was a bit busy with outpatient clinic but I'm going to see him in a couple of weeks. Apparently the metalwork was full of pus again so that explains the pain I've had for the last month or so
feeling slightly queasy but I think that's more to do with lack of sleep and caffeine than anything else Dosed up with painkillers, anti inflams and antibiotics so should be as right as rain in a couple of days
Feb 21st In pain, feeling and being sick today
Feb 22nd found actually being sick helped the nauseous problem
Feeling a bit better today - still in lots of pain but it's bearable. Had a shower and changed the dressing today - even though it's supposed to stay on for a week, the bloody thing fell off last night I've done a better job of it now It does help that I have more dressings here than the local pharmacist
Feb 25th Well I was poorly last night, so the pancakes weren't made - Mikey didn't feel brave enough to do them himself So he cooked dinner and we're going to have them tonight instead
Feb 28th I'm a bit fed up today
My mum (who I haven't really spoken to for nearly 3 years) has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's - my brother is sorting this side of things out (ironic really, they never spoke for years until she fell out with me) and I've had cause for concern because he's not known for his patience and he is (very much like her) money orientated, so I was a bit worried that he'd shove her in a home just to get his hands on the house. Anyway, to give him his due, he has kept me informed over what's been happening. She's a heavy drinker and seems to be worse since I last saw her - she does nothing but sit at home and drink and I am sure that this is half her problem - she probably does have Alzheimer's too, but I think most of her problems are alcohol related. Anyway, he finally managed to get her to a doctor the other week and it was discovered she had high blood pressure (180 over 160 or something!) and it was also agreed that she would attend some kind of clinic for brain training or something - I couldn't get the gist of it. He's not arranged for any brain scans or anything to confirm Alzheimer's as it seems to be taken as read that that's what she has. Anyway a couple of weeks back my brother came out with the idea of getting a Power of Attorney and was talking about the possibility of putting her house on a deed of trust - something to do with the council not being able to make her sell her home if she has to go into care. He calls me last night to tell me he has taken her to a solicitors to get power of attorney - it's been done but not invoked - so it's there if he needs it. If she gets worse I presume that means. He also told me that the deed of trust is not worth the paper it's written on as they can be easily overturned by a council - so that's on the back burner.
He also told me that I had been cut out of the will - which I'm not too bothered about - her mother used to do the same thing regularly with her kids - like mother like daughter (let's hope I'm too much like my father for this to happen to me). Then he told me that she'd received a phone call from Mikey's father asking me to call him, but as she didn't take a contact number I don't know how I'm supposed to call him He did ask her what he'd wanted and she said "I think he wants a divorce" but I know that means he didn't say why he was calling. As it's the first time he's called in about 6 years I think it may be important. This leaves me a problem as I've spent all morning searching through my old papers for his parent's address so I can write to him and give him my telephone number, but so far I've had no luck finding it and I can't remember where they lived.
Bollox! March 5th Went in to hospital this morning for my follow up and to have my stitches out - saw the registrar who told me they cut a lump of bone out and removed the final screw on my last op - got some more anti biotics - got home at 2.20pm. Get meself a sandwich, the phone rings - it's the school - Mikey's hurt his knee playing football, can I come and pick him up? he's in a lot of pain. Ring his godmother, she's miles away and can't do it, I've got about £2 on me so I can't get a taxi so I ask the neighbour opposite. She picks him up, brings him home and it's obviously quite painful but not swollen or anything, so neighbour decides we should go to Lewes Hospital - no a & e but they have a minor injuries unit. Spend 2 hours there, nurse says "oh look at the swelling now" Poor sod's knee has blown up like a balloon. "Get yerself and yer son over to Eastbourne hospital, immediately. 6 hours at Eastbourne DGH and Xray and some cocodamol later - poor bugger's got a splint on and is on crutches
They don't know what he's done, it's not broken but there's loads of swelling so it may be ligaments, tendons etc.
Got to go back Tuesday morning.
Got home at 11pm and made him beans on toast cos the poor sod was starving!

