THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS’ BACK.

It’s been a while since I did a blog so thought I would stop being so lazy and get on with one today as it is a duvet kind of day.  Not an awful lot to report but at least if I touch base I hope to get some comments to keep me up to date with your routines etc.

I had a total meltdown three weeks ago.  I was trying to get some medicines from my doctor who just could not seem to understand that 40 mgs frusomide 3 x daily equals 120 mgs needed daily to be prescribed.  I kept getting just 18 days worth of meds then having to beg my pharmacist to loan me some.  This clearly could not go on. I would call at the chemist day after day to see if more had been prescribed only to be told no they were not. Actually trying to get through to the doctor to sort out this mess was so difficult as the receptionist seemed very reluctant to let me speak to someone with more power than her,  In the end this conversation proved to be the straw that broke the camels back.  Pent up emotions and sheer frustrations just hit me and I burst into tears.  I hate to cry, it’s just not me but once the flood gates opened there was no stopping them.  This set the precedent for the day and I just kept bursting into tears. Clearly there must have been more to it than my meds and I think the frustration of life still not returning to normal must have been at the crux of it. I get so frustrated when I think of how our lives are so impacted with this virus.  All the holidays cancelled etc for so many and yet lots of the young, though not all by any means all just seem to shrug off the rules and do as they please which in turn means more measures need to be taken. I do know some of the older generation also think these rules do not apply to them too,  I despair.  Anyway there it is, we must live with it and try to be happy doing so.  As lots of us have life limiting illnesses we clearly all had hoped we could pack as much into whatever time we had left, never thinking that a pandemic would change for all how the world had to change and our lives had to alter and our days would be spent in almost isolation instead of how we had planned it.  That’s the way the cookie crumbles.  

Once again we see that panic buying is going on.  Not for us, we shall just continue to shop in the same old way and if we cannot get hold of an ingredient we shall make do with another.  I have been trying out various new to me recipes with a great deal of success thanks to my little jars of spices and pastes etc.  They are all coming into their own more and more now as I check through the cupboards and fridge and freezer to see what ingredients I have then make up a recipe accordingly . Fortunately all have been a hit and I have gone away from sticking to my staple recipes  tried out for many years to experimenting daily instead of the odd time, it’s been a true taste bud sensation and we have enjoyed this very much.

When I had just reread this post I went into Facebook and saw Mandy Jane Vickers had posted a funny about panic buying.  It made me smile and I hope it does you too.  

At 1st I was afraid, I was petrified,

There was no loo roll down at Aldi and I nearly cried.

Oh I spent so many nights just thinking how you did me wrong,

I used to wipe,

And now I’m forced to just drip dry !

No anti-bac !

No bloody soap,

and if you think you’re buying pasta well you’ve got no bloody hope !

I would have bought that box of eggs, I would have rationed out my bread,

If I’d have known for just one second everyone would lose their head !

Go on now go, walk out the door !

All you bloody stockpilers,

You are not welcome any more !

Weren’t you the ones who just bought all the sodding beans ?

You selfish gits !

I hope you spill them down your jeans !

Oh no not I, I won’t panic buy!

Oh as long as I have alcohol, I know I’ll stay alive,

Though I can’t buy my usual cheese,

This will not bring me to my knees

And I’ll survive, I will survive, hey, hey !

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart,

There was just apples and 1 carrot in my shopping cart,

And I spent hours walking round just feeling sorry for myself,

The empty store, with boxes strewn across the floor

And you’ll see me, somebody who,

Cannot buy anything she came for, and it’s all down to fecking you

And frickin Reg from down the road is such a selfish blimmin git

Because he stockpiled all the loo roll so nobody else can have a s@*t !

Go on now go, walk out the door !

All you bloody stockpilers,

You are not welcome any more!

Weren’t you ones who just bought all the sodding cakes

Can’t you make a crumble,

Do you people not know how to bake ?

Oh no not I, I won’t panic buy !

Oh as long as I have alcohol, I know I’ll stay alive,

Though I can’t buy my usual cheese

This will not bring me to my knees

And I’ll survive, I will survive !

Facebook has been very frustrating with the changes it has made, so much so I was about to give it the old heave ho and forget it ever existed.  Even more frustrating is some things that are on my friends are not on mine and vice versa so we could not even compare about what we had learnt with each other.  I know not everyone’s has switched over yet but I am too old for all these changes and have never been up on computers so I just hate it when they keep trying to fix and make better things that are not broken.  Steadily I am learning a little more about it and hope to get this blog off but there is also the very real chance that it won’t get sent out and will sit in word forever more, just a lonely few paragraphs never to be read by anyone at all. 

