The life and times of a Lincolnshire Lass

moving house

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:31:00 +0000

Moving house................................................................................................

I have been having real difficulty getting in to blogger the last few day I am not sure if its my server, blogger or both causing the problem so I am moving, here's the new address

www.wafflingabouttheworld.wordpress.com

Or click this link

See you there

I am not alone

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:10:00 +0000

Sat here watching something on BBC iplayer when, suddenly something caught my attention out the corner of my eye.

There is a bloody great spider on my living room wall.

aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh. Nasty big black thing. Yuck. I am off to bed so it can have the living room to its self.

Continuing on an upward trend.

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:39:00 +0000

Today I continue to feel better, helped by enjoying some hilarity this morning. When questioned about how to deal with a burn a colleague replied "apply the cat"! Not aware of that particular method and not having a cat its not one I could try, though the guinea pig might make a fair substitute.

Pain is still very much there but, I am busy catching up on sleep. Unfortunately this means that I have missed the J.John event tonight, that I am saddened about because its a fantastic event.

The other day I was on a first aid course, one of these were you are shown how to do it and then practise on each other. It served as a reminder how fragile my shoulder is getting even before I got to the practicing/been practiced on stage I was concerned about the discomfort it was going to cause.

My friend made an interesting observation tonight my op takes place 4 weeks and one day after her poor dog has his balls removed. Good luck for tomorrow Fred!

One other note is that I have rang the hospital today and confirmed that I will be there on the 26th June.

Feeling better

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:26:00 +0000

I am pleased to report that I am feeling much better, the golden wedding celebrations were lovely and I have been able to catch up on sleep this afternoon.

One thing I did fail to mention in my earlier post is that my mood was a much to do with an incident that occured last night as much it was to do with tiredness and pain. Unfortunately as much as I want to share it on my blog I am unable to due to nature of the incident that occured.

One month to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:44:00 +0000

This morning I feel like crap, I am a total wreck.

I had an horrendous night last night with constant stabbing pain and little relief from my painkillers, this may in part due to the fact that I kept throwing the buggers up! I am now very well aquainted with the inside of my toilet bowl. To add further to the pain I moved my arm at 6am and felt a crack as bones collided and pain shot through my arm like a bolt.

So now I am up, a weepy emotional wreck aware that one month today I will be on the ward and waiting to go to theatre, it's all getting too much at the minute. This is further compounded by peoples kind offers of help while a cetain close relative who lives up the road sits on a bar stool and doesn't give two hoots. Without my friends I would be lost, last night I was so touched when my friends collegue and friend offered me the use of her shower when ever I need it knowing that getting in and out the bath will be a near impossible task.

What I need to do now is get up and dressed and put on my best smiley face, I am getting adept at hiding behind a mask, a mask that hides my true feelings though this morning I feel that it will be a harder than normal task to hide my emotions but it is my friends Golden wedding anniversary and at 11am they are having a service of thanksgiving in the church they were married followed by a buffet in a local hotel and I don't want to be the one responsible for spoiling their very special day.

Sore shoulder blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:19:00 +0000

When this blog was born I wanted it to be a place where I could spout off whatever I chose but, it seems that this have more and more evolved into "woman with painful shoulder blog".

In the coming weeks I know that my shoulder and the forthcoming op will be a bigger and bigger focus of my blog but, I want to talk about more than that so watch this space I have posts lined on other things including my jaunt to Barcelona.

What I do plan to do and I appreciate that it might be a bit boring for my readings so apologies in advance is for the next six months make an entry each day on how I feel with regards to my shoulder so that I have a day by day diary to look back on allowing me to chart my recovery and to remind me on bad post operative days why I had my op.

Todays entry simply reads "Ow!"

Another letter.

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:08:00 +0000

Another letter landed today, this one to inform me what time to turn up for my operation.

The time I need to be there is dependent on where I am on the list. When I had my eye done I was late on the list so I had to hang around the house until lunchtime which wasn't pleasant and I was hoping that I wouldn't have to go through a repeat of that.

Reading the letter it appears unlikely, the letter states that I have to be there at 7.45am, the day surgery centre opens at 7.30am so fingers crossed I am very early on the list and aren't left sitting around waiting to go down for surgery.

The letter stated that I am to stop eating at midnight and no fluids from 6am, same instructions as I had for my eye. I remember on that occasion drinking a litre of juice and immediately regretting it my stomach was agony.

