You'll all be pleased to read that I'm still alive, despite having had a temperature of 38.5 this afternoon. The cause of my spike is plain for all to see, if they fancy staring down past my yucky tongue, I have tonsillitis. Yippee! I usually get it once a year around Christmas, but it was a bit late arriving, hopefully I will have had this year's dose early. Mike did consider calling the ward, until he remembered they wouldn't be interested in my spike, instead he has me drugged up on anything he still had lying around from his various infections and stays in hospital. Personally I wanted to try the garlic and malt whisky cure, but Mike wasn't keen.
So it's tuck myself up in bed and hope that tomorrow I feel a bit better. For those who still follow my dye-it, my weight loss over the last two weeks was three and a half pounds. Nearly half way to my final target so I'm really chuffed
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Miles away.
"Penny for your thoughts, you look miles away." I'm always saying it to Mike. I saw a comedian on TV once doing his stand up routine on the subject. Turned out, according to him, that men usually aren't thinking of anything when they get that glazed look on their face, may be what they had for tea, but nothing world shattering. This morning it was Mike's turn to say it to me.
Funnily enough I was miles away, or at least wishing that I was. No I haven't fallen out with Mike enough to be thinking of getting away from him, more how useful I could be if I lived further north with my spade and drain rods so that I could help my dear friend in her hour of need. That, or how great a Star Trek transporter would be in such circumstances.
By the way, you might all like to check the date that Mike posted last. I think you may be surprised to find we still haven't got a linen basket.
Funnily enough I was miles away, or at least wishing that I was. No I haven't fallen out with Mike enough to be thinking of getting away from him, more how useful I could be if I lived further north with my spade and drain rods so that I could help my dear friend in her hour of need. That, or how great a Star Trek transporter would be in such circumstances.
By the way, you might all like to check the date that Mike posted last. I think you may be surprised to find we still haven't got a linen basket.
Friday, 1 April 2011
Basket Case
Hi People's, long time no post.
Not a lot different has been happening for me in the last week or two........ until this week that is.
No, I haven't just become a basket case, I will come to that in a while when I have explained about my two hospital appointments I have attended this week.
Numero uno was on Monday at 4 pm when I was summoned to the Outpatients dept. to see Dr. B.
We turned up at 3.35pm to allow time for the vampires to do their worst, and worst it was too. My regular vamp, Miss J, was absent, so I pointed to the place on my arm that is the best, least painful spot...... mistake..... Never TELL a vampire where to put a needle. This one knew much better, and decided on a vein 1cm to the left of normal and found the smallest most painful vein in my arm and proceeded to attach/remove 5 vials ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.
Once I'd wussed back into the waiting room and my arm had stopped throbbing, I was called in to the consultation room by one of the junior doctors in Dr. B's team." Do you meaan I have gone through all of that pain, just to speak to someone who is asking me to tell her how i'm getting on with my mantainence Revelamid that I've not yet started!" I whispered loudly to Lorna.
Not to panic, cause after explaining that this appointment was arranged so that Dr. B could explain about the mantainence therapy he was considering putting me on, the very pleasant jd popped through and dragged Dr. B into the room.
Obviously trying to appeal to my vanity, Dr.B's first words were: "Your looking thin".
"I think it is due to the Melphelan dieting aid" was my quickfire reply." and you have only ever known me as fat since it was you who gave me 'Mr Chubbycheeks Dex' as a side dish. This is now the real me!"
Well it transpires that I am doing too well for the government to allow the "mantainence" treatment, as my Igg is stable at below 2 and my pp's are also below 2 and my bloods aren't strong enough at 11.5 hb and 73 platelets, because the Revelamid would make em worse and anyway, there are newer drugs and some trials coming through soon.
I'M CONFUSED, but still sane..... watch this space.
My second appointment was with Dr. O, in the Renal clinic, who said that he may have some idea of what is wong with my Kidileys....ta Paula,lol. To go any further he would want to do another biopsy, but me platelets are too low for this at present.....PHEW, Lorna still doesn't understand this one. He is just going to keep a watching brief instead and see me again in 3 months. So again watch this space if you want to help us sort the mystery.
