General Chat

Annx was the skin graft done at the same time as the removal? I think I would be wary about having a skin graft from my left arm which has already had four BCCs on it. difficult decision I think.

Hi Everyone,

<3 <3 :-DHAPPY BIRTHDAY VERA :-D <3 <3 What a lot of birthday cards you have had and the new version of the ipad will be good!
It sounds like you had a good day with the ladies and a tasty Shepherd’s pie for your meal. It was good they showed their appreciation with some lovely flowers and a nice cake for you. Not such a good day to the hospital though and it does sound like an apology was due after your long wait. The manner of the Indian lady you saw does sound as if you were squeezed in with her. Still at least your scans showed nothing new which is good and hopefully you will see your usual man next time. I have the ‘don’t blink’ scan at the optician’s, which has never been a problem either so it must have been the operator. OH always has to have another lot of the dilation drops, so his eyes stay blurry for ages.

AnnG it’s good you will soon be seen by the hospital. FIL had a BCC removed from the outside of a nostril when he was in his 90s. We had noticed he had a reddish spot there for a long time and assumed he or MIL had mentioned it to the doctor on one of their routine visits. When it started to bleed they saw the doctor and he couldn’t believe he had missed it himself. His was big enough to need a skin graft from his arm and it did look a bit of a mess immediately afterwards and we wondered how it would heal and look. It amazed us how quickly the swelling went down and how soon the redness went. After a few months we had to look hard to see where it had been. Using a mask to go out at first is a good one. Since Covid a lot of people still wear one so it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary now. I liked the topic ‘Alleys’ for your photography group! It’s surprising how many there are when you start to look for them! I think ‘Doors’ would be a good topic too.

Mel OH had a single CD come in a similar size box last week! He was wondering what on earth he had ordered!

Mandy, I love how the slow cooker does enough for a couple of days or a helping to freeze!

It’s a nice sunny day here and we spotted the Buzzards, five of them, for the first time this year, circling really high above the back field. They must be able to see so far from up there. OH has gone to a local match today.

My next task is to clean the kitchen sink, gas hob and microwave and maybe do some dusting. :-S

Ah yes... My face mask came in handy. ;-)

thanks Gwyn, I am no stranger to ops for BCCs, this will be approximately the 14/15th one to be removed and so far they have all not been suspicious from biopsies. I had one done on my face during Covid and, as you say the scar is hardly apparent now but this one id on the outside of my nostril, not on a fleshy part, knowing how deep they need to go I think it will or might take away that part of my nose. I am trying not to be spooked by it and it has to be done so will have to make the best of it. Post op and stitches I might well wear a face mask. :-|

Sorry Vera I forgot to wish you A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY..... Hope you have a great day xx <3 <3 <3

:-D <3 Happy Birthday, Vera <3 :-D

I hope you have a lovely day and the sun keeps shining for you.

Sorry to hear of your hospital experience.
It's maddening watching later-coming patients being called forward and being left waiting. It happened to me once and having sat for about an hour and realising that if I wasn't called soon, I would miss yet another 'only one an hour' bus home I spoke up and I really do think that I had been forgotten.
The doctor could have had a better attitude, after such a long wait :-|

AnnG sorry to hear that you have health concerns. I hope you can be referred and treated quickly, because I think that the waiting gives time for worrying. Don't be too worried about a scar, they heal and fade.
I don't know if I told you that I had to have surgery on my cheek for melanoma back in 2021. The resultant wound and stitching seemed huge to me, at first, but I had a lovely consultant / surgeon who was willing to answer any of my questions both before and post op.and I trusted his word completely. When I went back to volunteering at school ( op. was in Covid restrictions time) I thought the children might comment on my scar, but none ever have and it really is hardly visible now.

A lovely sunny day here, but very chilly, so I don't know that I will be out in the garden today. Usually on the weekend before our Monday garden bin collection, daughter and I get busy to make it worth while subscribing.
It will be so wet underfoot on our clay soil, so maybe this time, we will give it a miss.

Thank you Mandy, Mel, AnnG and Annx for your lovely cards and birthday wishes. They are much appreciated. I have had 24 cards plus an e-card and 3 phone calls this morning. OH has given me an IOU for a new iPad. I use mine all the time for everything but it is now very old and no longer supports some of the apps. BBC weather has already disappeared and I understand that BBC iPlayer is going soon. I’ll be pleased to get a new iPad but I am not looking forward to setting it all up.

Phone’s ringing. Must go. BBL

Morning all,

<3 <3 Happy Birthday Vera <3 <3

Hope you have a lovely day with lots of nice presents, sounds as if you have lots of cards .

