Saturday 29 November 2014

28.11.14

Its D day - Dr Jack day.
I had my questions on my phone ready under the title 'Fun day out with Dr Jack!'
He started by telling me i looked very glamorous! That made me feel good, getting a compliment from a man wearing a lovely blue jumper. He did look very nice in it.
He examined me, but allowed me to keep my clothes on. Probably felt he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of me!! (Yes I'm still in cloud cuckoo land)
Listened to my chest.
He asked about my list. I always have a list of questions or queries for him.
The list was as follows:-

Joints - very achey ankles, knees and hips.
Feet - very sensitive skin - getting blisters
How will i know if its back - glands removed so no return there, erratic ESR is my norm.
Cough - consistent cough since before chemo finished.
Supplements - magnesium, omega 3, glucosamine - its fashionable, apparently.

Joints - he feels may be an arthritic symptom from before chemo. (In other words, not his fault!)
Feet - he's not heard of that before.
How will i know if its back - ill come back to that one!
Cough - maybe due to gastric reflux, or asthma. See GP for antacid and steroid inhaler.
Supplements - mag - need huge doses for any benefit, don't bother, glucosamine - not proven in studies to have any benefit, unless placebo, omega 3 - good for you but fish tastes nicer, so have one or two portions a week.

How will i know if its back.
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is a marker for inflammation and is the blood result that points towards relapse, as well as many other illnesses. The normal is 10 for a woman of my age, 20 for an older woman. Mines 50!!! Eek. But it has been raised on many occasions, so it is my normal for it to be erratic.
Dr Jack is convinced its due to my achey joints and i agree with him so I'm not overly worried, but it would have been nice for him to say, 'everything is fine and normal, still in remission' rather than, ' your ESR is raised but i don't think its anything to worry about!'
But he's the expert, i must trust him, so i shan't waste any time worrying about it. I will see him in 3 months, end of feb 2015.
He told me the first 18months are the crucial time. If i can get through that without relapse i stand a good chance of it not coming back!
As far as he's concerned, I'm cured! Although technically theres no such thing. He's known people get it back 40 years later!
So heres a photo of me at my first 3 month check. I thought id do them every 3 month check so i can see the difference.

Thursday 27 November 2014

26.11.14

My first night duty of the week, and time to tell you all my news of the week!
I had my bloods done on monday by the lovely Kelly. She never has any problems taking my blood, but then nor does anyone else. I have veins like macaroni! No cheese tho!
Well...... 'sharp prick', she said and i hardly felt a thing.
We waited for the blood to trickle down the tube.
Nothing.
She wiggled the needle a little and very slowly it came. Obviously not happy at leaving its nice warm home. Eventually, after my arm was emptied of any of the red fluid, the bottles were filled and i was released from the strange seat i was sitting in. You feel like you're gonna slide off, it tilts forward slightly.
It was strange having it done. Its something I've done every fortnight for 6 months, the day before chemo. Its always had a negative feeling, this one wasn't quite as bad, but in reality this should be worse. It is the answer to those all important questions.
'Am i still in remission?'
'Do i have cancer?'
Friday i get the answers.
The rest of the week has been spent tidying, organising and the odd bit of shopping. I do like a bit of shopping!!
Today i had a bit of excitement.
The doorbell rang about 5.30 sending the dogs into a frenzy. I barely opened the door so the hounds didn't escape. I knew what it was before i even opened it. Another charity!!!
'Hello,' said a very smart young man. He tried to crack a joke about him not being that bad! I didn't laugh!
Im here on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
I replied, 'Sorry I'm not interested.'
He could see how difficult it was with the dogs howling.
He leant forward and thrust some pictures of sick babies. 'Great Ormond Street Hospital for sick children.'
I replied. 'Im not interested.'
I could not believe my ears what was said next.
To be continued in next weeks blog........
No, only joking. Would i do that to you?
His reply, 'Not interested in saving children's lives. Oh ok then.' And he very briskly walked off with me shouting, 'Excuse me?????'
I was bubbling with rage.
Im gonna find out who is doing the fundraising and phone up. Im gonna chase him down the road and tell him what i think.
I was actually in the middle of eating my dinner, that stopped me running down the road after him. Oh yes, and Sam saying, 'Don't bother', in a very disinterested way.
I swear smoke could be seen coming out of my ears.
The door bell rang!!!!!!!!
I knew who it was.
'Im so sorry for what i said, i really apologise. I should never had said it. Ive had a really bad day.......blah blah blah'
He could do no more (which is the second time I've said a similar line today).
I smiled sweetly and told him not to worry about it.
Actually the line which I've heard for the second time today, is 'i could do no more', which is a line from Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, the film of course, not the book. I saw the film whilst i was training as a nurse and that line stuck with me. Said in a deepest darkest Dorset accent.
I don't know why i told you this. Maybe to make you think i am a literary wonder. Someone cultured!
It was a flipping good film and a flipping good book.


