Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Suffolk_lass

So yesterday I sorted out the tyre pressures in my car - the first one (using Mr Sl's new (extremely noisy) electric compressor, while it pulled its' pressure up, the little clip on the car tyre was hissing (unheard) and letting the air out - so I am not entirely sure whether this tyre was the one causing the deflation warning, but anyway, they are all reset now.

A quick cold lunch of the leftover Chinese from the Sunday treat with Son and partner (because I was too late back and the chicken I was defrosting was still too cold) - anyway, we do not do that often. I may need to fast today or my hard-won weight loss is in jeopardy.

Then I made myself go outdoors and weed the asparagus bed. I found the deep buried crowns that had perished (no surprises there - planted far too deep) - another case of "if you want a job done, do it yourself!" - I need to pay attention to the two new peonies on my list today - Mr Sl has admitted they are planted too deep after watching last Friday's GW piece on Peonies. They will never flower like that!  Anyway, I have a bit of space for popping in some ornamental gourds for autumn. I left the rogue autumn fruiting raspberries in that bed for another day. I will move them when they get cut down in winter.

Still with a modicum of energy I moved to lift two garlic bulbs to see if the withering top growth meant they really are ready. They are a bit smaller than I expected and might be single cloves after such a warm winter (they need a frost to break them into multiple cloves). I will move them to the greenhouse to dry and leave the rest another fortnight.

So potatoes then! I have grown ten Charlotte tubers. I have half filled a flour sack this morning after washing them. I also didn't dig them all out, I pulled them. I MUST get my other squashes planted - courgettes and Crown Prince to go in there, and in the fruit cage space awaiting its' new residents (blackcurrant and gooseberries). I can remove the remaining potatoes with Mr Sl when he is stronger.

It was too late for anything else after that lot so we had a light supper of toast and marmite (him) or Philly (me).

Back out before the predicted rain this morning for me and much watering to undertake. Enjoy your day, everyone

Watty1

What a lovely catch up.  Enjoy the day.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh and thanks @Spendywendywoo - good to see you back posting again!

Makingabobor2

Gosh you have been busy

EssexHebridean

Makingabobor2 said:

Very interesting post.  I think a lot of these things are just about being sensible and having moderation in all things.  The NHS are forever changing the goal posts on things and I think as long as we keep very active, drink plenty of water and reduce UPFs, then we should be good.  I am currently trying to increase protein to help with muscle as I age. 

Moderation being key is definitely a thing. In terms of general health markers, stress management and good sleep are now generally reckoned to be the top two things to aim for if they are available to us - and those things impact more on general health than just about anything else. IIRC exercise (again - if available to us) comes in close behind. 

SL - something I was told after I had my rather scary acute anaemia episode a few years back was not to underestimate the "shock to the system" - bluntly, that when we have had one "brush with death" it's very easy to see anything else that follows as the threat of it happening again - and no question, I now have a degree of health anxiety I definitely didn't have before! 

Suffolk_lass

I finally got my hands on Mr Sl's discharge letter and it omits most of what happens, implying he elected to have surgery staying in overnight and was discharged with paracetamol! No mention of infection, antibiotics, steroid nebulisers, ileus, laxatives, naso-gastric tube, oxygen, pneumonia, catheter, drain in for a week, isolation...

I went in to the GP surgery to request a FIT test for him to provide a second poo in the post test to a different laboratory, and took the opportunity to ask about a call from a GP. Doctor lightly loaded, rang later that morning. He was astounded at the information they had not been told, prescribed a salbutamol (ventolin evohaler) for when Mr Sl is unable to get his breath, and encouraged him to write to the consultant. I might help. I ran through my approach to energy and the vitamins and iron we have him taking, to build him up. The GP said that was all excellent but we need to be patient. It will take 3 months for his lungs to recover.

So in the meantime, I have planted my squashes and have pulled out three large trugs full of creeping thistle, ground elder, and bindweed, hawkweed, nettles and white briony - all of which joined the lemon balm, wood avens, vetch and creeping wood-sorrel that the gardener removed from the path. He moved on to thistles, nettles and brambles, cleavers (sticky willies) and hedge clippings, filling his cage-sided trailer for the big bonfire he has at the farm. 

I did most of my bees yesterday and need to collect two bits of kit I left behind, after upgrading one colony from a nucleus with a super on, to a full sized hive and super. On to the farm where I may have two failing colonies - drone brood where it should not be is one hive, choose from a new queen who hasn't quite got the hang of it, a poorly mated new queen, who won't, or a drone laying worker. The second hive has two emerged queen cells and two torn down, but they were furious with me. It suggests the queens may have perished. The hive next to them is requeening, so I can happily leave them for a fortnight.

This morning I have the last 2 locations to check, borrowed space at two places within a mile or two of each other. I need to get a wiggle on as my mentee (pupil beekeeper) is due here at 9.00. I'm going to suggest we go to my other location, in someone else's apiary first, then on to his, which were feisty last week.

Then tomorrow I will be making cakes to take to an event on Sunday (beekeeping) and with leftovers going to a BBQ at the community garden (instead of the event I was organising, which I have postponed, because it was too much with Mr Sl taking priority. 

I had my first bag of crisps in three months last night but might not bother again. With hummus. I preferred the cucumber and celery.  I am preferring the clean eating. (I think that is the point of the 8-week low blood sugar diet - to change your taste buds' expectation and lose that salty, sugary addiction. To that end I brought some turkey escalopes and steaks in so we keep (his) protein levels higher than normal. Tonight will be salmon though, just pan-fried on the skin with a lid on, and some new potatoes, pak choi from the garden, peas and carrots. I need to shop for cabbage! (well lots of veg, actually)

Thank you @EssexHebridean, your point about shock to the system is spot on. 

foxgloves

How very odd not to have included all those serious details in Mr SL's hospital letter. 
F

EssexHebridean

That’s appalling of the hospital SL. You have probably already thought of it but that letter to the consultant copied to the hospital PALS group might be a plan. Imagine if the surgery had been left that in the dark, which with someone less proactive they may well have been! 

rtandon27

SL - the omission from the report is negligence, no two ways about it.  Please do write a letter of complaint and have a copy kept on Mr SL's medical file with his doctor.

in_need_of_direction

it's also a breach of data protection as it reflects inaccurate information.  maybe ask for this to be corrected under the right to rectification