I spoke to soon on Tuesday evening – the pain wasn’t bad that day, but yesterday it was back with a vengeance. It starts up when the dressing is removed and reapplied by Silver Chain. The fluid in the leg redistributes and the pain starts soon after. 8/10 again.

I had to take two Oxys, then an hour later when they had no effect, I took two Tramadol as well. That helped a bit, but I became so drowsy I slept for two hours. Not sleep, just dozing, still aware of the pain. It was better by 5pm, bearable, and I got to sleep OK last night, but woke at 1:30am and I’ve only dozed since. It’s 7am now.

At least the Pseudomonas seems to have been stopped. The ooze is no longer green. We’ll see what it’s like when it’s unwrapped today.

Ha, I was just thinking of writing “there’s a sliver lining” to this, when I realised there really is a silver lining. Silver Chain for one thing, but also, they’re using silver impregnated dressing strips. Silver is a good antibacterial agent.

So is honey. I should try that in other areas myself.

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The silver lining I was thinking of is that I’ve been delayed in sending off my latest book for printing. It’s a photobook, not a literary masterpiece, but contains a fair amount of descriptive material.

I thought I’d finished it and was nearly going to press the Send button, but realised late yesterday that it’s far from finished. It’s a book on Java, and I’d forgotten to include my 1996 stint in Jakarta working at the production company.

That was absolutely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, so it’s definitely worth adding in. I wasn’t doing full-on photography then, but I’ve got enough photos to make a chapter, as well as many good memories to write about. Another few days’ work, then. Actually, the photos (slides and negs) are in a box down in the shed. I had to just throw ’em into boxes last year, so finding what I need will be a challenge.

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I’m awaiting a parcel delivery from Sydney that I ordered on-line last Saturday. They emailed me back on that day that the parcel had been despatched, with an Australia Post tracking number.

Following that track, AP doesn’t show it entering their system until Monday at 1330, and then nothing since then. Five days to come from Sydney? That’s if it arrives today!

Anyway, it’s a JVC car CD/radio, but it includes DAB+ in the tuner. At last! Two years of DAB+ and only now are car tuners including it. I’ve been frustrated.

However, I’m excited about this unit. It also includes Bluetooth so it can act as a hands-free phone interface, and has USB and aux inputs, as well as an iPod socket. It looks a million too, double DIN height with a smooth glassy minimalist fascia, for $249. I’m looking forward to it.

Fitting it will be fun, not. My car does have room for a double DIN height unit, but the existing car dash is only a single height slot. I doubt I’d be able to get a Mitsubishi fascia after 11 years, so I may have to take a mini saw to it. It doesn’t matter – I doubt I’ll be looking for re-sale value after all these years.

If I can go out today, if I’m not too groggy from painkillers, I’ll need to get a JVC adapter for the radio interface. That may not be easy.

Ciao.

Yowww. Yoowwww! Aaaaargh.  Errrrrrggghhh. That’s me in recent days, Sunday and yesterday particularly, yelling with pain. It’s mostly why I haven’t written anything here for a week.

My left shin has been a bit ulcerated for most of this year, probably longer, and I hadn’t worried too much about it. It didn’t hurt or get worse, just itched, but the hospitals have looked askance and told me to get it looked at.

It was being dressed at the GP’s surgery in the past few weeks, but the week before last, it got away. Staph bacteria, so I took an antibiotic for that, but it didn’t improve. Then last week it got redder and angrier and spread to the whole shin, weeping like mad (watery exudate coming through the skin). I’ve got photos from each day, but I don’t think you’d want to see them. OK, maybe one, but I’ll tone it down.

That’s literally toned down, only 50% saturation. It looks a lot worse in full colour.

But on Sunday, after the Silver Chain nurse left, it started hurting real bad and got worse. By 1130 am it was 8 or 9/10. Panadeine Forte wasn’t helping. I could hardly think or speak.

Emily the angel  took me up to a Whitfords medical centre open on Sunday and luckily there were only two people waiting. The doc got the results of a swab from last Thursday and it was Pseudomonas and Enterococcus, so I’d been wasting a week on penicillin because P. Monas is penicillin resistant. He prescribed two different antibiotics.

He also prescribed oxycodone, which I would have resisted if it wasn’t for being given one capsule in Joondalup Hospital a few weeks ago. It’s an addictive painkiller if misused, so I got a very small dose.

Well, this pain was so bad that even that didn’t stop it. I also had Panadeine Forte but I wasn’t sure if I could use both. Emily said I could, so by bedtime I was OK but drowsy.

