Soop's Friendly Kitcheners and pets...

I endorse every word that soop says. It was 2 months before I had the strength and energy to change my king sized duvet cover by myself. I had somebody to do it and other tasks for a couple of months. I was exhausted and I live on my own with Tara of course.

Daphne I do hope that DH is feeling better than he did last week. It is never ending these hospital trips.

ann I'm so glad things are going well in the knee dept. although the thought of you bending that wound makes me feel a bit queasy! Hope your eye appointment goes well too.
soop best wishes for MacS tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you both xx
Kitty the balcony has been well used and although at rush hour the traffic noise is deafening! It's lovely to open the door first thing in the morning though and I'm surrounded by lots of mature trees which are beautiful.
I even get my windows cleaned without any extra charge and the gardens are very well maintained. It was my lucky day when I found this place and I am so happy.

Lona You have made all the right decisions. I know how fraught you were feeling at one time. It has been a big upheaval BUT it was the right thing to do. I can imagine you relaxing on the balcony. If ever I need to move into a less demanding home, I too would be happy as Larry in an apartment such as yours. Trees make an enormous difference. Having someone attend to the garden (and clean the windows) has to be the whopping big cherry on the If I could, I would love to sit with you on your balcony and sup a as we blether umpteen to the dozen.

DaphneB I also hope that your husband's latest treatment has benefitted him. You both deserve some stress-free time.

We'll be leaving home early tomorrow morning. We shall also enjoy fish and chips after MacS's appointment. Oban is a very pleasant location. If the sun shines as it is right now the drive will be enhanced. It's a devil of a road in nasty weather. I shall pop into the kitchen when we return home.

Should G&T visit, please make a fuss of him.

Bye for now.

MacSporran a bit late but I wish you all the very best for tomorrow and a safe drive there. I do hope that you enjoy the fish and chips, makes me feel hungry thinking about it.

Rory will have an uninterrupted day of sleep but he will be delighted to see the pair of you return I assume late afternoon/early evening. Bracken will not be far away.

Lona it would appear that you have been in that lovely flat forever- enjoy!

I hope I`m not too late to wish MacSporran all the best for tomorrow, I couldn`t get on here earlier, it`s only just started working again! Hope the weather is good tomorrow, as you say, on a nice day it`s a lovely, if slightly tortuous , drive.
Ann, that`s some very neat stitching there! Yours go marginally further down than mine did. I never did get to the required 90% of bendability whilst visiting the physio department, but it improved over time.
DaphneB, how is your hubby now?
G and T, are you still with us? I hope so.

Safe journeys and Bon appétit when you get to the fish and chips, soop! I hope the appointment is satisfactory and that the sun will shine on you both ????

I shall send MacSporran good vibes.

So pleased your new home is so comfortable, lona, that balcony sounds just right.

Good wishes to McSporran for tomorrow, it should be a nice weather day if the forecast is telling the truth , enjoy lunch, my sort of food.

ann your leg looks very neat and tidy, I know it's nagging but please do have some support, don't want to wreck the surgeon's. good work.

We've got the garden re-organised today, pleased with the outcome, well most of me is, my back is currently disagreeing but it will be fine by the morning

Take care everyone.

Hope all goes well for tomorrow Soop (are you sure MacSporran really has an appointment or is it just the fish and chips he wants ??)

Lona we have a balcony too. It's lovely isn't it, just sitting there and watching the world go by. . After all you have been through I am so glad you are happy in your new home.

Humpf ?. I thought I was being so clever with my fish and chip emojis and then I saw that DaphneB had beaten me to it! (And with double fish and chips too!)

Thanks crafting and everyone else for your good wishes

Lona no injection again last evening. The PDT is working its magic. I just wish they could find a solution to others like your son, still young with their lives and careers in front of them. That balcony must be lovely on a day like this.

annsixty that was very good news. It now gives you more time to do your exercises and flexing that lovely new knee! Do you know what type was inserted? I have a Genesis 2.

The weather in London is perfect, sunshine, little humidity and just warm and pleasant. The washing is out.

No idea Charleygirl I will ask when I have a review. When I left hospital I could only make 75% . The bending is the hardest exercise for me and I admit to being a wuss about it. The straightening ones and strengthening ones are easier. There is no follow up from physio just an appointment for Sep 12th. The shower and shampoo was wonderful but no blow dry, that was too much of an effort?

I hope the soop's fish and chips have been enjoyed and she comes back with good news.

annsixty I agree that the first shower and hair wash is amazing. Admittedly I was able to have one in hospital but I was in for a week, not thrown out early like you. We are each good at something different. I achieved 90degrees + flexion the day after surgery but I would not have been able to use my stair lift if I could not bend to at least 100 degrees.

I think that you are doing well and you may well be referred to a physio after you have your 1st appointment, especially if flexion is difficult.

