Dear Carol,  Been really busy with babysitting Eli and tonight the kids were here for tea.  Will catch up properly tomorrow.  I hope Norman feels better tomorrow.  

How long before Norman's next scan?  At least having that done he should get a good check-up and sort out some of his problems.

Take care, love to you both.  Sue xx

My poor husband had his worst night ever since his diagnosis.  We had to feed him tramadol and voltarol to ease the horrific pain.  Why this is happening now with the phantom pain is a mystery but suggesting that he see the GP was met with silence.  I managed to get him to bed without falling over, checked him early doors, a cup of tea and back to sleep until now (10.30am) but still he has a wheeze.  I've crept around all morning (it's like having a tiny baby) and done all sorts of jobs so I can concentrate on him now.  So no plans fir us tiday, he needs to get some strength back.  I'm watching rubbish breakfast TV and it's the summer solstice, it would be nice to actually have a summer, after last year it's pretty disappointing.  Dear Sue, look forward to hearing from you later, Norman is seeing a consultant on the 5th July, so probably a chest X Ray, no scans planned as yet.  Love Carol x 

Hi Carol. Oh dear poor Norman. He is certainly going through it at the moment. Do hope he is better later today. It’s hard on you too especially with broken nights. Make sure you put your feet up this afternoon. I saw my GP yesterday. She is lovely and really listens and takes my hands to comfort me when I get upset. Still got stomach and back trouble and no energy. Feel weak and sick. She thinks it’s the antidepressant she put me on that’s causing the sickness so I’m on a different one now. Hope it does the trick. To crown it all my right knee is really painful and I’m limping. I’ve had one new knee. Looks like I need another but couldent face it yet. She says it’s the chemo affecting my body. Got appointment for ultra sound scan on my stomach next Thursday. Will be glad when result comes through hopefully good. We are a lot aren’t we but at least the sun shining today. My daughter Debbie bought me a garden water fountain for my birthday last year. It’s solar and it’s lovely and relaxing to listen to. I’ve just hung a line of washing out and tidied up and now weak as a kitten I am sitting down yet again. Hi Sue. Lovely to read your news. You sound as if you have been busy babysitting. Grandchildren bring such joy don’t they. Lots of love and hugs girls. Hope things start to improve soon for us all. Gloria xxx

Dear Carol,  More babysitting tonight, well in a fashion.  Nick has to work Saturday morning, and Deana is off to the flower market, then work, so I am going over there shortly.  I get most of my knitting done while he is asleep.  Will get him up when he wakes and give him breakfast, then Nick's Mum will watch him till one of them finishes work.  I went to the movies tonight and saw "Rocketman".  It was so good.  I've always like Elton John and have seen him a few times live.

Love your comment about the stress balls.  The drive to Cumbria would have been nice.  Sometimes when you're lost you find wonderful that spots that you would never have gone to otherwise.  And at least you found your way home later for cake and tea.  I hope your satnav in the new car is easy to use... We borrowed a friends to use when we went to Sydney a couple of years ago and in the end Neil turned it off.  It's still cold here.  We had a low of 0° yesterday, and not much higher for the morning. 

Stress does all sorts of things to us, including making us tired as well as short-tempered and a lack of patience.  It was nice that Norman had a day catching up with Don for a chat and a beer and came home content albeit tired.  I think men need time with their male friends.  It is such a shame nobody rang and told your about your Aunty Marion's passing.  I understand the circumstances but find it hard to understand why they wouldn't tell family at least.  Having dementia changes the sufferer and I'm sure she was never that way inclined prior.  My own mum had dementia and when she was in hospital she was restrained due to being violent,  Prior, while she could get fired up she was never violent and abhorred violence.  You should still have been given the chance to ay your goodbyes.  

Glad your enjoyed your day shopping with Mary.  The maple sound like a lovely present for Lisa.  Sorry to hear that Norman is having a rough time,  Hope his not eating doesn't last long.

It's not good that Norman has had his worst night since diagnosis.  The tramadol will make him feel better for a while but like you suggested I think he should see the GP.  We do tend to creep around so they can rest, and get things done as they rest.  Hope Norman has a better night tonight.  For all the TV channels we have it's amazing there is so little to watch that's decent.  I've got to the stage where I don't even turn it on anymore till 5.00pm, and even then it's not guaranteed it's worth watching.  At least it's not too long till Norman sees the consultant, and hopefully he'll give him a thorough examination and try to find out what's going on.

Gloria, Grandchildren really are wonderful, I love watching Eli.  It's tiring though, he is getting so active and wants you to play now.  He's is such a funny little boy, almost can'[t call him a baby anymore.  With luck the change of medicine will improve how you feel.  I know it's hard when you don't feel well, but try and keep moving, knees seem to get worse when we slow down.  Like you I've had one new knee and the other definitely needs doing (it was supposed to get done not long after Neil was diagnosed, but I cancelled) and now that I'm by myself I'm doing so much more, and some weight loss too, but my knee has actually improved immensely, it still needs doing at some stage but I'm happy to wait now.

