W.Bro. Charles Muggeridge
Our Chaplain contracted Covid 19 in the latter part of September after working at the Daventry Mop. W.Bro. Charles reports that it has gone through his whole family including himself and his wife Sharon.
Charles says that after taking to his bed for a couple of days he had shaken off the worst of it and he reports that he did not suffer any of the serious side effects that flattened many people. His biggest concern was and remains Sharon, who after previous serious illness has a reduced lung capacity and he is obviously fearful of Covid 19 affecting her more than him.
To ensure that he does not transmit any illness to Sharon, Charles is living in a separate home and Sharon is having to self-isolate more or less on her own.
As one of our lodge’s showman, Charles sticks to the famous adage of the ‘show must go on,’ and accordingly when I spoke to him last week he was planning to take his rides to Cirencester the following week.
Having returned home following a good holiday in Crete, Bro Jeff reports that he woke up with pains in his shoulder. He has no recollection of pulling it or injuring himself whilst on holiday or at any time prior to waking up with the pain. Jeff played football for the air force and later on for the police force as a goal keeper so he considers it might be something incurred during that time and as he did not stop playing until 4-5 years ago, he could well be right.
As the days progressed the pain became more severe until he could neither drive or sleep. The doctor had prescribed pain killers but even with these he was unable sleep lying down and could only do so sitting up in bed, as a consequence he was only getting a few hours sleep each night and in his words ‘..is permanently knackered….’
When I spoke to him last week, he was due to go for an MRI scan and to have a consultation with the surgeon on Wednesday 13th October.
Since I started this report Jeff has had the MRI scan and been referred to a neuro-surgeon which as Jeff said ‘.. is worrying in itself …..’ The surgeon diagnosed the problem as prolapsed C5-C6 vertebrae and that he could have a quick fix injection that would wear off within a matter of weeks or alternatively surgery that accesses the vertebrae through the throat.
Jeff has elected to have the surgery and is booked in for November 19th. The surgeon has warned him that it is a 4-6 hour operation and that it will take 4-6 weeks to recover from the operation and 6-9 months to fully heal. Immediately after the operation he will have to stay on a liquid diet for 7 – 10 days and will need to wear a supportive collar during his recuperation. He has used all that as a pathetic excuse for not attending the 1st December meeting!
27.10.21
Jeff’s operation date has now been brought forward to 4th November as his he has been advised that the damage is such that he needs the operation quickly.
Brethren, I sent a separate note out regarding W.Bro John and will keep you informed as to his progress as I receive that information.
Where a family stalwart is struck down by illness, it inevitably falls to the other family members to provide support and care for a loved one. We men are used to fighting our own corner, standing up for ourselves and other such masculine qualities; caring and nursing is probably one of our least enjoyable tasks.
So, W.Bro.Clive who is more familiar with mixing it with ISIS insurgents finds himself in the unwelcome arena of the NHS and all the emotional turmoil of having suddenly to care for a parent.
On Tuesday 23rd Clive gave me an update, John had been moved out of the critical care ward into a normal ward, he is still on oxygen but a lesser flow rate than in the CC ward. He has subsequently been taken off oxygen support entirely and is physically improving. This has led to him being relocated to St Cross Hospital where he continues to receive care on a general ward.
Whilst still relatively weak, he is gaining strength and on Monday was able to leave his bed and sit in the chair next to it. His mind is bouncing back more slowly than his body though and although he recognises Clive and also the pictures brethren sent along with good wishes, he is still not fully aware of his surroundings and circumstances.
Clearly, W.Bro. John’s health is fragile and Clive expects that his father will have good and bad days but his overall trajectory is a slow improvement.
Brethren, I sent a separate note out regarding W.Bro John and will keep you informed as to his progress as I receive that information.
Where a family stalwart is struck down by illness, it inevitably falls to the other family members to provide support and care for a loved one. We men are used to fighting our own corner, standing up for ourselves and other such masculine qualities; caring and nursing is probably one of our least enjoyable tasks.
