A Strange Year 2016

Good morning to you all, I just thought I would give an update on last year, and how I feel about it.

Well a good start sadly is my health, its been a roller coaster of ups and downs with a lot of money spent on physio, after the diagnosis of asthma I felt at least being treated would improve my health, but then to find out months later after taking my inhalers, that in actual fact I did not have the condition, but had serious issues with my heart and arteries, which luckily were eventually diagnosed and now treated. I am trying to do the things that will maintain my health but find it hard to dedicate the time and effort to exercise and maintain a proper diet, My back has really been an issue over the last 12 months and has required a lot of manipulation by physios to improve it to a tolerable state. I also saw a pain relief specialist but he said due to blood thinning medication for my heart, that he could not do anything other than provide medication, I prefer not to be doped up so put up with things as they are for now. More annoying is an area on my ankles that are painful and so far not responding to treatment, plus my legs these days seem to be very dry all the time if I dont use a moisturising cream.
The biggest effect on life this year has been problems with my hearing despite hearing aids. I changed from one hospital to another as I felt my local one was not listening to what I was saying, there seems to of been some improvement, plus now I am learning of other ways to make sure I can communicate. Recently I have taken up lip reading but not sure how effective that will be, I have finally acquired a phone that helps me to hear people more clearly, but when possible I use e mail to communicate a lot of the time, Sadly I have cut back on joining in groups due to problems being able to hear, in more than one to one situations

This year has been very exciting in terms of finding my family, and that there is a whole set of other relatives out there, plus I have found out a little more about my mother and grandfather on my fathers side. This started with a short message from someone who was creating their family tree on my mothers side, he had seen something at a cemetery about my grandfather, that I had never been aware of, then I found some more information about him, I really must go to the cemetery soon to check it out. He led to more relatives who now live in USA and I have managed to speak to, plus a relative of my mothers who I met over the Christmas period and I am hoping to catch up with again in the new year, who knows how many more there are out there

It has been great to have the caravan and to spend time there in pleasant surroundings as and when I want to, this is even better as at present I am struggling with going abroad due to my health and all the barriers these days with my mobility and security etc at airports. Plus have met some pleasant people on the site, maybe this year as health improves I will be getting there more often and explore further. For many years I had intended returning to a resort in Austria I first went as a child to back in the 1960s and last 10 years ago. I had hoped to go there in 2017, but sadly now find the festival of choirs that I was looking forward to no longer takes place so at present my feeling is that maybe dont return and stick with the happy memories from the past

This year is a special birthday and I hoped like the last one it would be easy to arrange, unfortunately the venue I had used previously has been demolished as has the local civic hall and I am struggling to find a suitable venue at present as I would like to invite friends with mobility issues so need ground floor access also am thinking of making it a theme on the forties so need somewhere that lends to this. I had hoped to sort out a date before Christmas but this has not happened, friends have suggested that I have a smaller simpler event but I am not really interested in that, at least at this time

Last year one of my grandchildren had a little boy who is so much fun I feel very proud and my other grand daughter has announced her wedding plans for two years time, so now have something else to look forward to

So life is still throwing up all sorts of surprises, last year one of my schoolboy friends made contact and we are now meeting on a regular basis, I wonder what else this year will bring

Thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy it

At long last an answer to some of my health issues September 2016

Hello folks, a few people well at least one or two have asked about my recent health issues and what I have had done and why, to create my recent hospital admission

Well over the years I have slowly added to the number of things wrong with me as they have been diagnosed by various medical professionals, sadly I was recently reminded this is a sign of a well used body over the years.  Then last year I seemed to become more breathless for no apparent reason, initially I thought it it was just a chest infection or my ME playing up, but it got worse as the weather got colder,  that much so that when I tried to cross a road I was getting more breathless and had pain across my chest.

I went to see a GP and was referred to see a cardiac consultant at Fairfield hospital,  certain tests were carried out then I eventually saw him, after a series of questions he informed me that in his opinion I now had asthma and was prescribed inhalers and discharged.  Initially they seemed to help but slowly everything seemed to get worse and I was more tired as well. Thr gp tried a range of medication to help relieve the symptoms,  but with no improvement.

The gp next referred me back to the cardiologist,  after some delay I got a letter for me to arrange an appointment through the internet website, it seemed there were none available for the foreseeable future, so I went for one at Salford which was the first that fitted my other appointments. I looked a number of times for other ones locally but still there were none.

