Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone, wherever in the world you happen to be.  May 2019 be a happy, healthy and productive time.  Stay safe.

See you in the new year.

God Bless x

News and a Merry Christmas Wish

 

I'll start this post with the mundane news just in order to clear my head.  Most of  the gifts have been given out with just the family's ones left to take tomorrow, the food has been purchased apart from a few bits left to buy this morning, and we are booked into the village pub for lunch on Boxing day...Yay!

 



On 27th Dec G has a hospital appointment for a test injection as a day case (long story), I'm still sleeping on the floor, and, Oh yes, we had a car accident last Tuesday.  The driver of a transit van overtook us and then drove into the front of G's car causing over £2,230 worth of damage.  Luckily no-one was hurt and a pedestrian saw everything and has provided a witness statement to say that G was in no way to blame.

 

Yesterday afternoon our next door neighbour died suddenly at home leaving a husband to grieve over Christmas. The poor man, the poor family....

 

I feel drained and totally in need of some good news so I'm signing off until the new year when I might set myself a challenge.  I need to think....

 

 

Wishing you all a very happy, peaceful and totally wonderful Christmas.  May 2019 bring you health and happiness in spades.

Stay safe wherever you are in the world. Lots of love x

The Weirdest Conversation Ever!

I've just had the weirdest telephone conversation with the manager of our local food bank.  I rang to ask if they are short of anything in particular as I will be shopping tomorrow and she said a resounding NO!  She says they are overflowing with food and Christmassy stuff with nowhere to put any more!  She asked me to hang on until the new year before I donate anything.  To be honest I was gobsmacked.  It's great that they have plenty of food but surely at this time of year the need is pretty full on.  I know they only open 3 days a week for people in need but I'm amazed, to say the least, that they turned down my offer.  For the remainder of my Reverse Advent period I will therefore concentrate on doing good deeds and donating toys instead.

Has anyone else had this response from a food bank?

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe wherever you are x

Craft Fair & Reverse Advent

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post, especially Marlene who offered to lend me a mattress (sadly too far away) and Jean in Canada who shared her own experience of Dystonia and Torticollis.  I am overwhelmed by your kindness.

Todays craft fair was the worst ever.  I took a solitary £1 coin :(   My day was made worthwhile, however, by a lady with learning difficulties who wanted to buy one of my £1 heart shaped brooches.  I only had 2 left and she struggled to choose between red and gold.  She chose the red one, paid for it and then I decided it was silly just having one left and gave the gold one to her free of charge.  She made my day by bringing me a gift of a mince pie just before she left, thanking me for being kind to her. We hugged and smiled together :)

As it was the very last fair until March next year I decided to spend the £10 from my float on stuff for the local food bank.  I like the idea of taking part in Reverse Advent each year and have started off as follows:

Dec 1st 2018
Day 1:
I bought the homeless young man in town some lunch.  He chose a hot cheese and onion pasty and a tea.  On my way past him back to the car I gave him a box of mince pies (which he said he enjoys), an apple and 3 satsumas

Dec 8th
Days 2-14:
13 items popped into Sainsburys collection box including tinned ham, tuna and corned beef, 3 shower gels/baby bath, tinned soup x 2, spaghetti, toothpaste and baby wipes, tinned custard, cooking salt

This gives me a bit of breathing space but I will buy a total of 25 items before Christmas

Anyone else doing the Reverse Advent this year?  Are you including good deeds as well as actual items?

Stay safe everyone wherever you happen to be. Take care x

Busy, Busy, Busy

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, it's much appreciated.

One week on and we have had a very busy week.  G's NHS letter was, indeed an appointment; January 4th 2019 !  DD suggested we ring the hospital and ask if they have a waiting list for cancellations which G could join.  After making 4 fruitless attempts to ring the number on the letter, being put through to the wrong department each time, I got a strop on and made the executive decision to get in the car and drive to the hospital (local luckily) to get the correct phone number from reception.  Guess what?  They couldn't find it either, but we were exceptionally lucky to find the consultant's secretary was in the office and she very kindly came to speak to me.  They don't have a cancellation list but she suggested we call them periodically on the off chance.  Both the ladies we spoke to were pleasant, sympathetic and helpful.  I couldn't believe our luck when that very afternoon the secretary rang G to offer him an appointment 2 days later, on Wednesday! 

I went with him to the appointment and the consultant has decided that he will try injecting an anaesthetic into the neck muscle first to see if it helps.  If so they will know they have the correct place to inject Botox into.  It will be a long winded process as we now have to await a letter for the next stage and then another for the third stage and so on.  At the moment I'm sleeping on the floor in the spare room in a sleeping bag so that we can both get some sleep (we only have a double bed in our usual room) so I can't wait to get the problem resolved.  I can get on the floor to sleep but getting back up in a morning at the age of 69 is a bit problematic to say the least....lol  :/ I don't know how much longer I can do it for.....

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, G is paying for Osteopathy every couple of weeks because it helps his neck and shoulder pain to keep it mobile.  He has been diagnosed with Torticollis and he asked the Osteopath if she had any idea what could have caused it. She says it could be caused by an infection or a virus and asked if he had had any dental problems.  Remember the year long trauma between having an extraction and then an operation to complete the job properly?  I rest my case..... Grrr…..

Now...we need to watch the post carefully for the next letter.....

 

Have any of you had any experience with Cervical Torticollis?  Any tips on coping please?

 

Today has been spent cleaning the house, putting up a few decorations (we never have a tree indoors these days) and a bit of crafting in preparation for the last craft fair of the year next Saturday.  Now it's time to prepare our supper and settle down to watch Dr Who and I'm A Celebrity with a nice glass of red wine in my hand :)  Any one else watching either prog?

 

Stay safe everyone and thanks so much for popping in x