All that is left to do now is to ring them to tell them I will be there.

As an after note they also inform me I will not be able to drive following surgery. That's stating the bleeding obvious!

Come on Hull

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:46:00 +0000

I am not a football fan, but I do like to watch the progress of certain teams.

Today, Hull is playing in the champoinship play offs. If they win they are in the Premier League.

Hull City was my nearest major football team, so I have everything crossed for them.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:30:00 +0000

I was at work last night, on going on duty I was informed that more staffing was done.

I grabbed the big red book which tells me what I am working and when, the staffing is now done beyond the day of my op and it was strangely surreal to see next to my name, instead of the usual E/L/N or H if I am holiday a long row of SSSS's denoting that I am on the sick.

Officialy freaked out II

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:01:00 +0000

Thanks Suzie I needed that, I have calmed down a little and feeling less freaked out now.

As I said in my earlier post I discovered yesterday that the planned op on my shoulder is going to be bigger than first planned, as well as removing my AC joint for the arthritis that I already know I have I also need to have a decompression operation as well, obviously the x rays I had on the 8th of April have shown evidence of impingement syndrome. The details of both procedures and impingement syndrome can be found in this post.

They are also going to have a good look around my shoulder and carry out a diagnosis arthroscopic diagnostic procedure to make sure there is nothing else that needs surgical intervention, if there is they will carry out that as well at the same time.

There is still real hope to get me home that same day though so hopefully no over night stay.

Reality is sinking in now, I am going to need a lot of support in the weeks after my op. The physios have said even the most basic tasks such as hoovering will be out of the question for the first 6 weeks.

I mentioned tonight to my friend "how the heck am I going to manage?" his response was "don't worry the church is ready" it seems that people in my church are already planning ways in which they can help me through those first few weeks.

Its lovely of them but, I am fiercely independent, to much so sometimes and I hate accepting help, its not because of pride I just find it so hard to accept help because through much of my childhood I had to cope on my own because my parents were often too busy with leading their own lives to support their children (my grandparents were wonderful though) and now when I need help and the help is there I find it hard to accept the help that I need.

Officially freaked out I

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Ok it's official, I am freaked out.

I saw the surgeon yesterday (but was unable to post about it till now, thanks to Tommy biting through the moden cables, incuding the one plugged into the mains) and found out excactly what they are planning to do.

I need a bigger op than first thought.

However I will blog about it later as my late lunch/early tea is nearly cooked. I can smell it burning now.

Guinea pigs moving house!

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:16:00 +0000

When I got Tommy as a baby he was very unhappy on his own so I placed a post on a guinea pig forum, a rescue contacted me and Sparky came into my life.

And so he moved in with Tommy and they got on like a house on fire.

Then Sweep came into my life a four year old hair ball who had been pretty horrendously neglected, sadly three weeks later he succumbed to kidney disease and I was forced to make that horrendous decision to have him put to sleep. The vet said he was probually more loved in the last three weeks than he had been in the past four years.

Somehow a few weeks later Prince Harry came into my life, another needy rescue. The rescue that Sparky and Sweep came from had Harry and they offered me him as "replacement" for Sweep. I was unsure but I was talked into it and I have never, ever regretted it. But, he has always lived on his own.

Until now.

Sparky and Tommy was getting on nicely until four months ago, when Tommy took it upon himself to start beating Sparky up and they had to be separated. Leaving all three on their own.

I have tried several times to bond Sparky with Harry. Sparky took to Harry like a duck to water, Harry wasn't so sure and got annoyed quite quickly at having his space invaded and quickly made it obvious that he should go back to his own gaff.

Last Wednesday I put Sparky in with Harry and this time he accepted him and Sparky has moved in. Sparky is delighted! And Harry is pretty pleased too.

The only problem is that Sparky has no fear and keeps leaping out of the front door of his cage when it left open and its two foot up! He also scared the pants of the vet today by jumping off the table, poor lads got a touch of conjunctivitis and needs some eye drops. Believe you and me putting eye drops in a guinea pigs eyes is less than easy!

Sparky is the short haired one and the ginger long haired chap!

Appointment with the surgeon

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Tomorrow at just gone 11 I have an appointment with the surgeon doing my operation. I am a little unsure about it and feeling nervous for some strange reason.

To this end Suzie, I will go to bed earlier tonight. I think it was ads and plane crashes I was watching on you tube (??? :-~) Not sure why the heck I was watching plane crashes, strange landings and scary take offs. I am not some sort of psychopath that enjoys watching people dying in a white hot ball of fire and given that I am a nervous flyer it certainly won't increase my confidence in flying.