One the day of my appointment, firstly they did a comprehensive test, then I saw the consultant,  her first question was why was I  there I explained because of the nhs computer,  she explained that because I had sern a cardiac specialist within the last 12 months that I should of been fast tracked back there within 2 weeks,  so much for how things should of been. She took my history and did a physical examination,  at the end she referred me to another consultant for more comprehensive tests.

The appointment came through quickly so I returned to the hospital for the next test.  After various processes the consultant asked me more about the history of these latest symptoms and what made them better and worse,after explaining these to him and the results his opinion was that I did not have asthma but that it was my angina creating the breathlessness and he was referring me for another angiogram and possibly stents as he felt I had a  blockage of an artery. I was agreeable to this.

Quite quickly I had the next appointment so off to another hospital, luckily I was second on the list and having had the proceedure before was not that worried. All went well until the consultant explained to me that one of the main arteries as well as two others were blocked and he would attempt to clear them and insert stents if not then he would have to stop and bring me back for a heart bypass, luckily he eventually succeeded,  by then I had been in for 2 hours, all had gone well, I then had to stay to be monitored in bed for two hours, then allowed to dress but stay on the ward,  in toral it was over 6 hours and Jane had patiently waited for me first outside then on the ward.  Eventually the ward sister explained what I now needed to do and also if I had problems. My friend came to drive us home and I was pleased it was all over.

I do worry now about the totally wrong diagnosis by the first consult and what would of happened if I had not been referred to the other hospital,  I also odd though it sounds wonder why I seem to be so light hearted about what after all was a very serious condition and presumably has not been totally cured,  but I suppose its better than putting life on hold in case. I will nit be able to fly for a month and wonder how long before my travel insurance will cover me for any trips particularly abroad, so coukd be as well I now have the caravan to give me a break from home. I will try this time to watch my diet more carefully and try to exercise to keep heart working and weight down

Me and my Bum Bags July 2016

I dont remember when I first used bum bags as well or instead of coat and trousers pockets to store possessions in but it must of been many years ago. I still continued to keep money in a wallet and keys in in a trousers pocket, I think initially it was useful to use one on holiday for tickets etc in a fairly safe place.

On odd thing is the name bum bags, because many including myself actually have had the pockets pouch at the front, I seem to recall the Americans call them fanny bags, not sure if the name would attract me to them.

As time went on the ones I used became bigger and I stored more in them when travelling, the only downside I heard was that thieves would use a razor blade to cut through the strap in busy places and people would end up with their possessions gone.

About 10 years ago I had become quite dependant on these bags partly because it was easier to carry stuff in one bag than remember which coat etc I had left, keys money and credit cards as well as now a mobile phone, so when I was planning a couple of long trips I started to look for a better design of bag that would also be resistant to the average thief. I came across a company called Pacsafe who specialise in this sort of bag. Theirs have steel cable in the strap and all accessible parts of the bag to stop thieves as well as zipped and net sections inside to avoid pickpockets, even better is all zips and belt can be locked to improve safety. Well of course I had to have one and found I used it more and more even when at home, the only issue was I had put weight on and it was tight to wear and at times uosetting my bladder and bowel,  so I got in the habit of wearing it over my shoulder.

This as where the adventure began, because as time went on and my short term memory got worse, so did my ability to remember to pick it up when away from home whether visiting friends family, travelling, both at home or abroad. Well the good news was that however many times I left it on the back of a chair or on the floor,  people were very honest and it was either where I had left when I returned or kind people had handed it in for safety to organisations for safe keeping.

One of the best examples I can give was at Orlando some years ago at the end of the holiday we got the car hire company shuttle bus to the airport and I left it there,  only to realise when I reached the airport,  contacted the company and there it was waiting when I travelled back.

More recently when returning from Ireland with Ryanair I had left it under the seat and again only remembered after disembarking, by then I was outside the airport.  I went to the information desk and they phoned to ask if it had been found, one concern was that the flight may of takem off so it could of been a couple of days before it got back to me. Well again fortune and good luck were on my side and half an hour later it turned up at Ryanair desk, which was just as well as my phone money tickets were all in there.

Over the years I eventually decided I needed a replacement for the origional one but found out they had changed the design and that the new one did not meet my needs, luckily I searched and eventually found another model made by the same comoany that was a little larger and slightly different design that worked, but I needed to rethink what to put in and where as now the size of my mobile phone had grown, I carried a range of tablets, a bus pass and a diary and on occassion this tablet computer. Well it all seems to fit, I bought a larger Man Bag but found although it had more space it was not so conveniant to carry and was much larger most of the time. Well I am still using it but no way could I fasten it round my waist now, its getting worn so maybe soon I will start looking for its successor.  Possibly if I could trust either the tablet or phone some of the things I carry could be reduced particularly when travelling on holiday.

