On holiday we have a family tradition! - Lung Conditions C...

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On holiday we have a family tradition!

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Well after 3 years of putting a little a way when we could, we manged to allow ourselves (Wife and I) a week away. We decided that if we are going to stay in England it will be in a high star hotels. I have been told not to fly and even if I went by train. The insurance once I found one that would insure me was so expensive with so many clauses it was was not worth going abroad.

The plan was to go to Torquay but to break the journey we will stop at Bristol in a 4* hotel near their entertainment and restaurant area on the River Avon. Hotel met all our hopes and dreams and the outside was as entertaining as I hoped we even got to see a comedy night that was very funny in parts. But up 4 flights of stairs. I was so out of breath by the time I had reached the peak I felt like I should place a flag and claim it in the name of our Queen and Country?

Well down for breakfast and feeling that maybe I did have one to many. Refreshed with the new lining in the stomach we got set to do stage 2 to Torquay. The Hotel was complete with spa indoor and outdoor pool and gym. I am not going to go too much into the hotel at this stage but more to come.

The Family tradition seems to be at some point into the holiday one of us have to have a problem. It was not the fact that the I had not packed one of my medicines or that the wife had forgotten her sun shorts ( Or had she?) that we had to find M&S to get some more.

As I mentioned they had 2 pools and they were very inviting too, 3 days in I thought I would try the indoor one as it was no deeper than 1.3m. I have a Parylsed Diaphragm so swimming is a problem but I knew I could stand anywhere so drowning should not be a problem. Well I manged 4 strokes and that was it empty I was pleased as I did 2 more than I thought I could. Rested in the .9m part to get my breath back and try again. I was very proud of my self but tiring quickly. On the edge of the pool was a Jacuzzi that looked a lot of fun so the wife said as soon as they people in it get out we will try it. It has a 10 minute timer on it. As soon as it had stopped it's eruption of bubbles and water the previous people got out. My wife got out the well placed steps for those less able and the urge not to be beaten to the Jacuzzi was to strong and I went up the steel ladder. Well it was that point of lifting my body to get out and rotate to the right to further my march to the Jacuzzi I felt something that was like an elastic band twanging in my right knee cap. Thinking it is creaking bones again into the Jacuzzi with the wife and push the big white button to get the jets and bubbles. This one was the granddaddy of them all it was very powerful and also very hot. With the increased waistline etc it certainly buffered me in all sorts of places. Before we knew it the timer had kicked in and we had to leave this now still hot pool. Wife gets out and I step on the first step but could not lift my right leg past the step I was on? left to the next and once more right would only follow to the same step. I put it down to over doing it a bit but it only got worse. Sitting down was painful to do and after a time trying to get up was a nightmare.

After think I could sleep it off and the new morning arrived I found I could even move my leg over the side of the bed with out pain. So at the reception I asked for a Doctors number which the kindly called for me to be told sorry we are fully booked call 111 So that was a strange experience I explained the symptoms to my knee be asked to put my hand on my belly and tell them was it warm? I was then given the same doctors number and another to try and then told if they cannot help go to the "minor injuries" at the hospital. All the doctors were full so off to Torquay hospital. Once there we were seen by triage very quickly and then called though to be met with "Why are you in A&E" So told her the story for her to say " Great so at least you have really tried not to come here" After a few prods and pokes I was asked to stand on one leg and hook my other around and twist on the good leg first. Well the bad leg started well but as soon as it was to bend and twist I was sprawled across the bed and may of said a rude word? Back on the bed she got hold my leg and moves it about with various stages of me me winching in pain. "I will be back in a minute" True to her word 10 minutes later she came back and said I have confirmed this with a specialist that you have a torn meniscus the tests I/we did confirm it. It is best dealt with at your end not here so book an appointment to see your GP.

Before we went she asked am I on Warfarin so I told her since 1992 and I am 3.4 with a range of 2.5 to 3.5 3.0 Ideal. "Oh you are on the high range! Do you want me to do one here now to check you are okay in case it is a bleed?" I declined as I can gauge how I am with my teeth brushing and the clock was ticking on the car park ticket. She closed with "If it gets any worse do not hesitate to come again as you are on our system now."