The weather here is glorious but I cannot really sit outside because of my Macular Degeneration.

annsixty sounding good!
Now, I am feeling a bit let down. If I ask for your opinion, I may not like it, but I have just come back from lunch with 3 ex-teaching colleagues/friends- yes I would have said friends. One is a closer friend and we see each other several times a week, the others maybe once each holidays.
I asked and heard about the mum of one who recently had a fall and is needing daily trips to the doctor/nurse to have a leg injury dressed, plus how my friend and her partner had to cut their holiday short; I heard about the 93 year old father of the other who is amazing for his age, but although fiercely independent causes them a lot of worry, plus all about their holiday in Oporto; and her husnanf's imminent retirement, and the close friend whose mum had a severe stroke about 4 months ago was also asked and filled us in on how she is getting on. Do you see where this is going?
Nobody mentioned DH, nobody asked about the DGC especially the newest baby, nobody asked if we had had any sort of holiday - we haven't.
So I sat with a bright smile on my face, taking a genuine interest in all they had to say, but feeling bit pathetic and maybe surplus to requirements. I know there is more to my life than DH's health, and sometimes I get very fed up when nobody asks me "How Are YOU?" But were they so afraid I would bore for Britain, give them chapter and verse? Dammit he has been in hospital 3 times news this year already, is that not worthy of at least a polite enquiry?
Feel free to tell me to stop feeling sorry for myself, but please do it gently.

No you are right to feel aggrieved. I have just one friend like that and after no enquiry as to my progress she just turned up yesterday as we were having a lunchtime sandwich, parked her backside and proceeded to tell me about herself and her family. This is absolutely normal for her but I did expect more than I got considering I was sitting with my feet up and a swollen leg. You should have pre-empted by whipping out photographs of GS and saying isn't it sad that Granpa is missing so many of his early days by spending SO much time in hospital.

I agree with Ann. We all have at least one friend like that I imagine.

I have one who talks and talks about nothing much at all or has been to where ever you are thinking of going and tells you how rubbish it will be now compared to when they went etc, etc. In fact I had lunch with her and a couple of other friends today so I have quite a lot of fellow feeling.

Not easy to lose people like that either, is it? And there would be an element of cutting your nose off to spite your face to stop going altogether. Difficult for you.

Great news ann, now just concentrate on "zee bends!"
Daphne I don't blame you for feeling down, I would be totally pissed off annoyed too.
I had a friend like that, totally absorbed in their own life and family and no one else could get a word in! I stopped going out with her and my other two friends in the group did too.
I think it's just downright rude.
Good job you've got us lot to let it all out to!

I had a 'friend' who would come round and tell me all about her dysfunctional family and, having been forced to listen for what seemed like hours, I wasn't surprised at that dysfunctionality. She would simply talk over me if I tried to introduce the subject of my boringly normal family!
I haven't seen her for a long time and believe (hope) she has moved away!

DaphneB I think that we all know the type of friendly banter that can go on for the best part of the day and no-one thinks to mention what is important to you. I feel for you. It's good to get stuff that's been difficult to deal with off your chest. Only, you didn't get the opportunity. Bad manners, I call it. I think that I would have had to say...excuse me...and at least put the other ladies in the picture. You need a massive hug. I'm sending one right now.

annsixty Your friend could not have overlooked the fact that you were recovering from surgery. Also, she might have had the good grace to enquire after your husband. Again - bad manners.

kitty Have you noticed that it's usually women who can talk for Great Britain. Men get to the point, agree or not, and that's that. So sensible. And a damn sight less boring.

cornergran Listen to your back. It's trying to forewarn you that you are putting yourself through too much stress.

crafting Clever emojis like fish and chips would be lost on me. I keep getting empty boxes on my elderly mobile phone. No words. Just empty boxes. I haven't a clue what they are meant to stand for.

MacSporran's appointment went well. Two student doctors engaged in the session...which included probing his lymph nodes (gently). His leukaemia is at stage 4 because the cancer cells are in his bone marrow. His weight is now 9st 10lbs. However his appetite remains good. Next step is to have a CT scan at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Glasgow. It will coincide with the consultant's three monthly check up. She practices at the Vale of Leven. A little further to drive but the road is nowhere as ghastly as that to Oban. One thing he really must be aware of - infection.
We're meeting up with family soon. It's at such gatherings that bugs get handed on.
We had a delicious fish and chip lunch. By 12:30 most of the tables were occupied.
Rory was waiting by the door when we walked in. He'd almost certainly been asleep since we left home.

Isn't it a case of good manners at the very least to enquire about family members and especially new babies ?

DaphneB Absolutely right. Good manners especially between friends, should be par for the course. As for not referring to a new-born member of your family...that stuns me. Did you not have a photo to show to your friends? They do know that the baby has been born? How very strange that not one of your friends cared to congratulate you. I would also be thoroughly pissed off with their dismissive attitude.