20/03/2026
Hi everybody,
Bit of a long one, but please take a bit of time to read it all.
So, I do tend to overdo things slightly. The garden project is taking shape and on Wednesday, I was working on fitting the screens to the Heras fencing.
Then I fell off the ladder!
I managed to remain upright but due the the steepness and logs in my way I tripped and shot forward. I flew over the 3 foot drop and face planted the concrete block.
What’s really interesting is that when your head is travelling at speed and suddenly stops your body is still propelling forward.
As I laid there in a crumpled heap, I genuinely thought ‘I am in big trouble here’
I managed to sit up and luckily the phone was next to me on the concrete pillar where I put it earlier.
I rang Lesley and said I think ‘I might be in trouble, but don’t worry about the Blood running down my face. I just think I may have broken my arms.
Luckily, Lesley was just reversing into the drive. I even said ‘I need to go to hospital, but can you tidy the garden stuff up before we go?’
We arrived at the hospital just before 7 pm and they’ve got me straight into a room and onto a spinal board. If I moved, then they would strap me down, so I didn’t move.
The pain was quite intense across my shoulders and my upper left arm.
The staff were fantastic, dealing with 52 patients with below minimum staffing levels (wrong just wrong!)
I got pain relief at 2am, just before a scan.
At around 5am I was given the all clear spinal wise, and allowed to drink some water.
A couple of scans later and visit’s from three separate Doctors revealed a fractured right hand pinky and a dislocated left shoulder (I told you it hurt!).
Then the fun really begins!
On films, to put a dislocated arm back into its rightful position involves Clint Eastwood or Mel Gibson running into a wall or tying a belt to a tree and forcing it back into its socket.
Mine involved taking about 10 puffs off a big crack pipe and 2 doctors with a bedsheet wrapped around my shoulder pulled in opposite directions to relocate my shoulder.
As this didn’t work, a senior consultant turned with an anaesthetist. Without much ado I went into La La Land and the pulling and pulling recommenced.
I went back to a recovery chair and pondered my life.
We got home at 2pm, battered and bruised.
I am writing this Friday morning in a bit of pain. I’ll take stock over the weekend as to how long I will need to recover, but Lesley and I guarantee that everybody will be Test ready and will to their tests.
A big thank you to Lesley who never left my side and put up with my grumpiness as I tend to be when unable to get on with stuff. She remained upbeat and kept the medical team chuckling.
My apprentice gardener (also known as Chloe) will now be promoted asistant gardener’ and I have allowed her to take on an apprentice (Harry!)
Hope everybody understands that I may need a couple of weeks before I am back firing on all cylinders.
Now where did I put those ladders…..
