Wednesday 7th October

I wasn’t feeling very happy today. I guess the fact that I couldn’t really get on with things that I wanted to do without suffering afterwards with quite a lot of pain, didn’t help. I also couldn’t concentrate. I just couldn’t get myself to do anything and it was really frustrating me. 

My doctor was due to be ringing me at 11.15 with the results of my blood tests. I think it was about 12.oo when he tried and I missed the phone call. So I tried to ring him back and he was now busy so I had to book another telephone appointment for later in the afternoon

So I finally gave up and decided to take myself away from everything, I went into town for coffee and cake. Then unexpectedly in comes Robyn. She was having a bad day at work so needed to get out in her lunch break. Dr Fisher also rang again while I was in there. I was deficient in two vitamins, Vitamin D and folate. He didn’t really know how to treat me, so told me it was best if I waited until my appointment in Birmingham on Monday and take their advice! He would leave a printed copy of my results at the surgery reception for me to collect and give to my consultant.

I think maybe because of my mood today, I decided to ring Birmingham when I got home and see if I could talk to my consultant. I left a message with his secretary and he phoned me back when he was on his way home from London! He said that he wanted to see me himself (rather than one of the other doctors) at clinic on Monday so could I please make it there before clinic started, as he always gets there early!

Bit scary that, what was wrong? But I was also a bit relieved as I wasn’t really happy with the last doctor I saw there. Hope to get some answers this time.

Monday 5th to Tuesday 6th October

Robyn was coming back from holiday today, yay 😃

I rang QE Birmingham and spoke to one of the liver doctors’ secretarys. After I told her what my problem was with my very painful joints, she said I should contact my GP first, even though I told her I had previously been told to ring Birmingham when I had any questions. So I rang my GP, all appointments with my doctor had gone but if I rang after 5.30pm there might be some extra ones going! Weird system that.

Then I had a meeting with my boss. When I saw him about a month ago he told me it was more or less up to me on how many hours and which days I started back to work. This time he had changed his mind and seemed to have worked out a plan, which im not sure I could do, or even want to do!! And he told me I couldn’t change my day off, which last time I’m sure he said I could How frustrating, aaaargh! Something else for me to try and sort out now.

Hannah had been waiting in the shop for me to finish. So I dragged her round shopping with me! Then she got her mum to meet us when she had finished work, so I got a lift back home, saved me carrying all that shopping, and I went back to theirs for a cup of tea ☕️

Then Robyn came home. It was good to have her back with me! We spent the evening having a natter, filling each other in on what we both had been doing and looking at her holiday photos through her cracked phone screen! It looked lovely there, she had a real good time.

I think she loved her bowl of apples that were waiting for her, after leaving me her instructions!

So yesterday I had eventually managed to get a doctor’s appointment for Tuesday morning. I got on the wrong bus (typical!) but luckily for me in the end it was also going to the surgery.

Dr Fisher examined my hands and feet after I explained my pain to him. Then my back, when he got to the bottom of my spine it was very painful when he was prodding around. I hadn’t expected that 😦 He took my blood and said he would ring me tomorrow with the results.

Back at home Hannah came round as it was her day off. She had brought cake, good girl Hannah! I thought she was coming round to help me clean my kitchen floor but Leah had already told her that her bedroom was a mess and did Hannah want to tidy it for her, so Hannah went in there and made a start in her bedroom instead. HANNAH 😫 So I made a start on the floor. We have the hairiest dog in the world, so before you can even begin to think of mopping, you have to get the hoover out. Then doing all round the edges on your hands and knees. Hannah did help me a little bit with this in the end.

It’s quite a job.

My poor body at the end of the day though. Agony. I probably shouldn’t have done it should I?

Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th October

Sat and did a bit of blogging this morning. A few jobs in the afternoon. A quiet Saturday until …

I got a text from my landlady saying she was coming round with her partner and the plumber. No notice given, just wanting to come straight round! Lucky I was in. And also Leah wanted a shower as she was going out in an hour. So after a heated phone call (not just about the unplanned visit) they turned up. Leah just wrapped in her towel! 😊 Then more cross words were had. I could write a book about what we’ve experienced since moving into their house, so I’m not going to bore you with it all. I have just had enough, and this afternoon turned out to be the time I decided to tell them! 😡 I’m not normally that sort of person, it has taken a lot for me to react in that way.

I was shaking when they finally all left and I felt a bit upset.

I went round to Gary’s and went straight for a shower as I was shivering from standing outside with my ‘visitors’ and I needed to try and settle myself. I got in but the water was cold and wasn’t even starting to get hotter. So back out I got, Gary had to flick a switch! and I had to wait 20 minutes for the water to warm up, still shivering. Was anything else going to go wrong this evening?

