I tripped. On a leaf. As you do. Was walking dogs and grandchildren. Couldn’t possibly upset them so despite pain got up. Found a stick was, well sticking, out of my knee. Pulled it out, carried on.

Sunday couldn’t move for the balloon like knee swelling. Went to A and E. Remarkably, for I’m no fan of our local hospital, I was seen, x ray’d , morphined and antibiotic stuff. All within 5 hours.

Referred to fracture clinic. Tuesday. Unbelievably busy as this week should have been. A conference in Coventry. Another in London. Teams meets for Newcastle clinical trials etc etc things I’ve prepared for thought about got my slides done blah blah … frustrating to have to make apologies.

Tuesday fracture clinic. Emergency admission. 12 hours later got a bed. Ludicrous system means that even though Orthopaedic Registrar stated emergency admission. I still had to go through A and E. Hence delay. As knee swelling increased and pain hit the roof. It’s taken the poor SHO all day to update his notes. My meds. My implants. My pins. He said he had been having a calm day until the Reg called him in to assist with the admission. Poor man. I didn’t have the heart to tell him everything. Just an allergy or three. A couple of operations or more(!). Touch of asthma. … errr. But now I have a bed.Also morphine. Tea. Toast. Antibiotics. Ice. Elevation. it’s nearly midnight so nil by mouth beckons.

Surgery tomorrow. help.

Hoping my parents are somehow ok. It’s grim with them. A story for another time. Too dreadful to explain now I’m on the opiates myself. I went over to the nursing home on Monday having driven or rather snorkelled through the incredible flooding we’ve had.