On the subject of space, I decided earlier this week to start my own creative day, just to keep up with the rest of you talented beings, aka Lorna with her Knitting, Paula and Ruth with their Knitting and stuff. So here is my "Creative Friday".... Well I started the other day, but it is now Friday.
Yes you guessed it..... Basket weaving, and here I am sat in the sunshine with the fruits of my labour takin shape:
Soon we will be blessed with a new linen basket and my life then will not just have been in vein.
Not a lot different has been happening for me in the last week or two........ until this week that is.
No, I haven't just become a basket case, I will come to that in a while when I have explained about my two hospital appointments I have attended this week.
Numero uno was on Monday at 4 pm when I was summoned to the Outpatients dept. to see Dr. B.
We turned up at 3.35pm to allow time for the vampires to do their worst, and worst it was too. My regular vamp, Miss J, was absent, so I pointed to the place on my arm that is the best, least painful spot...... mistake..... Never TELL a vampire where to put a needle. This one knew much better, and decided on a vein 1cm to the left of normal and found the smallest most painful vein in my arm and proceeded to attach/remove 5 vials ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.
Once I'd wussed back into the waiting room and my arm had stopped throbbing, I was called in to the consultation room by one of the junior doctors in Dr. B's team." Do you meaan I have gone through all of that pain, just to speak to someone who is asking me to tell her how i'm getting on with my mantainence Revelamid that I've not yet started!" I whispered loudly to Lorna.
Not to panic, cause after explaining that this appointment was arranged so that Dr. B could explain about the mantainence therapy he was considering putting me on, the very pleasant jd popped through and dragged Dr. B into the room.
Obviously trying to appeal to my vanity, Dr.B's first words were: "Your looking thin".
"I think it is due to the Melphelan dieting aid" was my quickfire reply." and you have only ever known me as fat since it was you who gave me 'Mr Chubbycheeks Dex' as a side dish. This is now the real me!"
Well it transpires that I am doing too well for the government to allow the "mantainence" treatment, as my Igg is stable at below 2 and my pp's are also below 2 and my bloods aren't strong enough at 11.5 hb and 73 platelets, because the Revelamid would make em worse and anyway, there are newer drugs and some trials coming through soon.
I'M CONFUSED, but still sane..... watch this space.
My second appointment was with Dr. O, in the Renal clinic, who said that he may have some idea of what is wong with my Kidileys....ta Paula,lol. To go any further he would want to do another biopsy, but me platelets are too low for this at present.....PHEW, Lorna still doesn't understand this one. He is just going to keep a watching brief instead and see me again in 3 months. So again watch this space if you want to help us sort the mystery.
On the subject of space, I decided earlier this week to start my own creative day, just to keep up with the rest of you talented beings, aka Lorna with her Knitting, Paula and Ruth with their Knitting and stuff. So here is my "Creative Friday".... Well I started the other day, but it is now Friday.
Yes you guessed it..... Basket weaving, and here I am sat in the sunshine with the fruits of my labour takin shape:
Soon we will be blessed with a new linen basket and my life then will not just have been in vein.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Thinning Thursdays - week 9. Another month gone.
It's Thursday again. Another pound lost. I'm not going to make excuses, I know I haven't been as active as I could have been. Mike has had a couple of hospital appointments this week, I had a blood donor appointment another and that with a couple of days of rain has stopped me getting into the garden as much as I would have liked. Hang on I think I just made excuses. Oh well.
I have been trying to get Mike to post on his appointments. You will all have to ask him nicely what was said.
On the subject of blood donation, I would like to encourage those who can to give blood too. I feel so guilty that I used to give regularly, but what with pregnancy and the 9 month wait after, I got out of the habit and hadn't given for 20 years. We worked out that during Mike's illness 14 units of blood donated by complete strangers have been used. Fourteen people gave the gift of life. It doesn't hurt and in my case took 15 minutes not counting the wait for a bed and the tea and biscuits afterwards. (Actually I can blame the biscuits for my abysmal weight loss!)
I have been trying to get Mike to post on his appointments. You will all have to ask him nicely what was said.
