Happy Christmas and Choose well.

It is that time of the year, where a well build man in a red suit somehow gets down your chimney and empties his sack under your Christmas tree. At any other time of the year this would be considered weird, but it's Christmas time. 

What else would be considered as weird is calling an ambulance for a cold. However it Christmas, and the GP and Everywhere is closed.

Well that is not true. The country does not complete stop for the festive days. Health care still works. There are different ways to get help this Christmas time.

Self care. For little things you can help yourself and save setting foot outside the house. Like making sure you have some bits in the cupboard.

• Paracetamol or aspirin
• Cold and flu tablets or drinks. (not to be used together) 
• Anti-diarrhoeal medicine
• Rehydration mixture
• Plasters
• Thermometer

  Pharmacists, They don't just pack up your tablets into a bag. They can provide advice on common winter illnesses and the best medicines to treat them, and usually have them ready for you to buy. Plus it saves you from having to book an appointment to be seen by a nurse or a doctor.

 NHS Direct, is a service that you can get online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk where you can check your symptoms and the best treatment. If you want a reassuring voice at the end of the phone. you can also call them on 0845 46 47.

Minor Injuries Units, are where you can See an experienced nurse for treatment of minor injuries and illnesses, like cuts, sprains, infected wounds or everyday eye infections. Information on Shropshire MIU can be found at  www.shropshireccg.nhs.uk/minor-injury-unit or if you are outside Shropshire, search Minor Injuries unit online.

Walk –in Health Centres, are like GP. but without the booking. Information on Shropshire ones can be found at www.shropshireccg.nhs.uk/walk-in-centre

GP Surgeries or GP Out of Hours, If it is something you would go to your GP about, why not give them a call and see if they are open. If not There is ShropDoc, The GP Out of Hours service for Shropshire. You can contact them on 08444 06 8888.  
  
A&E/ 999, If it is critical or life-threatening, then that where the hard working staff of A&E and West Midlands Ambulance Service can help. They specialise in serious illness and badly injured people. 

So with a blog post about choosing your medical help carefully. I will say my usually line after leaving you with an Joke from my bad joke Emporium.

My mate went to Iceland to see the northern light, But all he could see was frozen food.

Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.

Please Note this is not medical advice. It is intended to show what else is out there beside WMAS and A&E

The keeper of the BLT.

In the last post I said about my life has been shaken and changed.

Well apparently I am a sandwich carer. The first time I hear this I thought, I don't look after packed lunches!! 

After googling it, the mental images I had of looking after marmalade butties and making sure the lettuce did not escape from a BTL sub, soon disappeared. So what is a sandwich carer I don't here you cry.

Is someone who looks after an older relative and a younger relative. In my case it, my mum that tries to live as independently as she can.  And my daughter that has learning difficulties.

My Mum has MS and bone that don't like keeping calcium. meaning her mobility is not what it once was, much to her dismay. She no longer drive, opting to surrender her driving licence a few weeks ago. not that she was a big driver in the last few years, Dad used to do most of the driving as the feeling in my mums feet started to fade.

My daughter has ADHD and Global Development Delay, in other word, they are still working out what other problems she has.

 There is an odd side to caring for a mobility restricted  highly experienced  retired nursery teacher and caring teen with mental disabilities.  When they are together, they start caring for each other, weird but true.
My mum has the skills from years of teaching and running a nursery to verbally direct her granddaughter and can under her instruction her granddaughter can do the physical stuff she can't.

Lets take the weekly shop as an example. The shopping trolleys are right behind the car, and my daughter knows to get one and take it to the car door, then helps mum out and to the trolley. when in the supermarket, she get what mum cant. It beautiful to see, how these two people that have trouble functioning by themselves working together to over come there own problems without even thinking about it.

 And with that i will leave you with an escapee from Dave's bad joke Emporium, 

"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Little old lady."
"Little old lady who?"
"I didn't know you could yodel!"

Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.   

I been so long

Hi all

Sorry it been a bit since I last posted, but its been a bit mad at times. my computer failed, which did not help with blogging.

Both my dad and father in law are out of hospital. My dad had a massive chest infection, which has now cleared up and he has really cut down on the smoking.

The father in law is much better, but still has mobility problems. It could be much worse if it was not for the stroke being witnessed by someone who knew the signs, and got medical help as soon as possable.
 The F.A.S.T test  is a good indicator of a stroke.

Also since the last time I posted, I gained another year. and here is a weird fact for you all. I got more happy birthdays from Radio Shropshire staff then I got from staff at work.

There has been some other stuff going on in my life that I don't share with the internet. maybe one day, I will blog about it

Anyway on that note, I shall leave you will an escapee of Dave's bad joke emporium 'bloke goes to the doctors, "Doctor, I feel like a wigwam and a tepee" The Doctor replies "your too tense"

Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.

Dave's Bad Joke Emporium

I enjoy bad jokes. Even tell them, making the badness of the joke, the joke itself. and that is where Dave's Bad Joke Emporium came from.

I sent one into Clare Ashford on the BBC Radio Shropshire breakfast show. They were talking about Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) being visible in North Yorkshire. The joke was 

"I went to Iceland the other day. I could not see the Northern Lights, all I could see was frozen food :D" 

Right have you all finished groaning about how bad it is, good. I shall continue. 

The reply from Clare was, "Dave, seriously, have a word with yourself, go outside and have a word with yourself"  
I would of, but I was travelling at 50 mph and I don't think the people with me would of liked the driver jumping from the vehicle. hehe. 

 Anyway, like they said later in the show. I was keeping up Bad Joke Quoter as the other presenter Eric Smith (usual bad joke teller for show) is on Holiday. 

So sometime, they will be an escapee of the emporium on here, but don't worry, you may be warned. 

Till next time Dear Reader, Stay Safe.