January Chatty - Happy New Year!

[OurCreature]

I think you've told us that one with the blond nurse before, Eccs - well worth a re-run!

[OurCreature]

What a lovely Chat we had tonight - it really made my day!

[merry]

I thought so too.

I had only just said 'if only Eccles and furby were here, it would be perfect,' and Eccles appeared like a genie I miss Furby though, maybe next time?

[Wildrover]

That is a very funny story Eccs and it cheered me up. I've had 2 friends die and 2 more receive terminal diagnoses in the last month but today's was a bolt from the blue. When I was in sales at Marconi my group had our own internal sales admin, a lovely girl called Ruth, really bubbly and fun and always up for a party and we worked together from 1994 till I left in 1997 and kept in contact. When I split up with Mrs WR in 1998, the following year our friendship turned into something a bit more - we were never an item, more friends with benefits as neither of us had partners at the time. We were at different stages in our lives so it was never going to be anything more but we were genuinely very fond of each other. Then things became serious with Mrs WR2 and Ruth moved to Hampshire and we only saw each other once a year at reunions, weddings or 40th birthdays but kept in contact every few months on Messenger. She met a lovely guy and I went to their wedding in 2013. Today I got an e-mail from him telling me Ruth died at New Year - she was 47. I don't know how she died but she was a non-smoker and ran a half marathon in September so clearly no long term illness. I also don't understand why I feel so bereft - I've only seen her once in the last 3 years and we hadn't spoken since the summer but I feel like I've lost one of my closest friends. I also feel bitternness that someone wiith a healthy lifestyle and such joie de vivre doesn't even make their 50th birthday. Life really sucks sometimes...

[OurCreature]

It does indeed, WR. I think that when somebody so apparently healthy and somewhat younger than yourself dies so unexpectedly it brings home your own mortality to you. It's very sad and I'm sorry you have lost someone who clearly was a good friend even though you were occasional correspondents.

[Wildrover]

Thank you OC - I'm a bit embarrassed looking at what I posted yesterday; it was a bit of an outpouring of grief and innappropriate.

[eccles]

Not at all, WR. Your post might be considered inappropriate maybe in a large chat forum but HF is closer than that. Many of us are long time members that see each other as friends as well as forum correspondents.

[OurCreature]

Exactly, Eccs.

[Wildrover]

Thanks to both of you.

[OurCreature]

Haircut day tomorrow, and then off to St Giles View to collect a Christmas present from one of the old gentleman's daughters which is being kept for me in Reception. I suspect it will be chocs of some sort - it was Ferrero Rocher one year.

On the health front I have been receiving text messages from the NHS about my 24 hr ECG. They wanted me to attend at Southampton General Hospital at 09:20 on 24/1 to have it fitted but I had to go to a website and key in info to be let in before I found that out; I couldn't make the appointment because I had already committed to be at Knightwood that morning so I asked for another one. Today I got another message so I went through the same palaver to get into their website, and found they had moved the appointment along a week to the day and time - 09:20. This has made me very suspicious because we all know how NHS management thinks that NHS time is precious while patients' time is worthless - I found that out when I had to go with Mum to the hospital in Winchester a few times and her appointments were always late. I wouldn't be at all surprised if several people have appointments for the same thing at 09:20 to make sure that the clinicians are kept busy. If I have a great long wait on 31/1 I shall be annoyed. We shall see. I shall have to tell them at KW that I won't be there on 31/1. Presumably I have to return to the hospital on 1/2 to have all the ECG stuff taken off. I can get to the hospital with a change of bus at Southampton train station, so that will be all right. I have to keep a little diary while I have the ECG busily recording what my heart is doing.

While at KW yesterday I had another attack of dizziness - quite a nasty one, but I was by one of the mini-cupboards that they have outside the residents' rooms for wheelchair storage, and it has a useful wide shelf like a counter that you can put things on like breakfast trays, laundry etc; so I held onto that and managed to keep standing. Nobody noticed which was good because if I had explained it they might have sent me home. I was all right for the rest of the day.

[Wildrover]

NHS management thinks that NHS time is precious while patients' time is worthless
[/quote]

One of the many reasons I despise tthe NHS and would love to see it shut down and replaced with an insurance based system like the rest of Europe. State monopolies are just disgusting - they know there is no alternative so many of the employees treat people like dirt. It might also stop the taxpayer having to pay 20-30% of their salaries into their pension fund.

[merry]

WR Thank you for telling us about Ruth, it's totally understandable you felt bereft about hearing she had died, 47 is no age. She sounds so lovely from your post, 'bright and bubbly'. It's natural you wanted to tell us, your friends, about her and your sadness.

