Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 22 October 2017

OG: I had an interesting time during my period of having cataracts done. My first appointment was in Tewkesbury so my younger stepdaughter had to drive from Cheltenham to take me, going back past Cheltenham. When my blood pressure was taken it was high. The nurse saw the consultant and he said I've done it at that level before, lets get on. Second time was two months later when they sent me to Cheltenham just before Christmas That surgeon said no way. Extra blood pressure tablets were prescribed and I waited for another appointment. In January I had a phone call from Tewkesbury asking if I could help them out?! It transpired that they had a lot of cancellations due to flu and they asked if I could get there, to which I obviously said yes, then she said now the bad news: you have to be here by 8am!!!. My stepdaughter couldn't do it and it would have been three buses to do it except that I couldn't use them to come back as you are not allowed to use public transport after the operation. Fortunately our back fence neighbour said he would do it. When the surgeon came out to meet his first group of patients he took one look at me and said Oh you again and told the nurse don't worry about blood pressure as I would only set the alarm off! Needless to say it went smoothly. It is such a quick operation for great rewards. Good luck on your next one.

We had a lovely lunch out with the girls and grandchildren. Older not looking forward to chemo start next week now. She is off work at least until the end of December.

Forest Boar hope all goes well with SD chemo. I had BC diagnosed 6 months into moving up here. Very early diagnosis so only radiotherapy with a brilliant surgeon .16 years on and just reaching 70 I feel blessed ..

Lurking as usual but I had an event with my knee .. actually couldn’t walk or put weight on it. Something went ping. First Physio visit said fibrous tissue tear and massage and tape. Second visit today agreed it’s a two way thing and a cartilage tear..ah well still need to walk Daisy so a stiff upper lip.

OG good to “ see” you back.

Didnlib pleased you liked Daisy’s FB photos.

So wish I could post them here but a bit of a thicko on that one .

Thanks for starting us off Diane and for the great picture.

Just got around to looking at this weeks blogs.  Dibnlib - brother isn't married he just lives in the rambling house on his own. He has a partner but they don't live together.

Lindy - Yes, we were thinking of a 12 day cruise of which I have found one but eventually will go into our local travel agents and see if its still available etc.

Heather - the new landlord (August 2015) went in willy nilly with the renovation work without getting planning approval which has to be granted for a listed building. He eventually applied and got it retrospectively but was then told that the work he had done was all wrong so it had to be undone.  Listed buildings criteria. As far as we know he has no money to complete the works even though the council has been and done a health and safety check and said there are 52 jobs to complete.   Goodness knows when he will do them, so in the meantime my brother lives in what can only be described as a ruin with 3 rooms reasonably ok. The saga continues - 2 years now. As he's told us, he will only leave in a coffin. He is frightened to death that if he leaves whilst possible work goes ahead he may not be able to get in again even though he has protected tennancy.

Lindy - just seen about your knee, do hope that as the week has gone on it has improved somewhat.

Thanks Lindy for the latest travelogue, so interesting the pics.  Those monuments are huge, obviously celebrating/commemorating something.

AQ- thanks for your travelogue too. Always interested to see the stained glass windows, most tell a tale.

Thank you too, to all , lots of interesting snippits of news.

ForestBoar -- So glad that you could all enjoy your nice lunch out together.

Lynette - We found our cruise on the internet, but went into a travel agent to book it, just in case we made a mess of trying to do it online....  Also, if you need connecting flights because you're not sailing from the UK, they can be a great help with that and also the bit in between the airport involved and the cruise terminal, you might want a taxi. When we went from Venice last year we found that lots of our fellow passengers had arrived in Venice two days before, and had a short break there to do sightseeing, before the cruise started. Thanks for asking about my knee - it was awkward that day but then eased up, it must have been something muscular. It's fine now :-)

OG -- You've reminded me that I'm due to get my eyes tested!!

Great pictures and love the sand sculpture, Lindybird.

AQ - hope you enjoyed your lunch out and did let off some steam!!

OG - hope op went well and with luck in a week or two you will be seeing a lot better.

These travelogues are interesting. I am following a young couples adventures in Thailand, now Vietnam and not sure where they are going to after that. The young lady use to go to Moulton Parish when I was there so knew her then.

Lindy - that is what I want to take in again - down the River Tagus past the Belem Tower and Henry the Navigator monument, St. Jeronimus monastry to the port at Lisbon.   Did that journey back in 1964 and it was memorable then.   The cruise I have picked out is down to the Canary Islands and back via Lisbon, it sounds like it could be the same as yours was.

OG - glad to see op went well, now only the other eye to do and you will be seeing things well once again.

Take care all and have a lovely weekend.

ForestBoar - glad your lunch went well and that now both eyes are done and you can see a lot better.

Evening all: Daughter left at crack of dawn; now safely home. I spent the day doing laundry, tidying up, etc.  - it's a bit like cleaning up after a hurricane!  

Lindybird: Some lovely architecture in Lisbon.  The Electrical Museum reminded me - my sister said there are some fascinating Industrial Revolution-era museums in the UK.

Heather:  Time change will mean lighter mornings and darker evenings? Which are you dreading?

dibnlib: Gosh, your poor Mom must've felt she was in labor an hour more than  necessary.  :-))

OG:  What was the point at which you decided to go ahead with the eye op? Did any particular symptom become noticeably worse?

Forestboar: Do hope daughter's chemo has minimal side effects and maximum benefits.

Lynette:  That cruise sounds lovely; hope it works out.  Re docs appt, "something or nothing" sounds reasonable; -  at our age there are so many options!  :-)  

Have a good Saturday all.