Dusty's Frugal Fortnights Return!

dustydigger

Morning all. Not too bad healthwise today,back a bit dodgy from standing to wash up and make breakfast. I got a surprise phone call at 7.40 pm flast night from the surgery,doc asking me to go in and discuss my back on Thursday afternoon.Think the docs just got round to reading the notes from Tyneside hospital,from that nice consultant lady who noticed the issues with some of my vertebrae. Something amiss with the ''facet'' joints,the section of the vertebra sticking out at the back. Facet joints are encased with facet joint capsules, which contain fluid that protects and lubricates the joints

Facet joints are in almost constant motion and quite commonly wear out or become degenerated. When facet joints become worn or torn, the cartilage may become thin or disappear and there may be a reaction of the bone of the joint underneath, producing overgrowth of bone spurs and an enlargement of the joints. The nerve root runs directly under the facet joint, and as it becomes enlarged it can pinch the nerve root

My good old friend arthritis causing problems as usual.I am feeling very down about the thought of surgery. I have a terrible time post op healing. My last knee op everyone else when home in 2 days,my wounds supperated pus galore. Yuck. I was in 9 days on drips etc before I could go home.By then the flesh had started growing over the 32 clips. Another week before I had to have them yanked out. Tht was some experience! I had had similar though lesser problems with the first knee op,stayed in hospital 9 days instead of 3. My body just cant deal with wounds,and infections,so I am a bit anxious. Anyhoo,lets see what the docs say on Thursday.

Off to the kitchen now to tidy up  and rearrange cupboards to make room for my asd@ delivery at 10.

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slight digression here. They are playing David Bowie's Sound and Vision. My all time fave Bowie song. Everything stops while that is on. Dont like most of David's stuff,but the few I do like are all time faves that I could listen to for hours. Ashes to Ashes,Sorrow,We Can be Heroes plus Sound and Vision .

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Right where was I? Nowhere really! Just had a visit from DD1 s partner,brought me some grouse. Guess what Mr D will have for supper?

Apart from cooking I am doing nowt today - as usual - watching th funeral events.

Oh,one last thing (I sound like Columbo) Brought my scales down from the tip in my bedroom. sad to say that I have gone up 2 pounds in last month. Lot of depression led to comfort eating I suppose,or it could just be the metformin. It could take 2 months to lose 2 lb because of the thyroid issues. I suppose I should be quite pleased  o limit it to only 2 lb gain. But till the metformin issue I was steadily managing 1 or 2 lbs a month,and was hoping to get down below 15 st 4 by Xmas. Now I'm back to 15st 12lb

Katiehound

Be nice to yourself and don't swell on the weight gain: if it's the drugs or the comfort eating then so be it.

Don't beat yourself up.

Go with the flow and try to stay positive.

Take care

beanielou

It's Vision for me.

dustydigger

Couldnt believe it last night,when after glorious warm sunny weather in Scotland and Northern Ireland,it was chucking it down when the cortege got back to London. Months of sunshine,now bad weather. Typical. The Queen was closely involved in the design of the hearse,which was lit up when travelling to London.

Was a little concerned at Princess Ann,she seems to have lost a lot of weight. She has definitely seemed to age 10 years this week. She has been a stalwart faithful companion on her mother's final journeys.

The walk down the Mall of Charles,William and Harry, will bring back memories of Diana. Is it really 25 years since those strange days?

+Still no word from Scottish Power. Martin Lewis had a meeting with most of the major energy companies,and Scottish Power werent there.I'm sure they are happy with the status quo,high electricity prices linked to gas prices,even though SP boast of being totally renewable sources..I hope that if a labour govt ever gets in they will unlink the two,and prices would go down a lot. cant see SP wanting to lose a lot of profits!

+Grouse for dinner for Mr D,our friend gave us quite a bit,so hopefully we get three meals in total. We much prefer the lamb he often brings us,but beggars cant be choosers! I am going to make an apple crumble fro the bag of apples I was given last week. Working my way through them quite well!

+reading - doing quite well,reading little but often,completing 5 books so far this month.,only 2 or 3 behind my usual book tally.Completed my children's classic book for a challenge. At the start of the year we each chose a list of 12 books,and a random number on the list  is announced at the start of each month.  I read several more books in my Alphabet challenge,now only the letter U left to finish the whole challenge,will do it this month. I also finished 2 out of 3  of the Snakes and Ladder challenge. I still have to finish a book about the fight between good and evil.. Im about 15% into a fun fantsy tale about a descendant of Van Helsing and a motley crew of fairies,troll,demi gods,ninjas and all sorts as they tramp through Antarctica to Lovecraft's Mountains of Madness,on their way to prevent Cthulu rising. Absolute rubbish,but hilarious anf great fun. Very long though,I will have to buckle down to finish it in tieme.

