Been reading a lot of people being floored by the 4th jab. Seems to be a pattern.

Due to my age, i initially got the AZ jabs, and the first one floored me for 2 days. I remember the first night, i was up having a cold shower at 3am. The shower felt warm, but i knew it was cold because my hands were fine and the water was Baltic. 2nd and 3rd was completely fine. I think the 3rd one was a Moderna, and i was fine. Caught covid around February and had it not been for my wife testing positive due to a high temp during chemo, I would never have known i had it. I was one of the very lucky ones that had zero symptoms at all. I simply wouldn't have ever tested myself under normal circumstances, so i can fully understand why some people went about their business and spread the virus unwittingly.

About Moderna, my wife took a reaction to it. Her arm swelled up around the injection site and remained hard for around 2 weeks. She wouldn't take that one again. She was fine with the actual virus too, but she got those antibodies via IV they give out to chemo patients with compromised immune systems.

It all just seems to be a lottery with that virus.

Was reading this morning that the flu is gonna be the one to watch out for this winter. Australia had it really bad and is used as a gauge for the rest of the world how things will pan out. So will get that this year even though i don't normally bother about it.

Hi everyone, not a lot of good news on this thread at the moment!  My friends had their injection last weekend and both suffered badly, I'm putting mine off until after Faye has been home.  Did my ballet class today and ache all over.  I'm up early tomorrow as I have to be at the cottage for nine am as the bed is being delivered, they've paid an extra £20 to carry it upstairs Lisa says so I don't worry, I'm not worried I say, it would have been dumped in the front room!  I'm not dragging a single bed upstairs on my lonesome.  I've just noted that their is now a class on in Darlington to teach women to stay safe I may do that as well, looks like fun. I did my Alpha class Tuesday, parked by the side of the church and walked the long way round, when I came out I didn't realise how dark it was and couldn't see the path as there was not a light in sight, it was really scary as the path curves this way and that between the gravestones and I kept ending up on the grass instead of the path, well you all know how  accident prone I am I honestly thought I d end up falling over a headstone and someone finding me next day amongst the dahlias and bushes, I couldn't turn back as it was as dark backwards as front wards!!  Suddenly I saw a light in a window far off on the village green like the North Star and headed for that, Lisa said why didn't you use your torch on your phone Mum, because I'm old School and you leave your mobile in the car when entering church.  Anyway after all that I'm not sure I'm going back, it would have been interesting but people go off message and try to insert their own agenda into the chat, mind the food was good!!  So a busy weekend ahead which is great as I usually spend mine all alone. Take care, Carol x 

Hi Billy,

i also had the Moderna booster and it wiped me out for about the same time. I hope the flu jab doesn't also have a bad reaction, it doesn't usually.  
I am sorry your numbers are going in the wrong direction, but I know you usually feel a bit better off the meds..

I hope you get your carers sorted. A friend of mine who needs carers four times a day is struggling to find an agency who will accept him. He is still on emergency care because the last agency said he lived too far away for them to take him on. 
Good luck!

Christine xx

Hi Carol,

Spooky wandering around a grave yard?  Lovely! NOT.  When I was a student, I got a part time job selling Tupperware, it was ok, the demonstrating was fun and I met a lot of nice people, but, if you remember, people at the parties were encouraged to host one of their own, for a free item.  Now, at that time I didn't drive, so I used to cart a massive suitcase around with all my demo goods, on buses, trains, you name it. One night I was holding a party at a house on the outskirts of a town, where I really didn't know the way.  I found the house ok, after a long long walk from the bus stop, so when I had finished and packed up, I asked the hostess if there was a quicker way to the bus home. She gave me directions, to turn right at the corner of the street and keep going for about two hundred yards and I would see a bus stop on my right. So, happy because it had been a successful party with lots of sales, I set off. I got to the corner of the street and turned right. In the distance I could see street lights but there was at least a quarter of a mile of pitch dark open ground between us.  I relived that journey when I read your graveyard story.  I was terrified. I was carting this massive suitcase, in the dark across rough ground fearing for my life!  I stumbled a few times but, fortunately the rapists and robbers I was worried about had taken that night off and I got to the bus stop just in time to catch the last bus!   

