Life’s a beach

Life’s a beach

Shingle and stones, unfortunately this week it’s been shingles and kidney stones.

As Delia blogged last week we had a fascinating visit to Aubusson with my language class. It was a two and a half hour drive in a school bus but it was worth it. The tapestry museum had been modernised since we visited some 12 years ago and was now a modern multi-media centre.  Here’s a few of my photos of the visit.

Delia mentioned we were going to a picnic on the Sunday. The weather was glorious and the location ideal. It was actually the grounds of one of my website clients (chezbrandy.com) and was a perfect shady spot. We all gathered and chatted, some new faces, some familiar, all very convivial. Until I started feeling a bit off. We went home and things got worse – pains in my back and side – until so bad we decided to go to the St Junien Urgences (Casualty or ER).

I was seen within a few minutes blood pressure taken and a cursory examination by nurse and a doctor (triage I guess). Hooked up to a line and administered a saline and a paracetomol drip which eased the pain somewhat. Though I found just staying still helped. Anyway eventually they brought Delia in and soon wheeled me off for an MRI where they found several tiny kidney stones (calcules renal).  Finally, armed with a prescription for 5 different medicines we left for home. I didn’t sleep much that night feeling like I’d been beaten up in an alley by steel-toe-capped boot wearing skinheads. The next morning we got the prescription and things were a bit better.

I had had what I thought was a row of bites from a busy mosquito on my back. I had also had an area of skin with a sensitivity to touch that I had attributed to the kidney pain, but it started to spread and pop up into blisters. A trip to the doctor and a return to the pharmacy to cash in my new prize – treatment for shingles. I won’t show any photos of this because it’s disgusting, and just looks like what it is… a pox.

So now I have so many different drugs to take that Delia drew up a table for each day. This shows when and how many of the 27 total pills I have to take. 8 different although one has paracetomol, caffine and opium. Yes opium, which whiles relieving the pain from the shingles, in the dose they suggested made me nauseous and I had to reduce it. Weirdly the doctor told me I had to take the painkiller for the shingles or else the nerves remember the pain and it can with you for years. Perhaps he’s just a drug pusher?

Anyway, the kidney pain is now just very uncomfortable and the shingles are scabbing over (lovely!). I am still indisposed and poor Delia is doing everything. At the moment she is waiting by a broken down car where she took the dog for a long walk and returning to the car it wouldn’t start. I have contacted the insurance rescue service and it should be there soon. But I’m getting hungry and my maid isn’t here to prepare my lunch! 

Delia has returned  2 hours later than expected but after I prepared my own lunch.