Will leave to go to Deana's shortly.  Take care ladies, lots of love.  Sue xx

Dear Sue and Gloria, thanks for the lovely chatty messages I enjoy reading them and knowing you are both more or less doing well.  Gloria, if you are anything like Norman the fatigue is so bad.  He's asleep again but his body obviously needs it.  I'm sorry you are having a rough time again, please let us know what happens.  I knelt on a thorn yesterday and made my knee bleed, this seems to be the only part of me falling to bits, but I keep exercising to keep supple and have a knee bandage if it gets too bad.  I suppose by our three score years and ten somehow parts will start going wrong (Sue I know you're younger!!). So I've just booked a train to see Lisa at the princely sum of £90 but hubby said he didn't care how much it cost as he appreciated I want to see our little girl, little in height, not age!  So today my boot wouldn't open, I'd bought a new garden rake, you should have seen me trying to get it in the car!  Off to Lookers garage, £270, but they will kindly discount it to £187.  I'm not paying either I fumed and got in and drove off!!  So I'm going to my brothers garage on Monday, taking him for lunch and let my lovely Toni sort it out, he's nearly fifty now and has worked for our firm since he was 16 years old.  So a trip to Richmond and hopefully a boot that I can get into.  No idea what we're having for tea as he's still not hungry, but has eaten a little more today.  I did giggle to myself as Margaret called me, she'd been to Portugal on holiday with a friend, she snored so loudly she ended up sleeping in the bath with a blanket, got a chest infection three days in and has been ill since getting back, Christine and Ron who kept posting me with holiday snaps ended up with a chest infection and a rotton cold, they didn't get much sympathy from me!!  Only joking, they're good friends and I'm sorry they're ill.!!! Xx

Dear Carol,  

£90 sounds very expensive for a train ticket within the UK.  Our dearest full fare is $80 and if you're a pensioner you can halve that.  Our Australian dollar you can roughly halve to equal your pound.  And England is rougly half the size of Victoria.  I hope they are able to get your boot open.  Your poor friends all becoming ill while on holidays

So good to hear Norman seems better today.  Like you when I went to parties as a child all we came home with was a piece of birthday cake and we were happy with that.  Some parents now really go overboard with treats for kids to take home.  I personally think a piece of cake or a lolly bag should be plently.  Lucky you being able to sit in the garden on a sunny day, still bitterly cold here, 2° at present, and it's supposed to get colder.  I've turned the heater up today.  "Yesterday" looks really good, I saw a preview of it at the movies the other night, thinking of going when it comes to our local theatre in a couple of weeks.  Like you I used to tape of the radio, although I never bothered to transcribe the words.  Now you can get all the words of the internet.  Killing Eve is a great show, I;ve watched a few episodes.

Lazy day her as I was tired after watching Eli this morning.  Deana and Nick did come over this afternoon to put together a shelving unit for the garage, so hopefully in time the garage will be organised.  Not much else happening this weekend.

Take care, love to all.  Sue xx

 

So today we have a quiet day the go for a drink to our local Pub, have a chat with others and make our way home to have a light tea.  Hubby notices that the car behind is driving really close and is intimidating us, ignore it I say, that's weird he says he's followed us into our cul de sac.  I get out the car thinking he's wanting directions to a house but he tries to get down the drivers side of the car berating hubby who isn't even out yet with does he know the highway code.  He's bearded, smoking a roll up and is about 30 years old, I ask him to leave but he refuses. Calls hubby an old man which riles him even more, a slanging match ensues until I threaten to call the police, he still won't leave, I've had a drink and see red!!  *** off now I tell him or I will call the police, how dare you follow us home to our drive and start on us, he still won't leave until hubby swears at him and I get my mobile phone out.  What is wrong with people nowadays, all this because he says we didn't follow the rules at the roundabout.  What if he comes back and keys our cars or does damage to the house?  It takes me back to when Norman was assaulted in the hospital after see the consultant, it makes me shake and my temper flares because he can't protect himself from these bullies.  So a lovely day ruined because of one man's warped sense of what is right.  If people thought beforehand life would be happier.  Take care all, love Carol x 

Dear Carol,
That sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable regardless of whether Norman did anything wrong or not.  You should have called the police.  I doubt he will come back but I'd probably take some precautions regardless.  If Norman had been a big burly 30 year old it probably wouldn't haven't gone as far as it did.  Glad neither of you were hurt though.  Very few these days stop to think what effect their actions will have on someone else.  Such a shame your day was ruined.  I assume Norman was feeling ok prior as you had gone out for a drink and a chat.

A quiet day here, I didn't venture out.  We have had the coldest June day in about 36 years.  At least tomorrow we will get a bit of sun although still going to be cold.  I get my nail done tomorrow, and on the way home I have to buy cat food.  Then aqua balance tomorrow night.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Take care, Love to all.  Sue xx
 

So by 9.30am this morning this had happened.  The phone rang, it was Anne my neighbour who's on holiday, Dave thinks he's shut Chester the cat in the house!  Seeing as I don't have keys I'm bemused as to how to help.  I thought you took it to the cattery when you go away, we do she said, so who took it, I don't know she states. I'm totally lost and say I don't understand what she's saying, it's Josies cat Chester she says ours is called Molly.  Well that's good because Josie went to Crete yesterday and I can't imagine her not bothering where the cat was.  OK it's Dave is worrying, that's great now I'm worried that the cat maybe locked in a house!  Phone rings again, my brother, he's fallen over a sty walking the dog, done a Handstand and twisted his foot, it's very swollen he says so we're not going for lunch!  Sarah turns up just as Josies sister arrives so I dash across the road, relay the story about the cat, oh crikey she says we've just put food down assuming he was about!!  Anyway, she's just called back, Chester is curled up on the Chesterfield sofa (oh maybe that's where his name comes from) and all.is well.  I sent an e email to the police about last night, just got a reply, their inbox is full so it won't go!!  I give up. I feel like singing the song I hate Monday's I want to shoot everybody down!  Sue, I took your advice as you can see, our police are pretty useless nowadays with regard to minor incidents but I tried.  There is so much aggressive behaviour now, its scary, how would they cope with what we've coped with?  Wrap up warm as it sounds pretty cold there, I don't mind winter as I was a winter baby, my feet don't swell, my bust doesn't get bigger and I don't get too hot!  Take care Sue, I noticed Annie is back on line she may pop by when she has time.  Much love, Carol x