All the machines arrived from Ireland to monitor my vital signs,  Another sign of times to come for us all I believe.  This box was delivered and opened with much eagerness to see what was in it,  It contained a computer and stand, only for the use with the machines which were all connected  to said computer via Bluetooth.  A gentleman rang us from Ireland to explain how to set them all up which were very simple but immediately we hit a problem with login on.  It seems it was set up for the American medical teams and we needed a different log on to work it here in the UK.  This was fortuitous as it happened as we were the first in the UK to be given this equipment and the issue was sorted ready for when others are to be offered it.  My daily routine now is to lie flat out on my machine that registers lung pressure then back to the bedroom where my computer switches itself on to tell me it is time to take my readings,  It then directs me through taking my oxygen and heart rate and then tells me to move on to take my blood pressures.  After that it tells me to step on the scale where daily readings are taken.  All these reading go directly then over to Sheffield where they can be monitored whenever my specialists need to.  So along with the Denervation that lowered my lung pressures and my two chips that keep track of my heart palpitations and the one in my pulmonary artery that measures the lung pressures I seem to be all sewn up,  I also have an app that enables me to do a six minute walk test when required ( I must include oxygen and blood pressure too as at hospital visits) before and after the walk which then gets sent over to my team again. Last but not least gadget is my Fitbit which is logged to their system too so that steps, heart rate when active or inactive, sleep etc are all recorded and can be checked out as and when required.  With all this equipment any test or check ups can be done without the need for a doctor or visits to the hospital.  Clearly if there is a concern as I had one last week a quick call to my A Team and all my stats were looked at in Sheffield by the them.  A course of action was decided and was taken by me and we will monitor everything for a month and check to see if there is any or no improvement,  We can look back at my trends and it shocks us to notice how my heart rate fluctuates hugely and how my blood pressure still overall is too low.  I suspect the next course of action will be to lower my viagara , we shall see.  My frusomide was lowered last week to see if my blood pressure got better but alas not a huge difference at all except that my belly and legs are once again retaining water!  It’s so frustrating and also very painful trying to walk on legs that have excess water around the knees and ankles so I can’t bend them properly plus trying to lug my huge rugby player thighs around instead of my generally skinny ones is hard.   Still it’s good to know all is monitored so hopefully no more hospital stays.  Just in case though pj’s still packed! 

Colin has been busy next door working with Chris (my son in law and in our bubble) to erect an enormous gazebo, there was so much work to do, so many heavy pieces of wood and tiny pieces too and felting and tiling.  Not quite finished in a day but they should complete it tomorrow hopefully where they will christen it with all the lights turned on and a fire and maybe a barbecue.  It does look good I must say and very impressive.  It is huge but their garden can take it and what an asset it will be to them when lockdown ends finally and they get back to all the entertaining they love to do. 

Today Colin is blowing all the leaves from the beech tree that land on our grass.  Beech leaves just do not break down and indeed we put some right at the bottom of our compost bin and they were still there almost two years later, untouched whilst the things above it were mulching down nicely.  Colin scraped out all the beech leaves and put them in the bin for the refuse garden centre.  When the leaves settle into the lawn though if we are not careful they just get trodden in and again just sit there and so do not allow the grass to grow or breath.  Now it will be an ongoing task to keep removing them until the tree has shed all of its leaves.  

A task that was meant to be done earlier in the year must now be done ASAP and that is to make a hedgehog house.  Pity we forgot as it would have been a great thing for Izzy to do with her granddad when she was living with us through the first lockdown.  He will make one for us and if successful then make one for Izzy and Harry’s garden. 

Izzy is very happy to be back in school and they seem well prepared for distancing etc.  It is a small school and they have designated times for each class joining and leaving the school,  I shudder  when I see some parents, though not all, waiting by the gates bunched together and none wearing a mask!  When will they learn. 

We went out for lunch at one of our local pubs and they were very on the ball with hygiene and distancing so we felt totally safe, It was so nice to be doing something away from the house and I enjoyed it very much.  When it was time to leave I decided to walk home.  At the end of the day I had managed 14500 steps which was a huge boost to my morale, not sure when I will manage that again but it was so nice to do it,  Why is it that one day we can do something and the next be flat out in bed!!!  I wish life could be more consistent.  

We are hoping to still get away with our bubble for a few days through the school holidays.  We booked it a good while ago and the kids are looking forward to being in their own motor home whilst Colin and I will clearly be in ours,  We will be six in total but who knows what changes will occur before that so not getting too excited.  

I am going to look up recipes for green tomato chutney.  Some of my tomatoes are doing really well but some I fear have left it too late for their skins to turn red.  I cannot bear to throw them away though so will check out a recipe,  I have pickled red cabbage this week, something I love but Colin hates so will see what he makes of the chutney. As it is the end of the week it is also soup making day, I make two a week when the veg gets turned into various soups depending on how much we have and do we have blue cheese as well etc and chicken or beef bones.  So my life is very exciting NOT but at least I do generally enjoy it. 

Ok, enough of my talking.  I will see if I can get Colin to send this out with this new Facebook format.  I do hope so and please comment so I know what you are up to.  

Keep safe

Warm love

Carole xxx