And in response to comments a link about my op can be found here.

Here

And here

Great British weather

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:40:00 +0000

I am about to head to bed, yes I know its late but I ended up on "You Tube" and you know how it is, one thing leads to another and another...........and another.

I have just popped into the bathroom and checked the thermometer which I have dangling out of the window and it is a mere 3c, or 37f, just above freezing.

Its May for crying out loud, its supposed to be nice, its supposed to be warm. Instead we are having colder nights than what we had in January! I am so hoping that this weather improves but, right now its seems that this summer will closely mirror last years in terms of temperatures!

A right barrel of laughs

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:15:00 +0000

I cam across this on the net looks like I am in for a tough few weeks post op (I am having the acromyoclaviclar joint removed as well)

At least I know what I am up against, but it makes scary reading all the same.

Tonight I had the "do you think I am doing the right thing?" convo with a friend (yet again) based on the new information I have gathered from above.

He answered in the affirmative and without any hesitation, "yes". I know that I am doing the right thing but, at the same time there is an element of doubt and I feel quite scared about the concept of going through with the surgery. It will be life changing and for the better but, it still a big step to take.

Silly me

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Silly, silly me

I went to work today and was told I was doing office duties so that I can get my paper work upto day. So no heavy lifting, so no strain on my shoulder and so less pain at the end ot the day.

So why, why did I sit at my desk right elbow on desk and head on hand (I am left handed)? Result is that I have put a lot of strain on my shoulder and it hurts, hurts alot.

Silly me!

I hate earlies

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:15:00 +0000

Early shift tomorrow. I hate them.

Well, actually I don't much hate the shift its the getting up. The crawling out of bed groggy eyed, feeling like crap wishing like hell I could have another hour or 4 in bed.

I am sat here knowing that I should go to bed as the later I crawl into my bed the sooner I will have to crawl out of it. And the crappier I will feel.

But I simply can not be bothered to drag my carcass off the sofa and make tracks for bed.

But, I must, I really must. Really, really must.

Night all!

No red rags to this bull

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:51:00 +0000

It might not be a good idea to wave a red rag in front of this bull. Unless you have a death wish, that is.

Or you are very stupid.....................or you can run fast. Very, very fast!

Piggies as pets!

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:19:00 +0000

Suzie has left a lovely comment asking whether she is missing out by not having had a guinea piggy as a pet? Thanks for your message Suzie

My knee jerk reaction is to say yes In my opinion they are make wonderful pets, they are generally loving and affectionate and they love company. They can be vocal and have a range of noises that they make which, if they live indoors you soon get used to what each noise means. I love my three to bits. Many people are put off because they are rodents and are often seen as "children's pets" no pet should be ever be seen as a children's pet, a child under 16 can not take responsibility for a pet by law and the number of guinea pigs that end up in rescues because the child has got bored and parents can not be bothered also lays testament to this.

They do, however require a lot of care. They are best kept in doors, for 1, they don't cope well with cold weather and 2, they love company. My sisters believe that I should keep them outdoors but, if I wanted to get something to sit in the garden I would of got a gnome. These are living animals that need a lot of love and attention, but the more you give them the more they give back.

They generally do not smell as they are very clean animals and will get upset if dirty, they need fresh hay day along with fresh water. In addition they require dry food daily (complete mixes are best) and fresh fruit and veg daily, they can not store vitamin c but it is a vital nutrient for their survival.

Keeping one is not a option, they like company of another guinea pig, they also love and need time out their cage so owners will need to be able to deal with a few doddles on the carpet!

If you have a long haired piggy, he or she will need regular grooming and baths and if they fall poorly, its off the the vets!

The best place to get a piggy from is a local rescue, don't go for the prettiest or the cutest immediately but also assess their nature and character as well. Some of them can be real characters and some are noisier than others.

One think I can guarantee, if you decide a guinea pig is for you and you open your home to these delightful animals you will never regret it!

Back on line

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:17:00 +0000

I have just spent the weekend off line, thanks to Sparky.

He has a habit of chewing everything insight but, keeping him in his cage is not an option. He hates it. He loves to be out running and playing and I get nagged until he achieves his aims. Plus, I feel its rather cruel to not to allow an animal to run free and enjoy some time out of their cage.