That was Sunday. On Monday in the morning it seemed much better and the Silver Chain nurse re-dressed it and all seemed fine. But by 11am the pain was baaaack. Yow! 8/10. Again, oxy didn’t stop it, or didn’t seem to. I took another one at 4pm and it slowly subsided and I slept OK last night.

Today it’s much better. Still hurting at times, but only 5/10 and OK at this moment. Let’s hope it continues to improve.

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All this has made it impossible to clean up the house and do the odd jobs I need to do for the house sale. No energy, limping badly. I might need to get the boys back to do some work. They’re cheap workers, but I’m not sure they’re good value. Each time, I look at the results of two hours paid work and think, “It didn’t get done.”  All the things I ask them to do seem to get forgotten.

Maybe if I stand and supervise them? Do this, then do this next, no, this! Maybe I’d be better off getting someone older and more professional.

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Oh yeah … remember my awful experience with the company called Carpet Call in July? Where I was forced to leave all my furniture and belongings outside for the entire weekend because of a gorilla of a carpet layer?

Naturally, I documented it all and made a written complaint. The complaint was very restrained, on Barry’s advice.

A few weeks went by and I got a call from the WA Lay Manager asking me to re-submit my documentation. That told me they’d either lost it or binned it. Great start. This was early September.

By the last week of September I’d heard nothing, so I sent another email setting a deadline of 30 Sept.

On the last business day I got a call from some guy called Jacob at head office of Carpet Call. He accused me of having an “altercation” with the carpet layer. That’s a lie and defamatory as far as I’m concerned. Then he told me Carpet Call would not be doing anything for me.

I said, “You realise I’m not satisfied and will take this further?” He didn’t respond.

So, let battle commence!

What a rotten company. This is the worst customer experience I’ve ever had and I’m not going to lie down and take it. It’s all documented, with photos, and physical evidence of the nail strips they left lying around, and with four witnesses.

What an amazing attitude! They don’t know who they’ve taken on. This will rebound on them, that’s for sure. I have nothing to lose, but they have already lost the business of one of the witnesses and they have a LOT to lose. Stupid fools. I have lots of ideas.

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Despite all this trouble, I’ve finished my book on Java at last. It’s a Photobook, a coffee table book with photos and text. I compose it using Photobook’s software, then send it off on the ‘net  to Sydney for printing. I did one in 2010 on the South West of WA and it was a big success, so I started this next one on Java the same year.

All the troubles of 2010, 2011 and this year have meant it’s lain idle for too long, so I’ve finally buckled down and finished it in the last few days. It’s ready to be sent off, but I need to be careful that my internet connection is solid because it’ll take at least an hour to send off. Maybe I’ll do it overnight, when the net is a bit quieter.

These books aren’t cheap. This one will cost about $140 I think, with 95 pages. And I need two copies. You get 10% discount off the second copy, but …

I’m afraid the second copy of my first book on the South West is in Bali. I loaned it to someone up there and despite saying how expensive it was and I needed it back, I didn’t get it. Oh well. I hope it’s being looked after.

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Phew, tired.

Great legs, eh? I feel like The Mummy. My left leg has a venous ulcer (not as bad as it sounds) and it’s bound up to try to force the fluid back up. I’ve got a bit of cellulitis too, for which penicillin is the answer. An ulcer sounds awful, but it’s just raw skin where the surface has been broken and won’t heal properly. It’s very red and weepy.

Those angels, the Silver Chain nurses are coming every day at the moment. “Go back to your GP asap.” Yeah, right, but the earliest available appointment with my GP is Friday week! I’ve got an appointment with another doctor in the centre tomorrow, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to find a new one, closer to me as well. Merriwa is a full 30 min drive. I’ve been using him because he’s a gastric band man, but that’s not important now. He’s too good and is booked out a week ahead. That’s no good.

And the leg? Bloody painful, thanks. Like having hornets under the bandage stinging me. Random jabs of pain, enough to jerk my head back. Panadeine Extra. It’s clearing up, but slowly. Walking is the best medicine, to stimulate the circulation.

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I would have posted this yesterday but for the entire day after 9am I could not connect to Vivid Wireless! Right up until I went to bed, no connection. Grrrrr. This is ridiculous. Yet today, all is back to normal, no trouble. What is going on? It seems Vivid observes public holidays by shutting down.

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After my bad experiences at Joondalup Hospital I wrote a letter setting out what they were. (i.e. wasting money on hotel style wet packs and wrapped soap; bed too high; poor and inadequate food; no liquid soap in shower; slippery bathroom floor; no grab rail on bed; errors in medications; awful difficulty parking etc)

As if to illustrate their disfunctionality, I’ve received two replies by letter, one from an assistant to the CEO and one from the manager of the hospital or something, both saying they’ll get right back to me. Left hands and right hands come to mind.