I have booked my flu jab.  I got an urgent sounding text telling me to book it, but when I clicked the link the first available date was October 15th. I booked it because I also saw the news about Australia's flu season being a bad one. I used always to catch it when there was a bad year, until I was old enough to get the jab, and I've never had it since, and I don't want it!  It will have been a month between my Covid and flu jabs, which I think, will be long enough not to cause any problems. Alas, I can't have my knee injections until at least two weeks after the flu jab. I hope the old joints don't let me down before then.

My son has had the surgery on his wrist and it is nearly all metal now. The list of plates and screws etc that had been fitted to the bones was so long I couldn't believe it. He isn't in too much pain, now, and is, hopefully healing well.

My daughter did go out with her friend, on Sunday night, and she had four, FOUR, Strongbows.  The friend walked her home, fortunately because she must have been really drunk.  She gets very giggly after two. I went round on Monday morning with cake and took her dog out, with mine, for a nice walk.  She was so grumpy! I told her the cake was banana, pecan and caramel cake, to which she replied that she doesn't like the taste of ripe bananas, which were, presumably what were in the cake, and was there any milk in the caramel, as if I didn't know she is dairy intolerant!  I said nothing, just took the dogs out for a good walk, dropped Bobbin back at hers and said Goodbye Grumpy and left.  Later that evening I got a text, "Yummy cake, xxxxx"  Kids!

Take care

Christine xx

Hi Christine, we think we're pretty brave until it comes down to the nitty gritty, like you no one was lurking in the graveyard!  Talking about kids Lisa asked me to drive up to the cottage for delivery of the bed between 9am and 12 noon.  I set the alarm for 7.30am  but it must have been on my mind because I had a horrible night's sleep and dreamt that my car had been stolen and all the drama that went with that in real life but in my dream.  So I set off at 8am and arrived in time to get a coffee and custard Danish to eat in the house whilst waiting.  By 9.30am I was bored so I took the secateurs and spent an hour and a half cutting the apple bushes back and the Bush hanging over the outside pavement, anyone that passed and stopped was given apples in poo bags as that was all I could fined in the house.  It was so cold and blowing a gale that when I got home I had to have a shower and wash my hair again.  The lawn needed mowing but that's a love too far!  Your poor son, at least the metal will keep him together like Lisa's leg metal does.  Faye arrives tonight and is out with her friends tomorrow night, Ella and I are choosing a movie and eating popcorn whilst snuggled on the sofa.  Not sure if Alfie coming but it doesn't matter either way.  So take care, not looking forward to neither of my injections.  Carol, x

Hi dear Christine  .has your friend heard of (visiting angels )carers  new in our area we heard through our carer and asked adult social care about them, really good reputation. 

Were with CRT not very good. Our carers going to angels. 

Got appointment for bone scan 17 oct, just ct  now. 

Glad your son is getting sorted. 

I'll not say much about graveyards, but at least you survived.  2weeks ago cancer count 9.7 so definitely going up 4month ago 1.6 haven't told Brenda she worries about me enough when i struggle sometimes. Not to worried yet last jump was 65 before new treatment. 

Love Billy xxxx 

Hi Carol and Billy,

I am sitting in my living room, being glared at by a disgruntled Sheltie, who wants to go out, but not in the wind and rain. I think he blames me for the weather!

I have been out today to buy a new electric blanket!  At only 80 watts I can afford to get into a warm bed at night, even if I can't afford to put on the heating. At the moment I don't need the heating, I wrap up warm during the day and go to bed early. A hot meal and hot drinks are enough for now, although I don't think they will be enough in a month's time!  I don't have a smart meter so I can't tell which would be more expensive, my electric heater in one room or the gas heating the whole house on 18 degrees. My bungalow is only three rooms plus kitchen and bathroom so it doesn't use too much, I don't think.  My son said he will be really cross with me if he finds out I'm not keeping warm, so I will experiment.  I am actually in credit with my supplier, and my direct debit has already gone up by 30% and we will be getting the help from the government so I shall wait to see what kind of bill I get next month to decide what I do. If it means digging into the savings,well that's what they are there for.

