Boil

A good night's sleep. despite having to wake up and take an antibiotic on schedule at six thirty.  The infected buttock wasn't painful overnight, but I'm not sure what's happening with the small lump which seems to be a boil, and what I should do about it. All I can do is keep it clean and disinfect the area. During the morning the lump burst open. Definitely a boil. Messy but less uncomfortable, essential to keep the afflicted area clear and disinfected. Thank heavens for penicillin at work on the inside. 

I cooked lunch while Clare was out shopping. The combined effect of the antibiotics and regular medication in the hour before eating is hard to cope with, making me feel as if I'm about to collapse. I have to eat something calorific while cooking to avoid an accident.

It's cool and cloudy today, but increasingly muggy with a rare  weather warning for thunderstorms. After lunch, I went to the shops to get plasters from Boots and a mild liquid antiseptic from the Coop as Boots  sells everything apart from what I was looking for. Dettol is widely available, but too strong on sensitive areas, even diluted. Will TCP ever return to the shelves in Britain? The mile walk to the shops and back was a struggle against tiredness induced by the drugs if not infection. Penicillin is not kind to my digestion adding to the ill effect of the slow release capsules.

I went out before supper to post Kath's birthday card and walked until it was time to return for the news and 'The Archers'. Clare cooked a cheesecake recipe found on Instagram of all places, using thick Greek yoghurt  cooked with an egg and flavourings whisked into it. It had a slightly odd texture and I had trouble swallowing a mouthful as the penicillin degrades my digestive system juices ability to dissolve some foods easily and this affects swallowing certain foods. Such a shame.

Clare found a programme on iPlayer of classical music highlights recorded in 2025 and we watched it together. Star performances displaying interesting and informative subtitles to give them context. It was a consoling end to a difficult day.