General Chat

Not wasted AnnG if you have had reassurance.
I'm glad there is no infection to worry about.
Good that your appointment was on time.I hope Thursday's is too.

Vera, it sounds as if you are ideal dog-sitters and it's good that the dogs seemed comfortable being left with you.
They'll be wanting to come and play Chase again :-)

Oh dear Annx Sorry to hear of your mishap with the teatowel.So easy for these things to happen, but I'm glad you were OK.
Your OH certainly seems to be very busy with his online or in-person meetings.

I hope Mandy has had a good weekend and is feeling better with the new medication.

How is your cough, Mel? Better I hope.
My friend, who I met for lunch last week said she'd had a cough for over 2 months and can't seem to shift it.She has even been for an X-ray, but nothing showed up, so it's just a case of time, I guess.
Very tiring though.

Busy sorting through some papers ready for recycling tomorrow. Mind you, if the weather is as grim as forecast, it might not get put out or the street will be strewn with leaflets etc. :-0

Saw the nurse, (Hannah something), I think she is actually some sort of trainee but I have to assume that she knew what she was talking about looked about 16 but I am sure that is just me, they all look so young these days.. She said nothing to worry about, no infection, skin dry so moisturise three times a day. Elevate legs (difficult sitting at my desk making cards.) antibiotics not needed. Just taking time. She was very nice exactly on time and exactly 10 minutes. At least she did speak to me as if I had a brain.

I was up early too but still feel I had a bit of a wasted morning. I had better find something useful to do.

Morning Ladies,

Brrr chilly here too! We were up early for a change and showered then went to Costa down the road for coffee and a small egg and spinach crispy warm bap. OH had a quick look at the books in Waterstones next door and I looked round Next. We had to get back then as OH needed to be online to speak to someone.

Well we were saying how good the non-stick metal liner slow cookers are and then I read how bad the non-stick teflon is for us. Isn't it always the same! Mine is on just now with pork steaks in it with onion, apple and carrot and a bought mustard sauce. I managed to set fire to the teacloth I was using to stop it tipping on the gas hob while browning the meat and onion, so I will have to find something better to grip it with.

I rubbed out and started again drawing the card I started the wrong way up and it's almost finished now. It is a 60th birthday card for Terry the pianist which I should finish today.

I always had low BP too till my heart rate whizzed up that time. I put it keeping low down to not adding salt to anything, even as a child. Mum's was low too and she would use little salt, but dad was always wanting salty sausages and bacon and adding it to his food on his plate every day. I remember him cooking sunday lunch once when mum was poorly in bed and none of us children would have any gravy it was so salty. It was encouraged when he was in the heat in India during and after WW2, but his BP was high. He didn't change though, even after his first heart attack in his 50s. Mind you he was a bad tempered, angry person all the time, which wouldn't have helped his BP either and there are various other reasons for BP going up as well.

Better go and fetch our meds and call at the shop now, so will read the posts later as OH is champing at the bit to go!

Morning all,

I got up for the loo and back to bed by 5.39am and lay for a while thinking I am not going to drop off again and the phone rang. It was Asda with a message about my delivery at 6.02am. Then I just lay there till it was light and had another message from the surgery at 8.01am. Then I must have dropped off for a while cos I had a dream about the beach and dogs smiling at me. Then I had another message to tell me I have a parcel arriving today at 10.40am so now I am all behind today.

OH was on Amlodapine.

Must renew my books at the library today.

Good morning all. 3 degrees here so a bit on the chilly side still quite dark but looks dry. Nurse this morning to check my wound at 11.20 so that messes up the day a bit. Luckily cynth is able to take me. Back again on Thurs afternoon for blood test.

good exercise for you Vera mind you don't overdo it in your enthusuasm. Pleased that OH's back is improving hopefully that will continue.

I have taken Amlodopine for many years my ankles do well a bit in the late afternoon but it is not enough to trouble me. I also take Bendroflumethiazide at the same time,this is a siuretic so I assume it is supposed to balance out the swelling. My BP these days tends to be low. I do.t miss grapefruit too much but would like to be able to have it occasionally. And not being able to take Nurofen is a nuisance.

We must be twins Gwyn. I too had always had lowish bp and was surprised when it suddenly went sky high and I was put on Amlopidine. I was told my ankles might swell but they would go down in a couple of weeks when my body had adjusted to the pills. In my case they got worse and worse until I couldn’t get any shoes on at all so couldn’t go out of the house. Doctor changed me to Lercanadipine and I’ve had no problems since then, apart from missing the taste of grapefruit and having to use co-codamol instead of Naproxen when my back is bad

I do feel for you Mandy and hope your head stops swimming soon. Rest as much as you need to.

OH’s back is improving already. Most of the day he has sat in a hard dining chair watching TV or reading but he did get up and make us a sandwich at lunchtime.

