Motoring Discussion > How's your day been? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: tyrednemotional Replies: 81

 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
It's annual motorhome fettling time (coming up to its 4th anniversary).

The Fiat (Professional) dealer charges for standard servicing are extortionate, so I do my own, thank you very much. There isn't much that is over-challenging in a standard service, and even using genuine Fiat parts (bought from an online retailer), the savings on labour charges are significant. (My experience of the quality of work of three separate local Fiat Professional dealers have also been rather less than satisfactory).

(I had a motorhome on a Transit some years back. The local Transit specialist main dealer was efficient, good to deal with, and with labour-rates about half the Fiat dealers, and, incidentally, almost half those for the Ford car side of the business, with which it shared premises and a reception - albeit the latter on the other side of a partition. I know, because I also had a Mondeo at the time).

Doing the work in my own time means I can spread it out in bite-sized chunks, and also be rather more thorough than a main-dealer service.

So, yesterday I had the front wheels off to check and clean the brakes. The wheel bolts were a bit of a challenge, but I finally managed to remove them, and in cleaning the OSF brake, noted that one of the caliper piston dust boots had split. There's no sign of any issue arising therefrom, no wear, no binding, no leak (the seal is further inside) but patently it's best to remedy asap. I was tempted to do it myself, but I'm not entirely sure if the boot alone can be replaced on these brakes without full disassembly, and not fancying a large, undrivable brick on the drive if I were to fail part-way through, everything was cleaned up and put back together. I'm looking for somwhere local to do the work. The other side was fine, and cleaned up nicely. Such issues usually arise through "nipping" the boot when removing/replacing the caliper, but, at least to my knowledge, it hasn't been touched since it left the factory. The chances of this being spotted at a dealer service are absolutely nil.

Today, it was the turn of the rear brakes, and time to grease the rear axle (yes, really - it has grease nipples!). The rear brakes are disc, but the handbrake is a drum let into the disc ("drum in hat"), and the, small, shoes need adjusting up at intervals, which requires wheels off.

The wheel bolts on the rear wheels were even more of a challenge, I managed to get three of five loose on the first wheel, before failing with the other two, and tweaking my back to boot. I abandoned the brake work, and started on greasing the axle, a job which requires the weight taking off the bearing on each side, alternately. (Jacked up until wheel off the ground).

With the first one off the ground, I used the grease-gun, only to realise it was out of grease. I had a spare cartridge in the garage (I've had the grease for years, since I las had a motorhome with an Al-Ko chassis and it's only 6 squeezes on each side annually). Unfortunately, that cartridge was split, but I manged to transfer enough into the old (empty) cartridge, only for the grease-gun to start playing-up (in oh-so-many ways). The next hour or so was spent spreading grease all over the place, and wasting much of it, until I at last managed to get it working with just about enough left to complete the job. After much swearing both sides were jacked and greased, followed by a monumental clean-up. A 20 minute job took a good few hours.

I'm now sourcing a breaker bar for the wheel bolts, (though, if/when it goes in for the boot, I can get the garage to "break" them off) and a new cartridge of grease is on order.

A hot bath and Ibuprofen later and the back is still rather (read very) iffy.

The rest of the service should be a doddle in comparison, and I've done it all before (it's really only an oil change and full set of filters - though the pollen filter on a Ducato is a job for a double-jointed, long-armed dwarf).

As you were, I simply needed a grumble.

 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...I've cheered up a little bit. The breaker bar is now not needed. It did take a 5ft length of steel aerial mast over the ratchet handle of my socket set to shift them, though (and I'm not sure I'd have got away with much shorter). All ten rear wheel bolts now "cracked off".
 How's your day been? - sooty123
The rear brakes are disc, but the handbrake is a drum let into the disc ("drum in hat"), and the, small, shoes need adjusting up at intervals, which requires wheels off.


Done a few of those, was it one where you wind a cog wheel which turns a turnbuckle all via small hole ?
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>>
>> Done a few of those, was it one where you wind a cog wheel which
>> turns a turnbuckle all via small hole ?
>>

...indeed, which is why the wheels need to come off (the adjustment is done by aligning one of the wheel bolt holes with the cog wheel, and using a small screwdriver through the hole - I might try to find a gynaecologist to help ;-) ).
 How's your day been? - sooty123
Yeah they're a right pain in the arrse. A head torch I found was a really good idea, but other than that it's just loads of messing about to get the spot between dragging the shoes on or rolling back on a slight incline.
 How's your day been? - legacylad
Thanks for asking....

