First I'm in then I'm out

I've had it with the Hayseed Dixie World Service. I finally got to join their Outhouse at the 7th attempt, posted one message and got kicked out. Some poor chap who must live near me, spent ages trying to help me out and I finally thought we'd done it. That feeling was short lived. I just went back to post again and I find I've been de-listed AGAIN.

I give up. It's not like me, but I have spent HOURS trying to sort this out, I even got a new email address and resurrected an old one, all to no avail. Why they think I am some sort of risk goodness only knows.

The gig on Thursday incidentally was brilliant, even though my heart was in another place. I'm looking forward to Dudley now in September with Status Quo.

As for their Outhouse, I think I'll pass.

Sad times

I lost a dear, dear friend yesterday. The Mother I should have had, instead of the one I got. Our friendship spanned 21 years, a generation gap, the loss of several relatives on both sides and whole lot more.

I went to a concert last night, knowing she was at life's end but her words were ringing in my ears, "Well I wouldn't waste tickets that I'd paid good money for. No way"

A bittersweet moment in the Hayseed's set, they played an Elvis song as a one off, one of my friend's favourites. I knew then she'd gone.

The day I walked into her life, which is how it actually happened, both our lives were changed forever. My life has been richer for knowing her, and I think I added a bit to her world too.

Her real family are now in mourning and shock, for this was sudden, she was well last week and gone this week. The whole of her community now surprised by the unforeseen, quick exit. Now she is at peace and I am left to ponder on why I should lose both mothers within 6 months.

Sometimes life just isn't fair.

Hayseed Dixie - The Outhouse

The Outhouse is the message board part of the Hayseed Dixie World Service. I have tried unsuccessfully 4 times now to join this and each time I do, I never get the activation email to actually open the account. I even emailed the webmaster twice on the help tab, but he never ever answers.

I'm not sure what's going on here, I've tried different email addresses and even posted this blog in the hope that someone will realise I am a Genuine Fan but they just never let me in.



I'm off to see them at Bridgwater tonight and I might just accost one of the team if I can and ask them why they keep shutting the door on me. Maybe there's some thing about devon girls that's a bit TOO HOT even for them.


JW if you check this out please LET ME IN.

Absent friends

It's funny what you learn when you have a blog. Lots of people read it, some of those you think you know. Some of those you probably know. And when people live in an unusual place you really DO know who it is.

Most readers don't bother to comment, and when people do I often forget to reply, leastways I think I've replied and then at a later date I find I haven't. Then I feel guilty. And then there are the lurkers, who often read but never say a thing. You wonder sometimes who they are. Sometimes you know who they are and it surprises you.

I can tell mostly from my sitemeter who is looking and when. It would be nice to have a two-way dialogue sometimes. It's a strange feeling, friends read my thoughts and doings but never give anything in exchange.

So come on if you're out there reading, write a little comment once in a while, drop in and say hi. I'd love to know how you're doing too.

Blogger AGAIN

Just a note to say my edit function is not working and what I type in is not necessarily what shows on the page. Alright, the words and the typos are mine but the colours and the spacing are not.

OK??

I'll correct it when I am able!

Heroes

Whilst Britain sinks under a deluge of water, my thoughts are still in Greece and warmer, actually hotter, weather and it's attendant problems.

I was looking at my pics of the waterbomber planes that we watched most days we were away, continuously scooping water out of the sea then flying over the forest fires and spraying the water from the air. Those guys were relentless and really caught our imagination and sympathy for what they were going through.

I looked up the Canadian designed plane (Canadair CL 415 or waterbomber) on the net as I had never seen one before and reading about it I discovered this amazing video of the Helenic Air Force in action fire fighting.

Sadly 7 Greek pilots have been killed in firefighting already this year and the summer's heatwave is not yet over. The worst bit is that the guy who made the youtube video above, died only yesterday.

As they say in other circles, respect. I truly mean it.

Greek by numbers

Ena 1 .........Number of Delta Nirvana pralines and cream ice-creams I ate, strangely I only want savoury stuff now but I thought that may have changed when I had another of these, my absolute favourite for so long, sadly it didn't.

Dio 2..........Number of swims before breakfast, well most days anyhow

Tria 3.........Number of oranges to make a glassful of freshly squeezed juice in my 10 euro new juicer

Tessera 4.....Number of cars parallel parked in Argalasti crossroads before the policeman blew his whistle and got them all moved

Pende 5.......Number of moths a gecko can eat in a minute if the going is really good

Eckse 6........Number of waterplanes in view at one time from Affisos beach when they were filling up in the Pagasitic Gulf

Efta 7.........Number of bottles of wine a week we drank on the terrace, yes I know we're both tea-total here but at less than 31 a bottle you have to really!

