NST November 2025: NOWvember

beanielou

@dustydigger. Remind me (sorry) does Mr dd have dementia? My dear friend’s husband does and I have had to bring her to my own house before now because of concerns about her safety. Take care of yourself x

weenancyinAmerica

@dustydigger - We worry about you. I have roommate issues but so far no violence. Please have Mr. dusty checked out . Could you get an Medic Alert emergency button (like my roommate wears) to summon help for you when there are problems? Sending hugs.

grandmanerd

December is coming, my internet was down from the early hours yesterday (whole town, just our network)

f0xh0les

Shhhh! I'm in denial ! 

grandmanerd said:

December is coming 

Christmas is still in the loft. It is scheduled for descent today.  
Project Twinkly lights by bedtime a-go-go!!!! 
TeeEssBee helpfully paid me my £150 switch bribe yesterday.  Thank you.
I now have enough in the bank to cover the bills on my wages alone this month, even before DH bungs me housekeeping.  I feel so much less stressed if I have earned a weeks wages.  I have to keep reminding myself I have only worked for company 2 for 4 months and will get more work once they get used to me.  I have picked up 2 extra jobs this Summer. I have done well, but will not make my Financial NYRes goal to pay tax, unless I get more work in before April.  Motivation is high.
I have bound my cheap softback 5 year diary into a very pretty hardback diary cover from this year. It looks fab. 👌
Sadly it is mostly full of DHs foreign work commitments and DS4s school term dates.
Helped DS3 with his UCAS application, he has chosen London, Manchester x2 and Aber-flippin-deen!   Good luck to him. All sent off in time. Job done.

dustydigger

Hi all!. How kind of you to be concerned,but things are fine normally.Perhaps I should explain a little about Mr Ds health situation
He is 89,has always been in great shape having the stamina and vigour of a man 20 years younger.. He could still march up and down stairs even 6 months ago without using the bannister rail,perfect balance,never needed a stick. Apart from some glaucoma for which he takes eyedrops he rarely needed a doctor. We would both get a cold ,his would last 4 days and me with my stupid crazy self attacking immune system would be sick for 6-8 weeks.
Then seemingly out of the blue November 2023 he had a stroke. It affected the communication centres of his brain.Over 2 years he has gradually lost the ability to speak English,after decades of fluent impeccable ability. He cant write,or read,or tell the time,cant pass any of the barrage of tests the language people have tried on him. He still speaks his own african language but somewhat stammering or confused.
Tests showed the underlying issues of something called essential thrombocythaemia,thankfully shortened to ET. Some classify it as a blood cancer like leukaemia,other docs arent so sure..Mr Dusty seems to have a lesser form,reactive thrombocythaemia.The bone marrow goes haywire because of a genetic mutation,producing excess white blood platelets,which thicken the blood causing  heart attacks and strokes. and  whenever he gets an infection the platelets proliferate and cause confusion  emotional upset and also physical blood clots. Mr D has now got extremely delicate small veins on the brain surface which can rupture and bleed. Also any infection can cause problems with his heart. 6 months ago he went for a regular scan and was rushed to surgery. He had built up fluid around his heart and they drained it away. I've never seen anything as disgusting as that fluid. I was expecting white or slightly off white water and it was terrible.It looked like the most ghastly urine infection fluid,dark bloody and horrible to look at.Just the thought of that revolting stuff having surrounded his heart makes me feel sick even now.
Now its my job to try to keep him healthy and keep him calm,we dont want  any more hospitalizations. I'll describe some of the wild issues we've had another time.He is due for blood tests  by the chemotherapy dept at the hospital soon. Could be we will need a meds increase. We can get that only from the chemo dept never from our docs or chemists.I am expecting contact with his chemo nurse in the next 10 days and we'll see what the blood tests show.
We are in an odd position. Many of Mr Ds symptons look just like dementia,and its difficult to separate the ER from cognitive decline. I think its about 50/50. They have never made an official dementia diagnosis because he is unable to lie still to have an MRI,so whether or if he has dementia is officially unknown!.
Odd behaviour and even aggression could be from the platelets or just the frustration of a once sharply intelligent man coping with major decline,and the despair of being unable to communicate.
A hard life for my poor lad. 55years together,and I will try to keep him as fit and content as possible for as long a possible. We keep on plodding.

grandmanerd

December
NST December 2025 A Different December — MoneySavingExpert Forum

apple_muncher

And all of a sudden, were near the end of the month. It creeps up on me every time!

I did a fair today, which went well. But I'm in need of a quiet day tomorrow, both to re-sort my items and also to recover from being sociable for several hours 🤣.

Today I am grateful for the lovely people at the fair, for Pip coming along with me, for having a ready meal in the fridge so tea was super easy, for my book, fairy lights.

Rowan9

Hugs to you  dusty 
Well done all turtles I’ve been cheering along in the background. 

Off to read Dec and join in again 

DawnW

((Hugs)) @dustydigger

November has passed so quickly! 

Our colds / coughs are getting better now, but OH is still suffering a bit (well, a lot, if you ask his opinion  )

Lazy day today, as I was babysitting last night. DD2 and her husband went to a works Christmas thing for one of the firms he does work for.

I did a load of washing, pegged it outside, as it was sunny, and it promptly drizzled - now on the airer. 

We finished up some leftover soup for lunch

I did a freezer inventory and now know exactly what we have (lots!)

We cooked a small pork joint for dinner, and there is plenty left for at least one more meal.

Also have a cottage pie base in the fridge made yesterday. Not much cooking needed for the next couple of days.

Thanks for the challenge @apple_muncher - and I will 'see' everyone in December!

f0xh0les

Thanks for running November apple ❤️ 
I have had an extra 2 NSDs because I am waiting for the bills to go out and until.the money comes in I only have about £10 left unallocated. 
Baked some buns, used up some bananas and sad apples, made a loaf, and baked some potatoes.  
The stairs and landing are now festooned in greenery and solar fairy lights, on all 3 floors.  Hopefully they will come on around 3pm tomorrow.  The hall has solar fairy lights too. The cloth advent calendars have been hung the whole length of the hallway too.  
See most of you on the other side, when all the bills are paid and I can relax into December.