General Chat

Good morning all. 8 degrees but cloudy at the moment. Nothing planned for today so probably a bit of housework and maybe some card making. I wish I knew when the district nurse was likely to call as I could do with walking down to the post box as I have a birthday card that needs posting.

Ann I am hoping I can get something sorted out when I go for my audiology appointment on 13 Feb. Sorry to hear that your OH has to go to eye casualty, hope that can be sorted soon.

Vera you actually seem to have got a bit done today. So that is good. Our surgery does. Blood tests and the results seem to be almost instant.

Our meeting today was very good, the actual talking part was not so good for me he kept letting the milked drop forgetting to speak into it. However there sas a lot of film of old musical ‘greats’ to name a few Julie London, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and a lot more musicians. There was music and singing and dancing filmed. It took me back as it was ‘our’ music of our youth.

Mandy, I hope you are feeling a bit better now. Rest as much as you can and contact your doctor again if that shakiness doesn't wear off very soon.

It's worth keeping an eye on the lady selling your bits Mel and putting your prices up accordingly.

Annx, I can't believe it's a year since your OH had such a scary episode. It's a shame he has problems with his eyes again as he was getting on so well.

Gwyn and AnnG, I hope you have enjoyed your lunch and your meeting respectively; or is your meeting tomorrow Ann? I've totally lost track of where we are this week.

OH's trip to the hospital did turn out to be a CT scan, once we found out where we were supposed to be and that's a saga in itself. It was done once clear and once with a dye injected. I don't think there is another scan to be done. The letter from the consultant seemed strange because it was written and posted before OH's scan appointment was made. That was done over the phone on Monday.

Now he's having trouble getting a blood test done before his next appointment. There are 2 centres in different towns and our hospital where we can get bloods done but they are all about 20 miles away. Local people all book in to our Health Centre, about 2 miles from us, but the earliest date they can offer OH is after his next appointment so the consultant won't have the results. I suggested he rang our docs as I have had bloods taken at their main surgery so he did this and they have booked him in for their earliest date which is 30th Jan. That's a Friday so nothing much will be processed over the weekend and his appointment with the consultant is on the Monday morning. I have said I will draft an email for OH to send to the consultant's secretary as he may be able to put a bit of pressure on the blood test service to get it done earlier or he might put OH's appointment off for a few days till he gets all the results.

On the good side, I have an opticians appointment tomorrow afternoon. It paid to go and see them rather than trying to book remotely. They were very helpful.

Needless to say, wandering round the hospital grounds and up and down to hospital car parks, plus walking from the town car park to the opticians we got thoroughly drenched and I haven't yet got warm again. I'm now going to cook our dinner which I want to have earlier than usual as we haven't eaten much today, then I have to draft OH's email and write a letter to go in a birthday card before I get too tired.

I have just sold a job lot to a person with the name of lilacbellydancer!!!!!!

Afternoon All,

Only Gwyn seems to have an Avatar?...........Oh they are back but blank underneath!

What a miserable day, dull and raining. This morning OH went to a nearby council business breakfast where they have talkers on various issues. He was delighted they actually provided something could eat in the form of egg rolls this time as it is usually all things full of saturated fat like bacon butties, which he should limit, so we just very occasionally share one of the small Costa ones between us. He then went to Boots for the further eye tast with the strong eye drops and they want him to go to eye casualty as they think he may have more retinal tears and something else but can't see well because of the previous laser scarring. Poor hubby just as I was thinking how well he was doing and everything like his weight, appetite and sleep were stabilising now it's a year and two days since he was rushed to hospital. He's decided to go in the morning first thing as eye casualty has meant being there 6 hours in the past and standing room only in the waiting room sometimes as they are that busy. He shouldn't have to wait too long if he's there at 8.00am when they open. I will drop him off and go home otherwise you have to queue the length of the street to even get in the carpark. He'll ring me to pick him up afterwards and walk to Morrisons to meet me in their car park unless it's pouring with rain.

The nurse at our surgery was supposed to phone him about one of his tablets the hospital told him to leave off after a year last week, but she hasn't.

Mandy that sounds horrid with the dizziness so it's sensible to be extra careful. It's good if you are feeling a bit better after taking your tablets and hopefully the change of dose will soon take full effect. I sometimes get a bit giddy about an hour after taking one of my tablets which is often when I'm in the shower of all places. Other days I'm fine.

AnnG's right Mel. Keep an eye on what they sell for and if they go, up your prices! See if they sell other things too. They may be a dealer or business with overheads and tax and NI to pay so have to charge more.