After a while I got my hot shower and Gary saved the day by making another one of his lovely curries. Chicken and cauliflower this time. Yummy!

Oh yeah, something else did go wrong didn’t it. I was sat watching the rugby, England v Australia. Say no more

Was glad to get to bed.

On Sunday I thought I had better do a bit of shopping as we had no food in the house and as Robyn was due back from holiday tomorrow, I knew she would be wanting her tonnes of fruit! 🍎🍌🍐🍊🍇 In fact the note she had left me today was to fill the fruit bowl with her favourite apples, as she was coming back home! The note she had left me for yesterday was a nice one for me though, I was allowed to choose an item of her clothing to wear at the weekend. So off to the supermarket me and Gary went, me wearing a nice jacket of hers!

Then we went into town where Banbury Canal Day was going on, so we had a wander around that. There was loads of stalls selling all kinds of things, a craft market, narrowboats, music, kids rides, tombolas. We met up with Julie and Hannah for a while, then they took off on their own! We then went around a few shops in the precinct. 

I suppose it was after about an hour of walking that my back and feet started to become very painful. I didn’t say anything at first because I hate having to spoil things, but I did start to suffer. I made up my mind then that I would contact my consultant tomorrow because surely this shouldn’t be happening, and I’m due to start back to work in November

Home, feet up, Chinese takeaway and X Factor 😃

Thursday 1st to Friday 2nd October

October 🍂 How did that happen?!

  
This is what I found under Robyn’s pillow today 😀

So it got to Thursday lunchtime and off I went. I had things to do in the town like going to the bank, buying a birthday card etc, so it fitted in quite nicely. I didn’t use your money though Robyn. I have a Cafe Nero loyalty card that I get stamped when I buy a drink from there, and I had earned myself a free one ☕️ How exciting!

Got home and into the garden I go. I think I sorted the rest of the wood from Jake’s dog kennel today. Some to my garden waste bin and the bigger bits in the pile for the tip. Oh and I moved a few flower tubs about and got some shovelfuls of dirt to put under them to level them up!

Then I cooked sausage and mash for me, Leah and Jack. Rather tasty actually!

Time for my walk. Ouch ouch ouch. It was painful. What is going on with my body? Is two walks in one day and jobs in the garden really just too much?

I couldn’t do Robyn’s challenge on Friday 😦 The first one I’ve failed. It was to take our dog Jake out for a tiny walk (he’s quite old now and he really can’t go very far). But last night the kids’ dad had come to pick him up so he didn’t get in the way for the builder, as I had been told he was coming Saturday morning to start the garden path at long last. Though I did ring him and sent him a message to see what time he’s coming, I haven’t had any reply yet

I was meeting my friend Jackie this afternoon, so I walked into town again. (Hope that counts Robyn, half of us has done the walk today 🚶)     We had a couple of mugs of tea each and a good natter!

Now for the weekend …

Monday 28th to Wednesday 30th September

Heard it was going to be a nice week weather wise! Warm and sunny. So that was it, time for jobs in the garden. Feeling a bit unwell or not, they had to be done.

I needed to transfer some things from my shed into my new garden storage chest. Then I could actually begin to move about a bit in my shed to sort things out and give it a sweep. I had old tiles to sort out so I could put them on Freecycle to try and clear them. I managed to see my neighbour and he came and took some of the wood from Jake’s old dog kennel and he also took the big wooden chairs I had been left with. I thought he might want them for firewood but I think he decided he was going to do a bit of work on them and then use them himself!

Jobs in the garden, washing on the line, along with other odd jobs in the house – a busy Monday.

I was then lucky enough to have my tea cooked for me by Jack (Leah’s boyfriend). Mince, mushrooms, pasta. Nice 🙂

Good job as I was tired and aching.

Robyn had left me a note on my bed. She had done a sort of treasure hunt for me with things to do every day. Today I found Barney (her very precious cuddly toy that she has had since very young) and I have to cuddle him every night! 

Tuesday was pretty much spent the same way, mainly in the garden. I got to use the bargain strimmer! The grass was getting long again and I had been told they were coming to start the new path at the weekend. I managed to do a bit but I found it quite heavy and it was hurting my hands. Then raking up the grass and fiddling about with other things, I was starting to suffer. I guess my busy day yesterday didn’t help either. Annoying and frustrating, but I cracked on. When Gary had finished work he came down and finished off the strimming for me while I did some of the raking.

I also had to find some time to do some adult colouring now. That was what I found today from Robyn’s note. I have to finish my pattern before she gets home!

