General Chat

Oh my goodness Annx, how much more is your poor OH, and you, going to have to endure? You must be feeling quite stressed but stay as calm as you can. Often these things seem a lot worse than they really are. That receptionist certainly needs more training. Even if OH had seen a nurse the day before these were new symptoms and needed to be medically assessed. Sometimes people round here will have a moan about our doctors practice but compared to some of the things I hear from other people ours are wonderful, a real “dream team”. I hope you both get a good night’s sleep tonight and OH gets some help and reassurance from the doctor tomorrow.

Yesterday was not a very good day. I only had 2 hours sleep on Sunday night, got up at 6.30 am and had a cup of tea, felt very shaky so went back to bed and got up again at 7.30 as I could tell I wasn’t going to go back to sleep. I got a lot of washing done and hung most of it out, did a bit of tidying up and cooked our main meal at lunchtime as we needed to be out early evening. By mid afternoon I had such a bad headache I knew I wouldn’t get out in the evening if I didn’t get an hour or two of sleep but I was expecting two phone calls on my mobile. So I left my phone with OH with instructions to answer it and took myself off to bed. I had just fallen asleep when my iPad woke me up – I had forgotten that my phone and iPad are synched so when the phone rings so does the iPad. In the end I got about an hour’s light sleep.

In the evening we went to a club meeting where the speaker was talking on “What does a celebrant do”. She lives miles away in Norfolk but, for some reason, operates mostly in our area conducting weddings and funerals and pretty much any other legal ceremony that’s required. She spoke for 75 minutes non-stop and was so interesting that the time passed very quickly.

Today we had really heavy rain for most of the morning, then sunshine and strong winds this afternoon. It’s looking quite black and heavy again now. OH had an opticians appointment this morning and I had to go with him in case he had drops in his eyes and couldn’t drive home. Even with umbrellas we got soaked walking from the car park to the opticians and then we were there for an hour and a half. I wished I’d taken a book. OH said the optician he saw was very thorough and the upshot was that he has been prescribed with new reading glasses and been told he has blocked ducts. He has come home with this eye mask thing which he has to heat in the microwave, strap round his head so it covers his eyes and keep it on for 10 minutes or so. This has to be done twice a day. He’s in his element, lying there like Lord Muck in his fancy eye mask. Needless to say, he dozed off this afternoon and I had to wake him when I realized he had been there for rather longer than 10 minutes.

This afternoon I’ve been doing admin jobs and sorting out some plants that are still in the conservatory but will need to go out soon. I also cooked a shepherd’s pie for tonight and an individual one for the freezer. I should have said cottage pie as it was minced beef but my mum called it shepherd’s pie and so I still do. I’ve also been trying to get my head round our new recycling system. It seems to be all change with what goes where. Our Council has been good with general waste in that nothing goes to landfill but they have been a bit backward in collecting and recycling as much as they could so we are playing catch up. I shall have to draw myself a chart of what goes out for collection when. We now have food bin out every week, garden bin every 2 weeks and the other 3 bins every 3 weeks. They each have a different start date so these 3 never go out together. I’m confused enough but at least I can go through the instructions carefully and draw myself up a chart but I can see some people really struggling to get to grips with it. Oh well, I suppose we’ll get used to it in time.

I’m hoping to get lots of h/w and gardening done tomorrow, weather permitting, but right now I’m going to get myself a drink, make some overnight oats for my breakfast, have a nice wash and take my book to bed. Sleep well everyone.

I too have felt cold all day and Iv'e not even been outside much and not in the shed either.

Not done much at all today and am cross with myself now as the day is over.

BIL bought me a lovely sharp pair of secs but so you think I can find them. I am wondering if I gave them to him to cut down brambles sticking out when he's mowing and he took themhome thinking they were his as he has them too. Darn'nt ask him incase they turn up but I am usually good with all my secs and put them straight back in the kitchen draw for gardening things.

I don't think thats a very good service you're getting from the docs Annx. They should at least get the doc to give you a ring with a phone appointment. Our doc will ring you after surgery if you have questions. I hope you get better answers once he's seen the doc tomorrow. Its not G's fault afterall. Was he warned there could be these serious side affects?

Ann I think you missed my post. But yes garden centre was good. Just want the rain to stop now so I can pot up what I have bought. The plants looked really healthy, lots of stock in so I was pleased I went.

That was bad of that receptionist, I am sure a doctor could have been called to at least speak to your OH. Sounds as if more training is required.

