Taken from the Harrogate website

I’m starting to wonder if I need a season ticket Harrogate District Hospital after the last week of fun; and it all started so innocuously!


Out on our ride

Monday was a great day as usual. I’d done my work the night before and was able to play with Nathan with full concentration. We played trains, watched favourites on TV, and played in the garden with his toy diggers and push-around car. Then we went for another bike ride to Spofforth like the one from the day before. I remembered to take a drink and snack this time, and we stopped along the way. Nathan was very insistent that he gave his toy bunny some juice.


Bunny wants Juice

After the ride, it was back to the house for more play with diggers until Jill returned home, coincidentally from her first day at her new job. When she did, a certain young man decided to start playing up and ended up on the ‘naughty step’. Whilst this was happening, I went to get his Bunny for afterwards, which was when it all got very complicated.

I stepped out of the back door, straight onto a nice round stone from the water feature which Nathan had been using to play with his diggers. Grey-on-grey, I didn’t see it, something I regret as my ankle went both ways, and I fell over. The first part of me to land, my left hand, hit hard against the concrete manhole cover we have in the back garden. It hurt somewhat, and the ‘S shape’ my finger was in suggested that something was wrong and a trip to the local A&E was in order.

We left Nathan with the next door neighbours, and headed to A&E where, after two X rays, some prodding, squeezing and pulling, my double dislocated and fractured finger was back in place and strapped up. I must praise how professional and caring the staff were, even though what I had was pretty trivial compared to what they must see day to day. The only stomach turning bit was when Jill and I were sitting in the cubicle, and Jill overheard the Doctor talking to the Ward Sister and discussing what kind of tug my finger needed to sort out the dislocation. Jill was greatly amused by this!

I must also make a note to hurt myself on a Monday night in future, as it was very quiet! Jill had gone back home to get Nathan fed and to bed, so I had a short wait before she could come back, which I spent reading Le Carré’s excellent “A Most Wanted Man” I had came prepared for a long wait with iPod and book. It was actually quite restful after I resolved my coffee cravings.

Tuesday saw a return to the hospital for the fracture clinic. This was a little traumatic, as I though (despite being nearly 30 min early) that I wasn’t going to get there on time because of the queue of cars for the car park. Fortunately, I made it in with a few minutes to spare after 25 minutes of waiting, and got to the clinic in time. It looks like my finger will be strapped for at least two weeks. I got a good look at the sexy digital X-ray system display when I was in the clinic, and I’m impressed how far things have gone since I was a kid. There’s no developing time now; they take the X-ray and check it when you’re in the room, and the medics can just pull it up in the computer screen. Cool.

My final trip of the week to Harrogate District Hospital was on Thursday night, when I went for my pre-op assessment for a hernia repair I’m having later this month. All went smoothly, although I ended up with another unneeded ECG, thanks to the super-powered hearing of a BNFL doctor nearly 19 years ago.


Muse Ale and Wine Bar (stolen from their website)

Nathan had a few days away with his Grandma and Poppy (who has become “Pops” at the moment, but we’re working on fixing that) going to a Shire Horse Centre and having lots of fun. He came back with another toy tractor. In case it’s as important to you as it is for him, it’s a John Deere. Jill and I took advantage of this to go out for a meal at the Muse, which is one of our favourite haunts, but somewhere we’ve been to far too little post-childbirth! It was a lovely meal, and we got to just chat, something which we miss too often in the rush of day to day life.

The weekend has been spent with my parents here in Wetherby, working on clearing the loft in preparation for some work there. It’s amazing how much stuff accumulates so quickly. I can see why my dad has said he dreads doing their loft! We managed to complete the work on Sunday morning; Saturday had been like a sauna up there, so we started early to avoid the heat on Sunday. Aside from that, the garden had some maintenance; a quick lawn cut, then some general thinning and lifting of the somewhat overgrown trees and bushes to try and save some of the grass by allowing water and light through. Aside from that, we visited the Farmer’s Market and relaxed in the sunshine.

Currently feeling: Chilled, with a hurty ankle and strapped fingers.
Currently listening to: Numberjacks (CBeebies...)
Currently reading: Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear (Dan Gardner )