On the other hand! I’ve had no response at all to my letter to Hollywood Private Hospital sent about three weeks ago. I listed six points in that, including scarring from ECG pads. It’s now apparent that the scarring is permanent. I’ve got rectangular and circular marks on my skin which are not coming out.

Add to that the near heavy  fall from the grab handle which came away in my hand when I put some weight on it, I’m left wondering who’s in charge.

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There’s been an odd change in Minnie’s behaviour. She4 seems happy enough, even though the bulge in her side is very big now.

But for the first time, she’s taken to burying her meaty bones. Boopsie used to do it when she was just a pup, but I haven’t seen it in Minnie before. Maybe she’s not hungry at 5pm, but she still comes to the door as her alarm clock goes off. She seems as keen as ever to get her 6.30pm meal, dancing her little jig as I bring it out. Very strange.

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Oooh, nearly forgot – there was a Ford Probe in the North Beach shops car park today with a guy waiting in the passenger seat. It was his car. I went and had a chat. We must have talked for 15 mins, to be joined half way along by his partner. She invited me to try sitting in the driver’s seat, which I’m pleased to say I managed more easily than I expected. Yes, the car is low, but not too low for me.

What am I on about? The Probe is a V6-with-everything, power-everything 2 door liftback sports coupe based on the Mazda MX-6 but with a US styled and made body. I’m the last to praise USA styling, but they hit the jackpot with this one. I’ve always loved it and from about $50,000 new in the mid 1990s, they go now for about $4,000. That’s about what my present car is worth, how ’bout that? Almost credit card territory.

Of course, having ended production in 1997, you have to be careful but being based on a Japanese Mazda engine, they are well made and reliable. The guy knew a lot about his car and said he put a new engine in it a few years ago, but it didn’t sound like an emergency. He said the reliability is good, and when I mentioned buying in Brisbane and driving it back here, he didn’t flinch.

I’ve had to stick with station wagons for my dogs for the past 13 years, but now I’m free to go back to a car I want. Minnie isn’t going anywhere now, not easily anyway. And the Probe is much bigger and roomier than it looks.

So, I reckon one of these might become a reality at last. I’ve been looking admiringly for years. It’s time, soon. While I’ve still got time.

Well, sometimes I wonder whether there’s a black cloud up there with my name on it. I have four serious things on the go at the moment, and things are looking a bit tough.
1. Bloody banks. I thought I was applying for a simple overdraft to get me through the house sale period. That’s what I asked for – a line of credit.
Certainly Mr Croft, how much would you like? Oh, no more than a few thou, I said.

OK, no problem, the minimum is $10,000 (later, actually the min is $20,000). OK, fine I said.

So a card turns up last week and I activate it and get a PIN. But every time I try to use it, it’s DECLINED. Embarrassing. What’s going on?

After phone calls to the bank not answered and not returned, I’m eventually told the paperwork has to be signed and was sent last Friday. This was Wednesday. Nothing had arrived.

Yesterday the papers turned up (wet, 5 days later) and I find it’s actually a Reverse Mortgage Application! I have to sign a declaration that I’ve sought and taken independent legal advice. No way! That would cost me about $350 at least, and I’m not signing it without doing it.

So I phone the guy, get his answering machine and he hasn’t returned my call since yesterday.

As well, I find that the fees to set this up amount to about $1300 and interest is charged from day one.

Bloody hell! So that avenue is ruled out. A credit card is cheaper. Grrr. They’re going to lose my business over this. I already have another credit society account.

2. You may remember my torturous experience with the Carpet Call company, where a gorilla carpet layer forced me to leave my furniture outside all weekend in July and mistreated Minnie.

And an advertisement that said “Carpet your whole house for $2,000” turned out to be near $4,000.

It turned out an utter disaster. Of course I documented it all, photographed it all and have four witnesses to the rotten way I was treated.

I wrote a VERY restrained (on advice) letter of complaint and sent it on 21 August. After two weeks I got a phone call from the local manager I’d dealt with asking me to submit the documentation again (i.e. he’d lost or binned my originals).

I heard no more, so last week I emailed asking why, and saying if I didn’t hear from him before the end of this month, i.e. today, I’d go to the Department of Fair Trading.

Still no response until today, when I got a phone call from a bloke called Jacob at Carpet Call head office.

He accused me of having “an altercation” with the carpet layer, not having the house 100% cleared as required in the contract and said there will be no compensation. That’s it.

Bloody hell! I thought the treatment I’d got was bad already, but this is bad upon bad.

OK, mate. You underestimate me. You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I said I had photos, documentation and witnesses but he wasn’t interested.

So, Carpet Call, prepare yourselves. I don’t give up. I’m full of ideas.