My day has been far more relaxed than expected. I decided not to join my walking group for a 13km walk inland of Villajoyosa in 34C temperatures and dipped in and out of the rental complex pool all day. Only me and 3 others all day in the large pool area.

17:30 I headed to the beach, it was still 27C, several swims, and stayed until sunset.

Even warmer for the next few days, so serious mountain walking is now definitely off the agenda until October.

I can’t think of a greater contrast to the dismal 4 weeks of March, historically the wettest on the northern Costa Blanca since 1957.
 How's your day been? - Manatee
Jumped up at 6 to do my stint in the village shop, home just after 9.30, loafed for an hour or two, then watched an auction online in which I'd left left some commission bids - I ended up with a carpet and 5 chests of drawers that I'd intended to secure, and missed out on 5 Moorcroft pottery items and a near-perfect condition Ercol fall-leaf table I had left lowish, hopeful bids on. I really liked the table but it wasn't quite what we were looking for and it went for £150 +21% fees, double what I'd bid.

Then I went outside and finished putting up some soil-retaining boards by the ditch in front of the house in preparation for planting a hedge.

Well, somebody asked!
 How's your day been? - Kevin
>Well, somebody asked!

Mine's been a do-nothing day to recover.

Started yesterday with a trip to Wickes to pick up some paving because I'm modifying and re-laying a bit of patio. Boy those 600x600 slabs are heavy. Very carefully lifted them into the boot and laid them between the wheel arches to make life easier for the air suspension but no damage done to me or car. Then proceeded to twinge my back throwing the bags of sand in.
Drove home and got Mrs K to help me unload and carry them into the garden.
Just sat down with a coffee when a delivery driver turns up with the replacement bottom door seal for the dishwasher. The original had failed a few days earlier, depositing a chunk of rubber and dirty water on the kitchen floor.
Finished my coffee and started on the dishwasher. How difficult can it be to replace a bit of rubber attached to the bottom of the door right?

Let me tell you. It's a pig of a job if you've never done it before, because it's not attached to the bottom of the door. It's clamped between the door hinges and the guts of the machine. The bottom edge is doubled back and fastened over the lip of the interior and then the inside cover of the door needs to be manoeuvered over the top edge before being re-attached to the door itself. In short, you have to remove all the covers plus the door, springs and hinges just to get to the seal.* It took me about 3 hours of which at least 1 hour was finding how to get the thing apart.

* Reassembly is the reverse of removal. © Haynes.

PS. Just after I'd got everything back together the UPS van arrived with a replacement motorised brush head for the cordless vac which had packed up just before the dishwasher seal.

I'm currently waiting for whatever the third appliance failure will be.
 How's your day been? - Fullchat
........ and using a small screwdriver through the hole - I might try to find a gynecologist to help ;-) ).

I'm not a gynecologist but I don't mind taking a look. :O
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 21 May 22 at 21:40
 How's your day been? - Duncan
>> the pollen filter on a Ducato is a job for a double-jointed, long-armed dwarf).
>>

Zero can do that job for you.
 How's your day been? - Zero
Not today he cant, he was chillin. Did a dog show in Plymouth last weekend (where the pup worked her first show ever) then moved on to a week in the CCV* just outside Brixham.

Where I discovered Colton Fishacre, the most delicious arts & crafts / Art Deco house. Ex home of the D'oly Cartes.

Anyway, past week was busy, very, needed to chilax

* the CCV has done 4,500 miles since I collected it.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 21 May 22 at 21:50
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>>
>> Where I discovered Colton Fishacre, the most delicious arts & crafts / Art Deco house.
>> Ex home of the D'oly Cartes.
>>

...I do hope you haven't caught Gondoliers..
 How's your day been? - Zero

>> ...I do hope you haven't caught Gondoliers..