A frosty morning here ,now the suns up and shining its all melted .
Just getting a sausage casserole in the sliw cooker will turn that on later and I've doubled up so there's enough for tomorrow.

Morning all,

I have a bright sunny morning at the moment and I am wondering how long its going to last? Its 6 degrees with blue sky and lots of white clouds.

Just the usual shop to do today.

Vera it sounds like you went through all that my mum used to go through with her eyes and she was forgotton on two occasions. As you were explaining things I could see mum sitting in the chair at all those machines and experiences. She used to get a yellow eye drop that stained her water too. I used to see her pictures of the back of her eyes to see where the bleed was and how it had reacted to the injections.

Good morning all. slight frost last night and still-1 so winter is back!

Vera I love shepherds (or cottage) pie with cheese on too so I would have enjoyed your meal.

Your hospital trip was not a lot of fun. and if they really did forget you an apology would have been nice. I am sorry by no means am I racist but I do feel that sometimes there can be a cultural and language barrier when seeing doctors, dentists etc which does make things difficult. That sounds a very uncomfortable visit. Having said that my visit to the doctor (definitely Caucasian and English/British.) Professional but abrupt.
I have that camera 'don't blink' experience every time I go to the optician. Used to cost me £10 a time but last two times was free.
Yes I will have a hospital visit from the referral to 'look' at the problem. Then that will entail another hospital visit for the removal of the BCC, whether by freezing or cut and stitch. Neither of which is going to be pleasant and I have no idea how it will affect the way I look afterwards either. Not looking forward to the experience at all. Besides the effort to actually get to the hospital.

Mel, I don’t know how you have the patience to do all the fiddly little bits on your Tudor people. It’s worth it though as they always look so good.

I’m glad your doc’s appointment went well AnnG and you can get the BCC dealt with. Will it mean a trip to hospital for you? Btw, I chose something simple off the menu yesterday, a shepherd’s pie. It was one of the best I have ever had with a flavoursome minced lamb and mashed potato and a cheese topping. It came with mixed veg and a separate jug of gravy which I didn’t use as I don’t like gravy with cheesy things.

On to yesterday and the visit to the hospital. The weather was atrocious but there were no road closures and no real floods, just some deep puddles. We got there 10 minutes early and I was called in almost immediately. So far, so good.

The system is always the same. First I have a sight test but it’s not like the optician’s test. I have to wear my glasses for this and hold a plastic contraption which blocks off one eye at a time and then we do the same looking through an eye shield with pinhole piercings. Then my eyes are anaesthetized with drops and pressure is tested by the nurse tapping a pen sized machine against my eyeballs. Then dilation drops are put in. The problem yesterday was that the nurse who did it was driving me mad. She looked about 15 and was treating me as though I was about 5. Everything I said to her got the response of “Bless you” or “Ah, bless” and everything was slowly explained in words of one syllable. I felt like screaming “I may have grey hair but I’m not in my second childhood!”.

Next I have to go to have both eyes scanned which only takes a few minutes and involves me putting my head in position on a chin and forehead rest. The nurse adjusts the machine and when she is happy I have to stare at a green star and not blink while the scanner takes the pictures of my eye. No problem at all until yesterday when I either had someone new to the job or the most incompetent eye nurse around. She would say “Don’t blink” and then start adjusting the machine which she couldn’t get right. I would have to keep staring ahead, unblinking, like some demented zombie till my eyes were actually hurting. That was the point when I couldn’t stop myself blinking and the point when she started the scan, at the end of which she would accusingly say “You blinked” and it would have to be done all over again. Would you believe it took 5 goes before the scans were OK? She clearly believed it was all my fault but I have these every time I go and it’s always been successful first time.

Anyway, the next step is to see the doctor and there is always a little bit of a wait here. There were 2 doctors operating in adjacent rooms. One was the doctor I usually see and the other was an Indian lady. Well, I waited and I waited. People were coming to the waiting room to see the doctor, were sitting there for a short while and then getting called in and I started wondering if I had been forgotten. There is a large notice on the wall making various points about the system and one of them says “If you feel you have been forgotten, please speak to a member of the nursing staff”. After more than an hour of waiting I decided to speak to someone. Was there a member of the nursing staff anywhere in sight? Was there, heck! In the end I went all the way back to the main waiting room where OH was and to the reception desk there, praying I wouldn’t get called by the doctor while I was away. One of the reception staff said to go back to the doctor’s waiting area and she would find out what was happening. After a few minutes she came and found me and told me I was next to be called and a couple of minutes later I was called in to this Indian lady and not to my normal man. She was very abrupt. She had a brief look at my scans on the screen and a very brief examination of my eyes and then said it’s stable and we’ll see you in 8 weeks and I was out. The doctor I usually see always asks how I feel things are going and shows me the scans and talks through the options with me. I may be wrong but I think I had somehow been missed and my normal man had gone off for his lunch and this lady doctor was asked to fit me in her schedule.

