Great Achievements

Well the trip to the warfarin clinic was unusually short and sweet this morning. My bottom had barely brushed the seat when my name was called. I mentioned how few people were in compared to my last visit and was told by a rather world weary nurse that it was the 'Olympics effect'. Apparently outpatients appointments are being cancelled left, right and center because people would rather be watching the sport than sitting in a smelly clinic waiting to be jabbed. Who'd have thought it! On the down side the minute the Olympics finish the clinic is going to be over run. I hope my appointment is another ten week one, I suspect September will be hell.

Had a phone call from Laurence last night. He was asking if it were all right for him to sleep over on Saturday as he is planning to hit the town with his mates and didn't want to travel all the way back to his. Of course I am delighted to have him back under my roof again, even if it is for just one night. I'm getting excited already.

Olympic Watch

It seems our medal success has provoked a bit of moaning from our French and Australian cousins who are finding it hard to believe how good we are in certain events. The Australians sound positively shell shocked and are blaming their poor showing on the fact that most of their coaches have been lured abroad to take charge of their rivals. Meanwhile the French have hinted at possible cheating going on, especially in the cycling events. The French representatives deny they are accusing us of using drugs but are miffed that Team GB cover their bike wheels at the end of events. This is not unusual as many teams do the same but the French don't like it. What a shame!


Victory for common sense!

I was so pleased to read about this story in the paper this morning. This is the story of an unemployed graduate who, as part of the governments new 'Back To Work' programme was told to attend work experience at Poundland for a few weeks. Now before I go any further this scheme only applies to those classed as long term unemployed, and this woman had been out of work for going on two years. In a fit of pique she claimed that the scheme was akin to slavery and breached her human rights and promptly took the government to court. What she actually meant was that she considered working in Poundland beneath her. Yesterday her case was thrown out of court, brilliant!

Yes the DWP were found to be at fault for not making things clearer in their correspondence about the scheme, but then when have the DWP been clear about anything. However in the DWP's defense, many are sick to death of paying taxes just so perfectly healthy human beings can live on benefits doing absolutely nothing to earn them. I for one welcome such schemes and to be fair anyone claiming money from the public purse should comply with any conditions applied to it.

In other news NASA are going crazy celebrating the safe landing of their Rover on the surface of Mars. Now although an exciting event it isn't really up there with the great achievements of all time is it. In 1969 we landed a man on the moon, I know I watched it, and Concorde took its first flight, and in 1981 the first space shuttle was launched. All three involved technology that is no longer available to us, most due to cost. Each one, in my opinion, is a far greater achievement than the landing of a mini on Mars.

Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of looking for life on other planets, NASA put its energy and know how into solving world hunger? Just a thought.

How Rude!

I am venturing out today for a brief shopping trip. Now that Andrew is back on form we are being eaten out of house and home again so the cupboards need some serious stocking up. Of course now the dust from his holiday and illness has settled his thoughts are turning to university and I'm detecting a slight show of nerves. He keeps talking about clearing as though he expects to have to go through it. He's also mentioned getting a job for a year and resiting his exams with the intention of trying again next year. I'm hoping it is all just nerves but if it isn't then I'll be here for him.


Olympic Watch

I'm going to have a little moan, just a little one so here goes.


Yes it was an amazing achievement but others won gold this weekend apart from Jessica Ennis. I don't wish to put her down in anyway, it is not her fault, but she is only one of many medal winners this weekend so why is she the only one to be constantly on the front pages of our newspapers. I find the fact that other winners are being ignored very rude and frankly insulting. Could it possibly be because she is not only a great athlete but is also pretty, when some of the other winners are less photogenic? I do hope the obsession with looks is not encroaching its way into sport as well.

One person who really deserved to be on the front pages this morning was Andy Murray who comprehensively beat Federer and won the first tennis gold since 1908. Of course that achievement is not good enough for our media and so Usain Bolt took center stage who isn't even British and did exactly what he was expected to do.