Octo 8.........Number of kilos of oranges bought for juicing in 2 weeks, not all at the same time, we'd got no where to store them all.

Enea 9.........Number of boats in front of the window in the morning

Deka 10...... Number of frappes two of you can drink in one day. They just don't taste the same here.

Back from the brink

Whew, it was hot out there, 42 degrees when we got to Greece and into a region of severe forest fires. Earlier in the week it had been 47 degrees so we escaped the worst. We spent one night in a hotel as the road was closed at Afites where the fire crossed over and so we couldn't get to Kalamos for 24 hours.

It was worth the wait though. I spent hours and hours in the sea, the locals recognised us from previous visits and we adapted perfectly to life in a small village at the water's edge.

Waterplane just about to scoop from the sea.

Gone away

Just a note to say we are off to Kalamos again tomorrow so I won't be around for a while.

I know I owe people emails but I have had so little time the last couple of weeks I am all behind.

The weather is set to be very hot so we'll be making the most of the sea at the end of the patio.

See you in two and a half weeks.

Life insurance medical

I saw my GP yesterday for a medical for my life insurance. I thought it was just me and my poor medical history that required it but I was told that they do it all the time now.

Anyway interesting reading going through my medical notes for the last 20 years and before, and an invaluable exercise for my GP too, as I have only actually been seeing this one for 9 months.

Things I found out:

I have been complaining about my hands for over 10 years.

My then GP in 1997 queried RA but never did anything about it.

They had me down as depressed, but when the GP dug into it, it was just a comment after I had 2 bereavements in the same year, 11 years ago. The diagnosis was removed from my long list of current problems

Another GP had frequently put 'unexplained weight gain' and never followed it up.

That same GP had documented my aversion to Amytriptiline and my refusal to take it on the grounds of weight gain but never tied the two things up.

My heart problems started immediately after I had Parvo virus as did the RA but it was never 'joined up'. The GP put that right too yesterday and said in the report that I had had both things as direct result of the Parvo virus, it being a well documented progression in adults.

If all this had been sorted out at the time I probably wouldn't have remained with the ME diagnosis and other problems I had would have been investigated more.

The GP concluded the report by saying that as conventional treatments had failed to have much effect I was now seeing my Lyme specialist and getting much better on this regime, giving credibility to the 'probable Chronic Lyme' diagnosis.

Interesting isn't it? When someone actually bothers to review all your notes not just the current appointment stuff.

I thought that this government was all in favour of 'Joined-up Thinking', pity it doesn't extend to Ms Hewitt's departments. Or then again it's really no surprise is it?

It's a boy.

He finally arrived by c-section at 1pm on Friday, after 5 failed inductions and 4 days in hospital. Mum and babe doing well when we saw them yesterday. You forget how tiny these little ones are.

New house, new car, new baby?

We got the keys of the door on Monday. I bought a new (second hand) car on Wednesday. On Friday we are still awaiting the appearance of the 4th grandchild.

All week my stepdaughter has presented at her local maternity unit at 9am each morning to be induced. They have tried 5 times. Today she is 16 days overdue and is scheduled for a ceasarian this morning. To date they have had no beds. I hope to God they have one for her today.

She has gestational diabetes and group B strep. She was told she would not be allowed to go more than 7 days overdue as there was a risk she would have a very big baby. She was also told it would be 'out by Wednesday' - last Wednesday. She was told she would have a ceasarian last week. She was told she could not go more than 14 days overdue as it was dangerous. All conflicting and all disregarded as the time went on.

Now my anxious, depressed step-daughter, longing for her first baby, has been living on tenterhooks since last Thursday. Her partner has lost a week from work running backwards and forwards to the hospital each day.

Is this what the NHS calls primary care? Primary nightmare more like.

Read NHS Blog doctor on the subject of maternity care here

Key of the door

We finally got the key to the new place yesterday. Even that didn't go according to plan, we should have been all sorted by 12 noon but the solicitors for the vendors didn't let anyone know that they had received the money and that we could fetch the key so we were hanging round for 3 hours.

