General Chat

Hello everyone,Well it has been a funny day weatherwise,grey and dry and very warm with little sprays of rain!!
Dorothy What a clever girl hope you enjoyed the pepper,I have not yet grown anything myself that we could eat ,John and david have but mine go off before you pick them.
Dad might not get that test as he has no swallow at all at the minute so could be dangerous.But the ENT say he could have an op to close his voice box and vocal cords ,however there is a long waiting list,even with a priority listing it could be months.!!We have been told he can not come home with the NG tube but one doctor has said to him he could come home and go back for the op,so we are totally confussed.
Brenda

hi brenda about your dad it is confusing advice you are getting re wether or not your dad could come home, over here I have nursed children who went home with feeding tubes the ones that go in through the nose into the stomach also feeding tubes that are inserted through the abdominal wall , for someone your dad's age and living alone they may have concerns over here it would entail nursing home visits to monitor things and also teaching a family member how to do the feeds, I always recommend that any friends in a similar situation set up a family meeting with the doctors and other health people involved with the pt's (your dad) care it is the right of the families over here to ask for this though many people are not aware of it especially if there is a chance that your dad would prefer to be at home, I understand waiting lists but they are very frustrating I hope things improve for you, I have to end now the one cat has just thrown up in several places not sure why except he may have eaten his breakfast too fast. bye for now dorothy

hello I seem to be the only one around at the moment I do hope everyone is well and perhaps having a good week-end, at the moent we are having a wild thunder and rain storm but it is only 9am so it will probably pass through, my half brothers wife and son have arrived in toronto and I will drive down and meet them for the first time on thursday should be interesting. a friend of mine is flying in from new brunswick to-day she is visiting in the area she is in the late stages of breast and lung cancer but has a great will to fight and keep on living so looking foreward to seeing her she is one brave woman so I guess that is all the news I have bye for now dorothy

Herewith ,a few lines to let Dorothy and Brenda know they arn't on their own.
The caravan wasn't worth having ,so we left it where it was,lol,never mind ,therre are plenty more around,if you know where to look.
I had to get up really early this morningto get the greenhouse and garden watered before thwe sun started to heat up,otherwise the veggie would be covered in leaf scorch.
It's too darned hot to do much this afternoon ,so i am sitting at the patio door next to the table listening for all the aircraft heading to ,and away from the airport.
Tis the Sunderland airshow again ,and i am hoping for a few views of ancient,and modern aircraft as they fly to and fro.
Nearly August again,where does the time go he he,the kids will be harping on shortly as to what they want for Christmas,and all the adverts will be showing on the box .
Hope everyone has a nice weekend,see ya later.
Fred.

Hello Dorothy and Fred,sorry i have been a bit remisss on adding my messages but things are a bit
difficult at the moment.
dad is still in hospital,he has been told they will try and feed him a sort of thicken food diet and ssee how he goes and maybe take him of the tube if he can manage it thenhe can go home.
A\lot of things can happen so it is not an easy step to take but he does want to go home and we want him home.
weather wise its been beautiful but i have been working and i am working tomorrow.
Speak to you soon,Brenda

Hi all - winter has really arrived rain almost everyday and the snow down low on Mt Egmont and also on the ranges. The volunteer work is keeping me busy and one of the days Gayle and I were counting cans and packets in the food-bank so that our headquarters knew what we had - the greatest quantity - Baked Beans and Spaghetti! Off for a coffee break, catch up again next time. John

goodmorning brenda sounds like they are trying to get your dad back on to swallowing on is own I hope it goes well for all of you, glad to see news from john hard to believe it is winter for him when it is so sunny here, the children go to camp for two weeks to-morrow it is a chance for five of the cousins to spend time to-gether the small one kate is too young as yet.I think that they are going to go to the cottage to-day and spend the night and then leave mon am to the camp the cottage is half way between the camp. nothing else new at the moment glad to read fred's message always interesting bye for now dorothy

Hello everyone,nice to hear from John and as we have a brilliant sunny hot day here it is funny as you say Dorothy to hear about winter.Mind you I have emails from my friend in Melbourne and she tells me about the weather there and it always seems better whatever the season!!!
Work was really busy today and the heat was not very good,I was sweating just turning on the computers.!!
Just been veiwing some pictures of the wedding we went to ,think the diet kicks in again this week!!!
Hope the children have a great time at camp.they have been having some adventures this past few weeks haven't they.?Off to bed but doubt if I will sleep its so humid and then when we open the wimdows its noisy with traffic and passers by.
Brenda

Hi again, speaking of winter a local club rugby team were chilled to the bone on Saturday so much that the respective captains shivered as they tried to speak. Even after hot showers they were still shivering. Mine you the day was extremely cold as parts of the country experienced a weather bomb and lots of snow. Living in New Plymouth we escaped the severe storm but know there is more to come.
Brenda it must be hot where you are to have windows opened. We are in the same situation in summer as we like to have the windows open but being on a noisy street (its a main highway) we don't. Off for another coffee break, John

Just dropping in to say hello.

