So, now I'm 'clinically hypothyroid!'

Had bloods done middle of last week up at my GP's on hospital headed request form, so naturally I thought that the results would be copied to my hospital doctor but no, silly me, they weren't.  Thanks to my GP at least being on the ball it turns out my TSH (that's the bit that makes the thyroid stuff apparently, oddly known as the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is way up at 51!  I know! It should be no higher than, erm, 5; so you see why I'm so worried that things are not being done as they should.  The GP though rang at 18:25 on Wednesday last and told me I should speak to the hospital 'in the morning' and take it up with them as I'd had no word from them.  Thanks SO much for telling me when it's too late to do anything about it TONIGHT!!! and instead, leave me wondering (I've given up worrying over med stuff now, there's just no point) all night as to what's going on, or not as the case may be.  In the absence of any telephone calling to be done I do the next best thing and send off an email to my hospital doctor and left it at that, telling her all I had just been told and giving her all the facts as I had them.  That was that for the night, cue next morning 08:45 call the hospital and get the secretary, she asks if I am who I am and I said yes (who else would I be for ****'* sake???).  She then tells me they have not had the results back 'otherwise we would have been straight on to you.'  Taking a deep and very calming breath, I tell her that I need the doctor there to sort this out pretty sharpish as my own GP's surgery closes at lunchtime Thursday, so if I am to get another prescription for a higher dose of thyroxine (or to give it it's full moniker: Levothyroxine Sodium).  The secretary gets a bit snippy at that, as if I'm telling her to do her job and it gets a bit much how precious some of these women can be.  They are probably not suffering the effects of an underactive thyroid and will argue back and forth for as long as they like over one issue or another.  My notes are not where they should be (shocker!) and they take great delight in saying the doctor 'won't speak to you unless she has your notes as she won't know who she is talking to.' I thought - get her on the phone and she'll soon know; we have such a good consult me and her she would remember me.  Secretary then takes my number and promises to call back (I send positive vibes to her to lose the 'tude' hon) and it works, because when she calls back she is as nice as pie.  She says the doctor has dictated a letter and they are waiting for her to sign it.  I ask how much the dosage is for and she says oh 50mcg!  When I say I'm already on that, they get all worked up again 'oh we didn't know that' she says.  COME AGAIN???? You are dispensing thyroid meds and you don't know what dosage I'm ALREADY on????  Doesn't surprise me anymore but that's how so many people die or are mismanaged in this hopsital.  They rely on paper notes but surely where thyroids and nuclear medicine are concerned would it be too much to ask if they could have a computer record in the absence of notes, which hold things up royally, to see what they are prescribing - apparently, yes it would.  I leave everything to the GP now and then a scrip is ready for 100mcg, I go and get it and everything runs as it should.

What really makes me laugh is the letter I got from the hospital this morning where they thank the GP (if you please) for faxing my results to them, NOT ME for starting the ball rolling with my email which preceeded that!!! The they take the initiative and say 'she is clinically hypothroid' (didn't know they had suddenly started treating the cat's mother but never mind) and to take bloods again in four weeks to see if 'she' needs the dose increasing further.  I am heartily sick of having this medication because I am bloated, having migraines almost on a daily basis and am geting fat, even though I'm not over-eating into the bargain.  I have spine issues so weight gain is NOT an option for me.  I am tired, I am cold, I am lethargic. Periods all over the shop, and sometimes consti as well, not nice at all.  Then they go on about increasing the dosage, it is a horrid drug to be on but a necessary one, so I'm now having to go through the swollen and dry throat business again as the drug is increased and I'm really hoping they will sort this out SOON because I really can't be doing with being like this for years while they get the dose right - I won't have any veins left for a start I can tell you that.

Apart from that the sun is shining - incandescently bright, migraine inducing bright, so I'm reduced to being indoors today with all the curtains drawn, I'm a happy little camper today aren't I?