Then my car started making a very loud noise again and I decided not to drive it. So tomorrow we have to go and get another one, in a hurry, which is not always such a good idea. The current one had only just been serviced and had it's MOT, sailing through with flying colours. Now it needs 4 new tyres, the radiator has sprung a leak, an oil pump is leaking and the steering has gone. In 5 years I have never had any trouble with this car, now it has decided to repay me big-time. Even WH who likes to keep a car until months after anyone else would have given up said he's not spending all that money on it and it has to go.

Stressed right out

Haven't posted for over 2 weeks, a record of a sort for me. I wasn't even on holiday.

The last fortnight has been almost a nightmare, they say house moving is stressful, well my solicitor has been conveyancing for over 30 years and she has never had a conveyance like it. After numerous false starts, a withdrawal, a re-market, several rows with estate agents, a complaint to the Law Society and numerous other set backs, we *might* exchange contracts tomorrow. I feel like I have taken up residence in the solicitors office and have wasted so much other precious time in the process. 16 weeks since I first viewed and we're still messing about.

Keep your fingers crossed it goes through OK. We need it to. What the heck, keep everything crossed, please.

So nice to see you

I paid a visit to my Rheumatologist on Wednesday. This was a twelve week follow up from my last appointment in December, (no, I couldn't get the maths to add up either) postponed a further month by the hospital for one of 3 possible reasons, which one they did not specify.

First of all they have changed the waiting area, you check in one area and then are directed to sit in one of five jump seats along a narrow corridor facing a brick wall. This doubles as the chiropody area too so we were treated to a long monologue by an an elderly lady in a wheelchair parked at right angles so the corridor was not blocked. She talked of neighbours long dead,businesses lost and a full rundown of all her relatives faults. No actually she didn't talk she barked, droned and berated, monotonously for hours, or so it seemed. After a few minutes I approached by a nurse and told that I was 'next but one' but there would be a slight wait. The chap on the end groaned. He was the 'next'. He told me his appointment was some 75 minutes earlier. We sat and stewed on a boiling hot day in a corridor with no air. Eventually 'next' was called.

Two other couples then arrived all at once, names were taken and the nurse told me not long to go now, but it could have been worse, the previous two patients hadn't turned up. We all changed seats so the couples could sit together. the nurse came and suggested these late arrivals could go and sit in the coffee shop and she would fetch them. Luckily I had my bottle of water to sustain me. The elderly lady was taken to chiropody, the chap before me came out.

Some twenty minutes later another nurse asked if I had been forgotten. She disappeared, then came back and said "Doctor is reviewing your notes, you''ll be in soon. " Another ten minutes passed. Finally, one hour and forty minutes after my allotted time I was called in.

The consultant beamed, "I haven't seen you for a while have I?"

Er No. I had a locum last time and and the time before that and the last one was horrid. She mentioned his notes. I told her I did not like him. "He's from New Zealand," was the reply, "but he did put you on Methotrexate ." (Only after I had had specifically asked for another treatment when he had tried to end the consultation).

We discussed my diagnosis of Chronic Lyme. "How are you now? " I told her I was better than I had been for 10 years, was responding to the treatment, had good blood test results, all my 'lumps' had disappeared from the palms of my hands and other than the fact my hands are still curling up at night, I was heaps better. I asked whether or not I should see someone for the tendons in my hands which have been noticed by everyone I have seen for the last few years. They are thickened, painful and very stiff in the mornings causing this propensity for my hands to curl up.

"Can you make a fist?"

"Well yes, that's the problem, too much fist", she pushed my wrists up and down and cast a cursory glance at the back and front of my hands.

"OK then, you don't need to see anyone, you can move your fingers." Eh???

I demonstrated my ability to bend over, stretch up, put my arms above my head and behind my back.

"I am concerned that this private doctor is charging you too much. How much do you pay?" I named a figure I knew was about one quarter of her consultation fee as WH has seen her privately in the past. "Oh that's not too bad then." Not too bad, it more like a brilliant bargain. This chap is obviously not in it for the money. "What about the private prescriptions?" I didn't tell her I had stockpiled from the NHS prescriptions and would only need a few. I again named a ridiculously low figure. " You're quite happy then?"

Almost deliriously so I told her. I had found a doctor who believed me, a treatment that works and after 15 years I am improving ,albeit slowly and probably not completely. I am doing more, I had spent the previous morning gardening, I could go out more and what is more I have the stamina not to crash completely afterwards.

"Well we will have to agree to differ then. Your treatment is unusual and not at all main stream. It is very controversial; there are a lot of opponents both here and in the USA" The words left unsaid told me that she was one of them. I already knew that.

"I don't think there is any need to see me again until you want further hep from me. So nice to see you again."