OC, I wonder if your dizziness is related to your Covid. As you know, dizziness/vertigo was the worst symptom of my Christmas illness and I did hear in more than one place that D/V is a known side-effect of some strains. Also, Juliet has tinnitus since Covid a year ago, and any time she gets a cold or congestion it flares up, no doubt because it involves the inner ear which is vital for balance. It's quite frightening when sudden loss of balance/dizziness/vertigo happens.

We went to Malvern today for Noises Off, the Michael Frayn comedy. I thought it quite UNfunny in Act One, which is sort of deliberate, and then Acts 2 and 3 had me laughing till I cried in places. It was beautiful in Malvern today, though very cold. I took a few pictures, I'll post a couple tomorrow.

Helen/STPD came home with us after the play and is staying with us for the weekend which is lovely. We watched an episode of Christmas University Challenge this evening, and then played some Irish folk together.

[OurCreature]

State monopolies are just disgusting - they know there is no alternative

Not only state monopolies WR - any sort of private/public sector monopoly or oligopoly as well. That's why countries like the US/UK/EU have anti-trust laws or regulators to protect the consumer, though they seem to fall woefully short in many instances in the UK, especially with public sector organisations and former such organisations like the water and domestic energy supply companies.

Merry, I started having these very short dizzy spells before I had Covid. When I was a child I had a history of fainting. My fear is that if they get more frequent I shall have to stop driving my car - I simply daren't do that if there is more than a remote possibility of me going dizzy when I'm behind the steering wheel. That will lead to a few changes in my life style and make me stop volunteering at KW.

[Wildrover]

You're absolutely correct OC - I shoulld have said "any monopoly" although most private sector monopolies tend to be privatised former public sector. There are notable exceptions though - Microsoft Office is so ubbiquitous it's a virtual monopoly for example. It's been a major disappointment how privatisaton has completely failed to result in better value for customers in almost every case and the main reason is that public sector monopolies have just become private sector monopolies. Rail travel may have been privatised but there's still only one company I can use if I want to get a train to London. Other industries operate pretty much as a cartel e.g. energy, water. The only privatisations that I would say have beeen successful are BT (and that's because there is proper competition in the telecoms industry) and BP.

Regarding the fainting as I've said before it's always because not enough oxygen is reaching the brain so itt would be interesting to know what your blood pressure is when you feel faint. I had to halve my dose of amlodipine after I started taking it 5 years ago because II started having dizzy spells. This means I have to accept a higher blood pressure (140/80) but it stopped the dizzy spells. Now I've noticed the only time I get dizzy spells is if I get dehydrated (which also makes sense since that also lowers your blood pressure).

[OurCreature]

Whenever my blood pressure has been taken at the surgery recently it has been 160+ over 80ish. So they have doubled my dose of amlodipine to try to get it down. However, that dosage increase happened after I had reported my dizzy spells to the GP.

I wondered whether my BP was becoming irregular, so I shall be investing in a blood pressure monitor before the end of the month.

[asymphototropic]

Good idea OC! Every time I go in to a doc office, someone gives me faux hypertension. I've taken to measuring my BP at the rescue squad, and it is always normal there. Some things to do when taking your BP. Place your hand palm up, resting comfortably on a surface at the level of your heart. Put your back resting comfortably against the back of the chair. Sit with your feet resting flat on the floor. If your doc office doesn't do all those things, then they aren't measuring your actual BP.

We currently have 6 inches of snow on the lawn.

Here is a pic of Thingummie minor and myself in regency attire at Casanel Winery for the somewhat annual "Come as You Were" dance. Notice I am not wearing trainers this time!

[OurCreature]

Thanks for your advice Asy - it matches the advice in the user manual of the BP monitor I intend to purchase - £21.50 from Boots.

You and Thingummie Minor both look lovely in your Regency attire - very Jane Austen.

[eccles]

I too have problems with raised blood pressure when at the doctor's surgery. It's sometimes called white-coat syndrome. I have a monitor that I use when my GP requires BP readings, taking them at home. It wasn't very expensive but it's the same make that I've seen used in hospital so I figure it's good enough.

[OurCreature]

I had a phone call from the GP this morning, full of apologies about the fact that the 2022 24 HR ECG on my medical records was a mistake, thank you for drawing it to our attention, we have amended your records and will enter the info on the record of the person who had that 24 HR ECG in 2022, ever so sorry etc etc etc.

What a good thing I'm awake for at least part of the time.

[merry]

That's a beautiful picture, Asy! You and TM look beautiful! and was there dancing?

Oh, OC! I do hope they can sort you out - you must be able to keep your car and drive!