© silversapphire 2010

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Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, I admit it - I was wrong, it did snow like a good un at the predicted hour of 3pm and hasn't stopped since.  It's been blizzarding and getting into near white out conditions and everything.  Seems some errant snowflakes decided not to join in the big bash in Central Southern England and decided to have a little snowy soiree all of their very own in the South East Corner.  Seriously though guys, please follow the advice of the emergency and motoring services - if you don't need to travel stay indoors or risk being trapped or even stranded out in this weather.  Our local media were even reporting that people are going out in trainers and high heels, short skirts and no coats - and that's just the men!  (that's a joke right there, just in case you thought I was serious) but they have a point though, not being prepared for the severe cold this weather brings can be fatal! 

Remember to always have the following in your car:-

Shovel, sleeping bag or blanket, coats.

Flask(s) of hot drinks and/or even soup.

Boots/snow shoes/wellies (if you're not already wearing them).

An up to date road atlas (in case the sat nav conks out).

A torch and spare batteries for it.

Anti-freeze.

A fully charged mobile phone. 

If you are able, please tell someone where you are going (if you do have to go out) with an expected ETA and the route you hope to take.  That way if you are delayed and possibly stuck in snow then people will have a good chance of finding you.

All the usual hotspots (or cold spots) in this weather have started playing up and are now closed, one of which is hubs' main route to work via Detling Hill on the A249, closed in both directions since around 5.30pm with police advising motorists to stay in their cars overnight, oh what fun that must be for those poor souls and I really hope they are safe there and get home ok tomorrow.  Hubs' boss said he could have his parking space tomorrow and was met with a blank stare.  Said boss didn't realise that although it's not snowing where he was at the time, it is snowing at peoples destinations, and said boss must surely realise how bad roads are going to be in the morning.  I doubt most will get into work tomorrow if todays travel nightmares were anything to go by.  Overnight we will have freezing temperatures again and so ice will form on snow, very pretty to look at but not to drive on!  Present snowfall is meant to cease operations at midnight tonight whereupon it will freeze - so nothing will be moving tomorrow, and not a gritter in sight despite the council assertions to the contrary.  Apparently there are only 8 gritters out for the whole of Kent, and ok, so maybe most years we don't get this much snow, bit of rain, odd day or so of snow perhaps but on this scale they have been well and truly caught out.  The rationale of thinking that it will never happen and so 8 is probably a good number WHEN YA DON'T NEED THEM GUYS!!! is not so good after all is it?  Local radio reports that the council have been out gritting continually but hubs coming home via Sittingbourne tonight and getting stuck behind cars unable to cope with an ungritted road would disagree.  As I've been banging on about in many a blog or ten, a gritted road will not let cars slip and slide all over the place and they don't get stuck!  An ungritted road does allow slipping and sliding all over the place and cars do get stuck, ergo, proof is in the seeing - no matter what the councils say.

On top of all this I am in the middle of writing all this the first time around, hubs signs in to his email account on his laptop and the whole system goes down, he comes upstairs and rather stupidly says 'don't get upset' and 'I'm sorry' and thinks that's all alright.  I asked him how he would feel if he'd just lost work which he'd been typing for the last 15 minutes and see what he'd do to someone who rather lamely says 'I'm sorry' yeah, you get the point?  Well he did, from the toe of my boot up his erm .. well you know.

Doggie HAS been out trying to eat ALL the snow in the garden, he did try making a snowman but then he can't really pat it down and he gave up when it fell over.  He didn't have any spare carrrots for its nose (because he'd eaten them all on the way out) and he wasn't going to pick coal up in his mouth for its eyes; mind you I could tell you the thngs he will put in his mouth but then I don't really want to gross you out, specially if you haven't had your tea yet!.  I do think doggie is a reincarnation of a six year old child because he just cannot contain himself when it snows.  He goes absolutely beserk.  His eyes are wide with excitement, his mouth is in that perpetually happy doggie smile, he's running up and down, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, yipping and crying in equal amounts with glee and an almost uncontrollable desire to get out by any means.  That, and supreme sulking if he can't get out at the exact minute he wants to get out (oh, you haven't seen anything till you've seen him sulking - trust me) - I mean he's got four legs and he travels faster than I can on two, so like I always say to him - no point rushing to be first there, you still have to wait for me.