3 hospitals today - that has to be a record


Feck, you really don't want to be related to me
March 9th Tigger has gone down with a urinary infection and has been admitted to the vets for an overnight stay

who said things went in 3's? eh? who was it? It's more like 300's
March 10th Took son to hospital for a review of his knee. It appears that his kneecap "popped out" for a bit (a bit of what I'm not sure ) but has gone back in (they don't think it's damaged the cartilage but he's back next Monday for a scan just to check) it's still very swollen and he has to keep the splint on for another week. Then went to vet to pick up Tigger who has now got to be on a special diet and a bill for £96 which I could have done without
But all the cripples are now home
I've just ordered (online) his new diet. 36 x 100g pouches (and anyone who has met Tigger knows 100g won't go far) and a 3.5 kilo bag of dried food - £39.58
Oh and I had to buy him a water fountain for £20 on the vet's recommendation (Didn't buy it from the vet tho)

£155 on the cat today (inc vet bills)
Mar 19th It appears operation number 8 is in the offing
I went to see the consultant yesterday who told me that I have a deep set infection caused by the pin. Unfortunately I can't have the pin taken out until the bone has healed so they've given me another 4 weeks of anti biotics to take - then I will have to have them until the op because they will never cure the infection, just keep the symptoms at bay.

I do seem to have upset the Gods recently
Mikey's knee appears to have been more damaged than originally thought and he's having an MRI scan next week 
March 22nd (Mothers Day) Now two scrotes have nipped up the back and stolen both of Mikey's scooters I saw them but by the time I got there the feckers had been and gone
Phoned the Old Bill and reported it - also text a couple of people in case they see them out and about but I expect that's the last we'll see of them. I know he's got a bad leg and can't use them at the moment but that's not the point. If I get hold of the little scrotes.....
Mar 27th Bit of an update - I finally got confirmation today that the Council have admitted to underpaying both rent and council tax for the last 10 months. They've adjusted the council tax to what it should have been and are sending me a cheque for the money they underpaid on the rent I have to call them in a minute to find out if they're still taking me to court though

Just the Incapacity benefit to go.....
Mar 30th Well unfortunately for you lot, I am not going to prison for non-payment of council tax
On the advice of the nice lady who's expert in all things benefit (or should that be beneficial?) I called up the council and asked them to remove the court costs from my tax bill - fully expected them to say no, but the nice man said "No problem, I'll do that immediately" and waived the costs I then paid them the grand sum of £47 and that's it - all over

Still waiting to hear from Incapacity Benefit, but at least that's one more thing crossed off the list

April 6th Right, got the results of Mikey's scan - he's chipped his kneecap and has suspected mild damage to a ligament - thankfully nothing too serious and they've arranged for some physio for him. Hopefully it will heal on its own fairly quickly
April 18th – woohoo I’m off the antibiotics and no more for me for a while! Went back to hospital on the 15th for my xray and review – spoke to a really nice (English for a change) registrar who looked at my notes and actually read them. He reckons I’ve had enough pills for a while – to come back in 6 weeks for several xrays as this one is showing improvement on one side of the pin but the other side is still quite broken. They will make the decision the n as to when they’re taking the pin out but this should be the last op…. so fingers crossed.
April 24th mate came round for a visit today, she asked if I needed anything picking up, said I wouldn’t mind a bit of salad so she brought me a tomato plant and a cucumber plant – nutta! ended up going back to hers and spent the evening drinking wine with her and her hubby, had a lovely dinner and stayed the night there. Mikey took his xbox to keep him from whingeing all evening!
April 26th my brother just gave me his telly as he’s bought an LCD jobbie. Tis quite cool – massive thing and works luvly That makes 4 tellies in the living room now….

May 2nd I've just broken my arse and my little finger - Mikey spilt some washing liquid on the floor whilst putting the washing on, didn't wipe it up and I've just slipped arse over tit
7th May – Today is the anniversary of my accident – a whole year – feckin hell.
The bastard snails have eaten one of my sweet peas! Went out tonight armed with a torch and a pot of salt and killed loads of the bastard snails in revenge

And that’s it – a year in the life. 7 operations and 1 more to go…..