Double Lockdown

You couldn't write the script on this one....

But I'll try

So after some truly awful British winter weather...

and temps down to stupid degrees we hatched a plan mid initial immobility phase. This cunning plan was to visit the surgeon and physio on Thursday 12 March, hopefully get some good news regarding bone growth and bugger off to Spain the next day to get some invaluable sunshine...

What could possibly go wrong!

The hospital date draws near and a few discoveries are made including a new spiced rum I'd not tried before

A donkey burger at our new favourite go to pub in Crich

And these amazing beauties...

These are meat free sausages that IMHO taste better than most of their counterparts from the traditional world of bangers

Now I'm not saying they are about to transform my diet but give em a go...made by of all people Richmond (responsible for possibly the cheapest tasteless sausages out there)

The day arrives and we receive some encouraging and most welcomed news from the surgeon at the fracture clinic...

'Its looking good' he said three times...that'll ding dang...

We drive via Spoons in Stamford to Emilja & Richard's for a night together and next day we park up at Stansted and avail ourselves of the 'Special Assistance' given by the Ryanair staff

A big 'cherry picker' runs us out to the awaiting plane and Nina is trundled in to her seat like Royalty

All I could smell was a rat

So many empty seats around us

The Covid 19 thingy was on its way to our shores with no mention of lockdowns, no hints of return flights in 11 days being cancelled, and certainly no inclination of what was about to go down, we sat smiling knowing we were going to have some well deserved time in the sun

Nina's folks picked us up and all was well in Bolnuevo SE Spain

Sit inside looking out at snow in Blighty or break out the factor 30 here...

The morning after arrival and after just a few hundred metres walking in the glorious sunshine on the promenade we were approached by a biker cop on a BMW (what taste!) and told we had to go back to the apartment and stay there for 14 days.....what!

Murcia had decided overnight as an autonimous region to lockdown immediately and two days before an impending national ruling. Their thinking was that they wanted to prevent the natives of Madrid flocking to the coast to their holiday homes to escape their own local lockdown

The initial shock took some dealing with tbh. Same lockdown as we have here in the UK now but more restrictive in that there's no exercise allowance and only one person allowed out to the shops

For many days airlines still flew, ferries from Spain were still departing and the UK was blissfully unaware of what was coming to home shores

We began to get nervous as the news bulletins about Spain and France were not good viewing and we eyed the Ryanair flights back from Alicante for our due departure daily

Not by surprise and half way through our stay the return flight was cancelled and we had the chance to book another for the following day, the 25th March. Within 24 hrs that got cancelled too and then anxiety levels rose in the foursome of Brits confined to barracks 

Nina got her valuable now partial weight bearing exercise in around the enclosed pool area using a walker we'd hired from a local mobility shop so at least the stay was of benefit to her

Each day was Groundhog day....

Sat watching our normal world collapse, news of deaths European wide increasing and watching Spain struggle with the numbers of people infected. Images of overcrowded hospitals with patients left crowded in corridors on beds kinda pushed us in to a corner

News that Nina's parents' return ferry from Santander due to sail in 3 weeks had been cancelled and with no real hope of another anytime soon together with 5 days of trying to contact Ryanair led us to make an exit plan of our own

Having driven solo to the nearest Ryanair desk as their email suggested to find the airport practically deserted and a shut Ryanair kiosk I drove home not knowing if we would be returning at all to the UK in the next few weeks

Back at base camp after much discussion the plan was made to cram everything in to their car and drive to the Tunnel in just over two days 

So thats all the Parents' luggage they brought down for their two month stay in Spain, four adults, one small dog, and a wheelchair...

Every time Nina wanted the loo en route home the car's boot had to be unpacked to get to the wheelchair

After a full day's driving we reached Pau for our first stay in French lockdown after being stopped in the dark by some enthusiastic Gendarmes in the Pyrenees

Much schoolboy French and examination of electronic travel permits ensued but we got away with a heavily overloaded car and several tired teddies within it were grateful...

The second night was at Abbeville in a very pleasant first floor apartment which saw Nina do her stairs bum shuffling routine to get upstairs to good effect

I nailed a stupid amount of rum to destress and took a well earned deluge shower then crashed in to bed 

The next morning was a short hop to Le Shuttle down the now familiar deserted motorway bringing our total Peage spend to around €100.00, money well spent considering the circumstances

Arriving at Stansted there were no issues springing the car from an almost deserted huge car park two days later than planned. We loaded up our little C3 and trundled home

Back in the UK and safely locked down yet again

The HUGE difference is that our sojourn could have ended so very differently. I dread to think of the real possibility there was of one or both of Nina's folks being hospitalised in Spain in the event we didn't move quickly once the doors began to close

After all the travelling we've done in Europe these past few years it was very odd to feel the gutteral need to want to come 'Home' as normally we feel so at home just about anywhere overseas

Nina is currently walking slowly, partially weight bearing and using her walker outside at the farm

We have a long way to go with her rehab but after the hospital visit a few weeks ago and today's Facetime session with the physiotherapist we feel in a different world now

As ever a big thanks to all our Chums who continue to support us and help Nina along with lots of encouragement, its much appreciated....