Sunday 23 November 2014

23.11.14

What a corker of a weekend.
Friday Trevor came round to finish off the mess i made of decorating the stairs and landing. Not so much of a mess, i just couldn't reach and my ankles gave way. He did 2 coats and stopped for a cuppa in between. But it needed another coat cos the wall was brown before he started, not due to a filthy lifestyle, just an awful choice of colour of the idiots i brought the house from.
A bottle of Prosecco was popped in the evening, something i haven't done for ages. I don't normally drink alone.
Being sunday now, Trev has been back and done another coat and it looks lovely. So light and fresh. I need to dress it now. I don't know what with, but a little bit of thought and i will be hammering tacks into the wall tomorrow sometime.
Saturday was a relaxing day of doing bugger all. It was lovely. No trips to Abbey Road or to Chris's house. Just feet up, and a few chores throughout the day until about 5 when a champagne flute was refilled with Prosecco whilst i got ready for a night out with the girls.
Many months ago, getting ready meant a bath and hair wash, makeup, and hair dry and straighten, choice of clothes. One or two hours.
Today i have no hair, not all my clothes fit me, so its dwindled down to about half an hour and thats with having a soak in the bath first.
So a trip to the german market in Bournemouth Square. A festive boot full of mulled wine, so strong it nearly choked me, but after a while i was a bit more used to it. And a curry wurst. Not had a bockwurst or bratwurst since leaving Germany about 24 years ago.
A very entertaining evening.
Today, has been another chill out day. Well for the morning anyway. This afternoon i was chatting to a friend for 4 hours. 4 flipping hours!!!Needless to say, he did most of the talking whilst i listened and took notes!
An evening of X Factor results and Im a Celeb. Life is good!
Tomorrow is blood day. Im not concerned, but it feels weird going for bloods. I used to do it the day before each chemo, to the same hospital, the same room and the same phlebotomist, Kelly.
I will leave you with a sobering thought.......
I have watched Jake Quickenden smothered with stinging ants -  i am now itchy and scratchy!