On the subject of blood donation, I would like to encourage those who can to give blood too. I feel so guilty that I used to give regularly, but what with pregnancy and the 9 month wait after, I got out of the habit and hadn't given for 20 years. We worked out that during Mike's illness 14 units of blood donated by complete strangers have been used. Fourteen people gave the gift of life. It doesn't hurt and in my case took 15 minutes not counting the wait for a bed and the tea and biscuits afterwards. (Actually I can blame the biscuits for my abysmal weight loss!)
Friday, 25 March 2011
Thinning Thursdays - week 8 posted on fry-day morning.
Please let me know if you are getting bored with this topic. I'm not sure whether the lack of comments the past week have been due to lack of interest / you've all gone to sleep / nobody looks at the blog anymore.
After a busy day digging the garden (we've only done about 1/8th so far) I was too tired to post last night. I think all the soil moving has helped with the weight loss, four and a half pounds last week, my BMI is finally down below 30. I know I still have a way to go, but it is definitely progress.
Toni is enjoying the beautiful weather and spends most of her day sunning herself on the lawn. I have tried using the special sunblock we bought from the vet's for £15 in a bottle that we could carry in our hand luggage if we were taking the dog abroad! She isn't too keen on holding still while I spray it on her delicate skin and more goes on me than on her.
After a busy day digging the garden (we've only done about 1/8th so far) I was too tired to post last night. I think all the soil moving has helped with the weight loss, four and a half pounds last week, my BMI is finally down below 30. I know I still have a way to go, but it is definitely progress.
Toni is enjoying the beautiful weather and spends most of her day sunning herself on the lawn. I have tried using the special sunblock we bought from the vet's for £15 in a bottle that we could carry in our hand luggage if we were taking the dog abroad! She isn't too keen on holding still while I spray it on her delicate skin and more goes on me than on her.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
I think I've been here before
Mike is having a wonderful day at the hospital having a much needed top-up of little red things. We're not sure if last Tuesday's results were a blip or someone else's, we just know that by Friday his Hb was 10.1 and creatinine 178. His platelets were down to 70 as well. So while Mike relaxes/sits bored stiff, I've been painting fence panels. It's not as easy as I had hoped. So far I have painted three panels in three hours.
The weather here is glorious. The sun is beating down on us, which is why I have had to give up painting for a while, the sun is too hot on my back and my face is starting to burn. I realise now that I should have put some sun cream on, I just didn't think I would need it in March! It feels like it did last May, when Mike had his long holiday and I spent all my spare time tending my vegetable patch. I just hope we get plenty more sunshine as the Summer approaches with evenings and nights of showers for my plants.
All this hard work is making me hungry, I could do with a Chorley cake (currants in shortcrust pastry) not to be confused with an Eccles cake (currants in puff pastry), as eaten by a lad from Southport who I met while at uni in Lancaster. He would toast his and eat them warm spread with butter. Delicious.
The weather here is glorious. The sun is beating down on us, which is why I have had to give up painting for a while, the sun is too hot on my back and my face is starting to burn. I realise now that I should have put some sun cream on, I just didn't think I would need it in March! It feels like it did last May, when Mike had his long holiday and I spent all my spare time tending my vegetable patch. I just hope we get plenty more sunshine as the Summer approaches with evenings and nights of showers for my plants.
All this hard work is making me hungry, I could do with a Chorley cake (currants in shortcrust pastry) not to be confused with an Eccles cake (currants in puff pastry), as eaten by a lad from Southport who I met while at uni in Lancaster. He would toast his and eat them warm spread with butter. Delicious.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Gardening for the 21st Century
Well to be more precise, another way to bore you all with my garden. Like Paula's monthly photo of the view from her house I thought I could have a monthly pic of my garden and the plants as they grow. I actually planted the first of my seeds a month ago, chillies and aubergines.
A week ago I planted sweetcorn and courgettes.
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| Chillies after 10 days |
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| Courgettes today |
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| Chillies and aubergines today |
Today I started digging over the vegetable patch ready to plant the carrots, leeks and beetroots next weekend. There is still a lot to do before then though.
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| Vegetable patch |
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