A Home Visit

Jackie is not one to spend a day in bed through illness. Her cold has now developed into a severe chest infection. This morning the productive cough continued and she had a throbbing headache – itself a rarity.

It was clear to me that a home visit was required. Once through the system I managed to convince receptive others of that. A quick phone call from a GP resulted in a speedy visit from two paramedics attached to the surgery; a thorough examination by them; an immediate phone call back to the GP; a prescription sent directly to the Milford Pharmacy for antibiotics and steroids which Elizabeth collected for us within a couple of hours, bringing with them a bunch of flowers.

Jackie was able to come down to sit in her chair for the afternoon. She even went to sleep in it – a first.

I did find time for a quick dash around the garden with my camera, where

the copper beech

and the Japanese maples are fast shedding leaves;

rose hips, especially if I haven’t been able to reach them for dead heading, add their own seasonal colour;

shadows stretch across surfaces like that of the orange shed;

primroses have forgotten the month;

the winter flowering clematis Cirrhosa Freckles is well aware that we are in December;

and this viburnum is not sure.

Our blackbirds are tucking into the crab apples. This one enjoyed pecking at the fruit beneath the leaf at its feet until it saw me and sneaked off into the shrubbery with it.

This evening we dined on my sausages in red wine, with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and boiled potatoes chopped by Flo with which I drank Mendoza Malbec 2020, Dillon and Flo drank elderflower cordial, and Jackie abstained.

105 comments

  1. Beautiful photos as always, Derrick. I hope that Jackie is much better very soon!! Your cooking sounds as delicious as Jackie’s cooking! ☺️❤️🇬🇧

    Reply

  6. Your gorgeous photos bring the joy!
    I hope and pray Jackie is completely well soon! So VERY glad everyone is taking such good care of her, Derrick! I bet your-made meal was delicious and made with love! 🙂 Please give Jackie our love and let her know we care about her. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
    (((HUGS)))

    Reply

  7. I’m so sorry to hear that Jackie was so sick. It’s fortunate you have home visits. I hope the antibiotics kick in and she feels better soon.
    That little blackbird is so cute.

    Reply

  11. Excellent pictures. Glad Jackie is feeling better and your last section answered my unspoken question about whether or not you cooked
    Well done all the way around.

    Reply

  12. I’m so sorry that Jackie came down with what one of my Anglophile American friends calls ‘the dreaded lurgy.’ Being able to trundle down and spend a bit of time upright’s a good sign. Here’s to a speedy, complete recovery!

    Reply

  13. So sorry to hear Jackie is unwell Derrick… So many chest infections and cold type bugs doing the rounds right now… Hope those medications soon kick in and help Jackie recover quickly…
    Sending healing thoughts over the air-waves.. <3 🙏

    Reply

  15. Thank goodnes you have home visits and prompt action with prescriptions. I hope Jackie continues to improve. But I hope she can enjoy a bit of coddling from everyone. <3

    Reply

  22. I’m very sorry Jackie has been sick and hope she feels better soon. It’s good she has you to make important calls and got a speedy visit and the prescriptions. I have not heard of people getting services like that here in the US. Here, if you can’t get to the doctor, you have to go to the hospital Emergency Department by ambulance which often leads to a long wait and a huge bill. The photos are beautiful, especially the vivid colors!

    Reply

  25. Doctors do not do home visits here – and don’t call them on a Sunday either! There are too few of them to deal with a burgeoning population. It is heartening to know that you were able to rustle up assistance for Jackie. I hope she responds quickly to the antibiotic and begins to breathe more easily and return to her former cheerfulness. Good on you for providing such a nourishing meal! The prevailing colours of your photographs seem to indicate a determination to seek cheer on what could not have been the best of days, They are beautiful to look at.

    Reply

  27. I’m sorry Jackie is ill and hope she feels better soon. Glad you could get out to the garden for a stroll, though, and show us those leaves and that little blackbird.

    Reply

  29. There are some nasty bugs about at the moment. Get well soon, Jackie – rest is best, don’t push it.

    We’re so used to tantalising descriptions of Jackie’s delicious dinners so it’s easy to forget that you are also a capable cook.

    Derrick, your garden images are just gorgeous 🙂

    Reply

  32. Please give Jackie our best wishes. However, a word of caution, don’t do the cooking too well or you might find her trying to have a day off every year. 🙂

    Garden photographs look great. I always think it’s a good season for photography – nice muted colours, a slightly mournful air and no butterflies or flowers cluttering the place up.

    Reply

      1. It’s a very symmetrical post – Jackie makes progress as the opening, and, at the conclusion, England don’t. The news of Jackie’s progress is very welcome, because as we all know a good wife has a price above World Cups. I feel sure that the Bible, if written today, would mention this.

        Reply
  33. Pingback: Early(ish) one morning | quercuscommunity

      1. When we spread positivity around the patient, that is first step towards cure mechanism. You really initiated that and sure enough its result would be positive outcome; wellness in every way. Regards.

        Reply

  35. This one time I only glanced through the leaves and food descriptions.
    I am so happy your medical system coming running at the idea of Jackie being ill. Please give her my best for a quick recovery!!

    Reply

  39. Please give Jackie my best wishes for a speedy recovery, Derrick. Respiratory infections can be quite nasty, but you have a good medical system over there. Sounds like everything got done quickly and efficiently. Take good care of yourself, too, Derrick.

    Reply

  40. The photos are beautiful, Derrick! You still have some flowers. Nothing is blooming here right now except for indoor plants, and it is wonderful to see your garden still at it.

    Reply

  44. Well done for organising a home visit. I saw one of our local doctors doing a home visit recently and was very pleasantly surprised. I hope that the medicine does the trick.

    Reply

  47. hope all the pills and potions soon have Jackie well again – but baby steps may be in order as anything “on said chest” usually wears one out…

    Reply

Leave a Reply