Kept away from the three little maids.....
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>> >> the pollen filter on a Ducato is a job for a double-jointed, long-armed dwarf).
>> >>
>>
>> Zero can do that job for you.
>>

...quite seriously, on the last motorhome with the same arrangement I had a significant amount of (self-added) wiring behind the panel(s) that need to be removed to replace the pollen filter (radio, reversing camera, USB charging, etc) so on first service (in warranty) I said they could leave the pollen filter in the 'van, and I'd do it myself. The service receptionist said the mechanic danced a little jig when he was told that.

It isn't technically difficult, but access is a pig.
 How's your day been? - Clk Sec
How kind of you to ask.

I spent an uneventful hour or so in the morning tidying the garage and sweeping the drive.

Mid afternoon I thought I would give the new(ish) Gtech cordless mower an outing, but frustratingly it managed to hurl a missile into one of the (slim) double glazed windows of our garden room, punching a hole the diameter of an old penny in the outer pane.

However, I managed to remove a million tiny pieces of glass, and if I am able to chisel of the remaining fragments in the recess, I should, with the aid of some putty and a splash of paint, end up with acceptable single glazing.

Hopefully.

Last edited by: Clk Sec on Sun 22 May 22 at 08:21
 How's your day been? - sherlock47
>>>Gtech cordless mower an outing, but frustratingly it managed to hurl a missile into one of the (slim) double glazed windows.<<<

A friend had his ankle fractured by a rock that was propelled from his (petrol) rotary mower. Worth remembering the danger if using a mower when other people are around.
 How's your day been? - Bromptonaut
>> A friend had his ankle fractured by a rock that was propelled from his (petrol)
>> rotary mower. Worth remembering the danger if using a mower when other people are around.

Neighbour's lad, 21ish, always moves his car before mowing grass for his Mum. Also asks if mowing it while our caravan was on the drive was OK. Mower is a Flymo and, albeit fitted with a grassbox, tends to scatter a light sprinkling of clippings about.

The good Dr Hessayon's lawn care book from 60+ years ago recommends walking the lawn to check for debris before mowing. A habit my father kept particularly when mowing our paddock with a massive Allen rotary mower.
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
I've managed to demolish an upstairs double-glazed unit from well down the garden with my rotary mower.
 How's your day been? - Robin O'Reliant
Try not to mow a fresh dog turd. The results are not pleasant.
 How's your day been? - bathtub tom
>> Try not to mow a fresh dog turd. The results are not pleasant.

Try strimming a cat turd!
 How's your day been? - Clk Sec
I've been using rotary mowers for donkeys years without any problems, but I'll make sure that no-one else is in the vicinity when I mow from now on, and spend even more time than usual checking the lawn for likely missiles. A lesson learned.

Neighbours cars are some distance away and behind substantial fences, so they're safe enough.

T&E: I guess that your unfortunate upstairs window was of the same so-called 'slim glazing' type as in my garden room, to completely demolish it?

 How's your day been? - Bromptonaut
>> I've been using rotary mowers for donkeys years without any problems, but I'll make sure
>> that no-one else is in the vicinity when I mow from now on, and spend
>> even more time than usual checking the lawn for likely missiles. A lesson learned.

The one my Dad used was a big machine, sort of thing the council used; cut width probably approached 3 feet. Self propelled with a 4.5HP Brigs and Stratton engine and known at The Monster it was certainly capable of hurling stones a considerable distance.

Never had an issue with smaller rotaries designed for modern smallish gardens.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 22 May 22 at 14:48
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>> T&E: I guess that your unfortunate upstairs window was of the same so-called 'slim glazing'
>> type as in my garden room, to completely demolish it?
>>
It happened some time ago, but the windows are of a batch that date from the late 80's, with a considerably smaller air-gap than the latest designs. It was probably the least likely of a multitude of panes at the rear of the house to get hit, being furthest away and highest, but hit it I did.

Today was improving quite a bit - I've managed to mow front and back lawns without hitting anything, and, having loosened the wheel bolts yesterday evening, I was able to access the rear brakes.

Technically, the handbrake(s) are probably better adjusted with the full rear on axle stands, but, though I have an appropriate heavy duty pair, I prefer to jack and work on one side after the other. The only downside is that, if you want to check for lack of "bind" on completing the job, the side done first needs jacking again.

