Flying solo

debtfreewannabe321

Hello, Dear Robin, I'm sorry i've not been in here for a while. I hope the dr's can find a diagnosis for you very soon. Nothing worse than having lots of symptoms with no idea what is causing it all. Have you figured out a way to get back to the UK yet? I would think flying would be my favourite option, less tiring, less concentration needed and you may even get a little nap in too I hope you sort it out soon. Big hugs xxx

patanne

Have I remembered right is DS4 in the UK at present? Is it worth paying for him to fly over and accompany you and CD back to the UK? I fully understand that you would rather NOT leave CD behind & am sure that CD would rather stay with you especially if unwell. Failing that have any of your neighbours got an offspring that needs a visit to the UK in exchange for driving.

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Treasured Friends, :hello:

Started - when? - a while ago.
Apologies in advance, this is going to be a looong post!

Thank you to everyone who commented after my last. :T
One of the very special things about MSE is sharing experience and knowledge for each other's benefit.. Am sooo grateful to have found you all - it would be impossible to discuss many of m' dilemmas [dramas lol?] with the Divos or RL mates.

missrlr wrote: »

Re the bad cholesterol .... Quite a lot of work has shown diet is only about 20% or less effective in controlling let alone reducing. Exercise is the only thing that reliably reduces this when diet is not working. Would recommend a bit of a Read up on some of the work around this subject because actually the exercise function and quantity can be quite surprisingly minimal but walking is not effective. Have had first hand experience of this and was surprised at the results when I tried this alternative method!

Hmm. Thanks for modifying my expectations Missrlr - explains why El Medico spent quite a lot of time talking about exercise. Must admit had placed less emphasis on that part of our discussion, because of course increasing physical activity is a problem for ME people.

Swimming would be the obvious 'new therapy' - but where? Can't use a public pool because of the chlorine, choose not to swim in the lake - beautiful though it is - because two villages drain their sewage into it (closest coastal areas have the same problem, alas. ).

:think: Something like a water-treadmill [if such exists for humans?] would be ideal.. Long enough to stretch out in while swimming, with a pump to produce a current in the water. Salt-water rather than chlorine to keep bugs away.

Sounds like a long-term project, but could be fun and there's certainly enough room at the Nest to build a small pool. Wouldn't need planning permission if it's officially a water tank - must check maximum capacity permitted without being taxable (keep quiet about salt water, lol). Will have a chat with Plumber, see what he thinks. If it's feasible, maybe it would be possible to get some Woofers over to build it (as Divos are all so busy)?

Remember last year's thought of rigging up an exercise bike? Nothing came of that, mainly because the riding position would be too debilitating. Cycling generally isn't very beneficial for ME people..

..Any other ideas from MSEers welcome, of course.

missrlr wrote: »

Am feeling crap today a consequence of working a15 hour day yesterday and anoth long day with lots of today. I cannot relax on public transport so just gently doing some bits whilst I travel home.

Aww Missrlr, (((hugs))) feel for you and hope you managed to get a good, refreshing night's sleep.. (..Or three..)

patanne wrote:

if you are putting weight on when you you really don't think you should, google under active thyroid. I believe Piq may suffer from this too so hopefully she will be along. Did your doctor do a thyroid function test as part of the blood tests he did?

Did the doctor say what your GOOD cholesterol is, it can to a certain extent outweigh the bad?

grannyx2 wrote:

^^ exactly what I was thinking as my weight & cholesterol went up despite eating very little. I insisted on Thyroid function tests, queried them when they came back 'normal', was put on thyroxine as a trial and low and behold a year later, my weight is dropping, as is my bad cholesterol and my mood & energy levels have jumped up considerably.

All thyroid function results are bang in the middle of 'desirable' range - very interesting comment Granny; will do some reading to try and find out how reliable the tests are.

Patanne, it's the LDL and Triglicerides which are off the scale. HDL isn't so bad. A year ago these three results were in the 'desirable' range, now all are 'very high risk'.

