General Chat

I'm in Berkshire we have an amber weather warning tomorrow and I'm due to have MRI scan, haven't had one before so a bit nervous, luckily (I think) for me I won't hear much because I will be taking my hearing aids out.

Evening peeps, I'm safely home!

What a trip .Arrived at the hospital and it was torrential rain and we had to walk from the taxi drop off to the main entrance so you can imagine my friend & i were both drowned rats. Anyway, trying to find my ward was a nightmare. After asking several people and being told different areas, we were told we were in the wrong building completely!!

So with me in the wheelchair, 2 cases, 2 handbags and my friend, we had to go outside and what seemed miles until we eventually found the neurology unit. I was nearly crying as I was soaked through all my clothes, my bags etc was just awful

Arrived on the ward and the nurses were fabulous. Went and got me a hairdryer straightaway so I could dry off.
Within 1/2 hour, i was whisked away for my MRI. This was around 1pm. It took 1 1/2 hours to be scanned and just about managed laying there. They stopped halfway through to put a contrast through a canula and then carried on.

Didnt get back up to the ward though until 4.30 and I had missed lunch! I was really starving.The tea trolley only had a jacket potato and a wee pot of cheese plus a tiny tub of ice cream but it filled my tummy.

Having seen the dr in the evening, he said the lumbar puncture would be done at 8.30 today. I did get it done but not without a few problems as he couldnt find the exact spot to put the needle in and also i was sick and nearly fainted!!

But all done now, missed the storm and i'm safely in my cosy wee house. I am exhausted and sore where the needle went in low down in dip of back but it will improve tomorrow hopefully . A good nights sleep will help too.

Consultant will send me a report or ask to see me at a follow up appointment in a few weeks.

For those in the south west...Ann I hope you will be ok tonight as i have seen the red weather warning and it looks awful. Will be thinking of all of you in the path of Eunice.

Looks like some snow is in the air, hope it rolls on by to Iceland!!

Stay safe everyone

Florence in the hebrides

Hope all goes well for Florwnce today and that her plane trip was not too bumpy.

It has been dry all day here but the wind has got up a bit this afternoon. Not looking forward to the storm on Friday. I have actually changed my hair appointment to next week as I didn't want to be walking for 15 minutes in the storm.

Joan all my snowdrops are up now, including the ones that T moved last year so it all looks very spring like with crocus, Helebores and miniature daffodils all blooming as well.

Judging from the weather here, Florence should have got to Glasgow OK, but it is now VERY wild, with the wind howling in the chimney and enormous waves bashing the shore. Quite spectacular from the safety of indoors!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit quieter before the next lot arrives.

I hope Florence got away alright this morning. Looks those of you up north & Scotland are really in for it today.
I am dreading Friday down here in the south as I have to go to a funeral. Having booked a hotel for the previous night we have had to book for the following night now as well.
Hope someone enjoys the money it is costing. :-|

Evening peeps.
Aw Joan sounds like you had a busy household! Lovely to have them but good to have the house back to yourselves.

Thanks Gwynn, yes im off at 6.45am to the airport tomorrow and plane is at 8.30. Thankfully, the storm Dudley is now missing us as its further south. So relieved as i was worried I wouldnt get away. Bag all packed and minimum of things lol Couple of magazines and a Bon Jovi CD for the MRI to take my mind off as im quite claustrophobic! Last time, I listened to the songs and counted them as each one was 3 minutes and i was in for 40 mins. The music blocks out some of the boom boom but boy it is really loud hence Bon Jovi might make a difference hehe.

Really noticing a stretch now in the days as its not dark now until nearly 5.30 makes such a difference.

I wont get any results tomorrow, i dont think but you never know I may get an idea.
Its just the Lumbar Puncture Im a bit worried about as I know its sore afterwards.
Tbh, i will just be relieved when tomorrow is over.

Take care all

Florence in the hebrides

Peace and quiet then Joan.!
Lovely to see them all, but a big change from your usual quieter lifestyle.


Hoping all is well with you Florence and that the storms don't affect your travel to hospital.
Take care.

