Preparing for winter III

pinkmami

The very reason why I did it BYATT!!! Last powercut we had was 4 yrs ago & it was 3 weeks before my due date with baby 3. Nice calm Sunday evening in March & off the power went. DH was out, 2 girls in bed & I was scared!! Called DH, he came home (thankfully he was at a pals house). Next morning I made up a box....its there "just incase"!!!

nicki_2

Thanks for the wishes for DD.

Byratt Yes she can walk on it sort of. Originally the first hospital in the town near where she was camping thought it was just a dislocation so put it back and sent her home in a splint with crutches and instructions to go for a follow up the next day despite taking X-rays! She was in agony as everytime she walked more than 3 steps the splint slipped but I couldn't make it any tighter due to the swelling on her knee!

It was Monday morning at Alder Hey (kids hospital in Liverpool) when they got an orthopaedic consultant to look at it without the splint that we discovered its more serious. The problem is she was in so much pain despite painkillers, and the swelling was impressive, that when they came to do an ultra sound to find out how bad the damage is they couldn't see much due to all the fluid. She was so bad she was nearly sick Then the doctor was ready to discharge her from A&E but she wasn't able to move her leg without hitting 15 on the pain scale (usually 1-10!) so they put her in plaster & kept her in. He was really nice up to that point and then seemed to get a "you're wasting my time" attitude :mad: And I did NOT appreciate them talking to her while I nipped out to go the toilet especially as we were in A&E for a total of about 9 hours! :mad: I could understand it when she was on the ward and it was during rounds when that consultant spoke to her without me present, but that was my fault that I wasn't there (and stupid traffic backed up by roadworks/rush hour meant a 30min round trip ended up taking me nearly 90min!) and he came across and spoke to me himself when he'd finished the rounds and even took into account my concerns about being able to manage at home so gave me some advice and got physio to do so as well :T

That doctor (who also discharged her) & Physio said she could walk on it as long as she's aided so I let her use her 'smart shoe' as she calls it and kind of stand on it while she's moving around, but predominately she's sitting up in bed/on the sofa with the leg as elevated as possible without splitting her difference! Seriously the cast on the inside of her thigh is so high up its almost digging in underneath. If they want another full one on I'm going to ask if they can shape it some how so its not so high up there. Its almost impossible for her to go the toilet without getting it wet!

I'm also thinking of all the extra exercise I'm getting running up and down the stairs to see to her as well as helping her move. :rotfl:Its exhausting though and I'm going to be starting to take some painkillers in advance of moving her up/downstairs. All this bending while still being able to walk is killing my back and the cast is surprisingly heavy!

fuddle

lolly_896 wrote: »

I've been meaning to fleece line our curtains since we moved here 4 yrs ago!!!

Do you us fleece from the roll (By the metre stuff) or blankets? What im trying to ask is - whats the most cost effective! TY

Byatt wrote: »

Lolly, I look out for offers on fleece blankets, I don't know how much a roll would cost, I think Fuddle might as I know she was looking into it. The blankets are more cost effective for me as I probably wouldn't make up a fleece roll.

Pinkmami, I like the idea of a "powercut" box, I know I have a torch somewhere but can never remember where I put it!

I did look into it yeah From what I found the cheapest way was buying fleeces and not the fabric by the metre. The cheapest fleeces I have found is the Ikea Irma pale blue ones - they were 99p but the last look they were £1.59 a fleece. Hope to help. I would never pay any more than £3 for a fleece and even then I would hope to get one for about £2 - £2.50

By the metre is around £4 :cool:

prepareathome

Byatt hope you enjoy the potatoes. I am not fond of dried potatoes but I buy the basic ones for hubby ( although not long ago they were only 11p not 35p I think it was when bought some other week) and he says they are fine. That is why I buy so many tinned ones as to me all dried potatoes seem to have a similar taste but on saying that I have never actually tried the MR basic ones - making them tonight for hubby ( having lamb and I just want it on rolls) but he like it with veg and potatoes so will have a try of it.

