Perspectives. Oh, and cakes. And teens in cars!

6 minute read time.

Alright my lovelies?
Sorry in advance, this blog goes all over the place and then back again!

So Wednesday rolled round, and off I went for a change of dressing, bloods, and Rituximab session.
That young guy was there - he's been in a few times now it seems, and is more relaxed, and has his sense of humour back - goody I thought, you've got yourself on track. It helps once you can do that, however long it takes, days, weeks, or months, we're all different after all.

So, consultant calls me in for a chat, I tell her I have been having cold feet about the transplant; she says that's perfectly normal. I am sure it is, and I DO like her a lot, but you know when you get that temptation to say to an 'expert' - "BUT ITS NOT YOU THAT HAS TO DO IT, IS IT?!?!"
Ahem.  :))

So she tells me then that she has spoken to the team at the Heath, and it is a possibility that IT could be the end of this month! That's great, because it doesn't clash with school holidays (ie nobody has to look after Deri during the day and the night) and I should be out in time for the school to close (yes, the council deem it necessary to shut Deri's school :(( ) at Easter as us parents and staff don't want a slow trickle to nothing as kids need to leave etc - so there's a big party on the 30th March when they break up for Easter.
Now, I may only just be back out of hospital by then, but it's a good thing to aim for and if I'm too knackered to go along I shall be rather disappointed!

Yesterday (Thursday) I must have been visited by the Baking Muse and my body taken over by Nigella, as I spent the afternoon baking cakes!! This is a rare occurrence I have to point out, for those of you wondering why I am highlighting it! I set about looking for recipes for cakes suitable for Broni and her vegan diet - and dug out my old faithful, The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook - vegan chocolate cake and vegetarian carrot and poppyseed cake - the latter I have baked before but this time used all soya stuff instead of diary.
Yummy!
Oh, and Pedro tried waving and saying 'Hi' to me... pfft.

Today has been a bit of a mix! Began with coffee round at Jo's; last time I went Jackie was there too and as hadn't seen her for about a year and Jo had just told her about me before I arrived, she was in shock and had to go early.. this time she had got her head around it all and was her usual silly self! Bless her she didn't now what to say last time, but this time was fine, no head tilts either, she did Very Well haha! Had a good old catch up with everone and a good laugh too :))
Home to do emails and make leek and potato soup with lentils and garlic - oh yes, this is so much more fun than working every day! Could I not just go to work 4 days a week and have one for baking and drinking coffee?? Please???

Then, this evening, as I sat with Deri playing on the Wii, Megan calls me - casually announced she and Ben were at hospital due to an icy corner spinning Bens car out of control at only 40 mph in the bendy lanes and them landing upside down!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! BUT they are ok, just bruised and shocked. BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, breeeeeeeeeeeatheeeeeeeeee.........................................
And here she is, taking her driving theory test on the 11th!!
Well, the goddess and the gang were looking after them both tonight eh?? A couple stopped and the mother put Meg in their car with their kids to keep warm and rub her back whilst the fella talked to Ben and waited for ambulance, fire engine and police. She said she waited to call me until she got to hospital as she didn't want to call me whilst upside down coz she was screaming... I said do NOT worry about worrying me and call me whichever way round you are!!!!!!!!

And following yet another forwarded chain email with racism from my stepdad, instead of deleting it I sent a lengthy reply - it was of photos of a Muslim demo with banners and posters. Apparently all of them said things along the lines of ''death to freedom'' ''wait til the real holocaust europe'' and ''butcher all those against muslims''. Thing is, all of them had exactly the same handwriting. Now, either 1 very dedicated person stayed up for nights on end writing them all, or... the photos are photoshopped!! So, I sent back a rant.
'Isn't it odd that all the posters and banners have exactly the same writing style, as though they have been photoshopped? Or maybe one person spent many nights preparing all those posters for the entire crowd?