Sorry to hear that you can't take pain relief tablets Florence. I can't take some due to my BP being high but can take Paracetamol when needed.

I used to knit years back when our children were young, OH used to joke about the click clack driving him to the pub, (any excuse) Then I tried crochet and did a few baby blankets and little hats with crochet flowers on. Good job I had girls .lol.
I found having something to do to occupy my hands helped me give up smoking. Couldn't knit and smoke.

Have a nice weekend all.

Good afternoon peeps from a wet and dreary afternoon but at least the wind has dropped now!

Last night about 5.30 my GP rang with my knee x-ray results. So I have wear & tear damage in both knees to joints, cartilage and bone but its not severe enough to need surgery at the moment.
So I asked about pain relief but sadly because of my Asthma, there is nothing they can give me. I am very allergic to Aspirin, Ibruprofen & Paracetamol.

So she has referred me to my Mr "Bone Man" who gave me steroid injections before for my Bursitus which worked well. Im so hoping I can get them for my knees as then I hopefully can get out of the house and go on a bus.

If he says no, then my outlook on life is awful. Having been housebound since last July, the thought of being cooped up indoors ufn is too depressing to think about.

So I shall have to wait now for an appointment(probably 12 weeks) and hope h's sympathetic towards me!!

I have taken up a new project to pass time. I have been crocheting headbands as my daughter says they are very trendy just now. Downloaded a very easy pattern and within an hour, its all done. I have 4 since yesterday and its good to use up some wool as I have loads. The one I started knitting with 5 needles, was taking too long so that got abandoned!

Well off to have food, just a few oven chips in a thick seeded sandwich with brown sauce! Appetite isnt good so this is comfort food.

Hope everyone else is well.

Florence in the hebrides

Good afternoon peeps from a very cold, wet & windy place. We did have a dusting of snow and sleet over the weekend but the rain today has got rid of all that.
My "carriage" turned up at 10am to take me to xray today for my knees. I arrived very early at 10.35 but they were not busy and so I got seen at 10.45.

As it was my knees, I did not have to undress into a gown for which I was thankful for. Takes me ages to dress & undress now and the cubicles are so tiny!
Anyway stood with trouser leg rolled up and she took 6 xrays at different angles of left. Then took just 1 of the right.
Results will be with GP in 2 days!! Its usually 10 days. I rather think there is something wrong as the number of pics she took is way more than usual.

I am in excruciating pain anyway so hopefully will get to the bottom of it soon. I rather think there is wear & tear and i need a knee replacement.

I bought some pointed knitting needles which arrived today and now trying to knit a headband which daughter says are all the fashion. Took me awhile to learn how to knit each needle as you have 5 in all so you have a square with 4 and then 1 to work with. Who knows what it will turn out like but its different!

Hope everyone else is ok. Joan your bench sounds wonderful, bet you cant wait until the spring is here and you can sit out.

Well off to make something for tea, not very hungry today so toast and Nuttella me thinks and hot chocolate mmmn.

Florence in the hebrides

Well, the engineer came and was here for about 2 hours. The pressure was low and think there was air in the system. He explained the things on the display which shows when water is on, the temp and the symbols beside it. Same for the heating so at least i know now what to look for.

The only drawback though is it takes about an hour for the underfloor pipes to heat up. At present the bathroom lino is just luke warm after 45 mins!.

Anyway its all working again, thats the main thing. Still stormy and hailstones blowing hard. So glad me & daughter are safe inside as I feel sorry for anyone out in this weather!

A new author I discovered at xmas is Marion Todd. Her first book See Them Run was really good. Set in St Andrews, Scotland, its about a female detective and the stories are based around there, Dundee, Coupar. She has only 5 books, so i ordered the 5 but have only read the first one so far.

With Peter James, its the Inspector Grace series I'm reading. New hardback out in April but have to wait for the paperback until Oct grrr. Its all paperback I have as hardback too big for my bookshelf! His first book in the series was Dead Simple.