Brightspark87 wrote:

its worrying if you aren't eating much and yet still putting on weight... I think its worth speaking to them again? keep an eye on it all please

Well yes Sparky; a work in progress, lol. Need to see if I can find anything in the annals of ME research which is related, and meanwhile be mindful; to eat more often even if not hungry, try and find alternative exercise which isn't exhausting [therefore self-defeating] etc.

Today:

What happened to the weekend? ..Thunderstorms with power cuts, lawn transformed into a paddy field, so much strong wind from the North that it blew rain back up underneath roof tiles - producing a never-before-seen drip above the kitchen doorway.

Got some amazing 'photos of the downpour showing 'stair-rods' of water splashing into m' new <temporary - gone now> pool in front of the patio.. Then a gorgeous double rainbow shining in front of turbulent thunderheads, as the storm retreated.

..Hope it missed Sun.A - not holiday weather at all!

Syphoned over fifty litres of water out of m' 'plant tray' - sitting all the flower pots in a pond liner is a great water-saving summer irrigation idea, but needs urgent modification now..

debtfreewannabe321 wrote:

Have you figured out a way to get back to the UK yet? I would think flying would be my favourite option, less tiring, less concentration needed and you may even get a little nap in too

Ah. Yes. Major dilemma. No decision yet DFw - tbh don't really want to go at all any more, having missed summer. Blown it.

patanne wrote:

Have I remembered right is DS4 in the UK at present? Is it worth paying for him to fly over and accompany you and CD back to the UK? I fully understand that you would rather NOT leave CD behind & am sure that CD would rather stay with you especially if unwell.

DS3 still wants to come with us - but won't be ready to leave for another month.
DS4 can't drive; anyway is concentrating on getting ahead with his reading list ready for the new term.
..Tbh, Patanne, can now think of many more reasons for abandoning the whole idea than going ahead somehow - anyhow.

Sparky - if you're reading - please can I pick your brains? :cool2:

Lit stove for the 'first' time last night, more against damp than cold - but only used one log because the temperature inside the Nest rocketed from 13'C to 29'C!
Cue: Fling open doors and windows, shed clothing! :rotfl:

Brightspark87

Hi Robin, please feel free to pick my brains!! perhaps private message?

*Robin*

Eeek eeek - exclamation marks are breaking out everywhere! :eek:

..Is this more trollish mischief? :mad:

Brightspark87 wrote: »

Hi Robin, please feel free to pick my brains!! perhaps private message?

Thanks! :T

..Breakfast first, and chalky cholesterol-busting yoghurty drink (can't say am impressed with those; definitely medicine rather than pleasure, lol).

*Robin*

Dear Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Hooray! Woke up with a clear head just before dawn, after two days of being not very well at all. Suspect it was a mistake to hug DS3 - thought he'd been here long enough not to be harbouring any 'foreign' bugs (unless I picked it up at El Medico's?).

At some point Divo Three and SK arrived with a chainsaw, announcing they were 'going to grovel' by sawing up the logs which Plumber's machine couldn't manage, in exchange for taking the van again** - and some of the cut wood because they'd run out too - for the next day.
** They haven't yet done the job promised as a swap for the last two borrowings.

Neither of 'em had been watching the weather forecast, so they were disappointed to be told "No chance!" until the next wave of storms had passed - decision totally justified, because DS3 would have parked van as close as possible to the Old House for unloading wood - leaving it right in the path of the river which did actually start flooding that night..

They sawed up the logs anyway. Heard 'em chatting while preparing wood-shed to receive the results of their labour:
DS3: "Well, we've got a jar of chickpeas."
SK: "And there are some peppers in Paco's garden - he won't mind if we pinch a couple".
DS3: "It's gonna be a weird dinner.."
SK: "Aye, and not much of it!"

..So they'd been banking on doing a quick shopping trip as soon as DS3'd got the van's keys in his hand. Ha - sussed, boys! :rotfl:

Had avoided pain meds until then - take too many and they rebound, making it worse - but there was no way Muggins would have been able to stand up long enough to cook, without chemical assistance. Chose one rarely used, because there is an unpleasant side effect - like being drunk - but it certainly helped me see the funny side..