© silversapphire 2010
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No Snow Kent?

It had to happen didn't it?  The whole of the UK is under six feet of snow, well according to the media anyway, except for the south-east corner of England, namely Kent.  Nothing new since a few teeny tiny flurries last night but they don't want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere on their ownsome when there's well attended gatherings elsewhere in the country.  We are meant to 'have it heavy' by 3pm today but even though the sky has been white with unfallen snow since around 7am this morning and it still hasn't fallen, I won't be holding my breath.  Lets face it if you had the chance to go to a massive party or be stuck on your own in a rather cold and forgotten little place with a few other souls who could be bothered to turn up wouldn't you rather be at the main event? Exactly.  So all of the snow has gathered in neighbouring counties and is rudely blowing some unkind raspberrries to their rather forlorn and forgotten cousins over the border.

Ah well, s'pose we should be grateful, but it's so frustrating watching the pretty scenes in the media all over everywhere in Britain ... except Kent.  I know, I know, it's only pretty if you don't have to be out in it.  Just wish I could stop doggie from trying to go out and build a snowman (he does try believe me!) and we know when it is doing it's best to snow (the odd teeny tiny bits I was telling you about earlier ... the ones that fell last night?) as doggie sits by the back door mumbling and grumbling (cos he wants to go out and eat each one before it hits the floor) so we know it's trying to snow but it just hasn't got the heart.

© silversapphire 2010
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Bernard Cribbins on Dr Who - WOW!

Just watched the latest Dr Who where we say goodbye to David Tennant and hello to the new guy.  Can I just say what an amazing performance from 81 year old actor Bernard Cribbins.  A very powerful, emotional and genuine performance.  You made me cry too when you were saying your goodbyes to the doctor at Donna's wedding.  Not many actors can do that; there are a few but that emotion was heartfelt and the tears just came.  What an amazing actor and an amazing talent.  Mr Cribbins deserves a Bafta and I for one sincerely hope he gets it.  An outstanding body of work from one of our finest actors. 

© silversapphire 2010

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Happy New Year?

And so, the new decade is upon us, a Happy New Year to all.  Except those idiotic morons who think we want to hear their drunk fuelled expletives, screaming and shouting at the tops of their voices, crying and singing, vomiting and general effing and blinding outside the houses in my close as they wend and totter their abhorrent way home from the local village hall, some with young children, some in prams and I kid you not.  Whose great idea was it to site a village hall in the middle of a quiet residential neighbourhood whilst living miles away from it and then ignoring the many complaints about louts and their behaviour?

This village used to be quiet and genteel with self respecting people who were of that generation where they had respect for themselves and others, those who knew when to celebrate and also when to stop!  New Year has been celebrated here for years without any trouble at all and the village hall has been in existence since before we arrived here over ten years ago.  All used to be quiet, peaceful and respectful because people in the village liked it that way.  Then comes the arrival of village wrecking housing associations and the blight some of their anti social residents cause.  Since their arrival we have had louts running out of control in the village, and now the village hall, which was on open ground has now been fenced in with horrendous looking metal stakes to stop these morons sliding down the roof at night.  The police here are of no use because even if you call them their standard response now is: we haven't got any cars free.  So, you have to put up with it.  What a shame that this once lovely area of Kent has now been turned into a quagmire of disgust, as the idiots who can't or won't hold their drink think it fine to employ this kind of behaviour simply because it's a holiday.  I do not relish the idea of being woken up (after waiting till after 2am for the fools to finally leave said village hall to get some sleep) by some useless moron yelling Happy New Year and trying to sing Auld Langs Syne at 3.15 in the morning.  Bet your life these drink sodden morons are still carousing when they get home, so I feel sorry for those who have to live next door to them. 

