Thread 10 - TalkLair: “The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles.”

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of previous threads (thread 9).

Although the nights are gradually drawing in, the new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey inside. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

This is utterly devastating Why are some people such bastards?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4907667-sycamore-gap-tree-has-been-felled

It's regional to me, they've arrested a 16 year old boy. Whilst I don't in anyway condone what he's done, I've a tiny bit of respect for someone that age, who was determined enough to lug a chainsaw at least a mile, up rough hills, at 1am, to do the evil deed.

I was listening to this on the drive home. It’s so sad. We can’t have nice things.

That house is very wrong. I bet it was lovely when it was just an ordinary cottage.

Thank you all for you loveliness. I'm less grumpy today. I mean I'm not okay but more accepting that my famous patience needs to kick back in. I have an appointment for the PET scan next week. I had no idea they were such a palaver. Blood test, fine, radioactive sugar injection, also fine. In a quiet private room for an hour before the scan, get in. Or not. I can't read or listen to music, or I'm guessing a podcast! What?! That said I'll probably be shattered so no doubt I'll have a nice nap. It's in Brighton which is great because it's nice and easy to get to and I can get the very cheap £2 bus. Huzzah!

@MavisMcMinty yep, my immune system is totally fucked. The one good thing about it is that I've been tested for HIV because of it, because it's a big HIV thing, and I know I'm clear of that and given my twenties that's something I don't ever have to worry about! I think sleeping upright helps as well. Last night I fell asleep in a semi-sitting position, I was reading and woke up with my glasses on. I was in less pain than I had been so that was good. I'll do the same tonight but without my glasses on, so, you know, deliberately!

I heard about the tree on the news earlier and it's really sad. I hope they don't go too hard on the sixteen year old because he's clearly been an absolute idiot but he's a kid. It's just awful that it's gone.

Hooray for Brighton @MouseMinge. I’m guessing yours will be in the new building? I’ve been there a few times and it’s Very Very Nice.

Today I got the results back from an MRI I had on my shoulder… dum dum dum… six months ago, because I’ve been having shoulder pain for years. Turns out I broke my humerus! I did try to explain to the GP at the time how much pain I was in, but he thought it was a rotator cuff issue and just gave me a leaflet with some exercises on. Fortunately the bones have healed in the right place. They think the pain I still have is either bursitis or a ganglion cyst but either way there’s lots of fluid. I’ve had physio, steroid injections, more physio and none of it helps. I’m really hoping they’ll offer to aspirate it because it’s been going on for years now. I have muscle wastage from being unable to use my right arm properly. It’s so bloody painful.

That's horrendous, cyan! I'm so sorry that you've been in such pain. Presumably it could have been reduced if they'd responded earlier/actually looked at your scan.

It is @CyanCrystalViolet I was looking at it last time I was there and thinking that it looked very nice so it'll be good to get a look at it from the inside.

Your shoulder pain sounds hideous. I really hope they offer you the aspiration or that if they don't that you demand it. It's horrible that you've been living with so much pain for so long.

Oh you poor thing @CyanCrystalViolet ! Broken bones are hideously painful.

OMG! to the broken humerus!

Mouse - have you tried elevating the head of your bed? Stick a big fat book or two under the legs at the top of the bed, (not so many that you go sliding out the bottom of the bed). Acid reflux can aggravate asthma too, might help that as well. x

Ouch @CyanCrystalViolet! Why is it that we get so many stories of healthcare institutions ignoring patients' pain and/or symptoms?

“It’s the menopause” is the usual answer. Not that I ever ask medical advice, I just diagnose myself and demand [whatever] from my GP. I had a wonderful woman GP for a while who would kindly but firmly discredit my diagnoses (e.g. my daily headaches must be brain metastases from a small cell lung cancer), I was so sorry when she retired, but must say the random male GPs I’ve seen since then have been much more obedient.

Pulling rank a bit, Mavis? I've been known to do that, saying 'My dad's a GP and he thinks...'. It can get results.

I have to say that being a nurse has got me preferential treatment as a patient. Even before my nurse training I was bumped to the top of the wisdom teeth removal list so that my training could start as planned. Had side rooms all to myself as an inpatient, saw the dermatology consultant for a suspicious mole at the end of his clinic (although every time I saw him afterwards in the hospital corridors all I could think was “OMG you’ve seen me naked!”).

Still seems to work as a retired nurse.

The other thing I do is wait 2-3 weeks before making an appointment, as I know they’ll say “come back in 2-3 weeks if it’s no better or gets worse”, cuts out a wasted visit.

Sounds like I go all the time, I really don’t. I’m a hypochondriac because of all my knowledge, but also a doctorphobe because of all my knowledge. It’s been just telephone consultations since long before Covid, easier for them, easier for me.

Do all nurses do that, Mavis? I know my sister does. I think a good example was when our grandad was dying of cancer; my dad, a cousin me and my sister were visiting him and dad tried to ask questions, the doctor was rude, arrogant and dismissive.

My sister picked his chart off the end of the bed, hummed and hawed a bit and when the doctor tried to snatch it off her, she fixed him with a steely glare and snapped, "Do you mind?!"

She then went through the details and wanted to know why x, y & z was or wasn't being done. Dr. Arrogant went all limp and obsequious and promised to expedite some things, then asked if she was a doctor; she snapped, "No, I'm a fucking SRN!"

I think he thought she was a doctor and taking the piss!

Heh, Sinner. Remember junior doctors have to navigate nurse-power on their first wards, where they learn a lot from us and depend upon our kindness to make their jobs tolerable. We can be Hattie Jacques as well as Barbara Windsor.

We gave a little tub of kimchi to the people in the oriental shop in town. They also run a restaurant that we order from sometimes and the man in the shop told me today that he'd give us the tub back the next time he delivers our order. It feels a bit like the tub is being held to ransom 😅

@MavisMcMinty I don't have the strength to do that to the bed at the moment. Bending down is painful because I immediately get gripping pains in the under boob area. I have a lot of cushions and after falling asleep with my glasses on and sleeping better I kept them on the bed last night and slept semi-sitting up. It made a difference so I'll keep doing that until they sort the bastard little tumour.

I'm currently reading Lessons in Chemistry and it's a cracking read.

I used to listen to the My Favorite Murder podcast a lot but haven't for a while. They have emails from listeners about murders or other stuff that happens in their own hometown and some of these get animated by someone. Anyway, I watch this one every so often because it never fails to make me laugh and I was watching it last night so decided I needed to share it with you all. Think of your worst fart ever and times it by a million. This fart is that.

That's great, Mouse! 😁

It's one of my favourite things, duc.

I don’t know. If you make a fuss you’re hysterical. If you don’t make a fuss you end up with a leaflet on rotator cuff stretches and an untreated broken arm I don’t really know what to say to the GP (not the same one) when I see them. If it had been treated properly at the time I probably wouldn’t have all these problems. I just want some sort of treatment so that I can use my arm properly again.

I’m currently reading Pathogensis: How Germs Made History by Jonathon Kennedy which complements Mouse’s book nicely I think. It’s like the germ version of Harari’s Sapiens.

I'm currently reading Lessons in Chemistry and it's a cracking read.

I LOVED that book! So much!

I’m reading Trans. It’s great but I feel I know everything already, it’s a year too late for me. Much easier to read than Material Girls, gotta say. I had to reward myself every time I read a chapter of that.

<takes 'light reading' notes>

Still, there's glinner's book coming soon. Hopefully, there's some laffs in it. 😀