NST July 2023: Jurassic July

grandmanerd

Toni'sfriend they're both 33 and yes they both have multiple problems. Beloved is currently battling because she's been trying to get a test to see if she has a genetic disorder for over a year now. It's extremely rare but 4 close family members have it including her mother and one of her sisters (it's the major cause of unexpected heart attacks). Our GP has referred her 3 times to the wrong hospital (they don't have the equipment to scan for this gene, although they did find out she's on the autism spectrum). She has severe depression going back many years (2 abusive former bf) and has also been in extreme pain since her IUD was replaced in October.  More hospital visits during which they've failed to find her uterus or ovaries. She has pills for the depression, regular online appointments with a therapist and is in several online forums - I've overheard her talking to other people and giving them helpful advice. 

DS3 has depression and was probably inadequately socialised (I had PTSD for 2 years following an accident in which a police car smashed his pram to pieces with him in it) but also his brothers were a tight little unit when he was born and wouldn't really let him join in. He may also have autism - from a young age he would fall into a daydream in the middle of getting dressed in the morning. One of his junior school teachers insisted on my having him tested for multiple things (hearing, sight, various developmental markers). He was badly bullied throughout his school career and doesn't 'fit in'. Anime and cosplay groups saved them both and he would bring me all the waifs and strays he met in Manchester at weekends (I've actually celebrated Isaac Newton's birthday with a disparate group of people he knew, who turned up even though none of my sons was at home).

Made it downstairs early on but it was extremely difficult and when DS3 came down he carried all my stuff back up for me and I just dragged myself up. The room is progressing slowly.

Grateful for any progress, for being efficient and organised enough when my head is clear for things to be in reasonable order despite weeks of things going downhill, my foot hurting too much to do anything useful downstairs (now wearing my winter pants because I won't need them for anything else).

apple_muncher

grandmanerd - good to hear that Goth Bunny is still around I can tell you slept better as you were commenting on so many different things.

Today I am grateful for completing my 'old' marking and getting on with my 'new' marking, for an unexpected gym session when dc went bouldering, for a smidge of easy extra work tomorrow, for somehow getting the 10% off next shop coupon from liddle, for getting 2 loads of laundry done and mostly dry outside, for le Tour ont' box.

beanielou

Grandmanerd.  I just don't know how you do it.
You have my utmost respect.
I am quite happy most of the time to potter about on my own with the cats.
Too grumpy & set in my ways to do otherwise.

thriftylass

Hello, thank you for all the lovely comments. It means a lot and is motivating. 

I had a busy weekend and will catch up on all the post tomorrow at lunchtime. 

Quick weekend update before I head to bed. Did the weekly shop well under budget as we had loads left and the money leftover was used to buy a much needed new frying pan and I went for lunch with the girls on Sat. Did some gardening (the berries are yielding so much this year) and a house tidy. 

Till then 

Thrifty_Taylor

@apple_muncher I also got the 10% off. I went shopping on Fri as wasn't sure it'd carry over to Say, with it being a new month. Did yours carry over ok?

Torrential rain here all day & quite windy too. Did yoga before breakfast, then afterwards I spent 2 hours potting things on in the greenhouse. F-i-L phoned to see how DH is doing. Couldn't believe his C Dif diagnosis on Fri, when will all this end?! DH confined to his room for the next week now.

Put chicken in the oven, attempted rhubarb jam in the breadmaker, got DS3 to bake lemon buns & I did the ironing. Quickly cooked veg for tea, so could feed DS1 in the short time he was home between shifts, then phoned DH.

Washed the dishes, boiled the 'jam' on the hob with added lemon juice. Think it's set this time. Had a soak in the bath with a facemask, then finished a bit more if my rug. Nearly half way now 😃

Grateful for the sound of rain on the greenhouse roof, time to relax & the jam setting

apple_muncher

ThriftyT, my liddle coupons each last a week, regardless of a new month. It may be different in Scotland? I'm off to spend it later today 😎

ldee2111

Forgot to post Sunday 

It rained almost all day. Our only trip out was to collect camping equipment from outlaws’ house for our trip this coming weekend. We’re camping in the North of England and the weather forecast is looking ok just now. Please let it be dry 🙏. 

At home, I tidied and cleaned kitchen, dining, and living room. Made dinner - a chicken katsu curry. Watched TV. 

Grateful for getting parts of the house cleaned, a wee jaunt to outlaws’ house, and for a break in the rain and a strong wind that allowed me to partially dry washing outside and which semi-ironed the clothes. 

grandmanerd

I drank 3+ cups of water and saved a bee  - it's going to be a good day

Toni'sfriend

Grandmanerd - Thank you for explaining that to me. I hope you didn't think I was being nosey. Depression is a terrible and much misunderstood condition. I can definitely see the similarities between your son and mine although yours is obviously much more complex. Take heart, though, that it can be helped. I hope that, at the very least, they sort out that poor girl's physical problems so she can concentrate on improving her mental health. Sending them much love. xxx

Toni'sfriend

Yesterday was NSD No 2.

I managed a few household chores and the ironing is all done and put away.

It was very much a planning day. The handbag diary has been filled in with all my appointments, holidays and birthdays and I've started making lists of things that need done. Might run out of paper there are so many. I've reorganised my wardrobe. Things that are a bit too tight on one side, things that look smart (or at least not too bad) on the other and some trousers and tops for wearing when doing household and gardening things in the middle. Shoes all in pairs and in boxes. Just need to solve the handbag storage problem next. Wrapped all Himself's birthday presents and written his card. That'll save me faffing about at the end of the week.

Had a salad for lunch (there's a bit of a pattern going on with that one) and pork fillet wrapped in bacon with garlic potatoes for dinner. Not too unhealthy.

So back to the hospital for second last treatment today. It takes such a big chunk out of the day but needs must. I just got an unexpected phone call from one of the senior radiographers to see how I was coping and to give me some advice on how to manage the side effects after the treatment finishes. I have to say that I am mightily impressed by the care they've given me.

Hope the sun is shining where you are (it's not here). Have a good day. xxx