Tuesday. 10.30 a.m.Okay, okay. The post title comes from that of a song, written by Irving Berlin and sung by the amazing Ethel Merman and various other singers, first appearing in the film 'Alexander's Ragtime Band', which was released in 1938.
I have been experiencing real pain in my left knee. I don't tend to make a fuss about such things, but it has been going on for around a month or six weeks or so. I was reluctant to go to my doctor's, basically because it's not easy, generally, to get an appointment, then there was the possibility of having to wear a mask and all that nonsense about 'social distancing', (a stupid term. It's an oxymoron, for goodness’s sake. If you don't know what that is, look it up on Google.) I wondered if it was related to something which happened when I was a D.S.M. at Ipswich Theatre in the 1970s. We did a Christmas show, not a pantomime, based on the John Ryan children's television show called 'Sir Prancelot.' I was part of a team who worked on the fly floor, hauling up bits of scenery and making sure the flying went smoothly. Unfortunately, as it was Christmastime, we were messing around, as often happens, but probably not the best place to mess around. In the process, I banged my knee on one of the cleats which were used to tie off the flying hemps `(or ropes.) It hurt at the time, as you'd expect if you have had such an injury. I didn't think any more about it, and had a few twinges, but nothing more. Then, around 48 years later, this discomfort came back. I could have just ignored it, but as you get older, it's probably best to deal with things such as an injury. I can hardly bend the knee, kneeling is out and bending down to do up laces is quite uncomfortable.
Yesterday I decided that enough was enough, and with several issues sorted out, for example, the renovation work on my kitchen and the car with its MoT (which, by the way, it passed, fortunately.) I could go ahead and attempt to make an appointment at my doctor's surgery. Ringing around 8.20 a.m., I just got the infamous menu, asking which area you wanted, so I pressed '1' for appointments, but the system just came back to where I began. It was obvious that there was something wrong with the technology. I could not get through to speak to a receptionist. But around 20 minutes later I got through and this time I was able to get an appointment with a practice nurse. It was at 9 a.m. this morning.
I left in good time to get to the surgery in Bradwell Common. Unfortunately, there are at least three sets of traffic lights you have to go through in order to reach the surgery. There is generally very light traffic at that time of the morning, and even less than there would be when schools are open. These confounded lights seem to take an eternity to change. I can see absolutely no reason for them to take so long and they really need resetting.
On arriving at the car park at the surgery, there was no problem finding a space, and then I walked inside, and as I had taken a face mask with me, found there was no need for it. All the chairs were back as they should be, with no social distancing. I signed in, using the computerized system, and then sat down to wait for my appointment to come up on the digital screen.
There was a message which came up on the screen, telling patients that, if they were in the wrong waiting area, they might miss their appointment. This is because the surgery has a waiting area downstairs, near reception, and another, upstairs. As it was by now about five minutes past the time of my appointment, which was actually 9 o'clock, I went back to the computerized screen and did a check. It didn't appear that I had actually managed to register that I had arrived, so I checked with one of the receptionists and it wasn't clear whether it had actually registered. So I went back to the waiting area.
Around 9.30 I got my call to go into the practice nurse's room. It turns out the problem with my left knee is caused by the soft tissue in the knee joint, called bursa, which are fluid-filled sacs situated near your knee joint. They reduce friction and cushion pressure points between your bones and tendons, muscles and skin near your joints. Any of the bursa in your knee can become inflamed, but knee bursitis most commonly occurs over the kneecap on the inner side of your knee below the joint.
The nurse told me it was unlikely to be in any way connected to the incident when my need came into contact with the cleat on the fly floor in Ipswich. Unlikely, as that was around fifty years ago.
I was told that Voltorol gel would help relieve the discomfort and reduce the inflammation. Also, putting an ice pack on it for ten minutes would also help. The nurse said that a bag of frozen peas would do just as well as an ice pack, but I would rather not use frozen peas, so I intend buying a reusable ice pack.
From the doctor's surgery, I went into the Boots branch, which is immediately next door. They didn't have an ice pack, but I did manage to buy a tube of Voltorol.
On the way home, I was thinking about where I could get an ice pack. I could have gone into the central shopping centre and tried the main branch of Boots, but it would have meant parking and paying, and I didn't have my mobile, so I couldn't pay using the parking app, and, anyway, there was no guarantee that they would even have such a thing as an ice pack. Then it occurred to me, why not try Amazon? So, on arriving home, I looked on the Amazon website and, lo and behold! A vast selection to choose from, and I found a reusable one and ordered it. It should arrive tomorrow. I started using the Voltarol, so I'll have to wait and see if it reduces the pain of bursitis.
6.30 p.m. I'm currently watching the weather on BBC 6 O'clock News, and the weather forecast says there will be extreme heat from this Thursday to Sunday, and the Met Office has issued an Amber Warning.
Wednesday. 5.45 a.m. Awake early and Alfie was barking madly in the lounge. It is relatively mild and as I write this, my digital thermometer reads 75ºF.
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