Not really OW but related, does the country now have a new set of role models for children to look up too?

This question was put by one of the columnists in my paper this morning and it is one that is worth debating. For too long now the vacuous, plastic world of 'celebrity' has been at the fore front of our children's ambitions. Most think that the way to becoming famous and earning pots of money is to appear on a reality show or marry a footballer. This of course requires no effort as long as you have a pretty face and a self obsession of terrifying proportions.

The Olympics are showing youngsters that there are other ways to the top but will they take up the challenge? The people we see on the podiums day after day have worked hard since very young for their brief moment of glory and this is where we reach a sticking point. Most of today's youngsters don't want to work hard for something, they expect it to fall into their lap. So will we see an increased uptake of sport? Yes I expect we will for a while then the reality will set in and all but a few will go back to playing video games, eating crisps and dreaming of being old enough to apply for Big Brother. Sad but true.

Well the shopping trip passed off without major incident so why did I leave the shop fuming?

I was in the queue with my trolley of approx thirty items when this business type woman came behind me with just two items so, as I have done many times before, I asked her if she wanted to go ahead of me, which she did. She then left without a word of thanks, just paid and left. Even the girl working on the checkout commented on how rude the woman had been. Apart from being angry I was really shocked. I've let every sort of person past me, some who look as though they'd rip your head off soon as look at you, and all have said thanks. And yet a respectable looking, suited woman in her mid forties totally ignored me. No wonder people are so horrible to each other when even those you expect to be polite can't be bothered. Unfortunately she has made me think twice about making this gesture in the future. I probably still will but if you are a business woman in a suit expect to be ignored.

It is the warfarin clinic tomorrow, joy!

Converted.

Well I've gone from not caring about the Olympics, and being slightly miffed that all my favourite programmes have either been moved or stopped altogether, to 'wow' in the space of one evening. Yes I've been pleased when hearing about our sports people winning medals, and I did watch Murray storm to the final and a guaranteed silver but I've been fairly unmoved up to now. Like most of the nation I was on the edge of my seat watching Mo Farrar last night and our planned film night went down the drain yet again.

I can officially announce I am feeling a lot, lot better. I managed my first proper meal yesterday and enjoyed every morsel. I'm going for something a little more substantial today and I'm eating fruit by the bucket load. I'm still having the odd wobbly moment, which is a bit strange, but on the whole I've got my old zing back.

Of course now that I'm feeling better I've got all the jobs I've put off facing me and foremost is a pile of bedding and towels to be washed and dried. I did the ironing yesterday, well most of it, but by tonight there will be another pile waiting in the wings. Still I have four days to catch up so I don't need to go for it hammer and tongs.

After my early morning soak, Andrew did his paper round so we were all up and dressed by eight, I was banned from the bathroom as Peter is finishing up all the little tricky bits and doesn't want to keep clearing things up so I can use the loo. Not for the first time I am I thanking our fore thought in having a second loo put in when the boys were little.

Talking of Andrew his rash has cleared up nicely and had been reduced to a few spots here and there. We are all very relieved not least that neither Peter or myself caught it. I'm giving it one more day and then he is going to get a great big hug.

Olympic Watch


I am finding it difficult to find anything to put into today's edition, everything has more or less been said in the main blog. So in the absence of news that has actually happened I'm going to make note of what has not happened.


We are at the mid point and we haven't been attacked in any shape or form. Now it might be that the sight of an aircraft carrier in the Thames is enough to put off the most determined terrorist but I doubt it. Although it is good to be careful, and in this day and age security is a must, I'm now wondering if we have gone just a little bit overboard. We have rocket launchers on top of tower blocks for goodness sake. Do the powers that be really think an attack is going to be as obvious as someone trying to fly a plane into the stadium? Any terrorist, or loan nutter, as there are plenty of them about too, worth his salt will not be an obvious source of threat. Let's face it, you walk in with 'I am a terrorist' on your tee shirt you are going to find yourself in a cell being strip searched before you can draw breathe. If an attack comes it will be carried out by the most normal looking person in the building but with a bit of luck the second half of the games will be as peaceful as the first.