3. You may remember I wrote about the Malaysian Chinese guy who took my $12,000 investment in his company in 2003, and similar or bigger amounts from other “friends”, and has done nothing with it except maintain his patents and pay himself a salary.

Well, it’s a public company with shareholders and comes under the supervision of ASIC. As a shareholder, I’m entitled to information about the company. He’s required by law to answer my requests.

Four letters since June have gone unanswered. Emails are blocked as spam. Text messages are not answered. He’s blocked me out. He’s in breach of the law.

So I’ve lodged a Breach and Misconduct report with the ASIC. They’ve phoned me asking for copies of correspondence, which I have, of course, so now they have it all.

One interesting point is that the former company secretary told me in writing that he resigned his position several years ago, yet he is still listed on ASIC’s web site as holding that position. Huh? And all the company directors now reside at the same address as the man himself.

This will be interesting. As I told him in my last letter, I don’t give up. This is a substantial sum of money that he’s taken from me and his other investors. I would suggest that he keep a bag packed, as I strongly suspect he’ll have to make a hasty exit back to Malaysia.

That shouldn’t worry him, because he’s told me in emails that he hates immigrants, especially refugees, how superior Chinese people like him are over “white people” and that he is above us. In writing. I have it all. Silly man.

4. My other substantial investment has also gone very bad. Regardless of right or wrong, my funds are locked up for a long time and for legal reasons, I can’t access the investment. I very much doubt I’ll ever be able to. In this case, I may as well walk away.

I can’t say more at the moment. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks.

All I can say is, trust your instincts. Listen to your inner voice. If it’s ringing the warning, heed it. I thought it would be OK.

5. Finally, my back fence neighbours have a backyard wood fired pizza oven and although I’ve complained in writing about having to breathe their smoke, they are taking no notice. They like loud parties and bright lights shining in my eyes. Very unpleasant people. I think a sprinkler will be required next time, but I hate it!

So all in all, life seems to get harder rather than easier. It’s lucky I’m feeling so chipper.

And in the supreme irony, after 12 years of unsuccessful attempts to get high speed land line broadband internet, including three letters to ministers, the last one unanswered, a flyer dropped into my letterbox a few days ago.

It’s from Telstra. “We’ve upgraded our equipment in your street. Now you can have high speed ADSL2+ broadband.”  Only $105 per month.

Aaaaargh. Just when I’m planning to move. Anyway, I can’t afford those fees. There’ll be huge setup and connection fees as well. Too late for me.

Oh, nearly forgot, I also got a letter from the Transition to Digital TV Switchover people offering me a free digital set top box.

They must be joking. I’ve spent around $1400 since 2000 on three set top boxes. The first was a Thomson HD model in 2001 with physical switches for all the different standards of the time – $720. The second was a computer plug-in card (never really worked) so that I could get digital TV on a big screen from my PC, about $150; and the third was a Philips HD type with HDMI connection, $240 in 2007, now sitting in a box on the floor. It might get used if I could get a decent antenna feed!

Then there was the first Panasonic Digital HD recorder in about 2001, but only with analogue tuner (given away to a friend); then a new one in 2005 to get digital channels, but only SD and only one channel (now sitting idle with a faulty DVD drive); and now this year the third, a Panasonic dual HD tuner model bought especially for the Jubilee and the Olympics.

All in all, that’s about $2,200 for recorders, $1,400 for STBs and $1,500 for successive LCD TVs since 2007.

Oh, and the guv’ment are offering to ensure I can get digital reception on my antenna. That’s good, I said, because I had no reception at all for about 5 days last week., including while I was on the phone to them. No signal. It’s back now, ironically due to the big winds we’ve been having.

An antenna company is supposed to phone me to arrange a good solid connection. That’s good, I said, because although I’m a tech, I can’t physically do things like that any more. And this location is the black hole, the Bermuda Triangle of TV and wireless internet reception!

But I’ve had no call, and I bet I’ll be walking out the door of this house on my way to St Ives before they do call. Just like ADSL.

What else can go wrong? More heart trouble? Probably be my luck. Uh oh.

Booger. Here I was, thinking how much better I’m feeling, no AF for a month, thinking about Bali travel again, but today I had another, less serious, episode of AF (atrial fibrillation).

It actually happened at the medical practice, while I was having my left leg dressed. It’s a bit of a mess and pretty painful at times. I’ve started a course of penicillin for it and Silver Chain are going to come every second day to keep it properly clean and bandaged.

I took bus and train into the city yesterday (this is relevant) and despite strenuous walking, I had no trouble (no AF trouble, I mean). But today, simply because I was a bit stressed by talking to a doctor I’ve never seen before, i.e. having to explain a lot in a short time, I was feeling a bit hyped up. I think that’s what brought it on. I mentioned it to the doctor and she said, if I’m having trouble, I’ll have to go to the hospital. Uh oh. No way. I’m not having trouble!

So on the advice of SCGH, I rode it out. It felt like a chest infection, a bit sore across the top, and a bit short of breath, but I rested in the car for about half an hour and did one GTN spray and it all came good.

However, that rocks me back on my heels. I can’t imagine being overseas when that happens. Suddenly, all my plans for travel look a bit sick.

The walking yesterday was pretty hard, too. I walked from the bus to the train, then from Perth station through the shops to St Geo Tce and back again, with a stop for lunch. I made it, but it was hard going. I’ve got a toe blister for my troubles. But it confirmed that it’s not exertion that brings it on. (By the way, it also showed me that I can’t handle the escalators any more. Far too fast for me.)

It’s occurred to me today – I reckon it’s “state of mind” that causes it. My previous cardiologist smiled and nodded when I said something similar a couple of years ago. Stress and anxiety. However, if mind can start it, maybe mind can stop it as well. I tried hard to calm myself in the car and thought of my heart slowing and going back into rhythm. Maybe I can work on this? I talked to my pharmacist afterwards about the medication and he didn’t flinch at my mention of mind control. We’ll see.

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On the way back in the train, there was a young blonde sitting in the disabled seat near the railing. She had ear buds in, of course. I wanted to sit where she was! So I tapped her lightly with my stick and said, “Are you disabled?”

She said “What?” I repeated, louder, “Are you disabled?” Everyone in the carriage could hear me.

No, she said, but didn’t move. I said, “Well, I want to sit in that seat. I need to hang on to that railing.”

She got up and swapped seats with me, but didn’t apologise. She got off at the next stop and I felt satisfied I’d made my point. I’m not kidding – I don’t throw my weight around, my weight throws me around. I needed a railing to hang on to. People take no notice of the disabled signs!

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I actually went into the city to find a CD of Italian music for my latest Blu-ray. I went to JB Hi-Fi and asked for instrumental music. They didn’t have much but the guy recommended an “Italian Cafe” CD. Thinking it might be like the Ibiza/Cafe/Jazz style, I thought it might be OK. Can I sample it? No, sorry sir.

Well, I paid $19.99 for it and it is utter rubbish. It’s nothing like what I need, not even close. Waste of $20. The upshot is that, Never Again! I’ll buy off the internet now, where I can sample. And retailers wonder why their business is disappearing!

Similarly, I was in Myer at Karrinyup the other day. Ah, vacuum cleaner bags for my Miele machine. Price? Nowhere to be found. Assistance? Nowhere to be found. So I walked away. I know another shop where I can get them, so Myer loses the sale. Stupid, stupid companies.

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I made the first burn of my new Blu-ray on Venice today as a test. I’ve completed all four movements, but the test showed a lot that needs fixing – a bit of missing music, sound that needs levelling, some duplicate images, some that need shifting and so on. And two menus that are reversed. But otherwise, bellissimo! It’s about 35 mins and not for watching in one session, meant for having on in the background. I think it’s pretty good, though. Amazing quality.

Ciao.

They’re everywhere! Italians, I mean.
I’m dealing with the CBA and the two guys I’m talking to are as Italian as they come. This is from CBA Netbank. See last item below.

Phew, I thought retirement was supposed to be a quiet time. It’s not quiet for me, that’s for sure, not just yet.

I had my first potential house buyer through yesterday, even before a sign has gone up. Barry says he’s had five enquiries from the web just by saying “Coming soon.” This guy said no, but I don’t care. We’re going to have a home open next Sunday, so we’ll see what that produces.

The house looks a lot better now with the new carpet, and I’m sure it doesn’t smell of dog any more. I must admit I’d let Minnie get a bit dirty and pongy but I’ve been struggling a bit myself. I gave her a good wash yesterday, though, and lo, she’s actually white. Five shades lighter, anyway. I did it in my bathroom with a long nozzle and warm water from the shower tap. I reckon she liked it a lot.

She’s really in fine health. The big tumour in her side looks bad, but it really, truly doesn’t bother her. She lies on it to sleep. I think the facial tumour is drying up, too. She pays it no attention. She still walks OK, slowly like me, but OK. In fact, she actually ran up my driveway a few days ago. For a 14 yo dog, she’s in fine shape.

When I left the house to Barry yesterday, I took her to the south side of my house and shut her in behind the wooden gate. She quite likes to sleep on the dirt there, so she was OK.