Easy to check and clean the main brakes, but, as above the handbrake is largely done blind, and by trial and error, but it was eventually done, and once all the linkages were re-adjusted up, the second side (still jacked) was OK. So, let that one down, quickly jacked the other and rotated the (heavy) wheel. No bind that side, and the wheel shot round nicely, taking my hand with it into the ever-reducing gap with the fibreglass wheel-arch. This serves a double-purpose as a very efficient flensing knife. I now have a large patch of skin and flesh missing from the back of my hand. l've also noted that the human body has not yet subscribed to the "right to repair" movement. I was able to recover a large patch of grey/yellow skin from the edge of the wheel arch, but there seems to be no way of re-attaching it. A design fault, I think ;-)

(It's quite a big lump, but strangely, though it's bled profusely, it doesn't hurt much - probably scalped all the nerves away).
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
Oh dear, I expect that was more than a little sore?

I’ve done very little this weekend. In fact I’ve done very little for two weeks now. Top tip, if you ever try downhill mountain biking, do remember to stop before you get off. Because if you don’t, you can end up using your face as brakes, cracking your orbital bone and breaking your left arm, wrist and hand in four different places…

None of the above is particularly comfortable or in any way convenient.
 How's your day been? - Zero

>> None of the above is particularly comfortable or in any way convenient.

Well at least you dont need anyone to wipe your bum, (unless of course you are left handed)
 How's your day been? - Robin O'Reliant
You're getting too old for that gung-ho nonsense now, Runfer.

My cycling is now confined to gentle short distance plods on warm, sunny days. Chin on the bars, 'arris in the air and thrashing myself silly for stupid distances are a thing of the past.
 How's your day been? - Dog
>>using your face as brakes, cracking your orbital bone and breaking your left arm, wrist and hand in four different places…

Oh gawd, don't. Gordon Bennet. Jesus (Exclamations from Lady Dog!)
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...from mamil to oapip in one easy step...
 How's your day been? - Zero
LOL Like it!
 How's your day been? - Duncan
>> Top tip, if you ever try downhill mountain biking, do remember to stop before
>> you get off. Because if you don’t, you can end up using your face as
>> brakes, cracking your orbital bone and breaking your left arm, wrist and hand in four
>> different places…

Are we allowed to ask you how you know?
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
I guess it could be described as as first hand experience. After a couple of weeks of enforced inactivity, and the prospect of a few more weeks of similar restrictions, I am however, ever more convinced that I’m not quite ready to spend my leisure time at garden centres etc.

We all only get to come here once, and I’m still very much of a mind to continue to try to enjoy it to the full while I can.

Flipping hurts when it goes wrong mind you. :-(
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 23 May 22 at 07:43
 How's your day been? - Bobby
And did you have to drive yourself home after your dismount? And put the bike back on the roof?
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
>> And did you have to drive yourself home after your dismount? And put the bike
>> back on the roof?
>>

Fortunately, my wife and son were on the same trip. Had to walk the bike quite a long way back to the car though. Maybe 5 miles downhill and cross country. That was a bit challenging.

Hey ho.
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>> I guess it could be described as as first hand, and arm, and face experience.
>>


In all seriousness, I know that it's your go-to means of "relaxing", so I wish you a quick recovery, if no quite so quick a next downhill.

Of course, if you don't, your lad is probably in line to inherit some better bikes. Watch out for the roller skate on the stairs.
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
Thanks T&E.

Dog toys are the main trip hazards here.
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...your dog rides a bike!!? :-O
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
That is not my dog…
 How's your day been? - legacylad
Get well soon Runfer....a friend of mine tried man powered flight a few weeks ago in Benissa.

When he regained consciousness he was surrounded by paramedics & police national. Taken to hospital, discharged the following day with a busted shoulder and badly grazed face.