Sorry to hear about the doctor at Alder Hey - basically lived there for first 6 years of youngest sons life ( 28 and fine thankfully) and found most of the staff there were brilliant ( although had been there on and off over the years with the others).

nicki_2

prepareathome wrote: »

Sorry to hear about the doctor at Alder Hey - basically lived there for first 6 years of youngest sons life ( 28 and fine thankfully) and found most of the staff there were brilliant ( although had been there on and off over the years with the others).

I seemed to spend most of my teenage years between 11-16 there because of my scoliosis (I'm 33 now and although I have a lot of backache if I do too much, and I can't do a 'standing all day' type job, I have no problems now ) and it looks like I'll be spending quite a bit of time there over the next few weeks. She's becoming a bit of a regular there, first was a dislocated shoulder when she was about 18months old (which put itself back), but then nothing until about 4 years ago. Since then its been Slapped cheek (referred by doctor as he wanted a specialist to check his diagnosis as the rash is apparently quite a rare symptom and DD was covered in it! I think every student medical person in Alder Hey saw her that day :rotfl:), major tonsillitis where her throat closed up so much she could hardly breathe, the start of this year she had the winter vomiting bug so severe I ended up calling an ambulance as she couldn't even keep a sip of water down, and now her knee :eek: I wouldn't mind but I'd noticed she'd started walking a little different & tripping up a lot (although thankfully she usually manages to stay upright) so I was going to make her a GP appointment to ask if it could be checked out during the first week of the summer holidays, just 3 weeks away!

Byatt

nicki wrote: »

Thanks for the wishes for DD.

Byratt Yes she can walk on it sort of. Originally the first hospital in the town near where she was camping thought it was just a dislocation so put it back and sent her home in a splint with crutches and instructions to go for a follow up the next day despite taking X-rays! She was in agony as everytime she walked more than 3 steps the splint slipped but I couldn't make it any tighter due to the swelling on her knee!

It was Monday morning at Alder Hey (kids hospital in Liverpool) when they got an orthopaedic consultant to look at it without the splint that we discovered its more serious. The problem is she was in so much pain despite painkillers, and the swelling was impressive, that when they came to do an ultra sound to find out how bad the damage is they couldn't see much due to all the fluid. She was so bad she was nearly sick Then the doctor was ready to discharge her from A&E but she wasn't able to move her leg without hitting 15 on the pain scale (usually 1-10!) so they put her in plaster & kept her in. He was really nice up to that point and then seemed to get a "you're wasting my time" attitude :mad: And I did NOT appreciate them talking to her while I nipped out to go the toilet especially as we were in A&E for a total of about 9 hours! :mad: I could understand it when she was on the ward and it was during rounds when that consultant spoke to her without me present, but that was my fault that I wasn't there (and stupid traffic backed up by roadworks/rush hour meant a 30min round trip ended up taking me nearly 90min!) and he came across and spoke to me himself when he'd finished the rounds and even took into account my concerns about being able to manage at home so gave me some advice and got physio to do so as well :T

That doctor (who also discharged her) & Physio said she could walk on it as long as she's aided so I let her use her 'smart shoe' as she calls it and kind of stand on it while she's moving around, but predominately she's sitting up in bed/on the sofa with the leg as elevated as possible without splitting her difference! Seriously the cast on the inside of her thigh is so high up its almost digging in underneath. If they want another full one on I'm going to ask if they can shape it some how so its not so high up there. Its almost impossible for her to go the toilet without getting it wet!

I'm also thinking of all the extra exercise I'm getting running up and down the stairs to see to her as well as helping her move. :rotfl:Its exhausting though and I'm going to be starting to take some painkillers in advance of moving her up/downstairs. All this bending while still being able to walk is killing my back and the cast is surprisingly heavy!