Friday 21 November 2014

17.11.14

Do you know what annoys me?? Most things actually, but in particular, this morning i was thinking about my Statutory Sick Pay that i received. £86 pw. And yet, some places, NHS and schools etc, they get 6 months of full pay and 6 months of half pay. Who's paying them? Our taxes - my taxes. Im paying them to have a financially comfortable time when they're ill, when i have to struggle on £86 pw. Doesn't seem very fair to me!
There. Lets get the rant out of the way, although I'm not promising there won't be another rant later on.
Here we go again!! Not so much a rant, more of an observation and amazement.
I mentioned i joined a larger HL site - mainly USA.
Im amazed that they seem to argue over who is right - 'Lymphoma is a blood cancer', 'No its not, its a lymph cancer', 'Theres blood and blood vessels in bone marrow', 'No there isn't, get a bone from the butcher and see, theres no blood vessels'.
It is a blood cancer and there is blood vessels in bone marrow, just to clarify.
But then there are words about, 'I'm amazed you know so little about your disease', which i agree with, but then, 'I'm leaving this group'.
Anything you need to know you can find out online. Id like to think i wouldn't post a fact on the site without knowing for sure, or checking.
On the UK site, we have made relationships with people, friendships. We care about each other and give good advice and experiences. On the USA site they seem to just want their say, they want to shine about the knowledge they've given and don't like it if they are contradicted. There also seems to be a lot about god and prayers.
One girl has put, 'K Bye' followed by clapping hands icons following someone threatening to leave the group cos of the ignorance.
These are all people sharing the same problem - cancer. Its like watching a soap opera! Im looking forward to the next episode! And you don't even need a TV license!
The next little gem...... have you been getting phone calls telling you someone at this address had a car accident in the last 3 years? Ive had loads of them, but this time, as i lay in the bath, i thought id play along.
'Yes i had an accident in january 2014' - i explained what happened to the foreign gentleman.
'What is your name?' he asked,  clearly excited that he'd had a positive response to his question, 'spell it for me.'
'I D I O T, M E!'
He even said it out loud, 'Idiot me!'
He asked my date of birth.
'1.4.14'
He asked, 'How can you have had an accident in january 2014 and not be born until april 2014?'
He was very persistent. I ended up putting the phone down on him, but i did enjoy myself for 5 minutes.
As I've mentioned before, i enjoy reality TV and the present one that i look forward to is Im a celeb. I was just getting into enjoying Gemma Collins making a fool of herself when she upped and left with £100000 in her (large) pocket. I was so disappointed. She was showing how self centred she was and it was all about 'me me me'.
But not all is lost. She has shown herself to be even more of a twat.
Her excuse for leaving the jungle early was that something awful had happened to her the night before she went into the jungle leaving her with some injuries and the shock came out whilst she was in the jungle.
Yeah right!


Sunday 16 November 2014

16.11.14

Holy shmoley!
That was amazing. My day at Abbey Road Studios.
It started at 4.15am after 5 hours sleep. Ha ha ha, i got my own back on the puppy by waking him up early instead of the other way round.
4.45 Jenni and Linda arrived armed with bread rolls and butter. I had cooked some bacon, so rolls were made for when we were on board our London bound coach. 5 minutes later Jo and Steve arrived, our taxi to the station.
We boarded our double decker coach - with on board loo! Chatted, giggled, laughed, took photos,  ate bacon  sandwiches, sang our recording songs, all the way. Our driver, Paul, was really good fun, and very cheeky.
The bacon rolls were gone by the time we left the coach depot!
Arrived at Abbey Road at 9am and we had to wait til 9.30 before we could go in. Because of my recent health problems - don't know if you're aware I've had chemo????? - i was allowed inside with 3 others who also had health issues.
We were told we were not allowed to take photos inside the Abbey Road except for when we were in the actual studio. Strictly NO photos to be taken.
The main reception was gorgeous. Bright red walls with ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS in large white letters.
So heres an 'illegal' photo!!!
Then outside for proper photos of us on the steps of the main entrance. There was about 140 of us, and Jenny our leader! Marianne was our photographer for the day and tried to capture the essence of the day. Im looking forward to seeing what she's produced.
Here's Jenny - crazy cat woman! She loves pulling silly faces! A very talented lady, i don't know how she remembers all the parts of each song, bass, alto and soprano, and thats for every song, and sometimes theres 6 part harmonies! And she makes us all laugh!
Then into studio 2 - our green room. 
There were various pianos and recording equipment in there. An old analogue mixing deck used for Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd, one of my favourites. A piano used during the recording of Skyfall. An old plinky plonky piano used for Lady Madonna - The Beatles - need i say? A grand piano that was used by Elton John and Gary Barlow. And in the back of Studio 2 was the area that was used a lot for when the Beatles recorded! It was all so interesting and exciting. 
Then we were ushered into Studio 1. Time for us to shine! Time for us to put on our Diva hats!

