We have a scan date, Monday but I've had to chase it up myself and explain how stressful it is, so as the saying goes, shy bairns get nowt!  So a happy equilibrium until the post comes and hubby has to fill a new driving licence form in and it asks him to list his organs for donation!  I ended up making a joke of it and said, give them your lungs that will give them a challenge.  Not doing much else as I'm out tomorrow to see Swan Lake by the Russian ballet company, very excited.  Thank you all for yiur support, this forum is such a bonus and it's lovely the way we boost each other up with good news, so thank you River and well done.  Chrissie are you having a great time?  So see you all tomorrow.  Love Carol x 

Hi sue your certainly having varying weather over there. Bren was not to bad kept phoning every hour. Got a lovely bruise from the needle. Still seems strange injecting radiation into your body. Someone came to fit wiring for ceiling hoists while I was in hospital i told them after 3.00when I'm home but no they came at 12.30 so they couldn't doit because things in the way. It was supposed to be done before Xmas.. Hope you and all the "ladies" are keeping going, not a very good start to the year yet for quite a few of them and hubby's of course. Love.... Billy xxx 

Morning! We had a lovely time yesterday as it was my step grand daughters 6th birthday. We all met at my sisters to have takeaway pizza, birthday cake and presents for the birthday girl. It did hubby good to get out and he enjoyed himself but he tires so quickly. I made her cake and if I can see how I'll post a picture! No one can help with his breathing it seems. It's lack of lung capacity that's the problem. Today is Saturday which means football for him this afternoon. Felixstowe are playing at home and he is inundated with offers to take him! Have a fabulous time at the ballet Carol! I've never been to a ballet but think I should put it on my bucket list! Looking forward to hearing about it. Your photo of Ella is beautiful. Will be keeping everything crossed that the scan goes well on Monday. Sue your soup sounds delicious, just what the doctor ordered! Hope you had a good catch up with your friend. And Billy I hope you're recovering from your hospital visit. Why do people never listen when you give them specific times?! I have another note for another 2 weeks off work, at this rate I'll still be off sick when my auntie arrives we have decided to see about having a stair lift fitted. We live in a house with no downstairs bathroom so climbing the stairs is really difficult for him. I said that if we had that fitted he could still feel as if he was living normally rather than a bed downstairs and a commode! Hospice nurse was very nice and has arranged for me to have some counselling. I think and hope this will help me, the doctor wants to give me pills but I said I'm not depressed just affected by this situation! I hope you all have a lovely Saturday, take care as always, love Anthea xx[[]]

Hi anthea lovely cake shame i can't reach it looks nice enough to eat. Love the design. We thought about a stair lift other year but never mind where it went it was in the way of something. In the end we got a lift it costs more but you can put it nearly anywhere, within reason. And it's very handy for taking things up or down rather than carrying. Hope you get things sorted soon. Love Billy xxx 

We hadn't thought about a lift! something else to think about. I'll be making some calls on Monday. The cake went down well although that fondant icing is a bit too sweet! Looks nice but you can't eat much. It's a hobby of mine to make cake toppers. It's quite therapeutic to just sit and mould the shapes. This afternoon I have making been some cup cake toppers for a baby shower. February is a busy time for me with cakes as it's my daughters, sisters and brother-in laws birthdays. Enjoy your Saturday evening , love Anthea xx

Hi anthea it's up to you. But if you think about a lift have a look at" STILTZ"thats what we got. Best wishes......... Billy 

I've seen the ballet and it was absolutely wonderful.  The ballerina who danced both the white and black Swan was like a human Swan, it sent shivers down my spine.  Margaret and I were near to tears at the end when she danced her dying Swan.  But when hubby picked us up he said one of the swans was out the back having a *** still wearing her headdress, sort of spoilt the magic!!  I'm off to my brothers in the morning and then having lunch with Sue, so I'll catch up with all the chat when I'm back home tomorrow afternoon.  Take care, love Carol x 

Hi lovely friends, caught up with all your news and it looks like you've all been busy little bees.  I left hubby home alone and went to see my brother but they'd shut the A66 west so I had to go all the way to Richmond and do a big loop de loop.  Everywhere is wet and muddy and as I tried to cross the road between two cars I nearly got wiped out by a cyclist whizzing through the village, how we missed each other I don't know but I managed to not drop the whiskey.  Karen is a heavy smoker and they also now have three cats, two big bearded Dulux dogs and within five minutes I stank of smoke, had a cat hair in my eye and Rebus and Morse had licked me to death!!  I managed an hour and then drove to Sue's with my window down and my heating on full blast!  Luke and Hannah have gone skiing in Canada so she's got Luna who apart from staring me out for my scone is beautifully behaved.  When I got home he was asleep so I crept about until he came too.  Oh he says I only sat down about fifteen minutes ago, I'd been home for an hour and a half by now, maybe he needs a new watch!  We've had tea and it's scan day tomorrow, that should be fun travelling back in the dark on the A66 when it's home time for the workers, I hate driving in the dark.  See you tomorrow, love Carol x 

So the usual not stress free hospital visit.  Hubby was on edge all day, he's not felt well these last couple of days and not being able to have numerous cups of tea and crumpets was not his thing.  We arrive at the hospital and I drop him as near as I can to the unit but it's still a long walk.  I find a parking spot and get glared at by a man in the disabled bay because obviously I don't look disabled, make my way to the machine, key registration number in, 20 minute ticket, so I do it again putting money in, another twenty minute ticket, do it again, another twenty minute ticket, so I now have three tickets timed, 4.21, 4.22and 4.23!  Off I trudge to the main reception and I'm told I'm the fifth person to complain. So why doesn't someone stick a bloody notice on the machine.  Back to scan unit, he's already gone the lady tells me, oh OK I'll have a coffee I say, staying calm, they've all gone home she says you'll have to go back to the main hospital but I'll give you a call.  So back to the main part, a coffee and scillian lemon Muffin, call Faye but the reception is so bad we both text each other saying, I GIVE UP!  5.30pm.hubby appears in a wheelchair and off I go again to get the car and pick him up.  He's fine but starving so we decided to get a Chinese, all the way back home we pull into the car park and I walk to the shop, it's shut, they don't cook on Mondays.  Off we go to the other side of town and finally we arrive home at 7pm.with food.  Needless to say I've just had a gin and tonic!  Off to Stockton in the morning for a ten minute pre op assessment. Love my life.  Carol xx