Finally we get some sunshine - and we are all complaining about the heat, typically when it does get warmer it does become a bit too much all at once!!!
We had a a good downpour last night with thunder and lightening so it did cool things down a bit and today has been quite windy and cloudy until the afternoon when the sun came back but much less humid. Just as well as had a funeral to go to and the church was packed - as funerals go it was a "happy" one as befited the lady, a lovely, friendly person who had a wonderful sense of humour. She had her own family, was widowed at a young age then married again to a widower also with a young family and became a much loved Mum to all the children and Gran to all their children.

Brenda, hope your Dad gets well enough to come home very soon.

Had an e-mail from Di (in Tis Was) who asked me to say Hi to everyone. Her computer crashed about 3 months ago and though she is now back on line has not been able to restart everything from her back-up CD's. Her garden and sewing keep her busy - and John, though he is doing well now and they are able to take their walks along the beach every morning again - with Ross who loves it of course.

We have a helicopter flying around and around quite low and very noisy - hopefully they won't be doing it for much longer so I am going to go back to bed and see if I can get to sleep. Surely they will soon find who or what they are looking for soon - I hope :(

Kathleen

Good morning Kathy,John ,brenda,Dorothy and all you others lol.
Thank goodness Liz had a much better night and only woke up once,so i feel a lot better too.
The new antibiotics and steroids are working well,and she managed to take her time ambling about without getting so out of breath ,so hopefully ,she will be back to norman in a week.
Martin ,my son,has bought the new caravan,complete with awning ,and in return for keeping it on my drive ,i can borrow it any time i like ,which saves the old pennies ,cause i won't have to buy my own.
Hissy is now used to going out in the garden a lot,and she want's out as soon as we get up,but as soon as i get her grub out ,she is back in demanding her brekkie lol.
At the moment she has found a new game,racing in the patio door ,through the lounge into the passage,then through the dining room into the kitchen,and out the back door,through the back garden ,and in the patio door again.
All this takes her all of ten seconds,ears laid back hair on end and a wild look in her eyes ,lol i still reckon this ere cat is a reincarnation of my childhood cat Iccy,even up to claws sunk in your bum after you tease her he he .
The Sunderland air show was a washout,foggy both days on the beach,so although the ground shows went ahead ,nothing was flying over the beaches,too dangerous in those conditions ,even flying that low using ground following radar,only used in these conditons on a war footing.
Hey peeps ,my garden is doing great now,i have apples on the tree,a new plum tree to nurture, tomatoes on the bushes,the hearts are coming into my calabreese,,even the peppers have started to fruit,suprising what a little sun will do.
Have to go now ,after i get that perishing cat indoors,he he ,time i was out for my walk.
Catch you all later,Fred.

Good evening to you all thats a lovely idea Fred that you will have the use of sons caravan Hope you can get away for some nice trips soon
Nice to hear of your gardening successes
The weather in NZ is really terrible at moment gales winds flooding and all sorts of havoc over the whole North Island the worst for many years and just heading down our way I suspect by now JOHN has been hit by this storm Spring is on its way soon we hope
margaret

Afternoon all,what a lovelly bunch of messages to find,I am sorry I do not have time to leave a long message ,I am off to see dads doctor at the hospital ,to see what is going on,we are getting bits of information and want it sort of straight from the horses mouth,so to speak.,will then hopefully see dad for a little visit and then going on to work.as I am on 4-8pm was on 12.30-8 but had to take some leave.
NIce to see Kathleen and Margaret.as well as Fred.
Kathleen please give Di my love I think I still have her email and if its not changed i will eamil her,
Take care ,Brenda

hello everyon brenda I hope your visit withyour dad went well and that you were able to get more information from the doctors, fred glad to hear liz ia feeling better and that the medication has stated to help, the cat sounds like so much fun glad to hear your garden is doing well. to-day I took my friend who has cancer and just months left down to brampton and we had a nice visit and luch she is a very strong and brave woman she was 4yrs clear of the breast cancer when it showed up in the lung at the moment the lung is filling she has decide to have no more treatment as far as chemo and meds are concerned she is a nursing collegue of mine and is very up to date on things and what she will do and what she won't, saying goodbye to her was difficult as I will probably not see her again unless as she puts it god decides to keep her around a liitle longer . thursday (to-morrow ) I am heading down the highway again to meet up with the new brothers wife and son I always have mixed feelings about this finding out so late in life I was adopted and dealing with all this is not easy, but I have to remember how pleased steven is to have me as a sister life can throw surprises does it not well I think I will have an early night though there is a judge john deed episode on the tv take care all of you bye dorothy