Vera loved your dream, I am sure I will have caught the bus and we will have enjoyed that coffee :-D

Afternoon All,

Sunshine and showers here again and I have felt chilly but OH is hot so I've had to wrap up to keep warm.

I only had about two hours sleep as OH developed a new symptom last night, severe aching in the calves of his legs and tingling. He just couldn't sleep and was pacing about concerned. I looked things up and both the the new meds and antihistamine can be the cause or have more serious effects from the injection and say seeing a doctor is imperitive. So he rang the surgery first thing again this morning to explain and all the receptionist would give him was a telephone appointment that would be in the afternoon and with a nurse again. OH said despite his insistence, the receptionist seem to have it in her head he didn't need to see a doctor as he'd seen a nurse yesterday. He then tried the rheumatology helpline at the hospital again as no one got back to him yesterday and no one even answered the phone today.! The nurse from the surgery did ring him at 4.00 pm and when he had explained again she started saying he should have asked to see a doctor for a face to face appointment, as if it was his fault!!! Give me strength, he did try and why do they assume it's the patient's fault and not the receptionist! She's concerned now about DVTs and of course phoning so late in the day, there were no doctors' appointments left. She's managed to book him in with a doctor first thing tomorrow and we are to go to A&E if there's any breathlessness in the meantime. OH is always calm and polite and explains himself well, but I'm beginning to see why they need signs up saying abuse won't be tolerated, as carrying on like this would make some people lose their rag. Anyway OH left off the antihistamine today till he hopefully knows tomorrow whether it's safe to continue. I can't help but wonder how much harder our lives are getting and will be when they stop us driving and we only have half our wits to cope with all this hassle. It was so nice when you could just go to your surgery without an appointment and just sit and wait your turn.
Anyway there seems to be more improvement today, no 'tomato face' and the legs are not red now either, but he's still 'in the pink' elsewhere and needed a nap this afternoon after the last few days.

We did manage to squeeze in having coffee and breakfast baps at a garden centre this morning, but had quite a shock afterwards browsing round as The Works has gone and there's just a big open space being refitted there now.

Now the stick hoover seems to be going wrong. I've given it a good charge so I will give it a good test tomorrow.

Mel, they match the price not the number of bars.

I hope you had a nice catch up with yur friend at the garden centre AnnG. Did you get anything? You are lucky your windowcleaner usually lets you know when he is coming. We are lucky to even be told what day or even the week!

Sorry I’m a bit late responding to emailed pictures and the posts again. It’s been another couple of hectic days.

Mel, that was a good picture of Jane and you won’t want to get rid of it. You’ve been busy again with all your sowing and potting up.

Mandy, that was a pretty purse and I can see how useful it might be. You are so skilled at making things. I hope Max has recovered well from his problems. Yes, I’ve been to the Chelsea Flower Show as well but I wouldn’t go again. It was a few years ago. We went by public transport and we left here at 6 am to get there when it opened. We made straight for the show gardens and I’m glad we did because by 11 am it was so packed you could hardly see a thing. Some of the marquees looked lovely with all the different plant displays but they were hot and crowded as well. I think the biggest problem with Chelsea is that it’s so overcrowded. We have a couple of small shows not much more than an hour’s drive from here, Hyde Hall which is an RHS garden and has a show in August, and Audley End which hosts the Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair. I stick with those now.

Gosh AnnG, I hope you don’t have any more flooding. You are doing well with your plant buying and saved a bit of money there. I hope you have managed to get your alarm set up now. I had a weird dream about you last night. OH and I were walking through a busy town centre – I’ve no idea where it was – when I saw you in the crowd coming towards us. Although we’ve never met I knew it was you so stopped and introduced myself and OH and we decided to go for a coffee together. Every coffee shop we tried had queues coming out of the door. In the end we just joined one of the queues and it was moving so slowly that you were getting a bit wound up. I asked you what was wrong and learnt that you had to get a bus to Gloucester and there was only one bus a day so you couldn’t risk missing it. At that point I woke up so I never learned whether we got a coffee or whether you caught the bus.

Annx, I hope OH is feeling better and his rash is fading. Those are very strong antihistamines that he’s been given. Have rheumatology been in touch with him yet? They do seem to be a bit lax. It sounds as though he hasn’t lost his sense of humour in spite of all he is going through.

