Chapter 3

Thursday 27/3 : A Busy Day On One Leg (My Ves Y Sufres)

I made myself a list of things to do. A fair amount, just have to decide in which order and the timings, but first the routine things like breakfast, brush teeth and shave. I am not sure how to wash yet, so decide to hold it until the evening as I know I need to take a Betadine shower before bed anyway and another the next morning. In the end, I did so much physical activity a shower was very much needed at the end of the day, but also would have been a waste of time and effort earlier in the day. I did sweat a fair bit, but thankfully didn’t ‘smell’.

Whatever the other tasks, Pharmacy was always going to be the big one, as it involved going out and about 300 metres away or so, I think, and I was not sure they would have everything. Also I needed to go and fetch the boot. I opted to put my contact lenses on, decided on the closest chemist’s (there are three all near-ish so walkable distance when able, but every metre spared is a good idea today), it is also the biggest, though I think the furthest pharmacy (the one I went to on Tuesday, nearer the station, is the best). I had spotted a spare clean Arsenal shopping bag the previous evening, that could fit nicely around my neck, a little more practical and presentable in public than the hospital plastic bag. I wasn’t sure how big all the stuff from the prescription was. And obviously the boot was another problem. Thankfully, I spotted my football bag (not really a football bag, just a small Arsenal backpack) in the entrance, still untouched from Tuesday, and realised it was exactly what I needed (and why didn’t I think of it earlier?). So I emptied it and put it on my back before setting off with my two hands-free bags. Still wasn’t sure how space would be used, but I knew it would definitely be needed. The trip to the pharmacy wasn’t the great success I was hoping for. The attendant didn’t seem very experienced, or even, as it proved later, particularly competent. Moving was tough, but I managed it slowly and clumsily. When my shoelace came undone, I pondered whether to stop somewhere to tie it, but the decision was made for me. I had done some formalities before leaving already, like sending my sick leave by email to HR, copying my boss (who I still hadn’t heard from since my email on Tuesday – I had in the meantime on Wednesday emailed the person I was meant to work with in and before the Athens trip). When I heard my work phone ring as I was crossing the road, I thought I might want to stop and check. I initially thought it was spam so cursed under my breath, until I saw that the missed call was a WhatsApp one from the boss. So I called back and had a good quick chat. Not sure he had seen the Tuesday email (he’d been on a trip to Vienna in fact for a survey prior to the planned event), but either way, it was in fact a timely call, as there was a little ledge I could sit on, which allowed me to both tie my shoelace and take a most welcome physical breather one third of the way to the pharmacy.

See, my timing is associative, not factual, so let’s go ‘back’ (even if it is forward) to the chemist’s. A few things. I wasn’t immediately offered a seat (unlike in the other place), but after a couple of minutes considering some of the wait I would have to face, was pointed towards one. Which access at the time was slightly complicated by just delivered boxes lying there just in front of it (I had to (physically) navigate around that problem). And then once things were sorted on the fetching stuff side, I was ‘summoned’ back to the till for deliveries and pay (but 11 centimes we will put it in credit, mmmkay). So…for the Betadine, there were two prescriptions, one for pre-operation shower, one for post-op stuff. I hadn’t particularly studied the prescriptions, trusting doctors and pharmacists. I was given a bottle of Betadine (yellow) and be told, pointed at both prescriptions ‘here’s the Betadine, it’s the same’. I was given one bandage not of the prescribed width, and agreed that we would see with the nurse to check if the size was still ok before I’d get more [though in hindsight why give me the wrong one when stuff had to be ordered anyway?] The actual plasters size was unspecified (only the size for post-op plaster kit was, I hadn’t analysed the prescription as I said, never mind grappled with the subtilities, but unfortunately it seems that pharmacist couldn’t either), so I was asked about the size. As if I should know. I just explained the nature of the injury/operation. That didn’t seem to help her. In the confusion and the many items, I didn’t get that the plasters and the post-op sets were different things, but that’s for later. What was clear was that the injections needed to be ordered (but only 40 for 45 so at some point I will have to get more too), and she did mention something else ordered, but I didn’t quite get it. Anyway, I was less than thrilled to have to come back later the same day given the struggle that moving around still was, but nothing you can do about stuff not being there, that part was not her fault at least. I got up to collect the stuff (the painkillers were the only clear things, mind you, it was essentially some over the counter paracetamol and optional opioids), and I managed to put some stuff on the neck bag and the rest in the backpack.

Next stop for the boot, with the shop just about 50 metres further. Different picture there, the lady was extremely helpful, offered me to sit in one big comfy chair first, and once I was settled and could proffer my carte vitale, she asked if I would like to stay in that plush chair or move to the desk for the admin stuff. As there was a label with a big price on the chair, I asked if it was actually Ok to stay in the armchair, and she said not to worry, this was just a demo item. I saw how huge the boot was, and crucially the achilles wedges were there, because they are the things that are not necessarily easy to get. I figured I needed to arrange bag space a little better so managed to cram all I could in the neck bag, while stuffing the rest of the pharmacy items in the smaller pocket of the backpack so that the main one was empty. Probably a good thing they didn’t have everything at the pharmacy then! The shop lady kindly put the boot in the bag with the wedges for me. The bag couldn’t be closed as the boot is way too big, but it was secure enough for me to head home after thanking her profusely. Free advert then especially if you are near. Leroy Médical (obviously I can’t stop thinking of it as Leroy-Merlin) in Bourg-La-Reine is a good one.