Daughter dropped dogs off about 9.30 am and should be back soon after 5.30 pm. They have been good as gold. For the first hour they sat in the hall just watching the front door. They were clearly waiting for mum to come back but they didn’t seem distressed at all. After a while they started settling wherever one of us was, so they lay on their blanket and watched TV with OH, then came into the kitchen while I was preparing dinner. Instead of our usual Sunday lunchtime meal we’ll eat tonight when daughter is back. The dogs came into the garden with me an hour or so ago and the younger one had a great time racing around our small space and playing games with me, making me go round a large flower bed in one direction while she hurtled off in the other direction and then stopping to check if I was chasing her. There was a bitter wind blowing and I got cold but she wouldn’t come in so I left her out there and eventually she appeared at the back door. They get a meal about 5 pm and after that, armed with poo bags, I’ll take them down the road to the rec for 10 minutes.

We had our lunch early so I think it’s time for a nice cup of tea now. Enjoy what’s left of the day.

Mandy, it must be hard waiting for the tablets to make you feel better, but as you say, your body has to adjust. I hope you feel better soon though.
I remember that Mum used to take blood pressure tablets, when I still lived at home. Obviously things have moved on a lot since those times, but I do remember her taking them, when she first woke, then having to stay in bed for a while until they kicked in. Only then would she get up and have something to eat.

I was put on Amlodipine, when I was found to have high B.P which was news to me, as it previously been on the low side. I took the tablets for some time, then for some reason had swollen ankles, so the GP changed me to another tablet, - can't remember what name, but it made me feel awful. Each day was a blur and I just couldn't function properly, so I went back to the GP and I said I couldn't live like that, actually it was an existance, not living.
I went back on Amlodopine and have had no ill effects since.
Like Mel, I would like to have grapefruit, but know I can't.
Ibroprofen used to be my go-to for painkillers, but that is out too.

I have found the pharmacists are really helpful, when it comes to advice about interaction of drugs.

It was only Tuesday when I went to the hospital Mel so I have to give them a chance to work as I said they want blood after a fortnight so it probably takes nearly that time to really kick in .

Mandy how long have you benn on these tablets now? Surely they should start to work properly soon. This must have been going on for over a week now.

Suns trying to shine here but its not really working but its not rianing and thats the main thing.

Morning all,

Dull day here and I think it looks like it could soon rain .

Vera I hope your OH's back pain soon eases there's nothing worse as you don't know if you should stand sit or lay down what ever you do it seems to hurt ,it's not helping that he can't take the pain killers poor man.
I hope the dogs settle OK they will be looking for mum I expect and be so excited when she comes back .

Anng have a lovely lunch with your friends today .

My daffs are coming out but there's no sunshine for them today to help them open , they are a nice splash of colour on the side ,have yours opened Ann

Blood pressure was up again this morning ,it makes me feel awful til the tablets kick in I just have to sit and wait for them to work ,I'll have to see how they go and if I'm not feeling better I'll get in touch with the doctor but I do need to give them time .

Ann I forgot to say. Yes I can still get on facebook and have not had that instruction that you had.

O dear your poor oh Vera. Back pain is such a a nasty thing to have as every small movement seems to make it worse. I do hope he's better soon. The dogs have been to your house so they should be ok but I expect they will look for mum. Just wait till she comes to pick them up and see their reaction!

Annx I did'nt know you can't eat gratefruit with a beta blocker. I know you can't take Ibuprofen or night nurse. I can't have gratefruit because I take Statins. Gratefruit was my favorite fruit and drink. I used to love the pink gratefruit squash as I don't like any of the other squashes. Now I have fresh orange juice with some water in it. I hate orange squash sugar free or not both make my tongue sing.

Good morning all dry so far but dull so rain later I think. It rained heavily testerday evening.
Lunch out today with 5 or 6 other friends, same hotel that we had a Christmas lunch in so hoping it will be nice. BBL

Morning all,

I have to catch up on a couple of posts from yesterday but thought I would pop in first. Dull and gloomy 5 degrees and wet. Another miserable day and rain later.

Hope you all slept well last night as I did even thought I got up three times for the loo.

My tablet dose is only 5mg a day Vera and mine isn't for my BP really. It's to slow my heart rate (which also lowers my BP too). I had a bad panic attack over 10 years ago and had to be hospitalised as my heart rate carried on racing and wouldn't return to normal afterwards. Since then by reading up on these things I have learned it is probably all connected with my underactive thyroid.

It's good you looked up about your OH's med interractions and it's something I always do now. When I have blood tests for my thyroid I have to fast from the night before and only drink water till I've had the blood test the next morning. Then I shouldn't eat certain things for over 2 hours after taking my tablet, calcium, iron, magnesium eg as it reduces absorbtion, so I find it easier to skip breakfast and have an early lunch most of the time. None of this was mentioned by the doctor or nurse. It was the pharmacist who told me and I checked online after.There is also advice with the beta blocker. I can't have grapefruit or some cough medicines and ibuprofen at all and alcohol isn't advised and caffeine. I don't know how some older folk manage.