We sang Someone like you - Adeles hit, Joyful Joyful from Sister Act and Bridge over Troubled Water - Art Garfunkel. We had a couple of takes at each one. Really enjoyed it. 
Joyful Joyful was amazing. Jenni did a solo for it and it was amazing. Really amazing. She was an absolute star. So pleased it went soooooo well for her.
Then all too soon, it was over. Time to get our stuff and head back to the coach - across the infamous zebra crossing. 

Here we are. All smiling and happy after a wonderful day.

It was a truly amazing day. So many laughs, so much fun. We all bonded - all 140 of us!
Id really like to do it all over again.
Hopefully next time we don't have to get up at 4.15am. I have, on my return, fallen asleep about 4 times!

Saturday 15 November 2014

13.11.14

Owwwww!
I had a free day today, and with a bit of preplanning, i went and bought some paint yesterday and new paint brushes, today has been busy
Today i have mainly been decorating!
Needless to say my ankles, knees, hips and back are killing me. But hey ho, my hallway looks nice, or will do when its finished.
I have come to the end of my ability. I have stretched, and twisted and I've done nearly all, but the stairs are an epic fail. To me, its like climbing Mt Everest!
I have about 20% of the stairs, the bit i can't reach - damn being only 5ft 3in!
I have balanced precariously on a stool on a stair and done some, but i think I'm pushing my luck.
So, i have messaged Trev to see if he can come and finish off for me!
I still have the feature wall to do, probably tomorrow. Im very excited about that!!!
Feature wall done and looking fab. Gotta get a few frames the right colour, print a few photos etc, oh yes and I've gotta get a new flouncy, silk shirt and morph myself into Lawrence Lewellyn Bowen!
Trevs been round and he's gonna call round in the week and finish me off, so to speak.
I must say its a lot nicer than the brown and mushroom the last house owners did in the hall. Another epic fail for them. Theres still a hole in the floor in the hall where they removed a wall and didn't fill the space with a floor board!
Tomorrow is another day. It really is. Its Abbey Road day.
Recording 3 songs with Rock Choir, and I'm loving all 3 songs. Just hope i can remember Bridge over troubled water as its quite new to us all, and i think its a difficult arrangement, but lovely all the same.
Ive packed my lunch, still arguing with myself as to whether to take a flask or whether to hold out until Fleet services for a costa coffee. Lawrence has assured me the Gingerbread something or other  is amazing, but I'm not convinced.
The down side..... alarm set for 4.15am.
So on that note, as its 11pm I'm off to sleep.
I will report tomorrow evening how the day went.
Break a leg!