On that theme there are thousands of folks out there right now, this minute doing so much good in the world in its hour of need. 

The Covid-19 pandemic will be a long haul and 'normal life' will be a very long way off right now for most people but I'm amazed so far at how folks are pulling together to get the job done

Nina's Second Op

The run up to Christmas was really nice and something we'd not experienced on home soil for a few years. We have the benefit of the car, friends and family on hand, and of course time to kill before that all important Op

First up were Gina & Baz with whom we had a very enjoyable booze fuelled afternoon and turned out evening at a local pub, the Horse & Jockey

The highlight was when the obligatory quiz kicked in and a now very obviously 'excitable foursome', in total contrast to the incoming teetotal old uns', took exception with one of the provided answers

Being half Kraut I knew for sure the former East Germany was called the DDR but alas the very stern faced quizmaster insisted on only what she had answer wise in front of her

(she showed me her best 'Google is Wrong' face)

Imagine the absolute pleasure and voiced jubilation (thanks Gina) when we made off with the top raffle cash prize a few minutes later......

Amusingly and quite bizarrely after this windfall we were reluctantly asked if we wanted to take part in more card games involving low prizes then informed we could not take part in what can only be described as 'Il Gordo' cash value wise

Reason being the 'Regulars' would object if we made off with that too!

Tell you what Missus, pass us our coats we're off 

Keeping a very happy Gina from not being torn apart by the local wolves was quite challenging and yet highly amusing

The run up was spent visiting the local town of Matlock and visiting Nina's folks before they left for two months in Spain

Always a good nosh up at the In Laws....

The four of us visited the local 'German Themed' pub one day and sampled the wheat beer and highly calorific, but tasty fayre

Christmas Eve saw a more sombre moment when we finally laid Mum's ashes to rest under one of our beautiful local trees

A stunning location (in our opinion) and a really nice place to touch base with her in future years

On Christmas Day we drove down to spend the festive period with Emilja & Richard and accompanied by her dad Michael and Martyn we all spent a really nice day together

On our return we were met with fire like skies

Just the one shot here from a night spent with Pat & Jane at the usual haunts in Bingham post Christmas

Nina's last opportunity for Vino Blanco

The symbolic shot representing Nina's week in the QMC Nottingham

Op day arrives and we arrive in good time at 0645 hrs after getting up at stupid O'clock

The previous week was very stressful as Nina developed a bad cold a week before the Op and only really picked up a bit the day before

On arrival the Anaesthetist (or Gasman as I childishly called him) gave her the all clear and down she went......

5 hours later and a very surprisingly awake Nina emerged on the ward where I awaited her

She spent a week on the ward, latterly in her own room and after recovering enough to go home we called via the British Red Cross to pick up several home contraptions to make life easier for her 

During my daily visits I parked up at The White Hart at Lenton close to the QMC, avoided the nightmare of finding a space at the hospital, and availed myself of their daily carvery most days

The mutual arrangement with the Landlord for parking there worked really well and was a no brainer food wise for me

Back at the RV LPG is burned and the gaff is heated to patient temperature

We soon get back in the swing of things post Op as of course we've been here before but crucially the bedpan is not needed as she has a 'hopping frame' and a frame that surrounds the loo

We return quite soon to the QMC this time to get things started in the Physiotherapy dept. A really good working relationship is forged with our appointed Physio and its clear Jamie knows his stuff

Mick our Landlord comes up trumps with an essential piece of workout kit, a section of sewage piping

Our loaned wheelchair gets us out and about albeit in freezing conditions to the local towns and villages this one being Leek

A cracking lunch with Pat and Jane at the Wheatsheaf in Baslow whilst they stayed on the local MCC site for a few days

A week later and Mandy & Simon stay for a night on the farm then together next day we visit Carsington Water

This was enormous fun for Nina as we hire another of those buggies and together we traverse the numerous routes around the huge reservoir

Great to be out in the sunshine for a change and followed by a really nice lunch in the on site restaurant

We make a note to self here to return again soon and repeat the walk on a similar weekday

