The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

[violetsnowdrop]

Good:

Travelled to Humberside to see my great-grandson (Jaxon) in person (3 weeks old now). Went back to hotel just before the main snow arrived and cut off the village.

Bad:

Roads all blocked on Wednesday so confined to hotel room (Aah!! Stir crazy!!). Slipped in bath (support rails in Accessible Room were glossy) and stretched sciatic nerve (Ouch! and other unprintable words)....made for restless night! Do I travel home on Thursday or not? Traffic England states route home clear but news indicates Storm Ella rapidly approaching from West. Decision made to travel due to meds enough to Sunday only. Hotel staff loaded my car (PT Cruiser), refuelled and ready to go.

Ugly:

Driving 170 miles in varying degrees of snow; fierce wind chill so that the water jets (not the pipes) and wipers kept icing up. Never visited so many Motorway Service Areas!! Last 60 miles in gradually increasing snow and...when I arrive in Milton Keynes there is 2" of fresh snow but roads have not been gritted (25 mph max.)and waltz to a stop.

Add in that my wife won't drive so I had to drive the whole way with sciatic nerve allowing me maximum comfort NOT!! Thank God for co-codamol!

Silver Lining:

Snow continued after my arrival home to 5", and more snow on Friday (to 7"). I'm home, have medications and a well-stocked larder.

[SheffieldJane]

Wow! That was quite a fraught adventure. Your great grandson is utterly beautiful and well worth your difficult journey, just one sniff of him would help everything. Sciatica is awful pain. I experienced it striving for several weeks to be the perfect, hands on grandmother to my eldest daughter’s new born son, I could barely walk to the plane on the way home.

I always take plenty of Pred on journeys, stashed around my luggage just in case.

Home, medications and well stocked larder sounds like my kind of happiness, coupled with a visit to a darling newborn. Go Jaxon!!

[Hidden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Am glad it's not just me that believes in healing powers of sniffing a baby..

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Works every time!

[Rose54]

Glad your home safe

make sure you rest up

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Oh wow what a journey! Bet when you turned into your road there was a great sigh of relief (in stereo)!

As Jane says, next time take more tablets! Now rest up and treat that sciatica.

Lovely little boy. But wait ‘til the better weather to see him again.

[violetsnowdrop in reply to DorsetLady]

I had plenty of bandages, insulin, needles and test kit and pred but only 3 days extra hypertension meds. If necessary, I had NHS card and repeat prescription forms. Just a phone call?! but takes hours.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to violetsnowdrop]

Yes, and the last thing you want to be doing...!

I had to carry 3 months worth of BP meds & statins (fortunately no Pred, but GP has left me on Adcal) to NZ recently. Mind you on the way home I filled the space with NZ wine! So not all bad.

Take care.

[Sandy1947]

Beautiful baby! Sorry about your rough journey and painful sciatica. Rest up and feel better.

[Hidden]

Ouch indeed. Brings out the muscular Tourette in me too. Glad you made it home safely and weren't one of the ones trapped for 12hours.

[yogabonnie]

Oh I love that baby!!! He has the very same eyes as my new grandson in Alaska who is now 2 months old..!! What a journey you have had. And there is nothing quite like a well stocked larder!

[artfingers]

Wow, cute grandson! I was in Florida on vacation, but in the states my pharmacy makes it easy. They just pull up my meds anywhere in the country and fill it there (it's a national chain). We just got home late last night after driving 24 hours up to Michigan from Florida (1,600 miles) in 2 days. Of course all the weight I lost so diligently there is gone and I gained it ALL back on the trip because I couldn't work out for 2 days. Happens every time I travel, sheesh. I'm glad you got home finally and safely! I am back to the gym in a few minutes to work away this weight gain. Hope the sciatica feels better soon!

[Leymay24]

Well done you. When my grandaughter was born in 1998 in January in the UK. We were living in France. We packed up our camper van with everything possible and set off. It was so cold and icy, but when I held her in my arms for the first time it was worth the terrible journey.

[violetsnowdrop]

Copy of February's rheumy visit reveals the following quote:-

"Inflammatory marker levels are reasonable for him and of course CRP of 12.5mg/L may have alternative explanations along with ESR of 60mm/Hr. Clinically I do not think he has any major features of active PMR".

Nice to hear after 5 years, is'nt it? (Despite the fact that ESR is up 20% on what has been 10 year norm). Review appointment 3 months---maybe we'll discuss what his thoughts are, this time! I wonder what he has been treating me for? Osteoarthritis ; bilateral bursitis/ tendonitis in both shoulders and hips or severe stiffness in mornings? END OF MOAN!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to violetsnowdrop]

Sometimes you just have to wonder...