Wednesday 12 November 2014

11.11.14

Im an imposter. Where has Jill gone?
I have fooled myself that chemo has finished, I'm  in remission. I am over it!
I know i have side effects from the chemo, its normal!
Joint pain making it a bit more difficult to walk when i first get up.
My finger tips are sore intermittently. One day i can open a bottle, the next day i can't.
My cough also seems to be intermittent. I thought it was the tabs i was on, but I've decided its just the chemo. Its not bad at the mo, next week it may be back.
My feet! I thought i was the only one with this one. If i wear shoes, theres every chance i can get a blister. I might not, but i might! I have spots on my feet, well not spots, areas, that get tender. As if i have a bursitis, a small sac of fluid there for lubrication that has become swollen and inflamed. Very tender. Ive found on the US site, theres a few people that have complained about this. Hurrah, i thought it was me being precious!
The fatigue is intermittent. Sometimes i can shop, or walk or decorate rooms. Other days i can't!
There are other things, but my 'chemo brain' won't allow me to recall them at this early hour, and probably not at a later hour either!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not down or depressed, i rarely do down and depressed. Im happy, i enjoy overdoing it a bit so i ache. I feel rewarded when i do something. Im looking forward to doing some more decorating soon.
But i was told chemo/cancer would change me and i didn't think it would, and i didn't think it had, but it obviously has.
The thing that seems to bother all chemo sufferers, or most anyway, is that people don't understand.  They think its over now so you must be back to normal. They say, 'You're looking good', but you don't feel it. You feel better than going through chemo, but not back to your normal. And you probably never will. You have a new normal. This is it.
I make it difficult for myself by being the clown. Thats my pre and post chemo normal. People think if I'm a clown, I'm back to normal. I was a clown all the way through, obviously not all the time, but for quite a bit of it.
Im one of the positive ones. I think i deal with it quite well, certainly compared to some others. But even me, the clown, have more anxiety about things.
Healing is an ongoing thing. Physically, the symptoms can be with you for life, at a greater and sometimes lesser degree. Mentally, you're a nutter now! Feeling yourself constantly for lumps etc. Never good when you do it in public!
The HL site is excellent cos you've all been through it, but equally you see when people relapse, that they worry about a new lump or itching. You see counselling being advised.
And you worry about sounding like you're a hypochondriac. You don't want to bore your friends and family or for them to get irritated cos you're worrying about things, or whinging about an ache or pain.
I will never be what i was before and even some close friends and family seem to think i should be!
It would be so nice if they just understood, but they never will, however hard they try.

Monday 10 November 2014

9.11.14

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, this little piggy cried wee wee wee wee all the way home.
Theres one really pretty one! Actually its the one in the front in the bottom photo. He's the biggest, the bossiest and the best looking. The Brad Pitt of pigs. I think he's a boy - he's got a gob on him! The grass is now non existent - took them 4 days to turn it into a pig sty to be proud of. The rain hasn't helped things. Its like a quagmire. As they came over, inquisitively snorting and oinking, i noticed they were stood in puddles. Like a 'pre marinade'! Its sad to think they're here for a reason, dinner, but if they weren't in Chris's garden having good food and entertainment from a nutter in a wheelchair, they would be somewhere else and maybe they wouldn't have as good a life.  I won't be getting too attached tho.



Visited the garden centre looking for Christmas decos for Chris. 
Being the creative type, and the Christmassy type, i came along as consultant! A garland was decided on for the kitchen, along with a real tree which will be picked up nearer the time. Chris pointed out what he liked and i put them in the trolley (if i felt they were suitable). A lovely Santa with a sack and a sledge. Beautiful apples and pears, gingerbread men. Glittery, shiny balls. Ribbons. China baubles, glass ones, metal bells. Such an array.
We stopped for a mince pie and coffee whilst we all guessed how much had been spent. It wasn't cheap there! Guesses ranged from £250 to £350, me quoting the most expensive. But we were all wrong!
Just short of £500. Holy Night!!!
On the positive side, he'll have the poshest Christmas tree in Trowbridge!
Home for roast pork (care of Chloe), although we did play that down for the benefit of the 6 oinkers in the field!
Chill out in Chris's room for the XFactor results and Downton Abbey.
A full weekend, enjoyed tremendously.
Now back home and thoughts of decorating.





Saturday 8 November 2014

8.11.14

What a cracking evening it was.  Full of fun and laughter. 13 (i think) school friends, some haven't seen each other since we left school - about 6 years ago!!! Music from the 70's and 80's playing. We all took food and there were photos of 'back in the day'.

Tracy, the hostess with the mostest, introduced a leaflet with everybody's exam results! How she got this personal information, i don't know. Im worried she has a list of our credit cards and pin numbers!
She went through the list and some of the people we couldn't remember, in fact, most of them i couldn't remember! I blame the chemo!
Nette was there giving all sorts of advice, as she's often done before. In fact, when we were about 8 or 9 she gave me my first sexual education lesson! And very descriptive and accurate it was too. Debbie, Carol, who hasn't changed a bit, Maureen, Bev, Diane, Tracey, Janice (or Jan as she prefers to be called), Lynn, who lives round the corner from me, Kim P and Kim B, although were not sure Kim B actually is Kim B because she looks so different to when we were at school. We think she was a local dog walker who saw the lights on and smelt the booze. Such good fun, very raucous at times. And i drank a whole bottle of pink Cava. Ive never done that before, usually 2 glasses are enough. I blame Debbie for topping me up on more than one occasion. Needless to say, this morning I'm feeling a little fragile! Lovely to see everyone tho. Shame some couldn't make it.
Flu jab!
I did say 'a small prick', what i meant was 'a dull prick'! Ive had a few of them in my time! The doctor even said they must have a blunt batch cos everyone was bleeding! Nice to know our taxes are being spent frugally, on blunt needles! However the whole experience improved when i came out. There was a couple of very nice firemen asking about smoke and fire alarms. One of them, the better looking one, offered to come round to my house and sort me out! I presume he means smoke alarms etc?
Looking forward to next week!!



7.11.14

Im feeling good.
Maybe its just the bacon sandwich I've just eaten for breakfast. The bacon was best before the 4th november, but i thought, 'what the heck'. The bread was Sams!! I rarely eat bread but i just got in from work and the traffic had been hideous at 8.15 in the morning, so i thought i deserved it!
And a nice cup of coffee. The sandwich is long gone, but the coffee..... its so nice to be able to taste a coffee first thing in the morning.
I am looking forward to a cracking weekend.
This evening i have a get together with the girls from school (back in 1845!). I have sausage rolls to take with me and a whole bottle of pink cava for me, just for me! Luckily Sams taking me and picking me up. We're picking up Lynn who i haven't seen for donkeys years but I've become aware she lives walking distance from me!
Saturday morning is flu jab! That'll be nice. I don't seem to be able to get away from little pricks!
Then its rehearsal time with choir.
We're recording at Abbey Road next weekend so we need to practice, practice, practice. Its sad to think that when the Beatles recorded at Abbey Road they all had more hair than me!
Then I'm off to Chris's house again to meet his new addition of piggies.
Were going to a really fab garden centre to buy christmas decs for him on sunday.
When he moved from his last house he left his decos in the loft. When he asked 3 weeks later to go and get them, the new owners told him, 'you can have them if you clear the rubbish out of the garage!'
They hadn't mentioned any rubbish in the 3 weeks they'd lived there, there was about a bagful of rubbish (as well as tiles and flooring for the house) and he had mentioned this to the estate agent who said as long as he'd made an effort, which he had, it would be fine. Not only that, he is disabled and unable to wield a dustpan and brush!
In his indubitable style, he told them to 'stick it!'
And it may only be the 7th november, but I'm loving the christmassy stuff on the tv. Last christmas was a let down after surgery. Im soooooo excited about this year. So heres a couple of christmassy photos to get us all in the mood!
Dottie being Santas little helper.

Jenni being Santas little helper

And have you seen the John Lewis advert yet. Oh its so sweet.
WARNING - i am off for my jab so i will blog later today if my arm is still working!!