I see what you mean now AnnG as when they tried me with a hearing aid last year I thought it was no clearer, just louder. At this year's test they said I didn't really need them just yet, but I took the opportunity to ask more questions about the kinds of aids and she confirmed a lot just make things louder but she did say some of the more expensive ones were better and I think she said could filter sounds. No good if the clarity is no better though! I have trouble with some accents on tv programmes or with people talking at a gallop like Helen Skelton. Others like Charlie Stape or Alan Titchmarsh speak so clearly. I remember at age twenty seven my first Annual Appraisal with the Higher Exectutive Officer when I worked primarily on people's pensions, he asked me if I did anything differently and I said about being sure to talk clearly and not fast and to write clearly too as some older people may have hearing or sight problems. Now I am one of them!

I think here it's the extra numbers of people and pressure on our services like doctors, housing, and hospitals as well Gwyn. They get priority at our doctors' surgeries and hospitals which can hardly cope now. I hope you have a nice pub lunch.

I posted that incase I lost it.

Mandy have you been able to see the doctor today??? How do you feel now?? We are all worried, I do hope you are feeling more yourself now. Sending lots of love. <3 <3 <3

Gwyn you popped in before I had posted and I missed your post. Hope you had a lovely pub lunch with your friends.

Anng yes I shall be putting my prices up a bit after seeing what she's selling at. I think she [probably bought all the things from me in the first place so I supposed she's entitled to sell them on for what she thinks is a fair price. The only thing is she has said she dos'nt know who the maker is on a couple of the things. She has on the tudor slipware plates as she has put a picture up of the backs where I initial and date them. She has'nt on the teds or the Clarice Cliff jug.

Give the tablets time to settle Mandy but if the dizziness contiues contact the surgery. That sounds like Vertigo and it is horrible,

Mel keep a watch and see if they sell at her price. If they do that means you are not charging enough for them I think.

Morning all,

Raining here and very dull.
I had a strange night I slept till half one and got out to the loo , I felt very unsteady on my feet got back into bed then the room started to spin ,I did manage to get back to sleep for a while but when it was time to get up I had to have Colin steady me .
I feel a bit better now as I've had all my tablets i doubled up on the ones the doctor told me , the side affects of these tablets is dizziness so I hope I soon it soon goes .

Just sitting in the chair and feel washed out .

Morning all,

Dull and wet again and 9 degrees and rainy days ahead again. At least theres no wind today.

Enjoy your meeting Anng and have a lovely time

Must get the bin ready to go out tonight as the refuse men come so early inthe morning. I have a pile of ironing to do today too.

Someone on Ebay is selling my stuff at a very high price. She has my teds, a Clarice Cliff jug with the crocus pattern and three Tudor slipware items she bought from me in Aug 2024.

I'm really sorry to read that you've been so unwell, Mandy and hope you have had a good night's rest.What a worry.
I know you always like to be busy, even when watching TV, but it sounds like you really need complete rest to allow your body to heal and recover.
I hope you soon feel much better <3

Vera, that sounds a proper mix-up.
I hope there really is a CT today, when you get there.
Like you, I have generally had very good NHS care, but just occasionally you think 'What? :-S'
For example, after my last visit to the respiratory team in hospital outpatients, I was told they would arrange a telephone follow-up appointment in a few weeks and this was later arranged for 24th December. A text reminder came through later still telling me to attend the hospital at 9 a.m on Christmas Eve..... I think not.
Like AnnG, I have trouble with hearing on the phone, so daughter rang and the receptionist confirmed that it was indeed a phone appointment, not face to face.
Very confusing.

AnnG
Some hospital departments have needed to ring me, so now they have daughter's mobile number and she puts it on loudspeaker and I can manage that usually.
Would that work for you?
Sometimes they just need my permission to speak to her, then she can fully explain to me in our time afterwards.
As you say, it isn't the volume but the clarity, especially if there is a strong accent too.
I hope you get the antibiotics if you need them.

Annx It can be worrying times, when a building has a change of use looming. Sometimes a lot of social media posts whip up unrest too, which doesn't help the situation.
My daughter lives not far from Napier Barracks, which M.O.D have recently sold for housing redevelopment, so the asylum seekers have now left.
Generally, they were very well received locally and volunteered their help for many projects in the local community. When people from outside the area set up a protest against them being housed at the barracks, there was a much stronger and well-attended counter demonstration against that protest, so sometimes the reality is not so bad as fear of the unknown.