Unfortunately, despite the use of "chew stoppa spray" he chewed through the modem wire which rendered me off line luckily the computer shop up the road had another one in stock so I am now back on line. For now anyway, Sparky has just had made a very valid attempt at destroying the new one, he has now turned his attention to the cactus, a plant he is learning bites back!

Better day

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:21:00 +0000

Thanks first of all Suzie for your message much appreciated.

I have had a better day today, pain still there but in a better mind frame to deal with it.

This morning I picked myself up, dusted myself off and started a new day and I have to say its been a pretty good day.

After work I came home and as the sun was shining, I set up the guinea pigs outdoor run and put Sparky and Harry in it, at first they skulked through the grass like they were on some sort of Royal Marine commandos exercise then they grew bolder, chilled out and started stuffing their faces with grass and dandelions. They both loved it, I get so much pleasure (and amusement) out of watching my boys enjoy themselves, particularly Harry who was the victim of pretty horrendous neglect and is still getting use to the idea that life can be fun and humans trusted. Mind I did notice today, he's in major need of a hair cut and bath.

Unfortunately Tommy missed out on all the fun and each time I popped into the house I noticed him at the front of the cage on his hind legs, nose through the bars crying pitifully, like a little boy that been grounded and can only watch his mates enjoy themselves through the bedroom window. Unfortunately that's what it pretty much amounts to, he's such a thug with other piggies I can not trust him not to take the opportunity to kick everybodies head in when he's in the company of other piggies. However, his time will come.

Then it was onto to attend no. 3 in the Just 10 mission series, amazing! I really enjoyed it there was about 8000 people attending in a very, very large tent. It served as timely reminder that in through difficult times God is holding us in His hands even if we are not fully aware of the fact.

Rough day

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:06:00 +0000

I know, I know and I am sorry I haven't posted about last weeks jaunt to Barcelona I will, I promise get round to it as soon as possible.

Secondly I apologise I know that some people are and do go through far greater than what I go through but, I am having a really crap day.

The arthritis in my shoulder is really playing me up. I feel that someone has encased my feet in concrete to keep me absolutely still and has proceeded to pull my right arm as hard as they can. My pain killers are having little positive effect and I am still left with a nagging toothache type pain in my shoulder despite them. The pain killers are making me feel listless and sick and my stomach has come to an absolute standstill putting additional pressure on my lungs making me feel breathless.

I hate days like this I am snappy and crotchety and no company at all, its days like this when I feel I am under a black cloud and just want to crawl under the duvet. I am trying to stay positive in the midst of it all but it's an uphill struggle.

Thanks Mate!

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:56:00 +0000

My mate A popped round tonight and we had a good natter about our recent jaunts me in Barcelona, he in London. Sounds like he had as good a time in London as I had in Barcelona.

We then some how got onto the subject of my medication or rather the amount I took.

I was telling him about someone I know who often, in their conversations with me presents an undercurrent of disapproval of the amount of medication I take. My list is ever increasing and I don't like it but I really have no choice, it both keeps me alive and gives me a quality of life.

However my chats with her contains within them pointed remarks about how they only take medication if really necessary or they only use paracetamol 5 or 6 a year and it's really not natural to keep shoving lots of pills down your neck and so forth to the point where they leave me feeling that I am taking a combination of Arsenic, strychnine, slug pellets, rat poison, cyanide and other horrendous things down my neck.

I was explaining all this to A who got quite indignant there attitude towards me, I explained to him that I wasn't expecting sympathy from the person above just understanding. I went onto say "I don't take this lot for the fun of it, I take it for genuine reasons"

His response was "Yes, of course you do, if you didn't you'd be a junkie!"

Geeee Thanks!

To fair though he has and is an amazing friend who has supported me through and continues to support me and stick by me despite my health problems and is a truly fantastic friend even when I whinge on about how much pain I am in or snap his head off because I am in pain or has, has happened on several occasions become so ill he needs to dial 999 to order an NHS bus!

Message for Gordon Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:26:00 +0000

I don't normally do politics however, I think our current government is ruining our country, yes it's a fair enough point that the conservatives didn't do much for it either but, labour certainly hasn't improved things.

I think this should be a message to Gordon Brown and his governement, leave. Now!

Home

noreply@blogger.com (Louise) — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:17:00 +0000

I am back home and have had a wonderful time.

I have dubbed my trip away "6 beds in 6 nights"! and I will post all about it tomorrow.

Night night