Things we do Three

I admit I'm not the most physically active of slobs. There are some valid reasons that prevent me from getting off my arse: dodgy knees, probably some arthritic degradation; the ulcer on the right big toe that flares up. Currently the wound is healing slowly. It was stable for months before U retired in mid-December, needing only a visit to podiatry each 4-6 weeks with occasional debridement of the inevitable callus but generally OK. Then due to sickness of the over-worked and always short-handed team at ACT Health podiatry and a longer than usual gap between checks and probably coinciding in a change to warmer weather and the ulcer broke down. That can lead quickly to infection. So it's been a longish period of increased frequency of checks at podiatry, additional visits to the prosthetic services who Al with my orthoses used in my shoes.

A long process of reviews, mods to orthotics, second and third opinions from other prosthetists, more mods to the orthotics then extra damage to the tops of both feet. This was likely caused by the modifications to the orthotics, increasing their thickness creating pressure on the tops of the feet. These new danaged areas needing more dressings applied and several weeks before the damage resolved. More reviews. Further mods to the mods to the orthottics, reducing their thickness and a different method of lacing my shoes.

So now both feet are recovering and the toe is improving which has allowed me freedom to become more physically active but the pandemic restrictions have meant I'm playing the cautious game and staying at home more. As I can only engage in short walks due to the state of the toe I've worked out that by walking from one side of the house to the other with a walk to the rear garage and back to the start point repeated fifteen times works out about a 25 minutes, 2Km and about right for my foot just now.

So I'm off for a stroll

The things we do Two

Events are rolling on and things occuring which a month ago we would not have considered. Nothing truly gob-smacking, just different. 

Following our recent and now regular (third) video call with a friend in the UK, over the Easter weekend I had two more. Interestingly, each one using a different platform. Friday's UK  call through Skype; on Saturday we used Facebook Messenger and Sunday's family call used Google Meets.

All worked.

Two nights ago I had a video catch-up with five mates: four of them former work-colleagues but we all know each other. We've been friends for many years. The catch-up crossed state boundaries: three in the ACT, one in Brisbane and one in NSW (me). One mate recovering in Canberra Hospital after thyroid cancer surgery. Two hours of nonsense chatter, beer and wine. Good to catch up, definitely but it didn't quite satisfy as much as the monthly dinner at our favourite Thai restaurant but right for current times.

On the following day a family video catch-up, this one international with one brother-in-law calling from northern Thailand where he now lives.

As a family we've usually got together at birthdays, Christmas and Easter. Not everyone can manage to join. On this occasion my two offspring were busy doing other things: my son and daughter-in-law have three kids under three years of age including twin boys eight months old. It's always logistically difficult to organise. My daughter is in the middle of preparing to relocate to her new house and so was painting. But those that joined the video enjoyed the chance to do the normal stuff families do together.

In both cases the video meetings were classed as successful and will be repeated for as long as the restrictions due to the CoViD-19 pandemic rolls on. We all need each other