Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. I've been getting some thoughts & feelings, exasperations and the odd happy moment down on the blog which helps my sanity and, I hope, provides a little entertaining read for you for a couple of minutes!

Right now I am mostly concentrating on getting through a rocky financial patch which I really hope will be cleared (all being well) by the end of Summer 2013. In the meantime I need to concentrate on continuing to do well in my "new" job (actually got it in Sept 2011 but it still feels new!) and living my life as frugally as possible.

Thanks for stopping by and if you leave me an encouraging comment, it'll make my day. :-)

Thursday 17 May 2012

Results

Evening all, how are you today?

I am sitting here in floods of tears watching "Planet Earth" and seeing the baby elephants struggling to cross the river...some got swept away and it was the most heartbreaking thing to watch.   The elephant group has been reduced due to poachers (for ivory) so the Matriarchs who can judge the river are not around...so the younger ones take the risk and this what happens.  It's so so sad and distressing to watch.   Oh but here we go, they are about to update us on it actually.....

...so further down the river, the babies do struggle but they eventually make it out.  Oh good God what a mess I am watching this.  They must be so distressed and exhausted!  But good news, they made it out and off they go.  Ohhhhhhh dear, pass me a handkerchief!

Anyway it wasn't my intention to write about struggling baby elephants but there you go! 

Well I got my blood test results back today and mostly good and in range for the things I was tested for.  The Vitamin D test didn't come back for some reason the Nurse on the phone advised so I will need to see if the Doctor calls me in the next few working days because that was one of the things I wanted checking.  My calcium levels were a "bit" high but without knowing what my Vitamin D levels are I don't know if that is a worry or not. 

However iron, B12, folate were all ok which is good news especially as I have struggled with anaemia in the past. 

My back ache is gone though my lower back is slightly stiff in the morning but a hot shower sorts that out.  I am back on my bike this week which I think is helping actually as well as saving me £2 a day when I need to take the car!

As for the weight, well, I don't think I have lost anything even though I have been trying hard to stick to a calorie limit and get some exercise.  But someone said to me today that I looked "tiny" especially top half and none of my clothes are feeling tight so...I don't know.  Part of me wants to just forget about what the scales say but part of me thinks I can't ignore it in case there is something 'hidden' causing me weigh 2.5 - 3 stone more than I look!   Sometimes it is hard to know what to do for the best and I don't want the GP to think I am some paranoid hypochondriac! 

Right, I am off to make my frugal home made lunch for tomorrow.  Nearly the weekend!  I hope you all have at least one nice thing planned for your break.

Cheerio for now!

PS.  ARGH!  Now they're showing a buffalo being attacked by lions!  It's all too stressful for me!  Think I'll put on Die Hard or something mindless!

Tuesday 8 May 2012

The Doctor Will See You Now...

Hello again and hello & welcome to my new followers.  Lovely to have you around.  It always makes my day when I see someone else has decided to follow my ramblings!  So thank you for choosing to follow.  And thank you to all who commented on my last post where I was quite flat.  I appreciate your time to try & cheer me up.

Well I went to the Doctors today for a chat and some tests.  I do have to go back on Friday morning for a fasting blood test as she was concerned enough by my symptoms to agree to it.  So we'll see how that comes back.  She is also going to check my iron levels (full blood count), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, folate and something to do with calcium as well.  Very thorough eh?

I also had a bit of an MOT whilst I was there.  Blood pressure slightly elevated at 141/85 (second reading) but that was not high enough for her to be concerned to 'take action' I guess especially if you take into consideration the "white coat" factor, oh, and the incident in the waiting room of which I shall tell ye more in a minute!

I also asked her to listen to my heartbeat and that was fine too.  I asked for her to check it as I am aware of palpitations at times, and seems I was there, I may as well ask! 

She also weighed me and I was 80kg.  The 'system' said my ideal weight was 66kg.  Even the GP looked at me and said "No!  No way, that is TOO much!" (in her lovely accent with it's slight West African twang) and she went on to say "If you tried to get down that much you would be *this* thin (holding up her finger) and you would be ill!"

THAT, dear readers, really made me happy!  I was delighted that someone in the medical profession agreed that losing over 2 stone just to fit into a chart, is a ridiculous notion.  What she did say, is, if I want to aim for something, aim for the weight I was last time the (previous) GP weighed me which was 75kg.  She advised trying for a kilo a month (2.2lbs), so, take it slowly and don't rush it.  I was perfectly happy with that.  That is 11 pounds to lose from today. 