I’ve also made a good acquaintance with my north-side neighbour but one. His name is Peter, too, and he said they’ve just got a young Labrador and will look after Minnie for me, so that would be ideal. Better and better. He’s seen the ambulances arrive each time, once last year and three times recently, so he’s curious and knows I’ve got a bit of trouble. Nice bloke.

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My internet continues to drive me up the wall. I still can’t get ADSL landline, so I rely on wireless. I complained to Vivid that I can’t stay connected and after all their checks, “Sorry sir, we can’t help you. It’s just a poor reception spot. Have a free 6GB as compensation.”

Big help. I downloaded a 266MB program yesterday and it took around 16 hours! This is from IBM’s US servers. My download speed was consistently around 10KB/s, not much better than dialup speed. I tried repeatedly pausing, hoping to get a better TCP link, but it never improved much.

I wrote to Minister Conroy about three weeks ago pointing out that I’ve been trying to get ADSL for 12 years and written twice before in the past 10 years to ministers with no result. There’s been no result this time either so far.

So last week I walked into the den of iniquity, Telstra! I swore I’d never deal with them, but reports of their 4G USB modems made me weaken. Besides, I’ve reached desperation point.

Nope. 4G is only available within 5Km of the city centre. Huh! OK, what about a landline connection again? Yes, but it’ll cost between $96 and $299 for a reconnection and there’s no guarantee it will be capable of ADSL, Same as 5 years ago. I just have to take my chances.

OK, what about 3G LTE? This is Telstra’s answer to 4G for the rest of us, a USB modem solution.

Yes sir, definitely possible, but for 4GB a month, around $90/month on a 12 month plan including cost of modem. What??!! I said I’m an aged pensioner – I can’t afford that. Sorry, that’s it.

So no deal possible. I just have to live with Vivid, now Optus, at dialup speeds or a bit better. And he said my service, although it was 4G when I bought into it with Vivid, is now only 3G with Optus. I was never told of this. Crap!

All I can hope is that I’ll do better at Kallaroo. I really think there will be ADSL available at the village. Surely there must be? The Telstra exchange is right nearby and there’s a big phone tower there too. Patience. Meanwhile, I’m going to kick the minister again very soon.

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This new anti-arrhythmia medication, amiodarone, is not very nice. I deliberately didn’t look up side effects initially, but I’m aware of them now. I don’t like what I feel and read.

First, I really think it’s a blunt instrument. Maybe it works, but it’s not without long term effects. It takes months to permeate all through your body (they call it loading), into all the cells and organs, fat included and if you stop, it will take at least 6 months to wash out. It would still be working its way through me now, three weeks after I started it, so I’m not getting the full effect yet. Half life 58 days!

Yes, the AF has stopped, but that was quite probably being caused by the sotacor. There’s no guarantee that the amiodarone is the cause of it ceasing.

The side effects are mainly an awful metallic, toothpaste taste in my mouth all the time, vision change, and skin spots, small bleeds from any scratching. But I’m more worried about hepatic and thyroid effects long term, and greying of the skin, which doesn’t revert.

I’m going to discuss it, obviously, but I want to slowly reduce the dose, maybe even to zero, to see what happens. It will take months, as I say, for it to dissipate. Plenty of time to notice if I get any AF again, but I feel reassured now, that AF won’t kill me. If it comes back, OK, I restart. Under doctor’s orders, of course. No amateur advice please.

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Meanwhile, I feel so much better that my thoughts are on a return to Bali. Only a quick visit, and not in the villa. Can’t stay there. Not allowed. It has to be 100% rental and I mustn’t stay in it unless I pay full commercial rate and I don’t want that. No, I’ll stay in another place. Maybe in a month or two, when I see what happens with my house sale and move.

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My back lawn area is now all prepped for roll-on lawn. Just got to get the retic going again and then 90 sq.m. of lawn (2 tonnes!) delivered is $690. I reckon it’s a waste of money, but Barry wants it done, so … Ideal growing season, of course. Couch Wintergreen. There’s a little bit of couch in the ground already, so it will suit. Very tough grass! I’ve never been able to kill it off completely, even using glyphosate.

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Meanwhile, my slide-show/video-show Blu-ray production is coming along beautifully! I’ve finished one using only still photos, 11 minutes titled Il Grandioso di Venezia, set to Vivaldi, but the next one is Concerto di Venezia in four movements (Movamento) with more traditional Italian music and LOTS of HD video.

Each “movamento” is around 6-7 minutes, a mix of stills and video, and on a theme, eg Canali, Shoppi, Populi and finally Arti, Musico and Cathedrali. I’ve done the first three and I’m working on the fourth. I’m still fine tuning the first three – it’s a long way from finished, but another month or two should see it completed. It’ll total about 30-40 minutes, I think.