Tonight I watched Body Donors on the TV. Did you see it? It was following two people that are terminally ill and they had decided they wanted to donate their bodies when they died to medical science. It was very sad but also very interesting. I really think that I also want to do that now. I would like new surgeons to have the opportunity of practising on me. I think it’s very important they are offered that chance. It’s not like I haven’t had it done before is it! One way I can say thank you to the NHS for my three hero surgeons. Can’t wait for next week’s episode.

More jobs in the garden on Wednesday. I carried a lot of the stuff that had just been left about to the end of the garden (some I just couldn’t lift on my own ) which will hopefully make it easier when my sister comes with her car next week to do a tip run with me. Can’t wait for that, for some reason I love going to the tip and throwing my stuff into the various massive bins!!

I also got to have two treats today though. Robyn had left me some sweets in her bedroom and I was to sit and blog while enjoying them!

Then me and Gary went out for some food in the evening. We went to Bitter & Twisted. I had a flatbread, the topping was crispy potato, cherry tomatoes, haloumi cheese, red onion and Merguez sausages. Very very tasty.

Lucky me 😃

Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th September

On Saturday we went in to Banbury as Gary needed to get his mum a birthday present. We wandered about the shops trying to find something suitable. After a while I started to feel a bit unwell again but I tried to ignore it and carried on. I managed to get a few things I needed but Gary wasn’t successful.

We also needed to go to Bicester anyway to pick up a strimmer that Gary had pre ordered, so we went to have a look around the garden centre there. Thank goodness we found some nice photo frames with a stand that he thought his mum would like.

Now to get the strimmer. But of course, nothing is ever straight forward. They didn’t have one there! What? It had been pre-ordered and we had been told to pick it up after 3pm today. So the lady said we could choose another one and she would give us a bit of discount on it because the others were all more money. Gary picked the next one up in the range. Wasn’t in stock either. So she tried to ring a couple of their other stores in Oxford to see if we could drive over there to collect it. One didn’t have any in stock either and she couldn’t get through to the other. Other people were now waiting, Gary was starting to get frustrated, she was too. She then suddenly said to go and get the other one, it was about £80, and she just reduced it down to the price of the original one we wanted, £30!! What a bargain! Worth the wait and all the hassle after all.

Called into Chippy Co-op to get some food then back to watch the rugby. England v Wales. We lost didn’t we 😦

On Sunday morning I went back home to spend some time with Robyn as she was going on holiday tomorrow. I spent the morning getting the bins ready to go out for collection!, chatting about things with Robyn and getting upset! Silly I know but I’ve always been like it. I don’t like saying goodbye to people and I was going to miss her. She likes to nag me but she looks after me well 😇

In the afternoon I went to Gary’s mum and dads. Emma was doing her grandma afternoon tea as it had been her birthday yesterday, and we were lucky enough to be invited too 🙂

  
It was great. Well done Emma 😃

Now back home to Robyn and time to say bye 👋 Will miss you loads 😦 please be careful, but have a great time ✈️☀️

Friday 25th September

Happy Birthday Hannah 🎁🎂

A day out for Hannah’s birthday today. We were going to Bounce near Milton Keynes. Lots of indoor trampolines!

Robyn, Leah and Hannah had a great time bouncing around, getting tired out very quickly. Very unfit or just getting old?!!   

Me and Julie just watched the fun. Would I have been able to take part? I really don’t know. My body kills when I’ve just been walking for an hour, so I dread to think what it would be like after bouncing for an hour
I did get to join in when we went through to another room though. We got to play table tennis and table football. Both great fun 😃  

We then went to a local Toby Carvery pub (birthday girl’s choice) for a nice lunch. I had a bit of both pork and beef with some vegetables, lovely roast potatoes and a bit of mash too. It was very nice. 

Then we were heading for home when Hannah decided a trip to Hobbycraft would be a good idea so she could spend her birthday voucher that Leah had got for her. Hannah likes to do decoupage and scrapbooking, so lots of things for her to choose from there. It even made Leah want to get in the spirit of things, and she got a few little bits and pieces so she could make a start on her scrapbook which she had got for CHRISTMAS!!!

Eventually we made it back to Julie’s and it was finally birthday cake time! YAY! 

It was delicious 😋

Thankfully I had felt a little better today and I managed to be able to enjoy the lunch and a bit of cake, as well as have some fun. It was nice for us all to be together. Thanks for a lovely day everyone 😃

Wednesday 23rd to Thursday 24th September

Didn’t feel very well when I woke up this morning. Funny head, slightly dizzy, weak and wobbly, feeling sick at times so off of food a bit, all that kind of stuff. Nooo, not again 😦 I hate it when I don’t feel well now, it really gets me down. Guess I lived like that for so long and now I’m better I don’t like going back to a ‘sick’ day.