What a shame.  Housing Associations have a lot to answer for because they blight every community they come into.  Not everyone is a bad tenant I know and I must make that clear; but it always seems to be that when HA's arrive down goes the neighbourhood and all the good tenants get tarred with the same brush as the morons, and that too is a great shame.

© silversapphire 2010

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Sunday Express and Benefit Claimants

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

What is it with The Sunday Express and people on benefits?  What they fail or forget to realise is that most genuine claimants need this money, paltry as it is, to live on.  It is not, contrary to their 'research' a fortune.  Most are not scoungers and most are definitely not thumbing their noses at the taxpayer.  This paper has a go at claimants because they are an easy target.  I have given up complaining to them and one of their writers who shall remain nameless, who is usually the main writer of these missives.  Whether he is responsible this time or not I don't know but it really is not nice to tell readers half the story.  Some people play the system and they are the ones who need stopping but you cannot blithely go on at length about how badly the taxpayer is being conned by all these claimants.  If the Express cared one iota for it's readers, many of whom are disabled they would soon realise that NOT everyone claiming these paltry benefits is a shyster, but they won't print that exception because it takes away the power of their arguments.  Most claimants have already paid into the system and not being able to predict when or even if they would become disabled in their lifetime, are simply claiming back what they need to live, but as the money received is so poor even that cannot be guaranteed.  Until fresh air is able to feed, clothe and house a disabled person then the state, as a 'caring' state has to do it.  Tax payers need to know that, God forbid, if anything happened to them in their lifetime they would have help when they need it.  Just because they are able bodied now does not guarantee mishaps in the future but NO-ONE even thinks about that, and it's something they do not realise, disablement can easily happen to them.  Most disabled people do not choose to be this way, and if the Express think it's right or fair to have a go at these people then they are wrong.  One line which really angered me was where they say 'Research shows that if a person claims benefit for more than 1 year then they stay on it for 7 years.'  They leave the statement like that, so what are they saying? that someone decides to claim benefit for a year and then says 'oh I can't be bothered lets stay at home for another 7?'  Doesn't work like that Express.  Let me explain it for you yet again - most long term disabled people are on benefit long term because their condition worsens over time and in some cases is not operable, you are simply left by the NHS to get on with it. 

I will no longer buy the Express after this article was printed today because I am sick to the back teeth of this persecution of those on benefit. 

Perhaps they would like the people on benefit to be forgotten about and live on the streets because if you want to take their money away that's the outcome.  So, here's a question they can't answer for all their bluff and bluster - what will you replace it with?

© silversapphire 2009

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Whisky Fuelled Mince Pies!

Blimey! Talk about alcohol in mince pies!  Hubs put whisky in these as I don't drink brandy (don't drink whisky for that matter come to that) oh well, suffice to say that these whisky fuelled filled mince pies are the best home made pies I have ever tasted bar none, and no I'm not just saying that because he made them - they are really that nice.  I helped as well by coming over all arty and making square bases for the pies; then just putting some of the homemade filling on them and lightly dusting with icing sugar at the end.  Hubs went for the more traditional little pie shape - awww.  Both lots were totally scrummy and needless to say like there are only a couple left.  Well, didn't really want my roast lamb dinner tonight!  Yes, we did use 'proper' whisky, yep, the famous one!  Not the usual paint stripper variety we seem to have had in previous pies in previous years.  As ever, doggie is occupying the front row seats between the kitchen and dining room ever hopeful as always but he really couldn't cope with whisky ... sleeps enough as it is.

Then hubs, proud as a peacock with his endeavours (I'm surprised I can spell that right after having whisky fuelled filled mince pies) pipes up: 'First time I've ever made mince pies' to which I reply: 'So you've made we wait 13 years for this, while greedily shovelling shop bought down your neck knowing I can't have shop bought because of the apples and other assorted crud that goes into prepackaged food these days.'  He went ... oh, er, yeah.  He is priceless isn't he?  No really, I mean I couldn't give him away!!!

© silversapphire 2009

All rights reserved. No part of the publications, or of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means without the express prior written permission of the Author