The consultation was over. Why on earth did I bother going?

I don't want to go to Chelsea

That used to be one of my favourite songs, by Elvis Costello for those too young to remember.

This weekend however, I am going to Chelsea Flower Show and yes I really, really want to go. WH's business very very ocasionally has it's good side. This is one of them. One of his suppliers is sponsoring a show garden and we got tickets to go on not one but two whole days.

It's a bit of a marathon from here so we're staying up in town, not often I can write that I tell you, not least because the price of the hotel is only twice what the parking would cost! I'm planning a lovely weekend of gardening, bit of sightseeing and maybe some shopping too. Oh and WH gets to come along with his credit card too.

Just hope that daughter No 2, who is days away from giving birth, doesn't choose this weekend to get going. After I've been to the show she is allowed, but fingers crossed, not before, please.

Moving like a tortoise

Our house move has now been on the cards for 12 weeks. We are still no nearer to completion of our purchase. We finally received a draft contract this week as the vendors solicitors, two rival firms, have now stopped squabbling amongst themselves (and all over £20 too, it's disgraceful) only to discover yesterday that some probate certificates were missing and which the vendors solicitors had neglected to notice. Thank goodness our lady is on the ball.

So it's all back to the drawing board again. We can't now even get the key until we have been on holiday so it means that any work we need to do wil be after that. We want to extend the kitchen and at this rate we will not get planning consent until at least October which means we will have missed the whole of the summer, the light nights and good weather. We are now talking of having it ready for Christmas. Big deal. I was looking forward to spending the summer in the beautiful, south-facing garden and eating-out on the permanently warm sun terrace. I was looking forward to the extra space and the quiet away from barking dogs and noisy neighbours.

The original plan was to have moved in 2 weeks ago and the vendor was at great pains to ensure that we completed within 6 weeks. Shame that all the delay has been caused by his team. Of course he will get his money in due course, as for us, we are left with the feeling that we have wasted the whole of this year.

Lyme disease week 15

I've been on high level antibiotics (Doxycycline) now for 15 weeks. I'm doing OK, my activity level is 50% of what it was when I was well, ie 15 years ago. It is about 500% higher than when I was at my worst last autumn. I've had a few problems with the dreaded fungal attack but with a judicious dose of Diflucan once a week and by taking high dose probiotics I now have it all under control. The worst aspect is my high susceptibility to sunburn which is a small price to pay for such a brilliant recovery. This week it's no bother at all, having had wall to wall rain for the last 10 days (ever since my visitors arrived!)

I see Dr Thomas Stuttaford in The Times yesterday was writing about the perils of Lyme which seems to have become headline news over the last few weeks. One of the points he makes is this: if left untreated, about 60 per cent of patients who have had Lyme disease develop severe arthritis. Well stone the crows, my Rheumatoid Arthritis isn't rheumatoid after all. Actually we had already decided that. Despite the fact I am taking absolutely no medication whatsoever for Arthritis, it is going, I can move, the swelling is going and best of all the hard lumps which I had on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet have gone. Completely. Bloods taken last week revealed, as the nurse reading them out to me said " better results than you have had for about 20 years". Markers for infection and arthritis were almost normal.

Now for the sting in the tail. A consultation with my GP last week made clear that although I was recovering better than anyone had hoped, the practice partners had had a meeting and confirmed their earlier decision not to prescribe any more of the antibiotics as they are "off licence". I must get them via a private prescription from my private consultant, for which of course, I must pay.

OK, I have posted on this topic before, but that was before I had definite proof that the treatment is really working.

You know what, NICE sucks and so does the NHS. I have been unable to work for 15 years, I finally have a treatment that is working but hey, as if I am not disadvantaged enough already, I have to pay for it myself. No matter that 2 years of NHS time and money was wasted trying to find an arthritis medication to which I was not allergic and pain relief for a condition I didn't have.

Old Southern Bluegrass Riverside Bogswamp Family Band

get a load of this.

My nephew is the lead guitarist and writer of the piece. I am so proud. A real musician in the family.

All change on the western front

I know what the seaside landladies call change over day now.

Today I have some very old family friends arriving for the rest of the week. Their 22nd year here and probably the last time in this house before we move. This morning I was up with the lark changing rooms round, making beds and shooing the cats off clean linen.

The weather does not look promising but I'm sure we'll find plenty to do, we always do. Tonight I'm cooking a Greek meal so I hope that will inject some sun at any rate.

Watch this space for news of what we get up to.