On Monday I was fortunate to be part of a zoom meeting between London heart specialists among others and our own lovely Doctor Alex Rothman and lovely Jen, both part of my great team from Sheffield. Alex organised this meeting and my part, though small was an important one. As I have two chips and am also monitored by Sheffield via my fitbit it means that daily I can be monitored to see how my pressures are, how my heart is and how my exercise capability is. It also shows them my oxygen saturation levels so if they think at any time I need oxygen ( please god I pray not ) then they know all my measures. To this end I am spared for now right heart caths etc which cuts down on hospitals having to use facilities that could be better used for other things. So when I was asked to give my opinion via my computer linked into their meeting I was only too pleased. I related to them how I was very poorly with my pressures rising so high and my heart being under duress and I put it all down to the stress of my back. My team however looking at all my figures remotely could see that I was in trouble. They quickly got on with analysing the problem, got in touch with my local doctors and ordered blood tests and changed my medicines. All this without my leaving my bed!! So thanks to the chips and my monitors I was spared what could have been a lengthy hospital stay and maybe an even worse degeneration of my heart. I told them I just love being monitored this way, that it held no issues for me and that I considered myself fortunate to have been offered to go on these studies. I hope that in the long term more and more of us can be monitored this way, it makes sense. Anyway it is now in the hands of those that know best so we shall see.
Coronavirus
On top of pah and all its issues we now have the coronavirus the contend with. Bad enough for the healthy that may catch it but much worse for those suffering with chronic illnesses. I am not panicking though as I think there is nothing more than we already do to try to prevent it so if I succumb to it then so be it. Short of staying put in the house until it all blows over what can one do.
We already have a regime where anyone coming into the house uses a hand gel to help combat germs. We began this years ago when I was on the hickman line and we learnt the importance of no getting it infected. I go round daily wiping all surfaces such as handles, switches, television remote etc and iPads. I have always loved the smell of bleach and disinfectant so nothing changes on that score, we still use lots of it. When leaving the house I wash my hands with a soap that offers protection for three hours. On using trolleys etc I wipe the handle down first before I use it. I carry a few dettol wipes in a ziplock bag for this. What else can we do. Clearly lots of hand washing but I feel sure that is part of our daily regime anyway. I send Izzy to school with a small hand sanitizer for her pocket in the hope that it just might help her to ward off some of the bugs. I refuse to panic buy and fill my shelves with food I really do not want to store. I have a decent store cupboard anyway and think it will just have to do. However though I am saying all of this I worry such a lot about my family. I would hate for my son or daughter and partner and their children to come down with this. The closest to us so far with this bug is in Leeds where my son just happens to live. I just pray that he stays safe from it.
As there seems to be a shortage of lots of antibacterial things one suggestion is ( and a good one I believe ) was to use vodka or gin. A doctor talking on the news said to just put a little on your hands and rub it in. In actual fact it is cheaper than the antibacterial tiny pots mil by mil so maybe the way to get rid of any bottles of unwanted spirits!
Izzy
She is growing up much too fast for my liking. I was watching her washing her hands the other day and was shocked at how long her legs are now. It seems only days ago that we had our curly haired chubby baby who always had a smile on her face. I miss that stage but am thankful to be here for every part of her life I have seen her through as my prognosis was so bad that it was feared I may not even get to meet her.
All of these milestones would have missed. Yes I would not have known it but she would never have got to know how much love I have for her and how proud of her I am.
She came bursting in yesterday to ask for a potato! when I asked why I was told she had to make something with it. Potato duly chosen by her it did not seem many minutes later when this picture was sent through. It is for school and I think it looks great. I believe it is supposed to be somebody from Harry Potter but never having watched one I could not tell you who it is!
She has a boyfriend called Ned, in my day boyfriends were unheard off until at least the secondary or grammar school. How times have changed. The family are going skiing again next year so to keep the kids up to speed they attend the dry slope close to us and both are enjoying it. Izzy just needs to get a little more confident getting off the ski lift but that will come.