The pain deteriorated. Badly. Readmitted to hospital where they discovered a punctured lung and several broken ribs. Straight to ICU where he was for two weeks. 4 weeks later he’s still in hospital, but hopes to be discharged soon. Apparently he cant fly home on a commercial flight...limited to 7,000 ft. Anyway....he’s over the worst.

ps. I’m just back from my morning swim/s at El Portet. Far too warm for serious mountain walking in the current Spanish heatwave. 27C at 10AM with a high of 34C on the northern C Blanca today. Hard to believe that March was the wettest on record since 1957.
It’s either too wet ( flooded barrancos) or too warm for walking.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 23 May 22 at 10:18
 How's your day been? - Bromptonaut
>> Apparently he cant fly home on
>> a commercial flight...limited to 7,000 ft. Anyway....he’s over the worst.

Aircraft are not pressurised to sea level but rather to around 7-8000 feet - known as the cabin altitude. Might be worth checking what the advice actually means in practice?
 How's your day been? - legacylad
Thanks Bromp.
Both he and his wife are smart cookies and in regular contact with their insurance folks. They own properties out here so once discharged he’ll probably continue his recuperation at their finca. Plenty of driving options back to the UK as they currently have 3 cars out here, and if he’s unfit to fly or drive I’d happily drive him home in the MB S500.

Provided I don’t have to pay for the petrol..fingers crossed his recovery continues as it was a very worrying time.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 23 May 22 at 10:45
 How's your day been? - Manatee
>> Apparently he cant fly home on
>> a commercial flight...limited to 7,000 ft.

Passenger jets are usually pressurised to 6,000ft IIRC. So he should be OK.
 How's your day been? - Zero
Either way, he will need a "fit to fly" form, signed by a doctor.
 How's your day been? - bathtub tom
>> >> Apparently he cant fly home on
>> >> a commercial flight...limited to 7,000 ft.
>>
>> Passenger jets are usually pressurised to 6,000ft IIRC. So he should be OK.

I wonder if something's lost in translation? With passenger jets pressurised to 6-7000 feet, perhaps if something occurs that causes de-pressurisation, he could be in trouble?
 How's your day been? - Zero

>> I wonder if something's lost in translation? With passenger jets pressurised to 6-7000 feet, perhaps
>> if something occurs that causes de-pressurisation, he could be in trouble?

As could the rest of the pax
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
You’re supposed to leave a gap of at least 24 hours after a scuba dive before flying. Me being “Mr Ach it’ll be fine” didn’t do that once. Only leaving about a 12 hour gap.
Big mistake, felt like I had severe arthritis in all my joints. Most uncomfortable. Actually, it was on the damn sore end of the comfort scale in truth.
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...in my OP I mentioned I'd tweaked my back on Friday.

Up until yesterday afternoon it looked like I'd got away relatively lightly, but since then I've reached a point where I'm in permanent discomfort (again, towards the top of the scale), and am having some difficulty walking.

The symptoms are classically those of right-sided sciatica; I've suffered before, and it largely resolves itself with time, so fingers crossed.

The joys of ageing, eh!
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
T&E, try this.
Stand as upright and “tall” as you can, feet comfortably apart, clasp your hands behind your head.
Now, try to push your head forward with your hands while pushing back against your hands with your head. Don’t actually move your head but push as hard as you can in both directions. Hold that pressure for 30 seconds and relax.
Do this several times in succession and repeat throughout the day.
It will help your back to realign.
 How's your day been? - Zero
Trapeze artists have near perfect spines. You could join the circus?
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...posting on here, I rather got the impression that I already had....
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
Well, if T&E is up for the trapeze, I guess I could have a go at being the guy who does daft tricks on a bike, just need people to weigh in for the lion tamer, clown, sword swallowing and ringmaster jobs I suppose.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 23 May 22 at 14:22
 How's your day been? - Zero
>> Well, if T&E is up for the trapeze, I guess I could have a go
>> at being the guy who does daft tricks on a bike, just need people to
>> weigh in for the lion tamer, clown, sword swallowing and ringmaster jobs I suppose.

Well I can control a jaguar so I'll go for Lion Tamer.
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>>
>> Well I can control a jaguar so I'll go for Lion Tamer.
>>

... that's a surprise; we all had you down as the clown...

(Though I suppose Runfer has had the cars that bits kept falling off)
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...SWMBO is scheduled a hip replacement in mid-June; I might just chance a last-minute switcherooney, they'll never notice will they? (and it is the right side).
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
Trouble with doctors is they always find something wrong with you. Best avoided if possible, negative sort of coves usually.
 How's your day been? - Zero
>> Trouble with doctors is they always find something wrong with you.