Both lads dined off serving plates, piled high. Guess they hadn't eaten a proper dinner for a couple of days. My portion has done two meals so far and there's still enough for lunch today.

Veg drawer is looking a bit thin now though; we roasted everything there was which would, lol. Better write a shopping list for DS3; am certain he'll be back in an hour or so, wanting the van.
Yesterday only one 4x4 went down the hill, but today a C15 has already passed going up, so by this evening the road will be dry enough for van to get back to the Nest safely. It's still carrying a load of handy rocks.

:think: Apologies to the World at large: Wrote a few somewhat-terse, blunt posts while - literally, ha! - under the weather - hope no-one was offended.

:think: Remembered we are in Mercury Retrograde while thinking about m' current dilemmas. For those whose loved ones have been intractable and irritable recently - and give credence to the stars' influence on human lives - it explains a lot (but doesn't make Muggins' decision any easier):
http://darkstarastrology.com/mercury-retrograde/
..Quite an essay; plenty to cogitate over while tackling the mountain of washing up which cannot be ignored any longer. :cool2:

*Robin*

Good morning World! :hello:

Feeling a bit frustrated today. When DS3 collected the van, told him I could hear a stone in one of the tyres since the last time he borrowed it.. Had looked for it twice, couldn't see anything so assumed it happened to be near the bottom - asked Three to check every time he stopped until finding and removing it.

Last night he called; not a stone but a nail. Drove the van over 80kms, got home [his home not the Nest] and realised one of the front tyres has almost completely deflated.

Am guessing Divo Three is trying to put on the spare now - trouble is, neither he nor SK are mechanically minded, and there is no air-hose where DS left the van parked last night. They'll struggle; the threads on the van's wheel nuts are likely to suffer because they haven't been undone since I last bought new tyres (two years?)..

What has really annoyed me though, is that he's gone out without his 'phone so I can't call him to say that if there's any air at all left in the tyre, please drive van at 0.5kmh to the garage in the next village rather than risk the wheel nuts!**

Buying a new tyre is a pain, but fcuked-up threads on wheel nuts I can really do without! :mad:

Meanwhile, CD and I haven't got any transport. Fingers crossed we don't have an emergency..

**ETA. Actually, even if tyre is completely flat, it would be better to drive to the garage very slowly. Can pick up another rim from any scrappie..

grannyx2

Oh Robin, I think maybe it's time to get stern and say no to anymore van borrowing. I know it's diffi saying no to loved ones but it's causing you stress & difficulties you just don't need

I hope he behaves sensibly and the van is returned intact x

debtfreewannabe321

Oh no, I really hope the van is fixed soon, you need your transport. Perhaps Granny is right, say no a little more xx

*Robin*

grannyx2 wrote: »

Oh Robin, I think maybe it's time to get stern and say no to anymore van borrowing. I know it's diffi saying no to loved ones but it's causing you stress & difficulties you just don't need

Hello Granny, :hello:

Funnily enough, DS3 berated me yesterday for being risk-averse. Tried to explain that as one ages, it becomes harder to sort out situations which have gone wrong - much easier to prevent mishaps in the first place. He didn't 'geddit'.

It's very, very hard to resist the charms of DS3 - most charismatic man-child of the four.
In this case I'd be going against our "family helps out" ethos by refusing to let him use the van without good cause. A likely impending flood was an unassailable reason for refusal. DS3 accepted that with good grace.
But fine weather when I wasn't using van m'self at the time, meant there was no real excuse for stopping DS taking a cat to the vet and collecting travellers from the airport (both tasks which may have fallen to me anyway, had Divo Three not been here).

grannyx2 wrote: »

I hope he behaves sensibly and the van is returned intact x

Alas, the more time that passes before Divo Three calls to admit defeat, the more damage he and SK are likely to have done.
There's nothing I can do - too far to walk to where van was left.
Am prowling around, unable to settle into doing anything useful, and beginning to seethe..
Not a happy Robin today! :cool: