General Chat

You're getting on with your cards then Anng. I remember writning a card and I had written it upsisdedown, that went in the bin and made me cross.

Its good G was the first patient this morning so you had the rest of the day to do whatever you wanted. I hate it when it takes nearlly all day to be seen then there's not enough time to do anything else.

Mandy thats a good idea about taking half a tablet like Annx said but I don't think I could do that with mine as they are so tiny. Hope things settle soon.

Had a phone call just now and it was Stu asking me to dinner tonight which I accepted so no cooking for me tonight. I did have half of a pulled pork meat over from yesterday which I was going to have in nice granary rolls tonight but that will wait till tomorrow.

Looks like they are not coming today so I am not staying in any more. Luckily it is not an urgent problem I think everything is ok but just need a second opinion.

Yes I remember discussing the tax situation with selling stuff on line at the time there was a bit on line about it so worth googling it Mel.

Oh yes Ann more than once have I made an upside down or back to front card very frustrating when it happens usually a cut, stick and paste job when it happens.

Sounds as if your OH’s eye problems are never ending at the moment, hope the latest can be solved with not too much trauma.

Over two days I have made three Easter cards and six birthday. Those include one great grandson, one so. In law, one sister and three friends.

Afternoon All,

Dull and fine rain again here and we were up at 6.00 am so we could be at Eye Casualty first thing and he was lucky to be the first seen. The rush hour journey in the dark was awful though. The consultant said he wasn't too concerned, the new floater is ok but he wants to discuss the thin edge of the retina with a colleague as he thinks lasering may lift it rather than stick it down. OH has had thin edges to his retinas (latticing I think they have called it in the past) for many many years, so he knew about it and wasn't surprised. This was a different consultant to those he'd seen before. So he will be sent another appointment for two week's time. (we hope!)As usual he needed two lots of the strong hospital eye drops to get his pupils to open wide enough and had forgotten his sunglasses for after, but at least there was no sunshine today.

The rheumatology nurse still hasn't rung him back and it is a week now, so it looks like he'll have to try and get someone to answer their phone again.

Just a thought Mel. The lady who is selling what she bought from you may be selling at a higher price to cover any tax that she knows will be due if the sales of her online goods will exceed the trading allowance. (£1000). Something to bear in mind if you put your prices up and sell enough. These selling platforms have to notify HMRC if anyone sells more than 30 items in a year. AnnG and I talked about it on here a couple of years ago.

Mandy when I first started on the beta blocker I take I would get worse dizziness than now and sometimes indigestion and he suggested taking half in the evening and half in the morning and that was much better, so it might be something you could ask your doctor about if things don't settle down. I hope things improve for you now.

AnnG it is a nuisance having no idea when the district nurse will call. I realised after we set off today that I have a parcel due that could arrive today while I was out. It didn't but you need to be present for your visit. I hope you have got on well and nearly done your February birthday cards. I need to start again with the card I was sketching out as I've done it upside down! lol Have you ever done that? :-D

Your meeting sounded nostalgic and would have been interesting. Pity the man didn't keep the mike and his mouth closer together though. What is the photographic meeting subject this time?

Vera what a pain trying to get the blood test booked before your OH's next hospital appointment. You made me check online to see if our surgery still has the walk in on Wednesday service it used to have. No it doesn't and they all have to be booked now, so I must remember.

It's good 'face to face' got your optician's test sorted for today. Much easier I think and I hope you find some suitable glasses. I must remember to photocopy my prescription to send before July to get my Driving Licence renewed.

Just made two cards. got to get on top of all the February birthdays.

So not doing much. Did a shopping list for 24th, transferred some photos to USB for photography tomorrow and vacuumed downstairs. No sign of a district nurse. good job I don't really need them but I didn't dare go to the post box in case they came while I was out.

Morning girls,

Still a cloudy day and pc still saying rainy days ahead and its 8 degrees,

I have to post a little parcel today but I can do that at the shop as I overslept this morning and I was'nt that late to bed last night and up once for the loo.

Hope G gets in the clinic early and gets seen quickly so you can have the rest of the day to do what you want.

Morning all,

Cloudy again and we should get some rain .

That's annoying Anng ,pity they couldn't just give you a day when ths nurse was calling at least you'd know to keep in ,I suppose they have you on the list and the nurse decides when she'll call in depending how urgent it is .

Didn't have a bad night no dizziness until I'd had the two tablets this morning ,sat having my cornflakes and it suddenly washes over you, it's not very pleasant so came in to sit still for a while .

Mel sounds as if you need to up your prices ,you'll soon see if that lady sells the things she bought from you .

Ann hope OH can get in early at the eye clinic ,he was doing so well too ,hopefully they can sort him out today .

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.