So, W.Bro.Clive who is more familiar with mixing it with ISIS insurgents finds himself in the unwelcome arena of the NHS and all the emotional turmoil of having suddenly to care for a parent.
On Tuesday 23rd Clive gave me an update, John had been moved out of the critical care ward into a normal ward, he is still on oxygen but a lesser flow rate than in the CC ward. He has subsequently been taken off oxygen support entirely and is physically improving. This has led to him being relocated to St Cross Hospital where he continues to receive care on a general ward.
Whilst still relatively weak, he is gaining strength and on Monday was able to leave his bed and sit in the chair next to it. His mind is bouncing back more slowly than his body though and although he recognises Clive and also the pictures brethren sent along with good wishes, he is still not fully aware of his surroundings and circumstances.
Clearly, W.Bro. John’s health is fragile and Clive expects that his father will have good and bad days but his overall trajectory is a slow improvement.
I spoke to W.Bro Geoff on Saturday 20th and he is making steady progress and was celebrating not having a hospital appointment for a whole week! The surgeon is continuing to monitor him closely but he has got his weight back up above 12 stone and he reports that the specialist consider he is retaining Magnesium and other trace elements now. It was a lack of these that was making him feel very ill two – three weeks ago. Geoff has been doing small items of maintenance such as putting batteries on charge and checking his Jaguar is ready for him to drive as soon as he is permitted. I think engaging with cars and workshop has helped to stave off the inevitable boredom that accompanies recuperation from major surgery.
He asked me to pass on his thanks to those brethren that have rang him and he is determined to join us at the February installation meeting and I am pretty sure we will do.
27.10.21
Since speaking to Geoff at the weekend he has been advised at the hospital that they want him to have a 6 months course of Chemotherapy with the aim of hitting any remaining cancer cells. This is familiar territory to Geoff who knows what it entails and the down side to the treatment but at least he will be having the treatment during the winter so that he can enjoy the summer.As our brother secretary is still sending out the summons and other masonic communications, Eastfields brethren may not appreciate that he is currently getting over Covid 19. I spoke to him yesterday following W.Bro Terry Burt alerting me to Paul ‘..sounding really rough…’ and I can concur that he was indeed sounding very rough. W.Bro Paul said that he had had Covid 19 for well over a week, despite having both inoculations that he had some of the classic systems of lethargy and feeling unwell but that the biggest issue was a hacking cough which had been constant that it was making his chest and stomach hurt.
His mother-in-law Kath, one of our Eastfields widows, had been staying with them following her falling and breaking her hip. Paul has also become a defacto carer for his mother who is doing her own battle with Father time.
Covid 19 appears to affect people in a variety of different ways but even a dose that does not hospitalise you can be very debilitating and I trust Paul will properly rest to re-charge his batteries so to speak.
W.Bro. Dave Bolger
The brethren will recall that W.Bro Dave has not enjoyed good health and mobility for many years and it is probably 6 years since he was last able to attend one of our meetings. Dave suffers from several conditions including diabetes, macular degeneration, diabetic neuropathy and very poor balance. The upshot of all these conditions is that he risks injuring himself when he tries to walk more than a few steps.
This has been his lot in life for several years now though he has seen off a urinary infection that put in hospital for eleven weeks, a broken hip and ulceration of his lower legs and feet in that time.
Sadly the fear of falling over, Covid 19 and poor mobility has meant he is more or less house bound. Morphine patches have helped him cope with the chronic pain and his son Paul, has stepped up to the mark to be one of Dave’s carers and in Dave’s own words ‘…has been a diamond..’
W.Bro Fred Dring has been to see him and to take him out for lunch and he was touched by the gesture.
Dave’s biggest issue is boredom, so if you know Dave, give him a call, he enjoys hearing about the lodge, the brethren and sport, I am sure he would appreciate it.