Hello!

29 days to Christmas! There has been so much going on that it seems to be creeping up on me fast! I always seem to be saying that there is a lot going on in my life ...but there is! I suppose that's what comes of having four daughters and nine grandchildren, I thought that when I retired there would be more time to play with but it hasn't worked out that way.

When my girls were at school I did voluntary work in our local hospital, I worked four mornings a week in the League of Friends shop and one afternoon going round the hospital wards with the mobile shop. I enjoyed it so much and did it for quite a few years. One of the wards was a unit for women with breast cancer and in the ward the morale was so high you would never believe they had any health problems. There was a hairdresser who went there a couple of times a week, people that gave talks and did crafts with them, it was very uplifting to see them. On the other hand though there were small rooms that had just one patient and those were the ones who were very ill, it was heart-breaking to see all the photos of children and drawings that they'd made for their mum but the hospital did as much as they could to make the time there as comfortable as possible. The hospital closed down quite a while ago and there are now homes on the site but I mostly have very pleasant memories of my time there. I always intended that when I retired I would do voluntary work one or two days a week in a hospital but it hasn't worked out that way, I'm waiting for when I can afford the time and that doesn't seem to be just yet!

Well I had the result of my scan last Friday, the lump IS a hernia but the scan also picked up gall-stones and a cyst on my kidney! I had to have another blood test yesterday and go back to my doctor next Monday to see what's going to happen next. Just along the corridor where I had my blood test at the hospital is the place where Rhiannon had the camera procedure. She said the doctor examined her before using the camera and she has to have it done again....in five weeks time! I have been really worried about her but now I think that if he wants it done that far ahead then it can't be too serious, what do you think? She'll be sent another appointment and she also has to have another blood test.

After my doctor's appointment next Monday morning we'll be going to see my friend Linda in Essex for a few days which I'm really looking forward to. Although we speak on the phone a couple of times a week it's been months since we last saw each other. Peter is one of those rare men who doesn't mind shopping and he'll happily take us anywhere we want to go. Because he starts work in the early hours of the morning, he finishes about lunchtime and always phones me to see if there's anything I need at the supermarket, I really appreciate that in this horrible weather we've been having!

Well I have some housework to do, vacuuming, washing the kitchen floor and ironing, doesn't sound too much but I seem to get lots of phone calls during the day so it always takes me longer than it should! A nephew from my first marriage is coming to see me this evening with his wife, I haven't seen them for many years, they're thinking of moving to this area and I've got the local freebie newspapers for them with the property pages in them....I can feel some baking coming on!

One of these days I'll learn how to put photos on here! I had just mastered it on the old AOL blog and then it was taken away! Oh well, when I get time!

Have a good day,
Pat

Monday Morning

Another Monday, what will this week bring? It's been rather unsettling here recently health-wise. I had my scan last Tuesday and was told that result would be sent to my doctor in 7-14 days, I have an appointment to see my doctor this afternoon about my ulcer but she may not have the results in yet. I get occasional pain from the lump but when I do it lasts almost until I go to bed, most days though it doesn't give me any problems, it's just the size of it that bothers me, it's about as big as a tennis ball!

Also my youngest daughter Rhiannon has to have some checks at the hospital because she has abnormal bleeding, she doesn't seem too worried about it thankfully, I think I'm doing the worrying for her although of course I don't let her know that. The doctor asked her if there was any colon cancer in the family and she said there wasn't but my grandfather died of stomach cancer and I keep thinking of that, Rhiannon didn't know that.

Then last week her little Sofia who's 5, told her that sometimes her eyes went 'fuzzy'. Rhiannon thought it best to take her to the opticians which she did straight from school. After testing her eyes they asked Rhiannon to take her back again the next day when they would put dome drops in her eyes and test them again, the following morning she had a phone call from the optician saying that he'd spoken to two of his colleagues and they all thought it would be best for Sofia to be seen at the hospital and they would get a letter sent off. Rhiannon had a letter from the hospital asking her to phone in to make an appointment, the earliest one she could get is for 29th December!! So I am also worried about Sofia as well. There is talk about closing our local hospital and I get so annoyed when we have to wait so long to be seen.

Because of all the uncertainty we have decided not to go to France in early December after all, I don't think I'd be at my best, it's times like this that I just want to be near to my family and be on hand should they need me. Instead we'll be going to my friend Linda's for a few days, we didn't get to go last weekend after all because she wasn't well, so we have that to look forward to.

Peter has been very busy in the house, he decorated the hall, stairs and landing in three days three weeks ago and then two weekends ago he decorated our bedroom. Every eight weeks he gets a three-day weekend off work and the following week a five-day weekend and if we're not going away he feels as though he has to make the most of it! After he did the bedroom I had a good sort through my clothes and have now got a few bags for the charity shop....but why doesn't my wardrobe look emptier?!

Well a short entry as I have lots of things to do today in the house, Peter will be home from work about midday and then I want to get some shopping before my doctor's appointment
I hope you all have a good week!

Pat