We got soaked just walking from the eye treatment centre to the car park so I arrived home cold, wet, tired and very fed up. There was something else that happened last night which ended up quite funny but I think I’ve had enough for one night and I expect you have too so I’ll tell you about that next time.

Goodnight all, sleep well.

PS I’ve already been sent my next appointment for 16th April. I can’t wait!

So good to know you had a great time Vera with all your friends and good things to eat.

Its been so cold here today and we have had a little sun but mostly heavy rain and hail showers.

Iv'e got his boots on now but mucked his jacket shoulder bits up a bit and they have frayed a bit so I am going to cut them back a bit and put some white glue on them to stop them fraying again. I did put hemming tape between the material and thought that would stop it fraying but no so that will have to be seen to and now it just some hair and a hat and belt with maybe a purse or something. I am not getting any casting done playing with this little man.

Em called round for eggs and we had a nice long chat. She was saying that Sam had hurt his foot and was supposed to rest it but he played football and hurt it agian. He said mum I was only in goal so not running around. Both boys love their football and I can hear them in the garden playing most days.

I meant to say the dr’s appointment went ok yesterday. Appointment was 1620 I went in early and got home at 1630. Nice doctor it terribly chatty and not terribly empathetic but he got the job done. Agreed it is a BCC and did the reffal form. Amazing to see a doctor touch typing.
I can see why T didn’t get anywhere with him, not one to offer sympathy I think just blunt and get the job done. I would imagine he was very no nonsense on the phone. That would not have suited T.

Oh Vera you got in chapter two before I posted this and I didn’t see. That all sounds lovely but you didn’t say what you had to eat. Lots of lovely presents though and a great time had by all.
This rain has been awful for everyone so disruptive although we were lucky with drier weather yday.

Vera I think we have all agreed that we enjoy your long posts. What a lot of chairs I can just about round up and find space for twelve people to sit. My lounge is not that big.

It has been mostly dry today although while we were in our photography meeting I guess there was a shower as the roads were wet. It is bitterly cold though so wintry again.
Photography was interesting. The topic was alleys. Surprising the variety of alleys we were presented with. And even more surprising that three of us produced photos of alleys in Gloucester and Tewkesbury towns and there was not one duplicate alley.

Chapter 2

First those extra guests on Wednesday - while it would have been nice if J had mentioned it to me before inviting them it isn’t quite as bad as it seems. They are all ladies that I know well from the two clubs I belong to and they’ve all been to my house before for other events. They were very appreciative and between them brought me a big bunch of yellow tulips, some tete-a-tete daffs in a pot and a large home made coffee cake.

I was well organised and had everything ready by the time J arrived at 11.30 with the cakes she had bought. We sorted them out on cake stands and plates and, with J driving, we set out to pick up another friend and get to the restaurant where we had a table booked for 12.30. Oh dear, we hadn’t bargained on all the roads that were closed because of work being done or floods. Needless to say, it had been pouring all morning. Having tried two different routes and J having to turn round in a narrow country lane we ended up going in a large semi circle to get where we needed to be.

The meal was very good. As there were 12 of us we had pre-ordered so we didn’t have a long wait for food. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal, helpings were generous and it was all very tasty. Then we started off in the rain to get back to mine. We all got wet just going from the restaurant to the car park. We came back the way we had eventually gone as we knew those roads were open.

It’s a good job I have a tiled floor in the hall as I had dirty footmarks everywhere with a pile of wet shoes and wet coats draped all over the place. It didn’t take long to make a hot tea or coffee for everyone and the cakes and cheese and biscuits went down very well. As J’s birthday was last weekend she had already had most of her cards and pressies but I was given mine which I opened there and then so I could thank the givers face to face and show everyone what I got. People are very kind and generous. We usually spend about £10 on each other and I had 3 £10 notes to put together and buy something nice for myself, a garden gift voucher, a plant mister for indoor plants, some stationery, 3 hollyhocks for the garden and a nice ceramic pot, plus 13 cards. I’ve kept 9 or 10 cards that have come in the post to open tomorrow.

As you can imagine it got quite noisy with all the chatting and laughter but it was a really pleasant afternoon. After they had all gone I cleared up but it hardly took any time at all. All the crockery and plates went in the dishwasher and it went straight on and I only had a couple of odd bits to wash up and work surfaces to wipe down. By this time OH was back and helped me move all the furniture back to the right places and that only took a few minutes between us.