Before I finish OW I just want to point out how sad some people really are. We have had a fantastic week of sport. Sports that are never normally seen on British TV are being shown and vast numbers are watching them. However after the best day of the games for Team GB so far, six golds, there are still people saying that their whole weekend is ruined because the football team are out of the competition. I am speechless.

Do you remember me saying a few blogs back how delighted I was to find a pair of original wooden Scholls. Well I've fallen out of love with them big time after one slipped off my foot yesterday and clouted me on the ankle then caused immense pain as I stepped on it sideways. The bruise is a sight to see and my foot still aches. I don't remember doing that in my twenties.

Oh dear, another day another plaster, time to patch up the husband again.

High Hopes

For five glorious minutes this morning I considered going into work as I felt really well. However this idea was swiftly sat on by Peter who has told me that work is out of the question until I've had a day of eating proper meals. He is right of course and often steps in to save me from myself. So today I'm making a determined effort to try and eat normally. You know what it is like though, you just start feeling really well and want to keep that feeling and so food sort of becomes the enemy. You know that eating might make you feel ill again so you start avoiding it. Now I love my food, always have, so this is a worrying development but one I'm not going to let take hold.

Finally heard from the Brompton regarding my transplant referral. They are disgusted that I still haven't heard from Papworth and are going to do some chasing for me. I am to let them know if I still haven't heard anything by the end of next week.

I have found a new ally in the road back to normality, watermelon! This stuff is ideal, it is light, tasty, not acidic and full of liquid and is going down a treat. I've eaten at least half of a whacking big one already and Peter only brought it home at tea time last night. Today I am planning my first proper meal, a light pasta with a delicate tomato sauce, minus the garlic and chilli's I normally add. If I can keep that down I know I'm on to a winner.

Olympic Watch


Andy Murray is guaranteed at least a silver medal after beating Djokovic in the semi's yesterday. I am ecstatic! He will be meeting Federer in a final yet again, time for revenge I wonder?


There was another flurry of medals yesterday bringing us up to fourth in the medal table with a total of 22 medals, eight of which are gold. Today there are 25 medals up for grabs in various events, let's hope some come our way.

The only thing I can find to complain about today is the banning of Pimms at Wimbledon. Why? Because they manufacturers are not official sponsors of course, pathetic isn't it. There are still empty seats but not so many now as spares are now being sold nightly online and for as low as a fiver, now if they had only done this from the start we wouldn't have had any empty seats at all.

Andrew's rash has all but disappeared overnight. He's gone from looking like a smallpox victim to your average acned teenager in a matter of hours. He even managed to have a shower, a great relief for all, which he has been unable to do up to now as his skin was so sore.

Isn't it typical, the moment I start feeling better the heavens open and the rain starts pouring and an afternoon on the decking with a good book has been shelved. So I'm looking at another afternoon of slobbing in front of the TV but fed up with doing absolutely nothing I'm going to combine watching with ironing, not too much, but a small start on the mountain that has built up over the last week, yes I can tell Andrew is back. I have been ordered not to touch the bathroom, an order I can easily obey as polishing grout off tiles is hardly my favourite occupation.

In the news the mother of Mark Duggan, whose death sparked last years riots, is claiming he was 'assassinated' by police. How ridiculous a statement is that, and how irresponsible. Her comments are stirring up 'feelings' in those who would like nothing better than another excuse for more civil unrest. An excuse this women is plainly handing to them on a plate by advertising a memorial service for Duggan on Sunday as though he were some hero.

Now I am not going to say his death wasn't sad and I am not going to say the police get it right all the time but in this case I don't believe they had much choice. Duggan was a serial offender who was known for violence, he refused to cooperate with the police and had in his possession a gun which despite warnings he refused to put down and repeatedly pointed at police. Yes the death shouldn't have happened but Duggan was not the total innocent in all this and at least partially contributed to his own death. Hero he definitely is not.