Mel
I hope you are continuing to regain your strength and shift that cough. There must be so much to do with all that land, but like Mandy, you'll have to know when to rest.
Lovely that you have been able to get on with your miniatures. They sound great.

Pub lunch with friends today. It's within walking distance, but I hope I don't get soaked in a downpour getting there :-0

Good morning all damp here but not, so far too dark. 6 degrees. I am out this afternoon, being picked up 1.30 as it is our monthly meeting. I have sent a message via another triage form to make sure the D Nurse knows I will be out. They are so busy I don't want them wasting their time.

Ann the loop, I think, would not work with a phone. Actually my aids don't have the loop fitted. (their error as I had it in the ones before) but most places using the loop (Post office etc I can manage without. It is really only cinema and phone I have a problem, and theatre but I tend to avoid that these days. With the phone, it is not the volume, it is clarity and the last audiology appointment I had the fellow said there is nothing that can cure that.

I'm glad you were seen Mandy and hope the pills work. It can be so frightening specially for me being on my own. All I can say is thank goodness for my Em.

Evening All,

My goodness what a day you've had and poor Mandy feeling poorly and having to go to A&E. It's a horrid feeling so I hope you start feeling better soon and as Vera says take it easy as it should help. Your son is good, but you do so much to help him and his family too so I bet he is glad to be able to help you as well and I am sure the school would understand as he is a good worker and I doubt he would be late without good reason..<3

That's poor service all round AnnG. Don't they have the special hearing system for the hard of hearing. I know at work there was some kind of loop the switchboard operator would connect people to at work. As for not letting you know when the district nurse will call, that's poor as they must surely be able to give you some idea even if it's just to say whether it will be morning or afternoon. Keeping customers informed seems to have gone by the board these days too.

How confusing getting those letters Vera when your OH is already booked in for what you think is a CT scan. You could begin to think you are losing the plot yourself couldn't you! As you say you should hopefully sort it out tomorrow. I think our surgery has a walk in day for blood tests but it may have changed! In the past they would do it while you were there. Thank you for letting me know about the new Dyson and I had wondered about a Shark too. I think I will look up the different weights compared with what I have next. Our Curry's used to let you try them out on a strip of carpet but I'm not sure they do anymore. Your poor OH must be fed up with all the coughing by now. It is really tiring.

Gosh that Sparrowhawk doesn't scare easily does he Mel! He must have been hungry. Asda seem to be improving here as I only had 1 sub last time.

Well I'm going to need my scarf now as the hairdresser was chatting and chopping away this morning about her holiday to the Maldives and Sri Lanka and my hair feels shorter than usual. I tried the new car screen cover (anticipating the snow!) and it fits perfectly so that was good and we've tried the garage door again and it works fine now the cobwebs have been brushed off. OH wants to use the roller door tomorrow when he sorts some programmes for a friend he will see at a match tomorrow night. He can put them straight in his car boot from there and not need to carry them and hurt his back.

Poor you Mandy, hope the BP tablets work quickly Hopefully it is a blip but do as the doctor has said plenty of rest. Something very similar happened to my sister, she is OK now though.

Thank you Vera ,yes he is don't know what we'd do without him and dil

Oh, poor you Mandy. Now make sure you do as you are told and rest. Your son’s a star isn’t he. Sending you a hug <3

I hope you can both get sorted out ,why do they make things so complicated.

I phoned the doctor and she said all appointments were taken but when I explained my symptoms she filled the form in and said someone would get back to me but a little while later I really felt so bad son rang 111 and they said I had to go to A&E within the hour and I would be seen so off we went and when we got there I had my blood pressure taken ,one arm was 199 over something and the other arm was 191 it set the alarm off so I then had to see the in hospital GP after quite a long wait ,she has upped one of my blood pressure tablets and said I had to book a blood test for 2 weeks time for a kidney function test and I have to take my blood pressure for a week and take that in to the doctors .
I feel really tired now and she said I have to have complete rest for the next few days .
I did feel bad as son was late for work but he said mum you come before work .

Of course, Ann, I completely forgot your hearing problem. My apologies.

Back to the reason I was using the triage form Vera which worked very well before. I can’t hear on the phone and that is if I ever got through. Previous times I have used the form I have headed it with the Dr I wanted to contact and it worked. I suppose it is possible that she was nit in today but it would have helped if somebody had explained. It would also have helped if the doctor who set up the nurse to call had left the link that allowed me to reply.

I am just going to wait and see when the D nurse calls and if I am out it is not my problem. I am sure the anti B could have meanwhile been prescribed.