It’s not designed to sit and watch all the way through in one sitting. It’s meant to be something you have running and each time you look, you’ll see something new that will grab your attention for a minute or two. Blu-ray only, I’m afraid. The quality is magic in HD and I’m not going to compromise it by dumbing it down to ordinary DVD.

The music is the only problem. I’m using a commercial CD of accordion and mandolin stuff and it’s good, but I need something better and royalty free, or royalty paid, that is. I’m not going to steal someone else’s work – I pay for everything. So I’m on the hunt.

As a friend of mine says, the sound is 60% of any video production. Yes, 60%, more than half. More important than the vision. At this moment, I’m playing my Blu-ray Baraka around the corner where I can’t see it, but the music and sound alone is enough. Sound is vital to any video production.

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Come to think of it, here’s a good excuse to drive into the city this afternoon and go to 78 Records and see what they’ve got. Are they still in existence? I haven’t been in there for about three years!

Ciao.

I’ve been a bit quiet again, but things are going well. No worries. I’m feeling better every day. I went for a full half hour walk yesterday morning, down Vernon St to the bush, through the dirt track in the middle, then back up the slope of Vernon St to home. I had to stop a couple of times, but this is real progress. I haven’t done that since 2010.

The title refers to my feeling a month ago that I was in a vicious spiral down, unable to exercise, therefore losing my strength, to feeling now that I’m on a virtuous upward spiral. I’m getting my legs back again. This is a big deal. I’m still slow and needing to stop frequently, but I’m carrying my stick rather than using it. On Thursday I forgot to take it to the car and considered going back for it, but thought, no, I’ll do without it, and I did.

It’s the new heart medication that’s fixed me, I reckon. Sotacor was the old one and I’d been on it for years, since 2006, but it started to disagree with me, apparently.

However, the side effects of the new one, amiodarone, are quite apparent and a bit scary. Vision change, terrible constipation, some tiredness, and weight change are the main ones. I’m not sure what to think about the weight – I’ve stopped the beer completely, so it should fall a lot, and I am losing, but nowhere near as much as I should. Is it being kept up by the new drug? I don’t think anything else has changed.

However, it also interferes with the liver and thyroid over the long term. Its half life is 58 days. It builds slowly in all the organs and permeates all over your body, so takes a long time to wash out if you stop. If it causes hypothyroidism, then you get weight gain.

It can also cause grey discolouration of the skin, maybe reversible but probably not; can damage kidneys; cause epydidimitis (men only!); and other nasty things.

I’m finding it very hard to lose weight even though I’ve stopped the beer completely. Yet the cardiologist only wants a thyroid function test in 6 months’ time. No way, mate. I’m going to ask for one now. Surely I should have one just as a baseline as a matter of course?

I’m not too confident in this cardiologist iow. He just brushed off my list of noticed side effects as “No, those are not amiodarone.” Well, funny that they should come to light only after I’ve started it and it’s the only drug changed. However, I can see that if it takes time to build up in the body, the side effects may not be immediately noticeable. It seems like a blunt instrument to me.

Anyway, despite that, I’m generally feeling MUCH better now. I’m starting to plan what the future holds. The house sale and move is the primary first step. I’ll be bloody glad to get away from my back fence neighbours. They like to entertain on their back lawn and they like it LOUD, with bright lights shining in  my eyes and pizza oven wood smoke drifting across me. NO! I’ve told them I won’t tolerate the smoke. It’s their problem how they fix it, not mine, but fix it they must.

The guy at least came to the back fence on Friday and made an attempt to be reasonable, and I was reasonable back, but it was still annoying last night, Dockers game night, when they had a crowd shouting and barracking on their back lawn. Grrr. I have to vacate my family room, close the door to keep the noise out and retire to this bedroom. Why should I have to?

So a move away from here can’t happen soon enough. I’ve been here 26 years this month and seen five changes of neighbours on both sides, i.e. 5 changes each side!

STOP PRESS: last night my neighbours on the north side had a backyard party too. Lots of shouting, screeching, luckily no loud music. I went to bed at 11:30pm and it was still going on, and I’ve got a digital recording of it if I need it. These are the neighbours I never see. What’s going on? is the house rented? I never see them to ask.

I’m going to have to pay guys to help me move. Even the simplest jobs are getting too hard. I need to get the reticulation going again, but the sprinkler heads need to be found and cleared. No way I can get down there, without falling down, anyway. I can do the new controller bit, that’s my job. (I had a win at Bun.. Bunni… ah, FO … a 6 station controller marked on the shelf at $49.95 scanned at $22.35. I remarked on it, but the guy just said it was my lucky day. Yep.)