I smiled at the dream you were having, Carol.  I'm the same if I know I have to be up early for something,  I toss and turn all night, stressing about being late.  I don't have to worry about that kind of thing, these days, I make sure I book appointments for later in the morning, so I can still have a leisurely shower and breakfast before venturing out.  

Billy, I haven't heard of Visiting Angels, I don't think they work in this area.  I hope they are better for you. My friend's biggest problem is he doesn't believe he needs as much help as he does, and he begrudges paying for something he doesn't think he needs.  He got a big shock the other day.  His Sky Tv box wasn't working properly and he knew it only needed rebooting, so he decided to switch the plug off and on again, except he can't walk! He fell! Fortunately he fell on top of a pile of soft packets of wipes and pads, so he didn't hurt himself.  He, somehow, managed to pull himself up onto an armchair right beside the plug and then couldn't move.  He tried calling his sons, and a neighbour (male) and as a last resort he called me.  I was easily able to get him up and across to his recliner chair that he lives in, with the help of his walking trolley, but he was so upset that he couldn't do something as simple as switching the plug off and on. He hated having to ask for help, especially from me, because he doesn't think it's a woman's job!  I worry about him, but he's an adult, His body doesn't work but his brain is better than mine, so he makes his own decisions. I hope the incident has made him realise that he needs more care than he is getting.

The wind and rain are still having a good old time out there.  I'm glad we're not in the track of the hurricane.  Florida is being destroyed, and it's moving up to Georgia and the Carolinas. I lived in that part of the States for several years in the 90's and know exactly what it is like from the hurricanes that we used to get, and they were small compared to this "Ian"!

Good luck with your bone scan, Billy, although it's a couple of weeks away yet.

Take care, friends

love

Christine xxx
 

Dear all, I m sorry I've been missing but it's been a funny week and days are going fast.  Billy I'm sorry things aren't so good at the moment, it's such a roller coaster isn't it.  Christine I love all your updates, you seem to be like me always on the end of everyone's problems without even trying.  Faye and Ella left Sunday pm and had a good journey home so I could relax for the night.  I've no idea what I did Monday, probably just tidied up.  Tuesday I tried a Quing class which is all about breathing and balance but I was so bored! Everyone was taking it so seriously but I kept peeking through half closed eyes (supposed to be shut) to see what they were doing.  So for the uninitiated, it's like Tai Chi, you smack yourself all the way down your arms, down your legs, up the inside, across your chest, back down again, then hold your palms where your chakra is and your pancreas, to heal it all (I think mines pickled in gin and beyond saving with hand motions!).  I was so bored and thought I've paid six pounds for this!!  After twenty minutes we stood on one leg like a flamingo and stretched up, then we swooped the floor with our arms and then patted ourselves again all over!!  So as you've probably gathered I wasn't impressed.  We all went to the pub for coffee but I was home within and hour and a half.  I met Olwen for coffee in town and had a catch up but Florence is still not well so no quiz night.  Yesterday I did some studying for my first hospital visit which is Monday, I'll do some more tomorrow so I'm up to date.  Ballet class this morning but I was sound asleep in bed when my phone pinged, 8.15am it was Debbie who is in Portugal!  They were expecting a delivery and Norman's brother in law was taking it in, they'd seen him in the doorbell camera and he was sat in the car and they thought he had forgotten the key, would I let him in.  I had bedhead hair, pj's on and had no idea where my key was as Faye had tidied up when my Norman died.  Anyway I found the key, put my mac over my nightwear and tramped across the wet lawn in my slippers, went to open the door and it was open, the brother in law opened the car door, morning Carol he says, I explained that Debs had texted me, oh no he says I've sat in the car because of my work gear and I've forgot my phone!!  I smiled sweetly and said that's OK as long as everything is OK and was back home by 8.30am these doorbell cameras have a lot to answer for!! Ballet was good I'm enjoying it, it certainly stretches the muscles.  Anyway, back home, lawn mowed, it's freezing and my fire maybe going on, I'm sick of being cold!!  Xx

