Friday Five!

1.  OH has been away all week drinking with his pals in Manchester, and is coming home tonight.
2.  I know I'm an ungrateful witch because he does a lot for me.... but none of the things he does for me are things I WANT him to do, and the things i DO want him to do, he either refuses or 'forgets' to do, so I'm feeling less than enthused that he'll be home tonight.
3.  Doing volunteer work for the greyhound rehoming charity... i drove a dog 50+ miles to a home visit, and the idiot would not even let me & the dog into his house!  Said he was shocked at how big the dog was, and also that it smelled and his wife would kick off if he brought that smell into the house. Then he said 'helpful tip for you...if you're trying to home these greyhounds, you should give them a bath before bringing them to meet someone'!!!  I explained that we have 47 greyhounds in the kennels and that it's just not feasible to be bathing them all the time... it'd be like painting the Forth bridge!  He just dismissed me with 'not good marketing'.  i hope that prick never gets a dog.
4.  Anyone watching Happy Valley? 
5.  Beer o'clock.  Have a good weekend, everyone.

Wow Albatross! That person has clearly never owned a dog, they sometimes get smelly. Definitely confirmed it wouldn't be a good home for them, but what a long drive for you and the poor dog.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

Albatross, I am SO relieved that that nasty man showed his true colors before he was given a doggie.  I, so sorry you had to deal with that.  But very glad both you and doggie have somewhere else to live!

1.  I’ve literally slept for a week.  Went to the spa today as per “routine” the week after chemo.  If it hadn’t been booked in with a friend, I’m sure I would have slept all day.  But I was awake and felt good for it!  Hopefully the worst of the worst is behind me now.  Will definitely be a few weeks (hopefully not months) until chemo side affects are truly gone.  But the super duper sucky ones might, just might, be behind me.

2.  Really hoping to have a few bursts around the house this weekend and next week. I got really ill just after we moved back last summer, and there is so much to organise.  Looking forward to having some order in the house!  Random, saw the house we short term let is on the market for many many millions of pounds. Gorgeous property in a gorgeous location.  House would be a massive money pit though!  Good luck to whoever bites.

3.  My son has a play date and my daughter has a party tomorrow.  We will be without kids!  The options!

4.  We booked a Northern Lights holiday in Finland for March. Let’s hope all the atmospheric conditions align and we get a show!  Nice to have clearance to travel by my enormous team of doctors.   

5.  We have hired a guy to finish our patio (we always knew it would be after the main build). I look forward to having that done as it’s SUPER obvious it is not done currently!  He starts next week.   

4.  We booked a Northern Lights holiday in Finland for March. Let’s hope all the atmospheric conditions align and we get a show!  Nice to have clearance to travel by my enormous team of doctors.   

That's one of my bucket list trips! Please let us know how it is. I hope you have a gorgeous view while there and that it's soul restoring after so many challenging months. And - use the wheelchair at the airport. Your body and fatigue levels will thank you when you arrive.

I follow a Canadian photographer who captures some of the most incredible aurora images! https://www.zizka.ca/

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

That's one of my bucket list trips! Please let us know how it is. I hope you have a gorgeous view while there and that it's soul restoring after so many challenging months. And - use the wheelchair at the airport. Your body and fatigue levels will thank you when you arrive.

I follow a Canadian photographer who captures some of the most incredible aurora images! https://www.zizka.ca/

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

Excellent idea!  I did that when I was pregnant and had high blood pressure. Massively helped!  But yes, much smarter to save energy for fun stuff and not trekking through the airport!

No points for being a hero!

4.  We booked a Northern Lights holiday in Finland for March. Let’s hope all the atmospheric conditions align and we get a show!  Nice to have clearance to travel by my enormous team of doctors.   

You have likely already seen the travel advice for Finland  post Brexit? https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/finland

Happy Friday!

1.) Doing a STEM Ambassador outreach tonight. Rock 'n' Roll Friday night! 

2.) My homebrewed weizenbock took home a bronze medal in the last competition I entered it in

3.) Playing in a RAF Voluntary band concert next weekend , but had to go on base for a  rehearsal this last week.  They told me to bring ID, so I brought my drivers license. But apparently I needed to actually bring my passport since my drivers license didn't cut it since I wasn't born in the UK. I think the gate guard was most amused at something different to have actually think about.  Luckily, it was just a band rehearsal and I was all escorted by MOD personnel whilst on base, so it was fine.   

4.) Need to start indoor sowing of seeds. Tis the season!

5.) Right, motivation... Come back! Work is calling! 

Friyay!

1.  Been a pretty quiet week.  Nice to have some time off work and mostly feel okay.  I cleaned my room this week!  LOL.  I sound like a 5 year old.  But I haven't been well since we moved back in last June.  I have finally organized all my drawers and my wardrobe.  I have EMPTY drawers because we have so much storage space now!

2.  Kids were off school Wednesday because of the strikes.  I took my kids and a friend each to a rock climbing place called Click n Climb.  The kids had a ball.  I was EXHAUSTED tracking 4 kids and making sure they could get in and out of the clipping system on each obstacle.  There were several workers helping as well.

3.  Was pretty wrecked yesterday from overdoing it on Wednesday.  I know better!

4.  Ofsted has been in one of my schools this week (Chair of the governors for 4 schools).  I actually haven't been bothered too much due to my circumstances. 

5.  We are having our patio completed and it's looking SOOO good.  I look forward to getting furniture for it.  Though the cost of garden furniture seems astronomical!

And a bonus:  should be having my spine surgery very soon.  Fingers crossed!

1.) I worked from home today. The wind chill as I type is about -31F. Unless the place was burning down or I had to get the Daughter to the ER, I'm not leaving my home until Sunday.