Baz should be back from Qld anytime now, so we can get moving, literally. Only one problem – I don’t have a unit to go to yet. Oh well, Baz’ll handle it. Cheers.

Paris Gare du Nord, 9 September 2008. Wish I was there now.  © P. J. Croft 2012

Nice day, ay?  I’m feeling so much better that I actually went for a walk before breakfast and managed to walk the 250m to my bench seat goal without stopping for a breather and without using my stick. It was OK, so I’ll push myself to do it more. My legs seem to be stronger and have less swelling (fluid).

I tried to entice Minnie to follow me, but for the first time, she wouldn’t leave my lawn. She’s OK, but getting a bit slower. She’s 14 now, 98 in human terms! But she still has all her teeth and faculties, no problem.

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I forgot to mention yesterday: in July, I bought a Manfrotto 334B monopod, a design where you squeeze a grip and the monopod is supposed to slide down to the ground. Let go the grip and you have your stable camera platform.

But the one I got is faulty. It was so stiff as to be unusable, even pulling the column down. The handle felt dead.

I emailed the Qld firm but got no response. This went on for three weeks, and to make a short story, I had to make a complaint to Qld fair trading. Eventually, I got a return authorisation and was meaning to post it back to them when all the ambo rides happened.

So it sat there in its box, waiting for me to get around to it.

On Wednesday, I got a call from the head man of the firm, asking, “Have you sent it to us?”

No, I said, but will do asap. “Don’t worry,” he said, “Keep it. We’ve had several other returns. It seems to have been a faulty batch. We’ll refund your money in full, but you can keep the monopod. Have a go at fixing it yourself.” He wasn’t aware of the Dept of Fair Trading complaint, even though I’ve told them! Someone in that firm is stuffing up.

Well, knock me down with a ball and socket head. So I’ve got a free monopod. I’ve started taking it apart (very easy) and it’s still stiff, so I just need to loosen a big acorn nut and we’ll see what happens.

They’ve redeemed themselves and I’ve already ordered a Manfrotto fluid video head, so I may even order another Manfrotto item I’ve noticed recently, a half ball head, with the refunded money.

Sometimes, you win.

Americas Cup 1986   © P. J. Croft 2012

OK, here it is Friday 7th and I’ve spent an hour this morning on a bed having a leg vein ultrasound examination. Fascinating! You can see your veins as clear as day pulsing away and the scanner adds flashes of colour so you can see the blood pumping along too. The sonographer sounded very happy so I don’t think I’ve got anything to worry about. My left leg was the concern, but it’s cleared up beautifully since last week.

As Jeana said, the sonography machines have improved remarkably in the past few years as technology has advanced. She said it’s hard to keep up with the advances. It’s all Philips’ work too, so multinationals ain’t all bad.

I must say I felt a lot better this morning. My legs seem to be regaining their strength, maybe? It’s easier to walk and I’m carrying my stick instead of leaning on it.

I also spoke to the chemist here. She’d asked whether I was noticing any side effects of amiodarone. Well, yes, a bit more puffed and tiring easily, weight gain and vision change – my vision is blurred and the left eye is much worse than the right.

She consulted her computer and said to ask the doctor – could be hypothyroidism. Amiodarone can interfere with the thyroid. Hmmm.

Considering I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in the past eight days, gaining weight is a bit disheartening (boom boom). But I do feel better. No trouble stopping. No withdrawal symptoms.

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This afternoon I got a call from the CommBank loans guy. He’s been away on holidays, but is now moved to Osborne Park, Main St. Karrinyup Northcourt no longer has a loans officer! Bugger. Osborne Park is a fair way to go for a 10 min meeting and hard to park.

Anyway, line of credit? No problem. $10K minimum. No problem. Need bridging finance when I change properties, no problem. My credit has already been established when I applied for the reverse mortgage, so no need to do it again. I’m a good client.  Yeah, sure.

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After the ultrasound, having been fasting, I went to Innaloo shops for a Subway lunch. Uh oh. It’s gone! No more Subway there any more. Damn. They didn’t ask me.

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While there last week, I overheard two women in Target: “Oh, did you see that little boy? No jacket and bare feet. Oh my God!”

Mind your own business! I saw the boy go past with his mother. It wasn’t cold and he was having fun. What business is it of theirs?

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I also had to go to K-Mart today to buy some of my 4XL boxer shorts. What a crap store! There is no variety of stock. Rows and rows of same old same old. No brands except their own K-Mart brands. Drab colours, or day-glo colours. Awful stuff. Cheap and nasty.

Australian retailers complain about poor sales, but there’s nothing but rubbish to buy here. They’re not seeling, they are presenting crap and hoping we’ll accept it. Bulldust! This is Wesfarmers.

More later.