Tough Day

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ME BEING MISERABLE AND FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.

I have no photos today.

Well things have been good for a while but all of a sudden we are all finding it a bit difficult. My foot is giving me such problems that at certain times I can't even walk on it. So I set about finding a doctor today. First two numbers I rang were both answer machines. So I rang a podiatrist who told me that if I needed Orthotics that I would have to pay $500 initially and that I couldn't get an appointment until Mid December. I rang Huffle (in tears as feel so frustrated when I don't know how to do simple things like find a doctor!!!). He found me a name of a Doctor in our local town who was taking new patients. I rang them, yes they were taking new patients but there was a waiting list, what did that mean? It meant that it would take about a week to process the registration and get an appointment. But when I tried to register the whole family they said I could only register if I lived in the actual town. But we live in a small village with no doctors, what do we do? She didn't know!

I feel isolated. I feel sorry for Huffle. I feel I have no-one to go to when I need help, (apart from The Royals or Drew and I don't want to bother them all the time). I don't feel I have my normal network of friends and family to call upon. Although they are on Skype and mostly available, if they are not online (or at work) what do I do? I phone Huffle. Poor Huffle who has to take it from all of us as well as deal with his own stressful job. (And now he has just rung me while I am sobbing uncontrollably and is on his way home). I don't want to put any extra stress upon him. I feel awful.

I worry about Small. In England he was popular and did well at school. Last year, here, he was in a class he liked with lots of friends, was popular, possibly didn't do great in every subject but we put it down to being new in the school and in Canada. This year he has been put in an 'advanced' class with none of his friends. He is doing better academically but has no friends (maybe just one) and seems to be being targeted by certain boys in his class. Things like this have been said "why do you have to be in this class?". At lunchtime they have to eat in their classes and the kids in there won't always let him play with them. A boy pushed another one onto his thumb and then laughed and didn't say sorry. Various little things that probably wouldn't matter but we don't want him to be a constant target. We worry about him. His spelling, which used to be excellent (and he did the year above spellings) is slipping. His writing suffered at first but is now back on track. He argues with me constantly. Thinks he knows it all.

Smallest this morning came down with a sore throat. He seems to be getting on okay at school. In fact we are very impressed with his improvement. He likes his teacher. His only problem is his friends too. One minute he is friends with someone and the next he isn't. Or someone said something nasty to him or wouldn't let him play. Is this just normal five year old behaviour?

And Huffle. He hasn't got any real friends here. Everyone needs friends. We never go out together, we never spend any time on our own.

Huffle came home, rang a couple of numbers. One was at lunch for ages and ages and another one couldn't take new patients until January. We went on the exercise bike and cycled 3km each. I cheekily played on the wii while cycling (made it much easier). Both had lunch together (nice to have time together despite the reason he is home).

I got on and did some more painting and Huffle looked for more doctors and then went out and cleared the leaves (just like his Dad). He stayed out there until it was time for me to pick the kids up.

While he was out there, I carried on painting the cupboards, skyped Moo and had a good moan to her and then skyped LizzieDotDot. I probably wasn't much company to her, I will have to ring again when I am more normal. She showed me photos of her Halloween boys. They couldn't have their usual face paint this year as they school photos were the next day - bad timing. Someone cocked up there (school!). They also trick or treated the Vicars house (which I find hilarious) and were given a chocolate cross and a lecture on All Saints Day. Even more hilarious. Well done DotDot boys. I went and picked the kids up. Smallest was feeling worse and looked a little pale. Small and I decided to go to the walk-in doctors with our feet and I dropped Smallest off with Huffle. (Though maybe I should have taken Smallest with me too). They cuddled on the sofa and watched TV and played a few games.

Small and I didn't have to wait too long. We saw the nurse who took our details. Then a really nice doctor saw us. He diagnosed Plantar Facilitis (just what my friend S said). He has given me some exercises to do morning and night and told me to carry on walking if I want to. If it is no better in two weeks, to go back and see him (he told me what days he is there). He also gave me a name of a specialist who can check it out for me for free and if I need any orthotics, will refer me back to the doctor who can prescribe something so we can get it through the insurance. I asked if he knew of any doctors as we were struggling to find one and he said "yes, me, but not for one or two years". What a shame. He said he didn't want to just send me to a Podiatrist as he wasn't sure about them all! He said he would only refer people to specialists he knew! He looked at Small and said he didn't want to do anything with him at the moment, he wanted to leave it for three weeks and see if he improved and if he didn't, we were to come back. He checked both of our chests and my throat and told us to go. Wish he could be our doctor but I don't think we can wait two years!

We went next door to the supermarket, picked up a pizza (yes another one) and drove home.

Smallest wouldn't eat much, Small ate too much and Huffle and I had a couple of pieces. We sat in front of the TV and watched Hocus Pocus. Huffle ironed his shirts (he's a good boy!).

I feel a bit better. At least my foot has been diagnosed (although I knew what it was). At least I don't have to worry about Small's feet (yet). Hopefully smallest will feel better tomorrow (he is supposed to be at school). I should be having coffee with my Welsh friend and then going to my knitting group. We'll see!

 

Please don't use my photos without asking first. Posted with Blogsy