But what to do about losing it even more these days, is it time to start carrying items in my pockets again but then there is the greater risk of pickpockets or forgetting I have changed clothes and going out without important items, do I need to get an extension strap and start wearing it again, because actually, I realise its easier to get into when worn when trying to find things. Should I have a lightweight strap that attaches to it so even if I put it down I would be aware when I tried to leave without it. Maybe a high tech device could be used that would alert me when I moved more than a certain distance away from it. It is a dilemma after all this time and these days the items in it are quite important and would cause great inconvenience if lost, maybe they have brought out some new device to solve the problems.

But I do wish I could say, big Thank you to all the kind people who have put themselves out to reunite me and the bag over the last few years, thanks for your honesty and kindness and I will try harder in the future to look after my trusty bag, if I find a better solution I will try to remember to come back on here and inform you all.

Our last day and a trip to Ripon 29 July 2016

I had stayed up late last night to watch the first episode of Celebrity Big Brother,  unfortunately it was not particularly interesting but at the same time did not help me to get a good nights sleep. As far as I had remembered I could either leave my case outside the door to be collected or take it to the coach before departure.  I felt it was easier to do myself, so got up 7ish had a shower, packed then prepared to go for breakfast.  Then was told I should of taken my case to coach earlier so then had to return to room before going for breakfast.

As usual breakfast was pleasant,  then I returned to room to be disturbed and informed my bum bag yet again had been left behind and handed in( I intend doing a blog on its history and adventures soon ) I finished off in room then joined others waiting to board the coach,  promptly on time we set off to Ripon our final stop on the trip, I feel this was to fill in time so we would not arrive to early at the interchange for our feeder coach home.

Ripon seemed a pleasant place with lots of quaint buildings and streets. We decided as it looked like rain that we would visit the cathedral look round, take some photos and maybe if they had a cafe a drink. Unfortunately on artival I was told I needed a licence to take photos, which seemed odd in a church and there had been no such rule in Newcastle, nthere was also a funeral taking place and no cafe so we quickly left.  Andy and I discussed the difference in attitude and the effect on ourselves and other visitors being made to feel welcome. We again found a lovrly small cafe for a drink and me to try out yet another piece of very delicious carrot cake and Brian to sample their scones. We then explored the town square and some of the shops before boarding the coach back.

Hadrians wall and Carlisle 29 July 2016

Today our trip was to the famous Wall separating England from Scotland, so first our coach trip where just for a change I fell asleep,  although I do put this partly down to the lack of air con on the trip and high humidity. When we got there there was rain in the air but not enough to deter us. First we explored the museum with a range of stones and artifacts discovered here, its amazing how these had survived all this time.  Then outside to explore the various parts of the excavated fort.

I was interested in the size and range of buildings that they had built all that time ago, interesting that the soldiers shared with their horses whilst the senior ranks has spacious accommodation all to themselves.  The way it had all been constructed showed a knowledge and skill maybe some of our modern builders could learn from. Then a drink and best of all a piece of carrot cake before continuing on our trip.

As we drove along there were still small fragments of the original wall, showing its size and length.  I quickly then nodded off again until just before we reached our next destination Carlisle,  unfortunately we had not planned what to do there so when dropped off at the market we were at a loss as to where to go first. As we walked I spotted a Subway cafe so in we went for a drink and sandwich,that for £3 was very good value. We wandered round the shops as there seemed little to attract our attention here today, then back to the market before being picked up and our return to the hotel. Sadly I and the others felt we would of been better spending longer at the wall, and less at Carlisle, maybe with better planning and weather it may of been different.

Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle 26 July 2016

I got up early sorted out case, things to take on the trip including cameras food and waterproof coat before going down to breakfast. Meal was help self buffet with good selection of food, plus the toaster was much swifter than many found elsewhere.  Afterwards back to room before an early start. Brian was not very well but still wished to go on the trip.

Over the years I have come across a range of drivers on coaches, this one seemed to say what he needed and no more, although it would of been nice if he haf shared a little knowledge of the area with us,  maybe these days they are chosen for their driving skill rather than knowledge or conversation, so on our trip he explained that the tides would affect our ability to drive nearer to the island or not, luckily tide was out so able to go directly to the village, first for a drink then to walk to the castle admiring the view whilst taking photos,  unfortunately Brian felt not up to all of this so rested part of the way until we caught up with him later.