Not feeling great today as had a very painful dose of cramp in right calf at 8am this morning and still cant put foot flat down so hobbling with stick and on tip toe. Had this many times and always in right calf but no sure why. I felt sick with pain and lightheaded as it was sooo sore. Don't want another dose anytime soon.

Better crack on with the next Tesco order which I shall go over with a fine tooth comb before heading to checkout!!

Florence in the hebrides

Hello all,

Florence I also read mainly crime fiction, I think have read some P James books in the past. I don't think I have a favourite author at the moment but the last 3 I have read were by Andy Maslen and they were an ok read.

I used to read a lot of Jeffrey Deaver and Stephen King books but tastes change over time. Bit like films I used to watch horror films but prefer crime/detective films now.

I hope you get your heating fixed soon.

Our weather is hit and miss today sun popping out one minute and showers the next. Still it is still winter I keep saying. lol.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Ginnie

Morning all.
What type of books do you read JustGinnie? I like crime detectives like Peter James as they are all set around my home town in the south east.

Well not a good day! Last night discovered that the heating wasnt working. The smart meter display wasnt communicating either. On inspecting the boiler room where the control panels are, i saw an error code and a reset button. I duly pressed these but nothing much happened.

The water had gone cold before when daughter was showering but then after the reset an hour later the water was on again but...not the heating .

I put the bathroom heating on as its lino and small room, the light was on the thermostat but even after an hour, the floor was cold.

Im not used to the workings of underfloor heating but used to oil and radiators. There are none in the house!! Anyway i have tel the emergency weekend number and they have contacted a contractor so waiting to hear.

Its very dark here, gale force winds with sleety heavy showers and snow forecast this afternoon...eeeek hope we dont lose power!!!

Just trying to dry off a load of washing as quick as i can and not doing anymore washing til monday.

Hope all ok with everyone else looking in.
Take care
Florence in the hebrides

Hello all, everyone seems to have the cleaning bug. I stripped the beds and vacuumed the bedrooms yesterday, managed to get a line full out and although not completely dry it's nice to have the sheets etc blowing in the fresh air for a change.

Shopping delivered this morning with 3 subs but they were ok just a brand change.

Football on tv tonight so OH will be talking to the tv again. lol.
I have a book to read.
I have kindle on my laptop and got a box set for 99p from Amazon, new authors to me but not bad reads. I still prefer an actual book but it's not a lot to lose if I don't like them.
Have a pleasant evening all

Ginnie

Oh Joan! And all because of a lamp eh...well i guess things that needed dusting etc wouldnt have had a clean if you hadnt had to move out the settee but I know what you mean.My daughter has a terrible habit too of piling up things on her side of the sofa and im sure half could go in the bin!

I also noticed then when the Dr or nurse tel, its a private number but if its the receptionist then it comes up with the surgery number. I wonder if this is because they use their own mobiles and dont want the number exposed? However I sometimes have missed a call and of course you cant tel back as you have no number to return the call which is daft! Surely a simple blood test isnt difficult to organise, they do make hard work of the most simplist of things sometimes.

Daughter put a picture of the 2 of us at my 60th birthday onto a small canvas. It needed hanging on the wall. It came with nails and fittings but....I measured the shelf above to get it exactly in the middle and marked a dot with a pencil.
Couldnt find a very small screwdriver in usual place as daughter had completely sorted bottom drawer out and nothing where it was!

I put the 2 screws in and a nail in the wall and hung the picture only to notice it was slightly lopsided grrrr One screw was off so had to unscrew and start again. My kitchen unit had all the boxes and toolkit all over the place trying to find a "tiny" screwdriver..

Eventually found my glasses one and picture is on the wall and now put all the tools away. Like you should have been a 10 min job but actually took me nearly an hour! But it was worth it ,picture sits just above my computer and looks lovely.

My finger joints are quite sore now, thats how they are lately. Think its beg of arthritis but will just have to get on with it.

Ann lucky you got to go outside as the hailstones and snowflakes in the howling wind would of had you running back indoors asap lol.

Saw 2 cars next door earlier on and wondered if they are to be the new neighbours although i didnt catch a glimpse of the people .All will become clear im sure in the coming week.