Never have a scan, They will always find something to scare the bejesus out of you. Avoid Surgeons, they only have one aim in life - Take it out.
 How's your day been? - bathtub tom
>> Never have a scan, They will always find something to scare the bejesus out of
>> you. Avoid Surgeons, they only have one aim in life - Take it out.

SWMBO had a CT scan with contrast last week. They mentioned a gallstone and umbilical hernia it picked up that she never knew anything about. Wouldn't do anything about them anyway, she was told.
 How's your day been? - Robin O'Reliant
>> >> Trouble with doctors is they always find something wrong with you.
>>
>>
>>

Not to mention dentists. They always want to rebuild half your teeth at great discomfort and considerable expense.
 How's your day been? - smokie
Dentists, huh!

I've just spent over £1.5k on a denture which turns out is useless, as the tooth it attaches to is infected and rotten. They didn't bother checking that. I am just about to try to get all my money back. Wish me luck!!
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
That sucks Smokie.

 How's your day been? - Zero
Where did you get it, Gum Tree?
 How's your day been? - Clk Sec
Such wisdom...
 How's your day been? - Zero

>> they'll never notice will they? (and it is the right side).

They often get that wrong. Many's a good kidney in the petrie dish with its diseased twin still in situ- Tattoo her hips, left and right

 How's your day been? - Dog
Hanging from a bar is good for your back ... and I'm not talking about the bars leglad hangs from.

:o}
 How's your day been? - legacylad
>> Hanging from a bar is good for your back ... and I'm not talking about
>> the bars leglad hangs from.

Cheek.
Day 13 and we’ve only visited a bar twice* and that was whilst awaiting a take out.
Detox holiday after 6 weeks almost non stop imbibing during a very wet Feb/March. Copious amounts of water I’ll have gnu know.

* we visit bars after strenuous walks, but they don’t count.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 23 May 22 at 22:44
 How's your day been? - Dog
>>Copious amounts of water I'll have gnu know.

Pretty hot out there I believe. 30 degrees yesterday. I had to larf (cry?) when I checked the webcam in St Ives at the same time = 12 degrees with a battleship grey sky :o)
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...viz a viz my post on Sciatica above.

I'm not over-impressed with our local GP surgery; they aren't the most available, attentive or proactive (with the odd exception).

I managed to walk a couple of miles on Monday and Tuesday, albeit the first half mile or so was very painful until I loosened up - something that paid benefit for a couple of hours after.

This morning however, after the fourth virtually sleepless night, I decided the pain dictated it was "doctor time". Appointments only on the day, and booking starts at 08:00 when one has to repeatedly dial until you bypass the engaged tone. I eventually managed to get through, and given the symptoms would have been passed to Physio, but I wanted some strong(er) pain-relief so the receptionist targeted the GP (offered f-to-f at 15:10, but I wrangled a 'phone appointment sometime in the afternoon).

It's rather lucky I did, because I attempted a walk again and couldn't even stand straight, never mind do more than 200yds before it all became too much. It was well after 5pm when I was 'phoned, but the GP agreed with my diagnosis, booked me a physio appointment tomorrow, prescribed a mega-box of strong pain-killers and got the prescription to the pharmacy in time for SWMBO to pick up before closure at 6pm. Depending on physio verdict, a scan is also potentially in order.

All-in-all I was quite impressed.

The nasty hand injury, after 3 days of non-stick wound dressings seems now to be healing nicely; so more good news.

...and, incidentally, my NHS dentist (who I haven't seen for best part of three years) has started doing routine inspections again, and has chased me up for an appointment.

A few things are working rather better than expected.
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
>>A few things are working rather better than expected.

Prob’ly what did your back in at your age?

;-)))
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
...if I'm making the correct assumption about your reference, all that's working exactly as expected - you may interpret that entirely as you wish...

Physio's initial thoughts were no great permanent damage, though I still couldn't walk this morning. From location of pain and numbness it seems to be around no4 lumbar, with no 'red flags'.