Yes it is heavy! I learned to go up and down the stairs on my bottom, I wasn't allowed to put weight on it, and they never gave me a tidier cast which I moaned about! It really isn't the easiest cast to have as like you say it's so high up. My boss couldn't understand why I couldn't go into work as he said, that when he had a broken arm he went in! :rotfl:I couldn't have reached my desk!

I hope she heals quickly and as the weeks go on I am sure she will find ways of adapting. Take care of yourself too though. :A

SpikyHedgehog

bossymoo wrote: »

Oh no, hope the knee isn't too damaged
X


I have hung a fleece over a tension rod, very snug to window but of course you can't "open" it without taking the whole thing down. Might be ok in some rooms that are used less?

nicki wrote: »

I seemed to spend most of my teenage years between 11-16 there because of my scoliosis (I'm 33 now and although I have a lot of backache if I do too much, and I can't do a 'standing all day' type job, I have no problems now ) and it looks like I'll be spending quite a bit of time there over the next few weeks. She's becoming a bit of a regular there, first was a dislocated shoulder when she was about 18months old (which put itself back), but then nothing until about 4 years ago. Since then its been Slapped cheek (referred by doctor as he wanted a specialist to check his diagnosis as the rash is apparently quite a rare symptom and DD was covered in it! I think every student medical person in Alder Hey saw her that day :rotfl:), major tonsillitis where her throat closed up so much she could hardly breathe, the start of this year she had the winter vomiting bug so severe I ended up calling an ambulance as she couldn't even keep a sip of water down, and now her knee :eek: I wouldn't mind but I'd noticed she'd started walking a little different & tripping up a lot (although thankfully she usually manages to stay upright) so I was going to make her a GP appointment to ask if it could be checked out during the first week of the summer holidays, just 3 weeks away!

Nicki, I hope you don't mind me asking, but has your daughter been checked for scoliosis? Our GP has written to our local hospital to see if there's any screening for it, aas I have scoliosis & DS2 has hyper mobility which can be linked. Just thinking that could be linked to the walking differently...

Pips_Mum

I got some cheap fleeces from Ikea and they had tassles along the edge, I tied them onto my curtain rings so they still open and shut easily and I can remove them for washing or as weather gets warmer. I havent bothered yet though as its actually been really chilly most evenings here and rain, well lets not even mention that!

nicki_2

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

Nicki, I hope you don't mind me asking, but has your daughter been checked for scoliosis? Our GP has written to our local hospital to see if there's any screening for it, aas I have scoliosis & DS2 has hyper mobility which can be linked. Just thinking that could be linked to the walking differently...

I try to check for scoliosis but she's hit the embarrassed stage of puberty already so is reluctant to be even in just her underwear around me, makes it kind of difficult to check properly. Thats why I was making the doctors appointment but between my job and various school/Guides activities in the next few weeks and surgery opening hours, the school holidays are the only time I could see to fit in a non-emergency appointment. As well as appointments at the dentists, opticians, to get the builder in to replace the back door....:o

SpikyHedgehog

nicki wrote: »

I try to check for scoliosis but she's hit the embarrassed stage of puberty already so is reluctant to be even in just her underwear around me, makes it kind of difficult to check properly. Thats why I was making the doctors appointment but between my job and various school/Guides activities in the next few weeks and surgery opening hours, the school holidays are the only time I could see to fit in a non-emergency appointment. As well as appointments at the dentists, opticians, to get the builder in to replace the back door....:o

I know that feeling! We all have Scouts stuff - I'm on committee, DS1's an Explorer & Young Leader with Beavers & DS2's a Cub. I work in a term time only preschool which means when the Housing Association sends letters for boiler checks & this year we also have the external doors & windows re-painted, I get to phone them up & rearrange for dates that don't mean me taking time of without pay... I need to chase the Community Paediatric consultant for DS2's ASD diagnosis, but don't get time to phone till the holidays.

I hope she's making good progress & you get her back checked out soon.