Excellent venue with friendly staff

Back at base my repertoire of Man Food is sampled as I settle in to the role of chef but to be honest its no real chore as we seem to be eating out a lot at the mo

My late afternoons are taken up with strolls around our immediate vicinity and I'm in a routine again now. It of course revolves around looking after Nina but I get time out each day which I spend walking and the occasional trip out on the bike

Nice to see the snowdrops all around us to be followed by lots of daffodils. Its cold and grey most days and we miss Spain terribly BUT there is definitely a change in our environment now

Nina is very positive now and managing her difficulties a lot better buoyed up by the prospect of being able to walk again relatively soon

We are currently half way through our 'down time' in that she can't weight bear for another four weeks but we are doing OK and getting out most days via the wheelchair

Every local man's Nemesis if asked would surely be 'the shopping trip to Meadowhall'

(I feel your pain)

BUT......on suggesting a trip there last Monday (moment of madness I know) we arrive and promptly disappear in to the Bose shop (the only shop of interest to a guy) so not such a bad trip eh?

On exit (with two sets of headphones) we amble around to the food hall which we never visit traditionally and we look up to see the neon sign proudly displaying the name WETHERSPOON

There is a God after all......

Penrith

We arrived in Penrith at 1.00pm to be met with an icy world of minus 3 degs...

Cold to the bone

We were met by the super friendly staff there and shown to our room to settle in and unpack

A coffee in the dining area soon followed and I knocked off a few shots outside the facility of the frozen environs

A beautiful setting next to a river

We were given a nursing room and soon we had several friendly staff fawning over Nina and plotting the next day's activities 

Our room, one of several paid for and ran in the rehabilitation centre under the umbrella of The Firefighters Charity

A really nice room for a sharing couple

There's no way Nina would have come here on her own for her first visit so being able to be there with her and also benefit from the centre myself was brilliant

By far and away the highlight and most emotional part of our stay I would say

After almost a year she could walk without crutches for the first time with the help of the anti gravity treadmill

Her most enjoyable pursuit during the stay was the daily Wii Balance Board games

A great piece of kit essentially for family fun but also ideal to restablish lost balance capabilities in patients with leg injuries

The daily hydrotherapy was of supreme benefit to her as her therapy was one to one with a highly trained physiotherapist

Morning glory right outside our window

After two days of sub zero temperatures I went out for one of several walks that week taking me in to the nearby town

Whats left of Penrith Castle

On the Thursday Nina had a 'free period' and we were directed to nearby Pooley Bridge where we were advised to visit the local shop that sells hundreds of different gins....

You won't be surprised to know that we left with an expensive Rum....

Perhaps next time Nina...

We both had a very relaxing and rewarding stay up here in Penrith at Jubilee House

The whole staff were very friendly and attended to our every needs. It took a while for me to back off and just let them fuss after Nina and it felt like we were amongst family

Genuinely supportive carers making our stay very comfortable

On leaving we were given some more dates to attend next year post surgery which will be great once Nina is weight bearing again

We left after lunch on the Friday feeling revived, rested and looking forward to returning to this first class facility

Jubilee House is one of three rehab centres run in the UK by The Firefighters Charity which is a non profit making charity and relies solely on donations and the proceeds of fund raising events

Pre Op Consultation

This week Nina had her Pre op consultation with Professor Moran at QMC Nottingham

All went well after a very early start for us and arriving far too early. We were actually seen an hour early, a good omen for sure

Nina had further X rays and the Prof told us the intended course of action come surgery day

Basically the metal plate and most of the screws are to be removed and a new plate of similar length fitted without the need for a bone graft. The intention being to treat the ends of her non healed femur and bring them together before plating

It appears that her leg is twisted out of line and he will correct this

He also reassured us that he has several surgical back up plans should issues be raised during surgery and that his chosen method at present has a 95 per cent success rate in patients having a 'non union' femur fracture

The good news is her shattered knee has healed and when questioned he said he counted 10 pieces of bone that had smashed apart at the time of the accident

He also hopes to improve her leg flexion currently stuck painfully at 60 degs so that she can sit comfortably at 90 degs at a table. There's also a follow up operation involving muscle release from the bone to further improve leg flexion but thats for the future and he needs to concentrate on getting the bone fixed first

Downside is the metalwork will again need to be removed in the future and she'll have one leg shorter than the other

(Looks like only circular walks then in future...😉)

Its been a year now since the accident and barely a day goes by without Nina breaking down and crying bless her. Its all far too much to bear for her I'm afraid and I'm doing my utmost to prop her up (literally) and keep her spirits up

We are as ever eternally grateful to those of you that have helped in so many ways to lighten the load for us so wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year...

2020....surely a better year..!