Yesterday, I returned to the docs to hear the results of my shoulder x-rays (see earlier posts). The good news is that it definitely isn't - to use an expression we have in our house - 'a touch of the Aurthurs' or, to use more common language, arthritis. I am obviously much relieved but she couldn't tell me what the problem actually is. It might be something like a frozen shoulder (in both) or something else. In the meantime, I have some exercises - I had to look that up in a dictionary :) - and will be referred to a physiotherapist. If the physio doesn't work, I will have to have injections into the shoulder! I have never been good with injections and, when I had to have one in my heel a couple of years ago, I was lying on my front cringing and the doctor (not my usual one) said 'Don't worry, the anticipation of the pain is always worse than the actual pain' - he lied! The actual pain was far worse and, when I said words to that effect, he just replied that 'That's how we know we have hit the right spot'! Not only was he lying, he was deliberately misleading me!! So, forgive me if I am hoping that physio does the trick :)
Much relief though as I was concerned that, if arthritis was setting in now, I would have a long time to put up with it!
On a completely different subject, how many tradesmen does it take to fix a boiler? It sounds like the beginning of a particularly bad joke - and it very nearly turned into one. Two days ago, I was making my first coffee of the day prior to getting ready for work when I heard a dripping. Thinking that I hadn't turned the tap off, I checked the sink but there was no water in there and the tap was definitely not dripping. However, I could hear the noise much clearer and reached over to the cupboard above the sink that houses the boiler. Opening the door, I was met with the sight of water gently falling from the base of the unit.
I sorted a system of kitchen towels to wick the water into a bucket and decided I would need to contact the installers once I was at work. Then I went to the thermostat and turned it up to get a bit of warmth into the house, Grabbed my coffee and breakfast and sat down in the lounge to munch my cereal. After I had returned my dirty cup and bowl to the kitchen, I went to go upstairs and happened to brush the radiator - which was cold. I went back to the boiler and found it flashing an error message.
I followed the instructions, reset it and went upstairs to have my shower (not linked to the hot water system). When I came out, it was still quite chilly in the bedroom so, with some trepidation, I went back down to the boiler and, once again, it was flashing an error.
Once at work, I rang the installers and they could only visit the next day 'between 8am and 1pm' so I took the day off. At 9.30am, the van arrived and two chaps rocked into the kitchen. They stopped the leak, cleaned a few bits, ran the hot tap and pronounced the unit fixed. I saw the steam from the exhaust outside and agreed. I paid the call out fee and they went on their way. Then, to take the edge off the cold house, I turned up the thermostat and waited for the boiler to kick in - It didn't! I was straight back on the phone and, 30 minutes later, they were back. This time, they took more parts out tinkered about until they found what turned out to be the main problem - the electrode that created the spark was broken. Sharp sucking or air through teeth followed and they informed me that 'no-one keeps those in stock, you will have to get them ordered'. Their parting shot was to suggest contacting the manufacturer direct. I did this and, after answering a number of questions, the very helpful young lady asked if we had insurance. It occurred to me that we had amended our policy only last year to include this type of thing - in the words of Homer Simpson, D'oh!!
Next call was to our insurers. Apparently, Thursday is a busy day in home insurance claims as I was on hold for 22 minutes!
Once I got a real person, they went through the usual questions including was I permitted to discuss the policy with them as it was in my wife's name! It only took them asking her and her reply to allow me to do it so I can't see how that was security. But that is not the point. They agreed that they could get one of their approved engineers out that afternoon (just as well I didn't take only a half day off) and he would be with me before 4pm. I had the feeling that all that would happen would be a local tradesman would come out, look at the boiler, come to the same conclusion and go away muttering about how long it would take to order the part.
Happily I was wrong! The chap turned up in a van painted with the logo of the boiler manufacturer, had a quick look at the work that had been done on the leak and pronounced it a good job, asked what his fellow tradesmen had suggested was the problem, nodded, trotted off to his van and came back with a new part. It took him 10 minutes to fit, he tested the system and then left.
How I wish I had just contacted the insurers first! You live and learn I suppose. At least, at the end of the day, we had hot water and heat - and we could use the washing machine!
Phew! That was a long post to say very little. I think I needed to get it off my chest. Back to work now.
Keep loving
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