Thread 11 - TalkLair: “The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles.”

[Kucinghitam]

Whoops, missed the filling up of the previous thread! (thread 10).

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…

Dotellhimpike · 14/01/2024 12:40

Surely the onus was on her to look out for pedestrians? Isn't that how he new Highway Code sets it out?

She ran into the back of me on a path. I think she assumed that I was part fly, with 360° vision?

It's snowing! Not heavily and it hasn't started to lie yet.

Plenty of snow here when I woke this morning.

Talking of cats:

I think my cat stole someone's Sunday lunch http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/thelitterr_tray/4985034-i-think-my-cat-stole-someones-sunday-lunch

We have another snowstorm due today but only about 3-5" so not as bad as the last one. We are watching the weather forecast for other bits of the US where they're having it much colder and snowier than we are, which feels odd when our winters are usually among the cold and snowy. I think the biggest snowfall since I've been here has been about 36".

Posie is a very pretty cat!

No snow here. It is cold though.

The snow has been (maybe 1 to 2 inches) and pretty much mostly gone. It's down to little icy patches designed to catch you out.

We had snow this morning, but it's all been rained away now.

Sweet looking cat!

It's been lovely here today. No snow. Bright blue sky, frosty with a high of 4C. Perfect for outdoor work.

Posie sure is purty! Francis, who wears a tuxedo jacket and has heart-shaped nose, approves.

No snow in these parts although there is supposed to be snow in London. Snow is not an often occurence when you live by the seaside. The last couple of days have been glorious though. V cold with bright blue skies and sunshine. As a result of that I've been in a good mood which has been helped by banana milkshakes and utterly delicious scrambled eggs.

I was at the hospital yesterday to have my portable chemo reattached. Alas and alack, my body was low on magnesium so I spent six hours being infused. It was far better than last week. I got to stay in the chemo unit and I'd bought a couple of books, some cuppa soups, lucozade and headphones. I had a good old read (Persepolis), got hot water for my cuppa soups, got a nice strawberry yoghurt from the volunteer who brings around sandwiches and biscuits and I had a nice nap. My nurse for the day is, by a big old coincidence, my neighbour. She found out because when she looked at my address before I got in she thought it was hers. We're both flat 2 and then a number. She's lovely and I can't wait until we see each other through our windows and wave.

Anyway, back to the unit today and after a blood test, a nice clean up of my PICC line and a flush, I had the chemo reattached. Yay! While I was there the Royal Sussex called the unit thinking I was an inpatient - although why I'd be on the unit who knows because it's not an inpatient unit - to remind me I have an appointment tomorrow and did I need transport. It was very handy that they did because the letter I got had my appointment for the 18th not the 17th. I called them back when I got home and it is tomorrow. Phew, I won't miss it. Tomorrow is a two hour-ish appointment where all the prep gets done for me to start radiotherapy which I think happens on February 2nd but given my letters have proven to be a little wrong, who knows!

How kind of them to ring up and also to provide transport. That's funny about your neighbour.

I wonder if they still use gentian violet to mark where the radiographer has to position the beam? Mine stayed on for 6 weeks and I couldn't have a bath or shower in that time, or use deodorant- I think the no washing/deodorant was more about the delicacy of the skin, than washing off the GV but I've never been more pleased to have a bath and also get rid of the marks.

@MmePoppySeedDefage I'll let you know. I hope I can shower, the thought of weeks of being grubby is a bit horrible.

At the Brighton cancer centre they don't use the gentian violet but are thinking of adding it because what they do do doesn't come up well on darker skin. I had a few little black dot tattoos where they want to put the radiotherapy. I had to do it topless which wasn't an issue at all although it was cold, I also had to, for reasons that make no sense to me, lie on the CT scan "bed" with no mattress and that shit messes with your back. It hurt when I came off. My initial interview, telling me what to accept, being given all my appointments and signing a consent form, was interuptted by a poor woman whose arm had started pissing blood where the cannula had been taken out. There was a lot of blood and she was apologising while I was moving myself as far from the blood as possible. Just read back. I told her it wasn't a problem, of course. I'm not a total bastard. It was okay. Here bleeding wasn't, but her needing to be looked after was. Some got on my backpack but we got it off quite easily. She eventually stopped bleeding and we got back to the job. It was all good although I was bloody cold and I'm sure it was colder in Brighton compared to Worthing but that could be me very much imagining things. I felt absolutely done in when I got home which I think is due to being back on chemo again. I also felt a little on the sick side today but started taking the "don't be sick!" tablets last night which is keeping it at bay.