Well off to prepare my first proper meal, I have to say I am really looking forward to eating again.

Food Glorious Food!

Well I've now moved on to tomato soup and banana's, not together you understand. Again small amounts but I'm picking up on the frequency. I'm still a bit nauseous if I've eaten too much but mostly everything has settled down nicely. I really fancied a cheese sandwich around five yesterday evening and took an hour to pluck up courage to try half of one. Not a bad reaction but I think I might wait another day before trying a full one. The tea is interspersed with barely there blackcurrant squash and I've started on the Complan again to try and give myself a bit of a boost as I'm still incredibly wobbly. I dared to weigh myself this morning and was pleased to see I've only lost five pounds but it still means another up hill battle to put the weight back on.

Olympic Watch


Well now the golds have started coming it has turned into a cascade of medals and a big leap in the medal table. We are now fifth and look to rise higher if we keep this up.


Unfortunately good news is almost always accompanied by bad and cyclists Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were disqualified from the inaugural women's team sprint for an illegal change during their second-round contest with Ukraine. What a shame, cycling was one of the events we were almost guaranteed medals in.

There was also controversy surrounding the mens win after the youngest of the group implied he'd fallen off deliberately to force a restart when the he didn't get off quickly enough on the first attempt. This has now been dismissed as a misunderstanding and 'language problems' as Philip Hindes has only been learning English for a couple of years. Even so there is a slight taint to the win now and if anyone really does fall off in the early stages of a race in future they are likely to be looked at very carefully.

And isn't it hard to believe we are already half way through!

Andrew is looking better, the rash is not so red or sore and his throat is completely fine now, thank goodness for that. Now he can talk he is chattering on about his holiday and has shown us some pictures. I'd never thought of Bulgeria as a holiday destination but it is so beautiful, and has lots to see and do apparently. However it is not disabled friendly, lots of stairs and steps, cobbled roads and very little of it is flat. Maybe one for after the transplant then.

Talking of which despite several emails and messages left on answer phones there has not been a peep out of the Brompton. A fellow PH sufferer has given me the number of the PALS admin person to get in touch with which I will be doing today. I must say though it is unusual for my PH team not to get back to me within a day or two, they are usually very good.

Another PH sufferer has advised I also contact Papworth's transplant team to see what is going on. I don't feel I can do that yet though as I haven't had it confirmed that my referral has gone though. It is all highly frustrating I must say.

I am finding it hard to find news stories worth discussing at the moment. The Olympics are all consuming and very little other news is getting through. This is another thing I do not like about the way the media, the BBC in particular, are covering the games. I keep missing things I want to see because they will give a time but not a channel. Or they will give such a large time range that you can't watch all the way through and quiet often they cut what you are watching to move to something else. It is very irritating. Now I appreciate that there is a lot going on and it is very difficult to show everything but if they have started a particular competition they should at least stick with it until the final stages.

In desperation I have switched to other channels in the hope of finding out what is going on beyond London at the moment but they are all equally obsessed and real news is now confined to a five minute round up at the end. What did catch my eye was the report that Kofi Annan has given up on his attempts to broker peace in Syria. If Kofi Annan gives up on you, you know you are in trouble.

At least the weather is getting a rest, it being our usual national obsession.

Well time for another cup of tea with the added draw of a digestive biscuit. Who can resist?

Gold!

I am feeling so much better today. Still wobbly on my feet and as weak as a kitten but better. I have stuck to white toast, tea. porridge and plain potato mash but it has all stayed down which is reassuring. I've even managed to take my warfarin again, something which was just not happening Monday and Tuesday.

Olympics Watch


Well yesterday was certainly a day of mixed fortunes.

We got GOLD! At last! And not just one but two. Well done Heather, Helen and Bradley. Let's hope this is the start of a golden shower.