Well,thats it for now,off to the kitchen to do the spuds as usual,plus carrots to go with the grouse. May get back here later,but Mr D will be down all day,and expects my company.

beanielou

Not a Grouse lover ~~either the game or the drink!

Katiehound

beanielou said:

Not a Grouse lover ~~either the game or the drink!

You've forgotten the 'state of mind' or whatever you want to call it.
I wouldn't grouse about a glass of 'famous Grouse' thank you!- but not the bird, except flying free out on the moors.

dustydigger

I feel the same about the bird. Its such dark meat,looks a lot like liver to me. Yuck. I LOVE the Famous Grouse,but have given up on it both for health reasons and financial.

But we are having a big do for DGD6 her christening on 3rd October,loads of family and DS2 s friends. I will try to limit it to  maybe one glass,then shouldnt expect to have anymore till Xmas.

So glad the weather was kind for the procession today. Quite a walk! Loved seeing the crown on the coffin. I could immediately see in my minds eye the book I read around coronation time with a big picture of that crown lying on blue silk in the Tower.

The lying in state for the public ends 6.30 am on Monday. Wonder if there will be a special viewing for statesmen and leaders to show their respect?

Nice to see Duke of Gloucester was up there with the major royals in the procession. He was first cousin to the queen,the son of yet another royal prince,younger than Edward VIII,King George VI,and Prince George . Like his brother the Duke of Kent,Gloucester,has been a hardworking minor royal,doing duties on behalf of the queen for 60 years. I  dont know if the Duke of Kent was there too.

Oh dear I am outing myself as a nerd I'm afraid. Long long ago in the 70s I had a long roll of wallpaper and spent lots of time working out the Queen's family tree. It was VERY long!. I knew all the ins and outs of the last few royal generations,so I know all about the change of titles that are taking place,and  who is related to who. I am also very familiar with Shakespeare's history plays where we find the same titles in use. The Duke of Gloucester of that time,would soon gain a greater title. Richard III

Oh dear,I had better go before I give you all a lecture on primogeniture or the like

The one thing I will say is that the royal houses of Europe are VERY inbred indeed

dustydigger

Went to the doc today,he prodded my back here and there,but no pain ensued,which appeared to bewilder him a little. He got up a second time to prod the higher vertebrae to no effect. I pointed out that the pain wasnt usually in the spine,it was straight across the the body very low on the body,just above buttocks,where the dimples are!

. I told him that usually the pain came when standing too long washing up or cooking,or twisting motions,and if I sat down it stopped hurting. He wanted to send me for an MRI,and I asked why,its less than 3 months since I had one,was there likely  to be a huge amount of change in such a short time.And I told him how agonizing my MRI was when I was required to force my arthritic arms  above my shoulders  So he hastily decided on not having an MRI after all,but I should see a consultant. No idea whether that will soon,like being sent for tests and scan for the possible pancreatic cancer.or just a routine  appointment with a consultant,which could be ages. Still havent heard about an appointment with an eye consultant,never mind an op,and its months already! .

 Since the pain is intermittent probably I will be going the routine route,but who knows?

Coming away from the docs,I popped into b&m,and saw notices that it was closing down on Saturday 17th. I have been expecting it,because after Argos closed down a few montha ago,b&m took over their premises in the shopping precinct on the other part of the shopping area,and it was unlikely to run 2 places. The one I visited today had been a Heron store for years,and was taken over pre covid by b&m. They still got a few items that I really liked  for a while,but this last year the old brands began to disappear. I actually called in today in particular for Slimma,artificial sweetener,a brand I prefer to canderel etc. But the shelf was totally bare. Wish I'd known earlier it was closing,I would have stocked up on it.

Sorry the post is so boring,not doing anything frugal or interesting,just sitting around waiting for the Queen's funeral. After that I must drag myself out to get shoes a blazer and  new trousers and blouse for the christening on 3rd Oct. I have always detested clothes shopping,and now of course I cant walk well,so I will have to do one shop per visit. Bonmarche closed down a couple of months ago,which is very annoying. J D Williams is too expensive for me,so whats left? M&S,maybe some place in the indoor market? I find online shopping very difficult,things often dont fit.. Family have been nagging me for weeks to pull myself together and just do it!

tooldle

Just a thought, would it help to use a mobility device when shopping? In our town centre, the scooters are available to hire for short periods. Hopefully i'm not offending, just wondering if being able to sit whilst zipping between shops, might be of help?

dustydigger

tooldle said:

Just a thought, would it help to use a mobility device when shopping? In our town centre, the scooters are available to hire for short periods. Hopefully i'm not offending, just wondering if being able to sit whilst zipping between shops, might be of help?

havent seen anything like that round here. And knowing my luck I'd probably lose control and knock down people and piles of products on my journey! Also I live on the top of a steep hill,shops 2 miles away,I picture my brakes losing traction and me whizzing down the hill,accelerating as I go! .