Thursday 6 November 2014

6.11.14

Ive joined another Hodgkins lymphoma site on FB. Its a nationwide one, but mostly USA!! Its amazing the difference in the UK and USA site. Firstly there are far more people on the USA site which is as expected. But i notice a lot of them say the same thing regardless of the fact that 5 people before have already said it! I know why that happens! People want to have their say. They've all been through a tough time and they like to pass on their knowledge to help people.
They don't seem to respond to anything i write on there, which is different to the UK site. Maybe cos there are soooo many comments? There are so many of them and they are scattered over a huge country, unlike the UK site. Today tho, i have made friends with a nice lady who has, or should i say had, the same lymphoma as me. She was worried our type was more difficult to cure.  I don't know for sure, but I've not heard its more difficult.
Ive been thinking about the effect having cancer has had. Not the bit about it could come back or i may get a secondary cancer. The fact that its 'with me'. Whether its because its all fairly recent, it crosses my mind often. Not in a bad, frightened way. More of a 'wow, did that happen' way. Or 'what a flipping pain it is'! Reading comments on the UK and USA lymphoma site, I'm not alone. Its like an underlying black cloud, but not necessarily a black cloud. Just a cloud. Although some peoples clouds are positively jet black. Maybe its because when i stand up my ankles ache and i waddle like a duck for the first minute or so until i loosen up a bit. Or this cough. Sam keeps shouting 'silence' at me when i start to cough! As a joke i might add, but we all know how annoying it is when someone keeps coughing! Maybe thats what keeps it at the front of my mind. I can't get back to normal, no matter how hard i try. And i have a feeling my symptoms will come and go, maybe forever, i don't know. But my cough has disappeared a couple of times. My tender fingertips aren't always there, and neither is my sore feet when i wear shoes.
Maybe i should become a hippy or be like Anita Shaw who went bare footed. I could wear a bandanna and say cosmic a lot.
I should start smoking weed. It would be acceptable to cough a lot and it would be easily accessible with 'him next door' being a purveyor of the goods.
Isn't it funny the things you think of? Tonight at work I've been knitting myself a scarf. One of the needles caught the fibres, splitting it, and it reminded me of when i was in juniors school. I must have been about 10. The headmaster told a story in assembly of a man who unpicked the jumper that his wife had knitted for him. She had knitted it so well and never split the fibres so when he was stuck on top of a huge chimney when the ladder had fallen away, he was able to use the wool to lower himself to the ground safely!
The moral of the story being, do a good job and you will be rewarded.
Knowing my luck there would be a frost and due to me not having a jumper, i would die of hypothermia!


Tuesday 4 November 2014

1.11.14

November already.
Its hard to believe this time last year i had cancer throughout my abdomen! And at the last count i had none! My 3 month 'check up from the neck up' is looming. Time has gone really quickly.
Hoping to lose another half a stone by the time i see Dr Jack! I can shimmy into his room in a tight fitting black dress with my long blonde hair flowing in the breeze.
Yes i'm dreaming again.
I may lose half a stone, but theres no chance id get away with a tight fitting dress unless i wanna turn him gay, and the colour and length of my hair is by no means an attractive look, and a month won't make it so!
Maybe my 6 month check! If i remember (haha i don't think so!) Im gonna take photos of myself at each check and see the difference over time.  I amaze myself with my ingenuity! You gotta be bright to be a lymphomaniac!
So what can i moan about tonight? Maybe the fact that Chris went to Nottingham to a psychology/OCD conference. Train seats reserved as he's disabled and in a wheelchair, and for all legs (theres a pun there!) of his journey.  He has to have assistance to get on and off, so it needs to be booked. A few parts of the journey went ok but that doesn't help unless all of it is trouble free!
He wasn't allowed on the train at Bristol Temple Meads because the condescending lady said they were too busy, which they weren't particularly. Whats the point of reserving then? She was quite rude so a letter of complaint will be sent. The last time Chris had an altercation with a member of staff at a train station, they ended up being sacked for discrimination.
He's his mothers son, and i don't know if thats good or bad!
A lovely sunday. Chloe attempted to  cook pancakes for brekky. Not easy when someone (!!!) ate the last of the eggs last night for dinner. Oops.
You'd think with 10 chickens messing on the front lawn you'd have plenty of choice of eggs. Lazy girls! They're all messed up with the dark evenings. They tend to take themselves of to bed about 5pm. All tucked up watching the soaps!
Eggs purchased at the local grocers.
Yum flipping yum. I had 3! 2 with nutella and one with sugar and lemon.
More tidying, sorting and arranging. It was so rewarding.
Then time for roast pork, and i think the nicest roast pork I've had for a long while.
Chris has got his piggies being delivered on tuesday. Better get a whole load of apple sauce in ready!

