Restrictions relaxed #1

For the first time in about six weeks I socialised today. 

Went to see my son and daughter-in-law and their three kids; one 2.5 year old girl plus nine month old twin boys. 

Other than medical appointments I've stayed at home during the pandemic lockdown. I cannot say I've been bothered by this quarantine. When not working I've always liked being at home. However, I have missed seeing my son and his family. 

When children are this young six weeks is a long time and their progress and development over that time can be huge.

The last time I physically saw the twins they had just started movement other than in the prone position. Now they're like a couple of scuttling cockroaches and within a short time of standing. The vocalisations too are more pronounced. And they're eating solid food now although still having mum's milk. Watching them sitting side-by-side in their high-chairs straining and shouting for their dinner was hilarious. My granddaughter was much the same physically, although more co-ordinated in her movement, but her obvious changes were increased vocabulary, more coherent speech and many more copying of her mum's phrases and postures. It's endearingly amusing seeing a not-quite three year old walk into the room, put her little hands on her hips and announce or query. You can here her mum so clearly.

Children are a source of huge amusement at times and while it lasts you have to love it.

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