OH had taken our friend V out for a pub lunch. V has a number of disabilities and mustn’t drive so is reliant on his wife M who was out with us. After their pub lunch they went back to V’s house and watched snooker on the telly till they both dozed off in their chairs. M & V are good friends of ours and the men get on well so we all had a good afternoon.

Looking at the time I had better post this and go and prepare some veg to have with our meat pie. Chapter 3 later, if I get around to it.

Good afternoon ladies (and any men looking in)

I’m sorry to hear your hip is still bad Mel. It’s a balancing act, isn’t it, between resting it and keeping moving so that you don’t seize up. Just be very careful. You too Mandy. Don’t overstretch and strain any muscles. On the other hand, if you feel up to it, perhaps you could tackle the cupboards in my kitchen and utility when you’ve done yours, lol.

Mel, I haven’t had the eye injections for some while now but I didn’t have to use drops after them. In fact I wasn’t allowed to wash my hair or shower for 3 days after in case I got water in my eye.

These warning lights are a worry Annx. You never know whether it’s a minor blip or something serious. I hope your tyres are OK. When I was on my own in the car recently a message came up that the ABS system wasn’t functioning properly and to get it serviced, then that changed to ABS system temporarily turned off. I drove home so carefully thinking there was a braking fault and OH rang the Volvo place we use. They said we only need worry if the message stayed on the screen. It probably came on because with all the wet weather it was a bit damp. You mentioned the number of chairs needed at my “do” on Wednesday. Well, I have more chairs than I know what to do with (terrible English but you know what I mean). There are 10 in our kitchen/diner though 4 are currently being recovered. There are another 4 in bedrooms, plus of course the 3 seater settee, 2 of the big leather reclining chairs, 2 separate matching footstools that can be sat on and a dressing table stool. If I were really desperate there are 6 solid metal garden chairs with cushions plus...well I won’t go on. I am definitely not short of chairs, lol. Luckily we have fairly big rooms.

AnnG, what a lovely surprise finding those notes in T’s passport. I expect the bank will change them for you. It’s strange how some people like wholemeal and others don’t. We have a lot of wholemeal bread as we like it and it seems to be better for my insides, though occasionally I get tempted by a nice crusty white roll or baguette. I don’t eat pasta so I can’t comment on that but I much prefer brown rice to white.

We started with sunshine and a very cold wind this morning but it’s been heavy rain and some hail this afternoon. OH went out to the garden after lunch to plant out some stuff in pots. He wouldn’t listen when I said it would shortly be raining and of course he got drenched.

Today is the 50th anniversary of my mum’s death and that awful week is so clear in my mind still. That memory has never faded. The funeral of my favourite aunt, to whom I was very close, was also on 23rd Feb. so it’s very much a day of memories for me.

I haven’t started on the last couple of days yet but it looks as though I’ll be writing a book again so I think I’ll post this first chapter in case I lose it and then carry on in another post. I hope you would tell me if you get fed up with my long posts. I know that once I start writing I don’t know when to stop. Take it as a compliment - it means I feel as though I am chattering away to friends.

Yes I thought of you when I was leaning into the cupboard to clean it so I was careful how I bent down.

Yes I've been watching Father Brown but I liked the old ones better.

Suns still shining but the clouds are looming and they are looking very black ,oh weatherman now mentioned there might be snow over Dartmoor .
I can remember when on holiday with mum and dad feeding the ponies on Dartmoor and driving past the prisoners doing work on the side of the road ,frightened me to death when dad said oh there's prisoners as wasn't very old.

Just having another heavy hail shower. Its all sliding down the windscreen of my car.

Iv'e done a bit of painting this morning and had a tidy up and made a big pot of soup and now I am going to get some lunch.

Mandy mind your back when you do those cupboards.

Are you enjoying the new Father Brown programs. Still think it was better with Mrs. McCarthy but was pleased to see Lady Felicia in one. Bring back the old cast is what I say.

Morning all,

Lovely morning here blue sky and sunshine but its a lot colder out .
Mel thats a lot of packing just for a little box of toothpaste, I suppose they wanted to make sure it didn't get squashed .

Vera hope your eyes are a little easier today ,was it just the drops they put in or did you need another injection.

Just turned out a cupboard in the kitchen ,I need to make a start on cleaning them all out really as I didn't do any last year and they all need a wash out .

I see there's a programme on tonight that might be interesting all about National Trust properties, channel 4 at eight o'clock.