I’ve just noticed that it is nearly 5.30 pm and if we want to eat at 6.30 pm I’d better get a wriggle on and start preparing and cooking. I’ll try to come back after we’ve eaten to tell you what we’ve been up to the last couple of days (don’t hold your breath; we haven’t done anything exciting).

Rain has been horrific here. tomorrow's talk at U3a is about the 2007 floods. I am hoping it wan't be about this week's floods!!! My patio was well under water. It has gone down a bit at the moment anyway.

Just back from the garden centre sat for almost 2 hours talking and also managed to buy some plants and a couple of small compost bags.
Bought One nepeta Persian blue, 2 Nemesia coral kiss and Lilac quees.4 basket plants bacopa, and callabrochoa, and one lilac Osteospernum. Has a £25 Christmas gift card and tuesday is Gold card discount day so that lot only cost me £11.60.

Just realised I hav'nt posted this morning. I have been trying to answer question on Ebay about an item and Asda came with one not available and two subs., I ordered a pack of 9 twirl which they did'nt have so they sent me 2 packs of three. Why did'nt they send me three packs of threes which would have been the same as what I ordered, 9 bars of Twirl?? The other thing was square crisps I ordered in three flavours they sent one pack of plain hulu hoops original. One good thig though I got something I did'nt order and have never had so I can try it for free and see if I like it. Its in the freezer.

Enjoy your trip oput with your friend Anng and have a nice chat and a coffee.

Its been chucking it down here and there's grey sky and its 14 degrees so feels a bit warmer today than yesterday. Pc is telling me temps to rise by Thursday, we'll see if they are right when the day comes.

Hope hubby's rash is a bit better today and is fading now and that the pills are doing their job and taking away the itching.

Better get on as I too have some ironing to do like Mandy. I need to have a hoover too.

yes, rain doesn't seem to stop them. or affect the windows afterwards.

Morning all,

Raining here ,well drizzle really I just put the bin out while it is drizzle in case it gets heavy later ,I don't want to get soaked.

Ann thats good you checked the leaflet as that is a high dose compared to the everyday ones we take for hay-fever, it's good he's thinking of going to football ,he must be feeling more relaxed now he's seen someone about it .

Anng will they still come to clean the windows in the rain, enjoy your garden centre trip .
Better get hoovered up and then I have some ironing to do , keep me busy for a while .

good morning all, raining again and 11 degrees (still only 0720). I think it is going to be a showery day but friend is picking me up at 2pm to go to the local garden centre for coffee/tea and chat. I have not seen here for a few weeks as she has been on holiday in Tenerife.
I am up early as I need to get showered and wash hair and, despite the rain the window cleaners are coming today and they didn't put what time on the message they sent Cynth. annoying not to know as we are both out this afternoon so, if they have not been we have to leave the back gates unlocked for them.

It was a really cute pattern and thats why I sent Mandy the pic of the patton to see if she would like it. They are only small and will be nice for young children.I must remember not to wear my hairy cardi when I do repotting. I have just had to pick a load of moss off of it. That was a lot of f's !

Hope you all sleep wel tonight. see you in the morning.

Just got up and decided to check what time a place opens tomorrow so I can hopefully get the Petunias I want as the village one hardly had any left this afternoon. I thought I'd pop on here at the same time.

That was a good point about driving Mel and Mandy. The nurse didn't say anything, but we've just double checked the leaflet, especially with that high dose. Luckily it's only if they make you drowsy that you shouldn't drive, so that pleased him as he was ok after the first one and wants to drive his pal to a local match tomorrow.

You've been busy repotting and planting pumpkin seeds Mel and Mandy busy knitting little rabbits from the pattern Mel sent. I hope you send a pic Mandy as it's lovely to see what everyone makes.

Oh that's good he's got something to help ease things Ann and good that it's beginning to fade a bit oh yes you have to be careful with some antihistamines as they can make you very drowsy as Mel said will he be ok driving .

I'm glad you liked the purse ,I might get back to doing a little sewing again ,I've been knitting some little rabbits from a pattern Mel sent me .

O just a thought can he drive when taking them?

Forgot to say hope Hubby gets some good answers and the antihistamines work on the rash. I did'nt know they did them that strong!! Mine are like yours 10mg for when I get bitten by the horse flies or big gnaty things. They should take the itching away anyway so he can get some well earned sleep.

Just caught up with your posts and been out in the garden repotting some more plants and I sowed some Pumpkin seeds, just 6 there are 4 more in the packet. Took more self sown orchids out of the pots I repotted too and a big fritilaria was in one plant I repotted with two orchids. When you think the orchids came with me from Suffolk in pond plants I brought down from the pet shop which is 35 years ago.