I get annoyed about all the fuss about stopping elderly drivers driving because they are involved in 1 in 4 accidents where there are injuries. What about tackling the age groups causing the other 3 in 4 accidents. A third of those caught drug driving apparently reoffend.

I hope the little dogs settle ok tomorrow Vera. At least they are familiar with you and OH and your home which will help.

On a lighter note, Mandy's Daffodils set me off and I got some from the co-op when I popped out. The lovely Arthur who always packs my bag for me, said they are his favourite flower and showed me his tattoo of one on his arm.

I'm really late to bed for me so I hope I sleep well.

Good evening everyone

It’s been a blue sky and sunshine day but that was deceptive. When I had to walk to the Co-op around midday there was a bitter cold wind and I was glad I had put on a thick jacket and my big heat-holder mittens. The sun was also quite low and shining straight at me so I couldn’t see a thing. It wasn’t such a pleasant walk as I expected.

I hope your body soon gets used to the tablets Mandy. I was lucky and didn’t have any problems with them but I think the leaflet that comes with them does say something about they can cause dizziness. It’s strange your box says don’t eat for 15-30 minutes after taking them and mine says don’t eat for 30-60 minutes. It’s almost as if they can’t make up their mind. I bet your daffodils are opening up nicely. They are my favourite flower – I love daffs

It sounds as though your bp tablets are beta blockers Annx. My problem is that I also take 100 mg of those a day, mine are Propranolol and are prescribed to help keep the migraines at bay but they do also lower blood pressure so the doctors are very wary about trying to keep everything in balance. There are a lot of changes ahead for the over 70s, as you say, but I won’t worry about them till they happen, though I do get cross with all this talk about older people giving up driving but not much talk about getting a decent public transport system going so we can manage without our cars. And don’t get me started on losing our voting rights. Our area is one where the May local elections have been cancelled and many people round here are not at all happy.

After our plug in Dyson died on us OH used our new cordless and said he was really impressed with how well it picks everything up. Our old one was a V10 and we just bought the updated version so still a V10.

It’s easy to spend more than you intend in the shops Mel. I did exactly the same in the Co-op today. I only meant to spend a couple of pounds and spent £9 but it didn’t matter as I just paid by credit card.

OH seems to have hurt his back again and went to take the Ibuprofen he usually has when I stopped him and said I would google to see if it was OK to take them with the antibiotics he’s on. Good job I did as the NHS site said not to take them together as his kidneys and potassium levels might be affected. He is unable to take codeine so he was pretty much left with paracetamol which only ease the pain. They don’t do anything for the inflammation. Anyway he took a couple and I realized that we only had 3 tabs left which is why I had to go out to the Co-op to get him some more. Now he is sitting in an upright dining chair looking very sorry for himself but saying he thinks he’ll manage without tablets for the time being. Needless to say I have had to do the couple of jobs that he usually does and have run in and out with drinks, snacks etc. It will probably be the same tomorrow but with the added job of looking after daughter’s dogs for the day. I sound as though I am moaning but I don’t mind really. However I must now go and start getting the evening meal cooked. I said we would have fish and my lord and master has decided he would like cod with a parsley sauce, baby potatoes and a salad.

Sleep well tonight ladies. Don’t know if I will be posting tomorrow; that will depend on how much attention the dogs need as this is the first time they have been left in someone else’s house without “mum”.

Sorry about so much doom and gloom AnnG. I will try to be more positive.

When I tried to log in to FB a screen opened saying

"As part of laws in your region, you can choose if you see ads on Meta Products and how we use your information for ads." It has 'continue' underneath that takes you to a screen that gives you the options about having adverts and staying free, or subscribing and having no adverts.

I've done some googling and it seems to have been happening for a long time and some find that they can still get free FB on their mobiles. It doesn't look like a scam, but I won't be entering any payments, certainly not till I am sure. Someone else seemed to find it cleared suggesting it was a glitch so I will just wait and see for now. I take it you can still get in?

A bit of doom and gloom on your thread Ann. Where did you see all that information?
I have done a bit of admin. Always a bit to do post meetings. And I have made an Easter card, a bit chilly up here now so I think it is time to go down for a cuppa.

Did my shop and bought more than I intended and when I opened my purse I did'nt quite have enough. Keith said pay me next time but I went out and looked in the parking money purse and made it up from that. I don't like oweing people money as I forget.

Aaron's been and cut the apple tree up and taken it all away. He's such a good boy he dos'nt leave any mess. He put the small twiggy bits on the [pile of other from the apple tree that came down before.