Saturday 1 November 2014

29.10.14

Im back.
Im all cruised out.
Ive eaten Belgian waffles with Belgian chocolate - but not put on a pound in weight. Yippee.
Ive had more exercise than i normally get but paid the price. Not with blisters, but with aches and pains. My poor feet! Damn this sensitive skin and joint pain. Ive been back 3 days and I'm still soooo achey.
Ive done a little swimming and now my neck and back aches.
Ive been on a ship, a little boat, a bus, a car and on foot.
Ive watched films, comedians, played games, crosswords.
Ive drunk loads of prosecco and a strawberry daiquiri. Tea and very strong coffee!
Bacon and eggs, sausage, mushrooms and beans. Curries. Pineapple and melon. Ice cream. Not all together i might add. Its so difficult coming home and having to cook my own food. Im taking it slowly. Ive managed to open a few tins of soup and tomorrow i may progress to a jacket potato.
And now i need something else to look forward to. Possibly a trip to Paris next.
I know. A visit to my son to look after his dogs whilst he's away at a convention.  R&R i think you call it. Rest and recuperation.
I arrived with my 3 dogs, to join his 5 dogs.
His frozen dog food was delivered at the same time lunch was ready, and the same time we should be leaving for him to get to the train station.
'Mum, could you deliver 2 of the (huge) boxes of dog food to the farm shop (where his friendly butcher allows him to put the food in his freezer), and apologise for me not arranging it with him. But I'm sure he'll be ok with it!'
So..... i delivered Chris and Chloe to the station. Chloe left the passenger window open. The same side as the recent damage when someone drove the car into a bollard (£650 quote to repair!). There was no way it wanted to shut. Chris said you have to bang it!! Technical, that! I travelled to the farm shop with the wind blowing through the car, luckily not messing up my hair, and found Andy. Told him about the dog food. He frowned. He hasn't got a lot of room at the mo, but he managed it. He also banged the window at my request, which then shut. Then home to sort out the other 2 boxes of dog food, and to wash up from lunch. I got carried away and tidied the fridge, cleaned out some cupboards and sorted the utility room! By 5pm i was unable to walk without looking like i needed a zimmer frame.
I lounged for a period of time, in front of the TV, on Chris's bed, with 8 dogs alternating time next to me.
Cup of tea time.
As i walked into the kitchen, my reflection in the french windows jumped out at me. It was like a trip to a magic mirrors stand at the fair. I looked about a size 8!! I thought for a minute my diet was going better than i thought. I moved to the next door, the nasty door! I looked a size 20! Luckily i had seen the 'skinny' door first otherwise i would have been devastated. Im hoping I'm somewhere in between.
Time for bed, the epic job of toileting 8 dogs.
Done with tremendous ease.
All in, doors locked. Head count. 3 spinones, 2 jugs, 1 cockapoo, 1 malteser, and wheres the springer spaniel?
I couldn't find her. I searched the house. I searched the garden. She must have jumped the fence and she's off clubbing in Trowbridge.
After an hour or so, i decided to go to bed. I could do no more. Hopefully in the morning she'll be sat by the back door with a tennis ball in her mouth, her eyes staring insanely.
I never slept well. I was worrying about Tottie. Mona was missing her dad and barked most of the night. My 3 slept like logs in their bed in my room! Typical.
6am i got up! I came downstairs and let them all out, hoping the head count would be 8.
No, just the 7.
And then out of the corner of my eye, i see a manic dog, stretching her back legs as she walked from Chris's bedroom, the bedroom i had searched about 4 times last night!
Number 8 - all present and correct!
Thank god Chris is home tonight.