Especially as the weather was quite nice and I have a garden that I am trying to sort out. I get very frustrated when I can’t do things that I have planned to do in my head. And being outside jobs I obviously have to rely on the weather, I don’t fancy getting soaked doing it. I have piles of wood I need to get rid of where Gary dismantled Jake’s old dog kennel for me, old wooden garden chairs that the previous tenant were kind enough to leave with me!  a shed to sort which has some junk in that I brought with me from my old house, old tiles to sort and get rid of, need a run to the tip, the list goes on and on. None of this was going to happen today though 😦

Also I never know if I should see a doctor or not. Everyone seems to tell me I should. But I’ve seen enough of doctors to last me a lifetime and I don’t want to be one of those people that are always there unnecessarily. I checked and I didn’t really have a temperature so that also made my mind up for me that I wasn’t going to ring for an appointment.

Anyway I did try to carry on with my day as normal, as I always do, and I did manage a few other things but I know that I needed to sit down a lot and just do nothing at times

In the afternoon I walked along to see Julie and Hannah to give myself a mini trip out of the house.

Thursday I still was feeling the same. I really needed to get some things from town but as I had mainly just been at home for two days I really wanted to go out later for my weekly walk with friends, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to manage two walks today, feeling like I did. So I ditched the town idea and even though I knew it was going to be tough going I went out for my evening walk instead. I needed to be in touch with some people from the outside world for a bit! It was nice as it was a lovely evening but yes, my body WAS finding it difficult.

Hope I feel a bit better tomorrow, got a day out planned.

Monday 21st to Tuesday 22nd September

Julie and Hannah are both on holiday from work this week. So on Monday, after Robyn had been to the gym 💪 and then on to yoga (is she mad ) we went to meet them in Cafe Nero. Then we popped into Co-op to get a bit of shopping. I saw a few of my colleagues and told them I would be back to work soon. I am looking forward to it now but I do wonder if it will still be the same as the shop has been rebuilt since I’ve been away and has doubled in size I would say. There’s now loads more staff obviously. Somehow I don’t think it will still be the same atmosphere to work in, but I’ll give it a go and see what happens! After the shopping was done me and Robyn went back with Julie and Hannah and had a cup of tea with them. A ‘spending time with the family’ day!!

Tuesday was just spent at home. In the evening I went out with some of the girls from work and some others that are not from Co-op, for a meal. When I was working the same group of us used to go out for each other’s birthdays. Obviously I have now missed quite a few of these through being unwell and not really seeing the girls, so when I saw Violet in the shop yesterday she said they were actually going out tonight and did I want to join them? Good for my confidence building as I’m going to be working with some of them again soon. A funny evening.

Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September

After my day out yesterday I had some jobs to do about the house so I think that’s what I spent Friday doing. Then in the evening I walked through the fair with Gary this time. We called in to the pub to have a drink before going home. As the Rugby World Cup is going on at the minute they have it playing on the TVs in there. I had a great time watching the blokes lined up along the bar and glued to the screen, shouting at the ref, so involved in the game that they seemed to be oblivious of everything else that was going on. Then also watching everyone coming in and out, some with the teddies they had won from the fair! Fun evening.

On Saturday we had a wander around Charlbury Street Fair. They have a few kids fair rides but also one of the roads gets closed and they have stalls there with people selling their homemade crafts, charity tombolas etc and different foods. Classic cars to look around and a fire engine. All that kind of stuff. The organisers were lucky as it was a lovely day. We saw Gary’s mum and dad so had a quick chat with them and then had a drink in the pub there. 

In the evening Gary decided he wanted to cook a curry! Very very tasty 😋

Sunday was Chippy Jazz day. Different bands play in different places around the town. Mainly in the pubs. Normally we would go and watch quite a few of these bands but Gary didn’t seem that interested in going until later so I went to see my sister Julie and Hannah (and Robyn, who was at their house too). They were playing a board game when I got there, called The London Game. This game has been in our family for years, it’s based on the London Underground, my mum used to love playing it. Hannah had some chocolates on the go too. It was a proper Sunday afternoon like we used to have years ago, before everything changed 😦 Miss you terribly mum 💔

Later me and Gary went to watch one of the jazz bands that were playing in the Blue Boar. They weren’t my cup of tea so I didn’t really listen to them in the end. So I sat and had a chat with some other people that were in the pub instead!

All these pubs I seem to be going into lately! Just to let you know my drinks are ALWAYS still non alcoholic. Don’t worry I’m not abusing my new liver already. I normally just have tonic water. I just like to get out and about and see people when I get the chance.