The return was a pain, what with my hands starting to seriously sweat so a lesser grip on the crutch handles, and my calves weakening too. A real struggle, I had to go from slow to snail pace and take many breaks. I got some encouragement from a random guy going the opposite way in the pedestrian bit (more on him a few days later). In a way, and that’s a thought that occurred a lot to me in these challenging first few days (not so much perhaps now I am settled in a routine at home), everything felt like a reminder for me to not overdo things, not see myself too big, or, in the words of one E. Haaland. (though one rather crucial difference here was I addressed them to myself, not someone else…) : ‘stay humble’.

Back home, nothing interesting to report I think. A lot of paper reading, trying to understand all that was required, more people to get in touch with, reply to, and after a short physically restful break (and lunch, I think, though maybe I wanted to get everything done and dealt with first), I was ready for a little more active stuff, some cleaning/light hoovering/tidying so that the low table was all available for medicine stuff etc, freeing space also on a small table at the entrance (which nobody has used so far but proved helpful a spot to sit in if knowing I have to be responding to the interphone at short notice – but I need notice).

When, shortly before going to the pharmacy again, I looked at the instructions on the Betadine, I couldn’t quite work out how you were supposed to shower with that, so I had a closer look at the two prescriptions then online, also asked our assistant at work (she had had an operation not that long ago on a broken wrist), and yep Betadine Scrub (Red) and Betadine Dermique (yellow) were two very different things. So I was a little more pissed off or even furious at the incompetence from the morning, and hoped I would get a different person at the pharmacy this time.

Thankfully, I did (and the morning one was nowhere to be seen). I remembered to ask for the sérum physiologique (the one in the morning didn’t give it to me saying it was not even partially reimbursed by the sécu so I could get it later – what has this got to do with the price of milk?) the betadine scrub (which was reimbursed), managing to put in a little complaint about the morning person without mentioning incompetence, I got the injections, and then she gave a puzzled look about plasters that didn’t seem to be there. Because of the confusion on size in the morning and that I had got some stuff that said ‘plasters’, I thought I was given them in the morning, so told her so when she asked if they were missing, and I left thinking everything was ok.

On the way back, I noticed a jogger who must have been doing pretty short loops: he was running at decent but not particularly fast pace, and I was super slow and making many stops (hint of blisters on the right thumb now added to the equation), but in the 100 metres of the pedestrian zone metres between the pharmacy and the main road I had to cross, I must have seen him at least four or five times!

Crossing the road was another experience that brought a smile. Obviously I am waiting for the green man, and in fact the start of the green man, even if I may have margin as long as I know when the green man started. So I skipped a turn first time and was all ready as the traffic lights turned red and the man was about to turn green again. But in the distance I heard sirens, saw flashing blue lights, and spotted the police motorbikes coming my way. So I decided that the wise course was to not take a chance and delay my crossing. By the time they went through, the green man had been on too long, so another wait beckoned and then it was third time lucky. It’s those little things you can laugh about. I wasn’t in a particular hurry despite still having a few things to do, so what’s another two minutes in my world? Again, it should be just a temporary state for me so better take it well.

I had the now usual physical struggles at the end of the trek, sweat and tiredness, and the heavy door proved more of a fight to open this time. As my crutches had slipped to the floor and I bent on one leg to pick them again while leaning on the wall before a second attempt at door opening, my next door neighbour and her man appeared, opened the door for me, and even called the lift and pressed the button while they went up the stairs. She offered to help if I needed anything and to give me her number. I thanked her, just said it would be fine, and maybe easier if she slipped it under the door (as exchanging numbers now seemed physically impractical on my side) if she so wished.

They wished me good luck for the operation.

While finishing getting ready and organising my logistics for the next day (time agreements with Ben, etc, having now received the official hospital SMS, for a registration at precisely 10.26am), booked a taxi etc., I decided to try and look at the prescription in detail and also at the printed thing by the pharmacy at the back. That’s when I realised that the set of post opératoires pansements (middle cuts, so size correctly specified and at least this were given right – but only 3, why? I figured I’d have to check a few things with the nurse on her first visit) and the pansements themselves were different things. So 10 pansements/plasters (these were the dubious size ones, hence a pack of 10 rather than 20 straight away) were ordered indeed, but hadn’t arrived in the evening (if they had, they would have been given to me rather than a puzzled look followed by me trying to find an explanation that excluded someone other than me fucking up – I learn but sometimes still make the mistake of assuming by default issues must arise because of my mistake…). Unfortunately, by the time I called the pharmacy, it was too late and they were shut. So another task for me before leaving the next day: call and see how it could be sorted, knowing that only Ben could go and fetch the missing plasters on Friday or Saturday.

Once this was decided, I could eat, shower (tricky acrobatics but I somehow managed) and go to sleep or try to, knowing that sleeping may not be easy to come by before the operation.

I settled down listening to Songs Of A Lost World, which seems just the right thing to do.