Hungry now so dive down the freezer or shall I have the lamb shank thats in there with broccoli and carrots and cabbage, or I could have mac cheese which is easier. yes II think mac cheese with tomatoes.

Well OH is a bit further ahead now and did keep the nurse appointment AnnG. I must admit I never thought, but you are right that they might ask a doctor's opinion. Anyway it was a knowledgable nurse he saw once before with an episode of his eye inflammation. She said it was a big help and was so pleased I took photos of how it evolved and said it was classic for a reaction to the injection and needed antihistamines at the biggest strength they can prescribe. They are big tablets and are 180mg which is a lot considering my hayfever tablets are only 10mg! She issued a prescription to our pharmacy there and then and said we could collect it on the way home which we did. He needs to take them for a month. He absolutely mustn't do the next injection until he has spoken to rhuematology and to chase them tomorrow if they haven't got back to him today. (they haven't yet!). He needs to wear factor 50 suncream every day anyway to protect his skin and to wear loose clothes so as not to rub and break the skin and risk infection. Since he lost weight most of his clothes are quite loose anyway. I'm not sure if the same will happen every time with the injections, but have read that there can be reactions for a few months. What I read said that some people may even get no reactions for months or even years, but then get them. There are added risks of things like cancer and pneumonia with lowering the immune system, so he needs to talk with the doctor about all the options really. I feel so sorry for him as much of his health problems could have been much less if the inflammation with his eyes had been picked up when it first happened in the 80s. Now he's less anxious as the rash is beginning to fade and he's much happier and been his jokey self making me chuckle at lunchtime.

The paper girl had delivered the wrong paper to us this morning, so he called in the paper shop on the way to the surgery. They don't speak much english so he picked up a copy of the paper they should have delivered from the sale rack and left the wrong one on the counter. When he got in the car he noticed our address was pencilled in at the top of the paper, so it was the copy the paper girl should have delivered!

I've never been to Chelsea, but always thought I would one day. I did go to Hampton Court Show with OH one year and I think he had a hernia and was limping a bit. I remember we looked around the house as well and it was a hot day and the kitchen had an enormous fireplace and fire blazing and it was too hot to get anywhere near it. We were surprised how small the show gardens were as they looked bigger on the tv. You are lucky to have been 3 times Mel and taxied there as well. The chairs sounded really comfy and did you see anyone famous at all?

I just showed OH the purse you made Mandy and he thought you were clever and that it was great too, especially after having done that nasty damage to your wrists a while ago. I love the fabric you used and the matching press stud.

Mel that must have a lovely day out but I bet it was cheaper than it is now ,I looked at the ticket prices and some were over a hundred pound :-0 the perfume from all the flowers must be amazing .

Thanks Ann they are actually quite easy to make and as I haven't done any sewing for a while I enjoyed making it .

Ann , I hope OH has had some advise on the rash and itching by now and if he should do the next injection on Wednesday.

The day has stayed dry but we have had some very black clouds at times ,no rain though so far ,and I got the washing all dry .

Ann do you think, as OH must be pretty desperate to have somebody look at it, if he had agreed to the appointment with the nurse, they might have called on a doctor to look at it as a second opinion? Anyway has he got any further forward with it now?

Thanks for the purse photos Mandy, a very pretty purse.

Sad to suddenly find a photo of Jane mel. No you can't throw it out.

Yes Mandy I have been three times. The first time I went with my grandfather and mum paid for us to have a taxi there and back and for us both to go in. Grandad could'nt get over the size of the Delphium flowers and how long the spikes of flowers were. Then the next time I went with mum and again she paid for a taxi and to go in. We both bought a garden chair and I still have thmem both but they had plastic straps across to lie on on the mattress and they all broke. They cost us £200 each, had padded matresses a sun shade and arms you could take off and raise and lower the back and foot bit. They were the most comfortable sunbeds I have ever lay on.

The third time I went was from Suffolk on a coach trip. I went with my best friends, Deirdre and Dylis and a couple of others from the village. We had beautiful weather on all occasions. Its a wonderful show to go to with lots of stalls where you can buy things too.

Poor oh Annx did you say these injections were fortnightly? and do you think the rash will happen every time or just till his body gets used to it? I do feel for him as itching is'nt a pleasent thing at any time and especially when it gets hot.