The family tradition is one or more of us a year will end up in hospital away from home. My sister was in hospital in Sri Lanka with a kidney infection, Mother fell down a open drain in Spain, Father fell in a hole I dug in the sand and badly broke his ankle in Jersey, sister fell down stairs in Switzerland. The list goes on and on and on.

Sorry for the long blog been offline a long time for me.

Be Well

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19 Replies
aberdeenman profile image
aberdeenman

hi offcut good you managed get away for a holiday, shame about having visit hospital.

tam

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Offcut in reply to aberdeenman

All because I put my foot and knee in the wrong place!

It's probably the wrong thing to say but your holiday made interesting reading !

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply to Puffthemagicdragon

Wait until I get on to my next bit of my holiday info ?

Sokrackers profile image
Sokrackers

Oh Offcut you do have some adventures.

How are you doing now?

I enjoy a holiday but it is always nice to come home (preferably to a working boiler and no bees nest in the loft as it was for me).

Hopefully now you are back safe and sound things will settle down but with your luck it is only a matter of time until your next challenge.

Keep on smiling - your posts nearly always give me a guilty smile - I think it is the way you tell them LOL

Stay safe and well

SK

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Offcut in reply to Sokrackers

Funny thing was we did not have any hot water so I had to fiddle with the valve on the boiler to move the needle to the green bit and all fine now.

dall05 profile image
dall05

It seems there's never a dull moment in your family when it comes to holidays OC, that's quite a list. I've recently been on my hols to Cornwall, I did have an incident while at Looe bay, I was sat quietly on a low wall looking out to sea when thud! something quite heavy hit me in the back. It was a very wet sandy looking dollop of seagull poo. This is supposed to be lucky but I'm still waiting for that lottery win or world cruise to come up.

Never mind I'm still breathing so maybe I'm being greedy and my luck is to still be here and enjoying life with family and friends. :) .

Tony.

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Offcut in reply to dall05

I have never considered it being lucky when that happens to me. While we were in Bristol we saw a lady lose her fish off her plate by a seagull landing on their table outside the bar we were at.

dall05 profile image
dall05 in reply to Offcut

Ha Ha, shouldn't laugh really, those pesky seagulls nicked a 99 ice cream cone out of a mans hand right in front of me. His face was one of complete shock. He wasn't to be beat though and even though it cost him he went straight back to the cue for another in true brit style.

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Offcut in reply to dall05

We will fight them on the beackies!

sassy59 profile image
sassy59

Funnily enough I was wondering where you were yesterday so it was nice to see your name crop up on the post until I read what had happened. Such a shame and sounded really painful. How are things now? Hopefully you are recovering. If you stayed at home then what would happen to you, maybe nothing but it is nice to get away and Torquay is not a bad place to go to.

Take care now. xxxxx

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply to sassy59

I rested it for a few days and it was better but every now and then it reminds me it is still there so I may need to see my GP. Who might blame it on my heart?

Plumbob profile image
Plumbob

Glad you enjoyed your holiday Offcut :P :P and kept up the family tradition (Keeping the hospitals In work :P ) Seriously though hope your back to 'NORMAL' (relatively speaking!!!) as soon as possible. I haven't had a holiday for a few years now can't be bothered with hassle, and with the chemo I'm now having I'm out allowed eating out, or take-aways so wife has to cook everything from fresh (no holiday for her) so I try to go in the shed for an hour each day to give her a break :P :P

In future keep out of Jacuzzi's (just make your own :P :P )

Take care

Owen

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply to Plumbob

sit in a hot bath and blow into the water with a hose is the cheap alternative but the wind to get the bubbles is the hard bit ;) blowing at least is!

Plumbob profile image
Plumbob in reply to Offcut

Beans (lots of them) overcome that problem Offcut :P :P :P LOL

At least your holiday wasn't boring....lol

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply to

my life never seems to be boring ;)

onamission profile image
onamission

Glad it went ok In the end hotel sounds great

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply to onamission

dpagman will give his review on that one tomorrow ;)

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