The castle was very impressive but as our time was limited we were unable to explore inside, also whilst there cloud had hidden the sun so it looked rather brooding. Along the way we came across a couple of boats in a field, not sure how or why they were not in the water, having said that the tide was out so those on the sand were just stuck. We noticed the poles that acted as indicators for drivers as to how high the water maybe when the tide was in to try to avoid cars being stranded or washed away on the causeway. We then walked back to Brian and then the coach before continuing on to Bamburgh Castle for our next stop.

Again it was a very large castle,  access was up a steep slope and given the time we had there not enough to manage to visit inside although others did. Instead Andy and I explored the local vilage whilst Brian rested on a form. Then a trip to a pleasant cafe where I noticed dandelion an burdock on the menu so tried a drink, it took me back to tastes of my youth, then a walk back to the coach and our return to the hotel.

All through the holiday I struggled with sciatic pain down my right leg as well as lower back pain, coping by taking a combination of codeine,  co dyamol and paracetamol, unfortunately they did not irradiate the pain more reduce it to some degree, but they also made me quite tired so the time spent on the coach between destinations I found I slept so was poor company for Andy, oddly my brain always seemed to know when we were close to a destination and awakened me sufficiently to prepare myself for when we got off the coach. 

On return to the hotel I had a lovely relaxing bath before lie down and recover from the exertion and pain. Then a short time watching tv before getting ready for the evening meal. This again was enjoyable with reasonable sized portions and we enjoyed chatting to the other couple sharing our table as we ate. Afterwards we decided to return to our respective rooms and meet up the following morning.  I spent the rest of the evening catching up with my usual tv, before trying out the complimentary hot chocolate in the hope it would help me sleep,  sadly this did not happen,  not because if anything wrong in the room rather me trying to cope with the pain as I tossed and turned in the night

Our trip to Newcastle 26 July 2016

The following morning started with a full breakfast before andy Brian and I had a chat about what to see but first how to get to the centre.  Brian decided he wanted to do his own thing so we set off to find the Metro into town, once we had found out how to get our tickets from the machine a nice young woman helped us explaining where to get off and see the most whilst exploring. The tram only took minutes into the centre, next task to find our way out. We wandered along the streets admiring the old buildings whilst taking  photos. We went into the cathedral to explore and whilst doing this there was a man fast asleep on one of the benches, maybe sadly a sign of the times we live in. Whilst there we went for a drink before continuing with our exploration.

There are a number of bridges across the river some low down but the one we took was very high up, what we had not realised was how long it was,  but with stunning views,  Andy who is much greater in life at spotting things different,  noticed a fire engine in the distance with a long unit to reach high up, at first we were hoping for something exciting but later realised it was just being used to examine an inaccessible section of a roof. We also realised that none of the bridges were the same, for instance the onr we were on eas a very old iron one, whilst the next low level one was a swing bridge,  then in the distance was a new modern design one.

What we had not realised was how far we had walked along the bridge but then needed to walk down to the street level and back to where we had come from. Both of us were getting tired but also dehydrated so luckily came across a Wetherspoons pub where we could rest have a mug of coffee and for me a scone. Then the walk back to the Metro,  unfortunately it was a steep climb so it was with relief we finally managed to get there,  only after remembering what the lady had suggested of getting the bus up the hill. We did not have long to wait for the tram then our walk back to the hotel, after for me a long soak and lie down before our evening meal where we caught up with Brian again, his adventure had been much gentler than ours, our meal again was excellent then we each retired to our rooms for me sadly to catch up with the various soaps before bed called.

Northumberland at last 25 July 2016

For many years I have thought about a trip to Northumberland but never actually managed to get there, so when chatting to Brian and Andy earlier this year about suitable coach trips this seemed somewhere to explore as a possible destination that would not take to long to get to. so off to the travel agent and our furst obstacle of finding 3 single rooms, eventually we found a suitable hotel with coach travel and excursions included for july this year so booked it there and then. At that time I had no plans to buy the caravan so it seemed a good time and price for a pleasant few days away.

Before the trip we met up to discuss the last minute details such as transport to the coach pick up and as far as we were aware that we would be enjoying pleasant weather. Despite this i still went into overkill with a , mixture of clothes to suit hot or cold conditions. Unfortunately my back bad been playing up for weeks and I had been having a mixture of physio and painkillers to cope, so was more than a little worried about how I would manage but determined to go. On the day the taxi was early the coach was on time and only one more pick up before we arrived at the transfer point which was at a motorway service area. It seemed to take a long time before we were finally loaded and on our way. The driver was not very chatty, which seems typical these days. We stopped once on the way for a snack and toilet break.