Hi everyone,was expecting dad home today but the wheels move slowly in there,he should be home tomorrow,Take care Brenda

h everyone thanks brenda for the two private messages hang in there, I had a nice day to-day with the sister in law and the little nephew quite a busy 6yr old saw lots of family photo's and lots of family history and gossip the good and the bad so a good day all in all hope everyone is fine and that liz is feeling better bye for now dorothy

Morning all,from a nice ,fresh Newcastle where i was awoken at around three this morning by a terrified Hissy cuddling in to Liz ,shivering and mewing as the lightning lit up the sky,and the thunder rattled the tiles,followed by one heck of a downpour.This storm coninued off and on for nearly two hours,so the old garden won't need a hosing today that's for sure.The cat recovered quickly once i groaned ,and got up ,further sleep impossible,and went downstairs to do my breccie,smoked mackeral this morning kitchen door and window well opened to let that lovely fresh air in ,lol.The cat was outside in the brassica for a while slinking through the cabbages and kale like a japanese soldier,stalking the flies and grasshoppers,and came in soaked ,not even stopping to wipe her paws [grrrrrr] so i gave her some fish for her breccie mixed with a little dry whiskers for extra protien ,seeing as she didn't look as though she caught any ,while i was watching anyway.Hope your dad is coming home today Brenda,and i hope he has his troubles sorted out too.The new caravan will be arriving sometime over the weekend ,after the son has had a couple of days in the lake disterict on the way home with it,cor ,i hope it has no leaks ,the rain over in the west country being a tad heavy to say the least.We are taking an amble into Newcastle this morning,to have a look round the Friday market ,held at the side of the grainger market,it's usually french ,german,scottish,welsh farmers and cheese makers selling their wares,well worth a look see,and there are plenty of seats where liz can sit and catch her breath while she has a look ,and a good sniff at the French rolls and cheeses on sale.I read that Newcastle is to lose it's green market after 4 hundred years ,because our council forced it out so that they could develope the site,they should be heartily ashamed of themselves in saying that there is no demand for it anymore ,funny that because everytime i went there it was busy,it's more a fact that the council are penny pinching after making around 2 million off the redevelopment,.I hope they get a load of stick,how dare they kill four hundred years of history without as much as a by your leave[totally out of order].  Time to go and get ready peeps ,see you in a bit ,when Fred comes home with a baguette and a good cheddar cheese for tea [yum yum].

hi have come over all hungry reading fred's post all that lovely cheese glad to hear the caravan is on its way further to my last post re the day meeting the new family members about one hour after I did that post stevens wife called all upset he had phoned and was in hospital with a swollen foot and it was black red leg with pain up into the groin but he neglected to mention what hospital he was in, so at 1-45 am your time friday morning I was on google finding hospitals in the leeds area he works in wetherby, I must say the two major hospitals in leeds were very helpful but no steve, then I found one in harrogate and sure enough they had steven he was in a/e waiting for a bed the nurse was helpful to a frantic sister who being a retired nurse had conjured up all kinds of possible problems seeing that stevens heart is in bad shape ie. a blood infection would not be good I was able to speak to him and then call his wife and reassure her, this morning I spoke to him about 2pm your time he was on a drip with mega strong antibiotics and this was making a big differance in his foot and leg he may even be able to go home late this evening your time, I was allowed to talk tohim again seeing I was calling from over here he said a wee beastie had stung him what kind I don't know and he is apparently very allergic to the wee beasties but it did take a lump out of one toe he will be given meds to take if this happens again, what an evening I had phoning all around leeds, so I am taking it very easy to-day going down to the afternoon tea get to-gether , hope we will hear more news re brenda's dad bye for now dorothy

Hi All,well you have certainly been having a very busy time dorothy,not really the way you expected to get to know about your brother,But so pleased he is on the mend,John tells me about some of the golfers who get bit by some very big wee nasties and come up in all sortd of swellings on their arms and legs,
Dad arrived home yesterday,and was very pleased.Things are not what he thought they would be.,he expected us to give him normal tea ,coffee juices etc but we can not because he can not swallow.HE was annoyed at first ,but we all sat down with him and reiterated what had been said and agreed in the hospital.Hr seems resigned now.
We will have to have someone there 24/7,the care package will not give us that much cover,but we could get an award from the Macmillan nurses for a night relief person now and again.Will have to discuss things at work again and will have to reduce my hours again if not stop all together,
Take care Brenda

We have had a very mixed day weather wise,warm and humid but trying to rain,!!!
Cooled down and got sunny at tea time.
We have sorted out a sort out time sheet for being with dad,sfor the next week or so,then we will have to see how it goes.
Off to finish some emails then watch tv.
Brenda