For other countries the news was not so good as three Badminton teams were kicked out of the Olympics for cheating, well sort of. China, South Korea and Indonesia all saw their womens teams kicked out after some very dodgy play in last night's events. So what did they actually do? Well as I understand it they tried to manipulate the play offs by throwing matches in order to get a more favourable draw in the next round. Each team decided they did not want to meet their own countries in the play offs as that would mean only one team from their country going higher. Not actually cheating but certainly a manipulation of the contest by anyones standards. They are appealing of course but I doubt they have much chance of returning to the competition. It is such a shame that athletes or their countries, for I have no doubt the idea came from further up the feeding chain, feel they have to resort to such tactics to do well. And would they ever really be happy with the win knowing how it was gained?

Andrew's rash is not only spreading but getting worse. His hands are so sore he hasn't been able to unpack yet. On the plus side his throat has all but cleared up and he is tucking in to anything he can get his teeth around like there is no tomorrow. I've been carefully examining my hands and feet for early signs but so far I appear to have been successful in avoiding it, whatever it is. I'm still thinking allergic reaction to something as he feels fine in himself and as it is his hands and face that are mostly affected I'm thinking a contact allergy rather than something he's swallowed.

Work has started again on the bathroom and the last of the tiling has mostly been completed. There is still grouting to do and then the cleaning and polishing up of the tiles but I'm not up to doing anything like that yet so it will have to wait a while.

We have new neighbours, again.

The lovely Japanese couple are going abroad for four years because of work commitments so they have rented their house out and the new couple appear to be moving in today. I haven't seen anyone yet but there are lots of vans arriving and departing and strange cars parked outside. I hope they are nice people, we have been very lucky with our neighbours so far and I'm really hoping this new lot won't break the trend.

Peter is in work for the next couple of days so Andrew has been given orders not to let me over do it so it is another day in front of the TV. At least I've now moved from bed to settee so a definite improvement. Andrew is still keeping his distance but we can sit in the same room and talk now even if it is in chairs on opposite sides of the room..

Still heard nothing from Papworth regarding the transplant assessment so I've fired off an email to the Brompton to ask them to chase. It appears an 'urgent' referral must mean something different in hospital circles than to us mere mortals. It is so unfair that ill people are kept waiting and stressed out all the time by those that are meant to be helping us. If I ruled the NHS, grrrr!

Tea

The bugs rumble on, however we are both feeling a little better today.

Andrew is not allergic to penicillin but the rash is linked to the virus he's picked so he is now taking antivirals as well. He looks a mess today but assures me he is feeling better and he has been able to swallow some solid food at last. He is still keeping as far away from me as possible to the extent of talking to me from the corridor rather than coming into the bedroom and sitting on the bed as he'd normally do. It is very considerate but also very sad.

I am now able to drink and keep down tea. Anything else comes back up immediately so I'm sticking with tea for today so at least I'll get my hydration back up to normal. I've also managed to keep down my anti sickness tablet so when that kicks in I'm hoping for a vast improvement. My problem is that I tread such a fine line between sick and not sick with my meds than any sickness bug sends me right over the edge and it take ages to gain back my equilibrium. I think I'm going to have to throw in the towel with this one and forget about work altogether until I can get my stomach settled again. As for my weight gain well from the way my PJ's are hanging off me I'm guessing I'm going to have to start the battle from scratch as I think I'm even lighter now than when I started the first time. How frustrating is that?

Work on the bathroom is at a complete standstill because of my frequent visits so I've nothing to report there.

Olympic Watch


Still no gold.



I have very little to say on this matter today as I haven't been keeping up with news or papers over the last day or two. I have had the TV on in the bedroom for most of the day though and have seen more of the games than I ever intended to. I enjoyed the women's gymnastics, such as shame there was no medal.


Still lots of empty seats from what I saw so obviously that has not been solved yet.

Well another short one today I'm afraid, back to bed for me, catch up soon.