I hope anyone who had snow today had lovely snow and not the sort of snow that turns to ice and sludge very quickly and makes you want to shake your fist at the sky and do some swears. I think that tomorrow and Friday most of the country will be sunny again and oh my days that makes such a big difference.

That sounds like a long day, Mouse. I've been that woman a few times when I've had a cannula removed. The last time it happened I'd just left the nurse's office and walked into the waiting room when it started pissing out my arm and all over my clothes. I don't think it hit anyone, thank god. Unbelievably they didn't have any bandages or anything like that so I had to use paper towels and apply pressure for 10 minutes.

My radiologist used more gauze, then got rid of the blood soaked gauze and then held it in place for quite a few minutes pressing down on it hard. Another woman came in and cleaned the blood off the floor, both got as much as they could off her arm and then it eventually stopped. I felt so sorry for her. When the radiologist in search of cleaning alcohol we chatted and she has rectal cancer which put what I'm going through into perspective. I can't imagine how awful it must be having cancer in your bum. Then again, she can't shit and I can't eat properly, we're both having digestive "fun"!

Evening all. A beautiful sunny day here although absolutely f cold. I had a new hotwater bottle delivered today which will be coming to bed with me in a little while. It's been a quiet peaceful day which was just what I wanted. I hope everyone else has had the sort of day they wanted with added blue skies and sun.

Cold as in below freezing here today but the sun was out, the sky was blue, and I was warmly dressed so my friend and I went out and raided a couple of thrift stores and had a nice Japanese lunch.

I went to a local historical society talk yesterday held in a community hall (1) on the other side of the hill. V good and entertaining talk, decent crowd (30ish, good on a very cold night). But the radiators weren't quite equal to the weather. I started to regret taking my jacket off, progressed to not putting my terminal (2) underwear on, and was thrilled to remember on my way home that I too bought a hot water bottle recently. So lovely to get into bed with a heat source.

(1) Old two-teacher primary school long since superceded and adapted to community use. Had the best multi-use toilet I've seen anywhere - not just loads of space for a wheelchair user and helper, also a full size adult changing table, and an adjustable height washbasin. After some years of hauling an older adult and their chair around cramped facilities I was very approving. Nothing like an intelligent hall committee to work out how to put the grant money to best use.

(2) Dublinese for thermal

That should have read 'progressed to regretting not putting on my terminals before heading out for the evening'. I didn't have an existential battle wrt my long johns in the hall. Though the loo would have been excellent for changing in.

We are going out for lunch today with a friend of DH's (Woohoo look at me the megamultimillionaire - out for lunch twice in one week, two days in succession!) and going to investigate a British-style (they say) fish and chip place called the Fish And Whistle. That will be our main meal of the day as I am definitely not cooking this evening after having that for lunch.

Cold here but above freezing (all of 2° now but reached the heady heights of 4 or 5°C earlier and it was pretty sunny). No trips out for me though as this week is full on mum-care on account of said elderly parent falling backwards into the bath on Monday. Various bits hurt but it could have been much worse. She’s feeling generally rubbish though which is making her grumpy.

Ouch, artant, your poor mum, hope she feels better soon. Falling into the bath is horrible.

That all sounds familiar with the weather. It got over freezing here today but the house feels very cold and I'll be filling hot water bottles tonight, that's for sure. Not a parent, but an elderly friend took a tumble recently and that's making her grumpy too. She's 93 and quite prone to grumpiness because there's so much she can no longer do. I'll go and see her tomorrow and hope for some daffs on the market.

I think being 90+ is a bit rubbish really. And cold weather and short days make it even worse.

Reporting back on the fish and chips. The fish was delicious - never frozen (you can always tell) and so it was very tender and moist, and the batter was crispy and flavourful. The chips were a bit of a letdown - American style french fries rather than nice fat British chip shop chips.