My New Bed is Here!

Firstly, thanks to all who posted comments on my last post.  I appreciate every single one.  Thanks for taking the time to commiserate, sympathise and offer generally cheering words.

 

This morning has been cold but quite bright and sunny, which makes a lovely change.  Today is also THE DAY!  My new bed arrived at 8.20am this morning and I have gone from this.....

 

 

to this....Yay!.....

The spare room is really tiny and there is very little room at the foot of the bed so opening the wardrobe will be a bit tricky.  I will need to push the bed away from the wall in order to do so but the bed is light and easy to slide about.

The reversible bedlinen is pale grey with a white ditsy print which cost just £9 (reduced from £18) from Sainsbury's, the bottom sheet just £3.  I used £10 worth of Nectar points so only had to spend £2 in cash.  I decided to use a double duvet to give me plenty of overhang and consequently plenty to cocoon myself in tonight :)  No hands and knees required tomorrow!!

On Sunday I had a good sort out in order to make some room so I'm happy to report:

1) a pile of flattened cardboard boxes which I found between the wardrobes (obviously kept because they could prove useful...hmm....not so) were recycled

2) 3 pretty items taken to the charity shop today

3) a bin bag full of non-recyclable 'stuff'' put into the skip

In addition the room was thoroughly vacuumed and dusted (including the walls) One room down, several to go :) All in all, a good start to my de-clutter month.

Stay safe everyone and thanks so much for popping in x

Welcome to 2019

Welcome to 2019 everyone!  Christmas was so busy in so many ways.  We spent Christmas Day with DD and her family, then they all came to us on Boxing Day and G treated us all to a hot lunch at the village pub. This meant that I could just do a teatime buffet with cheeses, salad, pickles hot nibbles and crusty bread.  None of us ate too much and we played games and generally had fun.

On the 27th Dec I had to take G to hospital for some injections in his neck to try to help with the pain.  We thought it would be Botox injections but the Consultant gave him 5 injections of anaesthetic; 2 on one side and 3 on the other.  The next day he could barely lift his right arm (the good side!) but that gradually eased off and the pain in general has lessened considerably.  Unfortunately, the injections haven't made one iota of difference to the pulling of his head to one side.  It's driving him crazy and he can only cope by constantly working; either around the garden or shed and going for walks several times a day.  To be honest it's putting me on edge too.  We can't sit and read or watch TV because he has to constantly fidget trying to stop his head moving of it's own accord which then makes his neck ache.  It's a constant struggle for him.  We are forced to go out somewhere every day when all I would like to do is to sit and read or do a bit of crafting to relax.  I feel mean even thinking the thought but I don't know how much longer I can remain calm and supportive when I want to scream :/

Next month G is booked in for a telephone consultation to see how things are, but we are looking at another 5 weeks of waiting yet.  I hope desperately that the hospital doesn't write him off without having another go at treating him.

We are still sleeping apart with me on the floor in the spare room but at least we can toss and turn without waking each other up and we are both getting a few hours sleep each night now.  G wakes really early and has to get up but he can cook a bacon buttie without waking me up every time now :)
We have taken the plunge and ordered a new single bed for the spare room so it will be easier for me to get out of it too rather than get onto my hands and knees every morning.  The bonus is that I can de-clutter the spare room without him objecting in order to make room! 

Speaking of de-cluttering....I seriously need to get to grips with it throughout the bungalow.  'Stuff' has been rammed into cupboards over the Christmas period and I need to sort it out.  I am still turning my stash into cash too.  I might need to make my new year challenge a de-cluttering one....
Anyone else de-cluttering?

Stay safe everyone and thanks for popping in x

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