A matter of wait and see. If it doesn't improve over a few weeks, then it's the full works.

On the brighter side, if it does right itself, I've got enough Class B to keep the local yoof happy for some weeks (just need to check the street price).

...and, to misquote The Verve, from the improvement in sleeping last night, it appears the drugs do work.
 How's your day been? - Kevin
>I'm not over-impressed with our local GP surgery..

I submitted a formal complaint to my surgery last week.

On 1st April the specialist I'm seeing at the hospital sent them instructions to replace a med I'm taking with an alternative (and remove 2 meds on the list that I'm no longer taking).

Mid-April I checked on the NHS App to see what was on my pick-n-mix list and they'd removed everything but not added the alternative. I called and spoke to reception and they said they'd pass my query on to their "Prescription Team".
Fast forward two weeks and still no joy so I emailed the specialist to tell him I was having the same problem with prescriptions that we'd been through in December. Then I called the surgery again. More apologies and "I'll let the "Prescription Team know".
Another two weeks and nothing so the specialist sends me a written script to take to the pharmacy.

Next day I hand the script over to my drug dealer and he looks confused.

"Err, this is from the hospital but I've received one this morning from the surgery as well. I assume you want this one because the one from the surgery is only half the strength and one third the number of tabs."

So, not only had it taken them 6 weeks to issue a prescription requested by the specialist, they'd managed to get the dose and duration wrong and the alternative still hasn't been added to my repeat list.
 How's your day been? - Dog
I've had back problems since the 1980s due to bending over up to 5 cars a day!

Sometimes it's bin sooo bad I couldn't get out of bed - unbelievable pain.

My last very bad episode was a few years ago now, and I decided to sort it out once and for all.

I binned my soft mattress and bought a medium firm jobbie. Too firm a mattress can create its own problems.

I also bought a back stretcher. Now ewe gotta be mad to use one of these things if your back is killing you, like mine was at the time. But I went forrit, I heard (felt?) a cracking noise when I used it, and low and behold my back felt oodles better.

Another time when my back was quite bad, I was out walking my R/Ridgeback, when he lunged at a Goldie (who was behind a high fence) and the jank on the lead pulled my back - and all pain was instantly gorn.

All this 'stuff' is what osteopaths do of course, so maybe you could consider going down that route.

This is the kind of back stretcher I used: I'll come 'back' to that :)

tinyurl.com/3xy7358t
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 26 May 22 at 09:14
 How's your day been? - Dog
Try this one: tiny.cc/#
 How's your day been? - henry k
>>You're supposed to leave a gap of at least 24 hours after a scuba dive before flying.

I was in Jamaica and went for one last dive with an instructor on the day before flying back to he UK.
I was quized by the guy and restricted IIRC to a 45minutes dive.
I had dived quite a few times before but only " resort" dives so to a limited depth and no decompression required.
The guy did a good job and I had no after effects.
 How's your day been? - sooty123
I think what they are getting at is that aircraft have different cabin altitudes, rather than try and figure out which is what, just say simply not to fly commercial. Aero med tend to be smaller and have a lower cabin altitude so less of an issue.
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
My day today?

Fab actually. Been back to see the consultant today about my injuries. Apparently they are healing really well.

Should be able to get the plaster cast off three weeks today.

Yay !

Back on the bike late June then !

;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Wed 25 May 22 at 16:24
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>>
>> Back on the bike late June then !
>>


....and off again before July...?
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
That’s just cynical now isn’t it?
;-)
 How's your day been? - Robin O'Reliant
How is the bike, BTW?
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
>> How is the bike, BTW?

It’s fine thanks, it must have had a softer landing than I did. Helmet smashed up a fair bit though. Gloves and jacket not good either. Wraparounds will not recover.
 How's your day been? - Zero
MAMITL

Not the Welsh version

Middle aged man in torn lycra.
 How's your day been? - Runfer D'Hills
Baggies dear boy. Lycra is for that girly road biking.
;-)
 How's your day been? - tyrednemotional
>> That’s just cynical now isn’t it?
>> ;-)
>>

...I'd have said cyclical, in oh so many ways...
 How's your day been? - Zero
beaten to it.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 25 May 22 at 17:17
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