Off for a cuppa now and then last load of washing to dry off. Plenty of ironing to do tomorrow.

Stay safe all
Florence in the hebrides

Good afternoon all, bright sunshine here but a very cold wind. I managed about 5 to 10 minutes weeding and sorting a few pots on the patio then came in as it was too cold.

Joan the snowdrops are strange this year, they are sort of stunted the leaves just peeped above the ground and the flowers are out or in bud at ground level. One small patch are ok and some further down the garden are barely up. I must be the weather and maybe the lack of rain. January was very dry.

Well what a night, what a day!!
The sound of hailstones hammering my bedroom window at 3am was not welcome and disturbed me from what was a deep sleep grrrr.
It is blowing a hooley with hail & snow showers coming from all directions today. The hills infront of my house have a dusting of snow and more is forecast tomorrow.

it is really freezing cold and daughter went off on the bus to town to get milk etc. Felt sorry for her waiting in the wind. Just put a load of her washing on so the dryer will get a bashing today!

Salmon fillets for tea with new pots and peas today. Havent had any salmon for awhile so looking forward to it later.

I ordered 2 60ltr bags of compost and they arrived with the postman today. So getting things ready to plant indoors seeds etc ready for the spring.

Hope everyone else ok and have a good weekend.

Florence in the hebrides

Good afternoon peeps.
Well its a horrid day weatherwise. Torrential rain and we are on flood alert! Booked the travel Lodge for my escort...slight change of plans there as she was originally going to stay with a relative, but decided better to be nearer the hospital incase something changed.

A couple of days ago, I ordered some A3 and A4 paper from a company on the mainland. Today a box arrived completely torn open, soppy wet and the paper inside was damp and unusable.. I took photos and have emailed them, but they cancelled the A3 order as they said they couldnt deliver it to this area???

So I asked them why not seeing as I ordered a steel filing cabinet without a problem so how come a packet of A3 paper is a problem!!
Honestly I dont understand it. I suggested also I wanted a replacement and as its
A4 paper, maybe a plastic or waterproof bag might be more appropriate.

Waiting with bated breath for a reply in my emails!

Daughter coming soon so I have put on the heating in her room as it feels very cold and not had the heating on in there since she went over 10 days ago.

Think quick easy tea tonight. Pizza with chips and peas and lots of mushrooms on the top.

Hope all is well with everyone

Florence in the hebrides

Afternoon folks.
Well after a sleepless night worrying, I eventually got hold of a friend who has managed to change her shifts to come with me to hospital. She herself wasnt well recently but our children were at school together and even though I dont see her often, she always said if I needed her and she could help she would.

I am sooo relieved, I cried tears of joy!! Has been so stressful worrying. I shall now sort out the travel arrangements and flights tomorrow. her daughter stays fairly near so she can stay there overnight. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight.

Oh Joan, it made me smile reading what was stuck up the tree etc. At least you were able to get outside and have a good look around. Its been flat calm but wet, misty and damp. I did poke my head out the door but shot it back in fairly swiftly.

I did notice my pot of tulips though. Crikey they have shot up loads, isnt it a bit early for them?? New shoots on my hydrangea plant I bought end of last summer so thats good.

I made a casserole of a sort yesterday with lots of chunky veg, 2 chicken breasts chopped, tin of chopped tomatoes and a can of minestrone soup. I shoved some herbs and black pepper in too. Left in oven for 2 hours and was very tasty. Made 2 small loaves of bread with a packet mix i found out of date Jan this year. So tonight enjoying the leftovers with the rest of the bread.

Daughter back tomorrow and i expect within 10 mins, house will be upside down and the washing machine full...usual carry on!

Ann they used to have a volunteers service but think it was got rid of years ago. I did ask the boss of the actual Volunteer Centre as she is a friend but she was busy elsewhere.

Right enjoy your tea ladies, Im off to have mine. Stress levels coming down now!

Florence in the hebrides

Florence do you have any sort of patient help at your local surgery. They may have a list of volunteers who would asct as escort for you. Ask reception at the doctors.