Finally we arrived at our destination the caledonian hotel in Newcastle, the staff took our cases to the rooms which saved my back from any further pia or stress.  The room was a decent size, well laid out, with a range of drinks including water crisps and biscuits. There was limited storage space which seems to be the norm these days with most people leaving most of their belongings in their cases. The bathroom was spacious with both bath and a very powerful shower and large soft towels and even a flannel, so I made full use of these to help get over the trip.

Soon it was time for our evening meal and we were in a separate section to the rest of the hotel sharing a table with another couple who seemed quite pleasant.  We were given both the menu for that evening and asked to make our choices for the following night as well. The food was good with decent choices finished off with a cup if coffee.  Then we decided to return to our rooms as we had an early start the next day. I then decided to watch tv for a while before testing out the large comfortable bed and a drink of hot chocolate. Unfortunately due to the pain despite taking painkillers I did not sleep well but this was no reflection on the room or bed.

Our Last day in Crete

Soon it was time to go home, our flight was at 11.50pm local time and we were booked to leave the hotel by coach for 8.30pm, so our diemma was the time from 12 to 8 and changing clothes showering etc, so we asked at the desk could we keep our room on until we left a few days before. We were told to wait until the morning, that they would at least extend our time in the room until 2pm, so there was little else we could do.
On the day sadly we started with our packing before going down for a hearty breakfast, then went to reception, they were helpful but then announced the hotel was full so we could not stay on in our room or even book another, they did offer us the facility to use the luggage room and they had a shower area with clean towels etc that was private, so that plus the extension tof 2 hours had to be as good as it got.

We packed most things but then had a relaxing morning sunbathing, later we went back to the room had a sandwich to eat, then checked out. Fortunately it was still warm so we kept our beach towels out and went for a sunbathe for a while, later we showered and changed and went looking for something to eat about 6pm. Unfortunately as the complex was all inclusive at that time lots of the snack places had closed down for the evening meal, we tried two of the restaurants and one had to be booked in advance and the other we needed to be dressed up for, so that by the time we had changed again it would of been to late to enjoy a meal.
Instead we just returned to the hotel and sat in the lounge relaxing until the coach arrived. It was sad to leave but a pleasant journey back to the airport and it was quite dark by the time we arrived there
The airport was small and busy and seemed totally disorganised, but we got checked in and explained that I needed help, they did not seem prepared for this but told us to wait and they would sort it out. Jane kindly went off looking for a sandwich and a drink for us both, which was greatly appreciated by me when she returned. The airport seemed to get busier and busier, there were many announcements but I was unable to follow what they were about
Finally they took us to the plane and we settled down, the seats had plenty of legroom but were quite firm so trying to get in a comfortable position was quite a problem, we both seemed to keep waking up in pain trying to get in a position to be comfortable but with no success. We must of slept at some time because finally we were back home. Due to the assistance we were soon at the baggage carousel, then off to find the bus to the carpark

As so often happens different buses kept arriving apart from ours, but finally it came, it seemed to take forever, but finally we got to the stop or so we thought, but then as the bus trundled off we realised that it was the wrong stop, we were tired out and fed up but then started searching for the correct place dragging our cases behind us. Finally we got to the stop, but no sign of the car and nobody to ask. Luckily I had parked it in a disabled bay so then started looking for them and finally relief there it was, never have I been so pleased to see the car load it and start the trip home.
I dropped Jane off then went home, the time was now 4.30am and normally I would start to sort out washing, but common sense said just leave it all and get some sleep which I did for a few hours before getting up and sorting out my case, it took a few more days for my body to recover from it all but I now have a nice tan and some nice memories.

So Easy to Do So Little 12 June 2016

Well it was so hard relaxing and doing little whilst on the holiday, well thats my excuse, we spent time wandering round the beautiful kept gardens and grounds of the complex, sunbathing and resting whilst reading on the veranda of our room.
At times it was very hot and the humidity was high, but its strange how soon the body adjusts and 24 degrees suddenly is quite cool. We sampled many of the dishes in the restaurant whilst at the hotel, which was a more pleasant experience due to the wide range of beautifully cooked fresh food

It made a nice change that there were areas to suit all tastes at the hotel even in terms of the four swimming pools allowing for those who wanted noise and activity to the quieter pools for lounging and just quietly swimming in by making the shallow so people would not be jumping in. Time quickly passed though and for me it was such a change to spend so long on holiday doing really so little. Due to sunscreen i managed not to burn myself this time, but also to applying some common sense and sitting or lying in the shade more often, we both felt that the holiday had been exceptional value for money and that we had not booked for longer