Hi Carol,

I too can rarely remember what I did on any given day. I agree with you about the doorbells.  My daughter used to be glad of hers when she was working because she could speak to delivery men from the office, but now, she's a lady of leisure and can see them face to face so doesn't need it any more. I never could take to Tai Chi because it was so slow.  I remember, in Hong Kong, watching old people practicing in the park every morning, with their canaries in cages hanging in the trees. One exercise regime that I did like, that didn't cause a sweat was called Callanetics. I don't know if it ever caught on here because I lived in Atlanta when I did it.  It was based on Calasthenics, and involved repeatedly tightening the muscles to strengthen them. Nowadays walking the dog is my exercise! I'm glad you are enjoying the ballet.

I am a bit worried about my friend round the corner. I called in on Saturday morning, or I should say, Archie and I called in, because Archie won't walk past his house without going in.  He wasn't well, in fact he looked awful and didn't want company so I left and promised to come back later to see if he was ok.  I did go back in the afternoon and he had come round somewhat and was up for a chat and a joke.  On Sunday I only popped in because his family were there and we just said hello to everyone, and went on our way. On Monday, he was back to his normal self, but told me he had a TIA on Sunday afternoon! I stayed for a while until Archie got restless which means he wants the loo, or grass, Not two hours later I saw an ambulance driving past my window heading out of the cul de sac.  My heart sunk!  I texted my friend, no answer, so I called him. This time he answered and I could tell by the background noise that he wasn't at home, it was him in the ambulance. He was very jokey about the paramedics and told me where they were taking him so I said to let me know which ward he was in and hung up.   I forgot to ask why he was going into hospital.  We texted that evening and he said the doctor had called the paramedics because he had a stroke!!!  I had only been with him two hours earlier, I couldn't believe it. We texted again on Tuesday, and his answers were just one word, but then on Wednesday he didn't reply to any of my texts, which worried me but I saw that he had read them later in the evening.  I texted again, yesterday morning and said "don't worry about replying,  if I see you've read them I know you're still breathing!"  Then he never read the message!!!  I sent the usual night time text and said  I was worried because he hadn't read it. This morning I saw he had read it. I was so relieved, And I sent him a photo of the baby painting I have been working on for months. (  I scrapped it last week and started again on Wednesday, and I've now almost finished it, ) I then got a message to say his battery is very low! Relief!  Now the saga of trying to get him to go into a care home will start again.  He desperately need full time care but won't cough up the dosh.

I have workmen in at the moment, I should say boys, they look so young.  I am having my facias, soffits and gutters replaced.  (Don't tell my son I'm spending my own money on the bungalow) I honestly never look up, but earlier this year I had at least three different men have come to my door offering to paint, cover, or replace them. They were a state, they were the wooden ones and the paint was all flaking off them  I was ashamed. I decided to get new ones, I got a quote in May, and they showed up yesterday. I'm hoping that I had to wait so long because they do a good job.  I don't know if their boss is going to show up, to check on the work or if I have to trust that they know what they are doing.  I was a bit bemused when they started packing up for the day at 3.30  after starting at 8.30 and taking a full hour for lunch.  My daughter said I was lucky, her workmen take half hour tea breaks as well. This morning I went round to see how it looked and my window sills were filthy, so I had just finished cleaning them when they arrived. They took their lunch break early because it started to pour down.  I think they plan to finish today. I hope so, they sweep up like a child, so I will have a lot of tidying up over the weekend.

Take care, 

Christine xx