2.) Said Daughter has a significant job offer on the West Coast. Remote for a few months, then in person. Not sure how this is going to play out in the long run. There will not be -31F involved in that job.     Fire season, yes. There are trade-offs in everything in life.

3) Our storage company called and offered us a storage unit twice the size of the one we currently rent. We've been on a waiting list for a while, so this is a good thing. Price is only 1/2 as much again. Can't move anything until Sunday..... It'll be on the ground floor instead of one-flight up. In a climate controlled building, which is nice. Not far from our home. I'm still not sure how I accumulated all that stuff - we only shipped 850 cubic feet of goods back to the States, but we're overflowing already again. Although a lot of it is garden hoses, rakes & shovels, terra-cotta pots, etc.

4.) Having what appears to be almost the last of the Whittard Hot Chocolate mix that we brought with us, today. It's lovely. I'll miss it when it's gone.

5.) Have an excellent crop of lettuce under the lights out in the kitchen, much to the delight of the Daughter's guinea pig. The mini bell peppers have just come up and need transplanting in about a week.  Have not had such good luck with hydroponics before - I think it's having added more lighting that's making the difference.

Have a good week....

Missed Friday!  Ooopsies!

1.  Had my vertabroplasty Thursday.  Had an anaesthetist even though it’s normally done under local. Radiaologist just had a feeling that he wanted someone to just look after sedation as opposed to him doing sedation and procedure.  I’m sure it was the right choice as I remember nothing!  But it wasn’t a general. Woohoo!

2.  Radiologist seemed a bit disappointed in the result. He was only able to “cement” one side of each vertebrae as opposed to both sides.  But the one side should support the spine enough to stop the pain.  They also did cortisone shots as well. So hopefully I’ll have lots of relief.  So far I’ve felt better each day.

3.  Long day today. Diving training in Hemel Hampstead for my daughter’s diving training and then straight to Southampton.  Overnight at a hotel for a diving competition in the morning.  We are looking to it as we haven’t “gotten away” in so long.  Hoping my back doesn’t just kill after the long journeys.

4.  Had a tough week emotionally.  Things are sinking in more all the time. I am working with a good therapist but this is still a whole lot to wrap my head around.  I want to return to work for a distraction but my brain isn’t 100% yet after chemo.  Thinking of contacting them and asking for a phased restart (only took off starting second week of January).

5.  Yesterday was my first treatment of just my injection. No chemo!!  Had millions of hot flushes last night though so slightly worried that the injection has been playing into those. Oh well.  If it means being alive…. I’ll have lots of hot flushes.

Missed Friday!  Ooopsies!


4.  Had a tough week emotionally.  Things are sinking in more all the time. I am working with a good therapist but this is still a whole lot to wrap my head around.  I want to return to work for a distraction but my brain isn’t 100% yet after chemo.  Thinking of contacting them and asking for a phased restart (only took off starting second week of January).

5.  Yesterday was my first treatment of just my injection. No chemo!!  Had millions of hot flushes last night though so slightly worried that the injection has been playing into those. Oh well.  If it means being alive…. I’ll have lots of hot flushes.

It's definitely worth trying a phased return if you feel well enough for it. Don't rush recovery though, if you need more time then you should take it.

It's okay to be annoyed at side effects even if the medicine is what keeps you alive. Sometimes support groups are great for finding ways other people have minimised them/the impact on your life. I'm really glad they were able to do the spinal surgery and it sounds like the recovery will be quick!

I just wish every chronic illness had the care cancer patients do here. A child with spina bifida was found dead after lockdown and never returning to school and there has hardly been any discussion of it because her parents "let" her get obese. The poor girl was an athlete prior to the pandemic! I can't begin to imagine how terrifying and isolating her life became and I hope the parents rot in jail.

For me, the pain doctor I saw last week apologised that yet again my GP set unreasonable expectations of what the clinic is able to do, referred me back for further investigation, and based on the things I definitely have diagnosed said it'll be 5-10 years before the NHS might have treatment for me.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

And sometimes cancer care is awful too, as we sure found out in our family recently

Something needs to give with the NHS - but I hope whatever it is, it’s not a US style insurance system….  There are much better state care models around the EU

And sometimes cancer care is awful too, as we sure found out in our family recently

Something needs to give with the NHS - but I hope whatever it is, it’s not a US style insurance system….  There are much better state care models around the EU

It's awful. The commissioning system they currently have is rotten to the core and has basically adopted an American style system secretly, while providing less and less for more money.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

I know it’s easy to look at my care and be envious.  I know I look at people who found cancer early with the same rose tinted glasses. It IS hard knowing that most of my care is coming from hospice.  I wonder if that would be a path for you to take AUK?  It’s the palliative care side.  But can be hard wrapping your head around having contact with a place that is usually associated with end of life.

My week was literally:
Monday, therapist and hospice visit
Tuesday, CT, MRI, PET scan
Wednesday, blood work
Thursday, oncologist and hospital for vertabroplasty
Friday, anti-cancer injection

It’s not a fun schedule…. But I am very grateful that I have treatment!  And I’m told it won’t always be like this.

The hospice sends my medication requests to my gp and the gp is good about writing them as a repeat from there.  I had a different doctor call yesterday to confirm dosage and he asked if I wanted anything else.  He gave me sleeping pills!  My GP won’t budge on sleeping pills. And this guy just added them to my repeats.  So that was a good day.  I’m sure my gp will cancel them at first chance. LOL.

That’s the thing. Palliative care is not only about end of life, but about quality of life.

Would they refer palliative care for EDS?  That’s the bigger issue, maybe… It’s certainly complex needs, so in my mind , it fits….GP’s mind? Who knows….