11 pounds does feel a bit daunting but I think it's do-able if I make some sensible changes and really look at what I am getting for my calories during the day.  It's like getting more for your money really isn't it?

So there we are.  Just the blood tests to be done and results reviewed so we know if there is anything to include more of in the diet then I can really get on with it.

I shall post again in due course!  Fingers crossed.

Oh!  And the waiting room incident!  I was sitting there minding my own business, when a elderly gentleman came in and sat next to me.  This guy had some health issues in that he couldn't speak (not sure if it was due to a stroke or something else) and he also had an issue with his leg.  Anyway he sat next to me and before long had got my attention to check what the time was.  I told him the time and he gestured he wanted to go out for a cigarette (naughty!) but he was next in the queue - did I think he had time?  I said "No, you'll have to wait I think" to which he looked a bit deflated but hey ho. 

Then after that, he took a bit of a shine to me and he managed to point out to me that he was wearing his Manchester United track suit bottoms (!) to which I said "OK, well I don't think you're going to win the league this year!" which he waggled his hand at as if to say "Maybe!" then he gestured to ask me who I supported.  I showed him my keyring which has the Liverpool emblem on it and that cracked him up!  We were having a right little conversation between us I have to say.  But then he made a rocking baby gesture to ask if I had children.  I said no, then he checked my hand to see that I was wearing an engagement & wedding ring and checked that yes I was married.  THEN, bold as brass he asked me if I wanted to go to the pub and have a drink with him!  At 9.45am to boot!  I said no (oh really?) but he seemed surprised by that (?) and was trying to pursue it but luckily, his Doctor called him in.  I sat there stressing out thinking "Please let my Doctor call me in before he comes back out!!"

My doctor called me in just as he was coming out, he made a sweeping gesture for me to go through the door before he came out so I said "thank you!" and rushed through to my GP's room all a-fluster! 

So, with all that in mind, perhaps a 141/85 blood pressure reading wasn't too bad eh??






Till next time!

Monday 7 May 2012

Keep On Keeping On...

Hello there everyone, how are you?  How is your Bank Holiday going?  It's cold, grey, windy & drizzly where I am, atypical Bank Holiday weather eh?  Firstly thanks to everyone who mentioned I could change my Blog settings back - I did so and it's so much better.

Well apologies for the lack of blogs recently, I am feeling very uninspired about things I have to admit.  There's no money, the weather has been horrendous for the last month at least which means I can't even enjoy a nice walk and then on top of all that, last weekend my lower back decided to give out!  It's on the mend now - I found some free yoga advice & videos online which have helped plus I have a friend overseas who is very into yoga so she offered some tips too. 

However all things concerned, life feels bland at the moment.  Just getting up for work, coming home, eating dinner, not doing much in the evenings, going to bed then doing it all again.

I did throw myself into trying to lose a bit of weight didn't I.  That went well for about 3 weeks (lost about 5 pounds) then all went downhill when I hurt my back (bloody typical!) as it meant the aerobic exercise pretty much went out of the window and I comfort ate as well, all last week.  So I need to get back on track with that as well.  I have definitely put some weight back on so I am probably back to where I started.

I am actually off to the Doctor this coming week for a bit of a chat as I am worried about a few things: my weight for a start.  WHY do I weigh so much when people think I weigh about 3 stone less than I actually do?  I want my blood pressure checked and if possible, my Vitamin D levels checked along with my iron.  And possibly blood sugar levels as well as I keep getting the shakes & instant hunger which is a bit weird.  One of my sisters is hypoglycaemic and she's urged me to talk to the GP just in case as I also get jittery, bad tempered & get some headaches with it as well. 

Oh dear!  I feel like a bit of a wreck at the moment if I am honest.  But, I am just carrying on, just trying to keep my head above water financially for now with a plan to try and improve things later on this year.  I hope, I really really hope, that the sun comes out soon.  I am feeling very lethargic and down.  I need the sunshine to cheer me up.  I am longing for a lovely long walk in the warmth but it's just not happening. 

Well apologies for the depressing post.  I just wanted to check in with you.

Here's hoping you are all doing much better. 

Take care. x