A pah visit
We have had a lovely few days with a friend of mine called Paula Joanne Smitham and her hubby Neil. I said they were coming and awaited their arrival eagerly. It was smashing. Despite the weather being about as bad as it could get it did not stop us walking on the canal and then catching a bus into the town centre where Paula had a look around our Piece Hall. A little shopping took place. Though we wanted to go to Shibden Hall, home of the late Anne Lister the hall was closed until mid March so we have that to look forward to on their next visit. We must time it right though as it will be closed due to more filming taking place mid year. Right now on our televisions they are showing Last Tango in Halifax, I really wanted to show Paula all the places where it has been filmed as we live right in the heart of this beautiful countryside. This did not happen but next tine we will visit Shibden Mill Inn for lunch and have a drink at the White Lion in Hebden Bridge, both of these eating houses are lovely and are shown such a lot in the series. Paula also wants to visit the site where Emmerdale is filmed so we need a fair amount of time to achieve all of these goals.
This bit as no bearing on anything that happened with Paula but I need to "hide" it somewhere where Colin has read already. He will have no interest in sewing so not bother to read it again, Question Can one of you guys out there please explain to me why "man jobs" are always way more important than a woman's? I ask as this morning as I was scurrying around doing my cardiomems, making the bed, putting away the washing and getting myself ready I expected a little help as we had a deadline. None was forthcoming as Colin just did his own thing. When I asked why no help the answer was that he had more important things to think about as he had man jobs to deal with later!
We went into a fabric shop as Paula is an accomplished sewer and always loves to look around different sewing shops. On entering we realised that sewing classes were held here most days. I sat with some lovely ladies who were quilting and they were a smashing bunch of ladies. nyway the upshot is I have put my name down to join a group when a spot becomes vacant. Never before I met Paula would I have thought I would do that. So with this in mind a germ must have been planted in her head. Yesterday I received a parcel sent from Paula. On opening it was a thank you card for taking good care of them and then this oh so beautiful hand stitched with love by Paula sewing kit which held these lovely scissors, needles and pins. On top of that I told her I like socks a little different to just one colour and she sent me these lovely socks too! I love the sewing bag so much I cannot wait to use it! Thank you Paula, you are so kind.
Catherine Makin
It is so wonderful to see how well Catherine is doing since her lung transplant. Now home at last with her family she will rest and regain her strength. We are hoping to go and visit her in the next week or two but it depends how I go on as I will begin the dreaded selexipag next week. We will have to try to see if we can fit in a visit before then and between our visits to orthopaedic specialist for my back and Colin's hip doctor - oh the joy of growing old! (we have just returned from Colin's appointment to be told all is good) so we are thrilled about that.
Catherine is such a lovely girl and the shock of her having her transplant more or less as soon as she was placed on the list must have set her and her family reeling. For quite a while she agonised as to even if she wanted to go on the transplant list but was advised by her team that it was the right time as she may have to wait years for one to come along! Well it is all over with now, no more agonising will I get one or wont I. I hope she continues to go from strength to strength.
Garden
I have been planting out spring flowers as I want to make the garden look pretty for when my sister in law and her hubby arrive for a visit in a few days. Colin is working hard to get the vegetable patch finished ready for planting. I smiled to myself as I was directing Colin the other day where to put the plants and the snow was falling on our heads! Fortunately the plants we have chosen are robust and will do nicely. I bought them all for half price from B & Q. Not a thing wrong with them, strong sturdy plants but clearly new stock must have arrived so I was happy to take these old ones off their hands for a fraction of the price. We are now looking around for an arbour to sit where our barbecue will be. We think we have found he perfect one but Colin needs to do all his measuring just to make sure. I cannot believe how far we have come in just a year of living here. Crocuses are springing up around the garden in various parts of the lawn. We have nothing like the 368 we planted but I think there will be many more to spring up yet before we are finished. Mr Fox sees to have taken his bat home and we have so far not had any more issues. I pray it lasts.
And the misery continues
Though we do get an odd nice day here and there all over England we are still having far too much rain for the rivers to deal with. Year by year now it seems Hebden Bridge gets flooded and my heart goes to to all of those that have the aftermath to deal with. We went in to the village a few days ago to go the the Rohan shop which always seems to escape the floods due to a tiny rise where they are. I was gutted to see how much damage has been done and wonder how they can ever face sorting it out and continuing to live or work there. Yes it is a pretty and character filled place but I would just need to walk away. I realise of course that financially this cannot always be the case. It just shows that we humans are a resilient bunch and will just get on with it no matter what. It makes me proud to be British.
All for now. Keep away from bugs! Keep safe.
Warm love to all and thank you for those that comment, it means a lot.
Carole xxx
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