There ARE extremists out there yes, but you can't tar a whole nation/ religious group / culture with the same brush, nor believe everything you read/see without researching it first.
Otherwise, all white people in Christian countries would be tarred with the same brush as a few extremists who go out and threaten to kill, and in a few rare cases, DO kill, doctors who perform abortions, for example. Or those who target funerals of gay people and hold up banners saying god gave them AIDS etc on purpose (even if they didn't die of AIDS) as they are unnatural.

Extremists are around the world, and they are scary. But they do not represent their whole nation/ culture/ religious group.

This sort of thing perpetuates extreme racism, breeds fear, and allows governments to get away with taking away our freedoms bit by bit.

The media can be a wonderful thing. By all means, we can read the papers, watch X factor, listen to the news, exchange emails and views ... but we also need to hold back from believing it is all true, and to fish around for evidence, to do some research, and to realise the media manipulates us all the time, whether it's the BBC, CNN, Fox news, local news, or just individuals sending out emails that contains their opinions but not necessarily the truth.

I am not saying the demo did not take place, or that some people there did not express scary opinions. I am saying, be careful, look deeper, be aware. There's a few discrepancies, and some pictures can be taken out of context, as usually happens with ANY demo, whether its students, hippies, religious groups, teachers, miners, etc...'

Harumph!! Ok, he's 72, maybe he can get away with saying it's a generation thing, but I don't think it's right. But then, he's an ex Lieutenant Commander of the Navy, and I'm a hippy who worked for Greenpeace and attended road protests. I guess we'll always debate such matters hahahaha!!

Anyway, my daughter and her boyfriend are alive, so that's all that really matters today!!

Much Love and cwtchs to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Phew that was all round the houses! Soooo thank goodness they are alive and unhurt. That's all that's important xxx I am sending you a pair of virtual thermal socks for your cold feet cos in the long run it's the right thing to do. Sounds like we may be overlapping in hospital so better get my unlimited text bonus for that month!!! On shiny phone so no paragraphs sorry. I also now like the idea of having a day off work too. I think cancer does make us reassess our priorities a bit. Anyway stormiga största kram from your Viking sister xxx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    I have !!!!ed about the accident on FB, so I shall just repeat: !!! and {{{{}}}} to all. Yikes. Judy's car is no good at all in snow - it goes sideways, if it goes at all - so I am hoping that we don't get too much here, if any.

    I get my racism off FB, too, and it all gets tagged as spam and, occasionally, referred to Snopes. There are far too many people far too ready to believe that OMG Al Qaeda single-mother gay terrorist welfare scroungers are out to destroy the Very Fabric of Civilisation.

    More hugs for your cold feet, although LM's thermal socks may be more practical. I know it's a horrid and scary thing to contemplate, but if it makes Lumpy go away - and maybe even go away and never come back, like Gollum - then it'll be worth it. I hope.

    I am seriously thinking of going back to work a four-day week, when I do go back. Of course, I am dreading going back anyway, and would almost rather stay ill, which doesn't say much for my place of work ...

    CAKE! That is all.

    xxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Glad that the goddess was looking after Ben and Megan and that they are ok. These country lanes are awful with a bit of frost. I ended up on top of a hedge a few years back.....only had a mile to get to skool as well. A tractor managed to get another car out of a ditch, and tried to lift me off the hedge, but had to go home, ring hubby, and he came home, past the car, and was surprised I was still walking!

    Why can't people be judged as individuals? Being mixed race, Catholic, from a big family, Irish ancestery (and the rest) I've met a fair few bigots (in laws top of list!!!). I hope that if people take the time to get to know me that they would find a good person. My mum, anglo-indian and RC, my dad, Yorkshireman, with Irish ancestery and left RC Church over 50 years ago. Both would do anything for anybody if they are able. My dad is proud that he did not rely on handouts, and did not claim for free school meals etc when we were growing up. None of us ended up in trouble (although one sis is a bit strange), and most have had further education and ended up making a decent living. MIL favourite saying is that she is too old to change which really gets up our nose!

    Pedro? Whose he???hahaha!

    Well end of the month is not too far away. Just fill the next few weeks with lots of lovely activities (I went to Chester for long weekend with lovely sis and our hubbies the weekend before mine and got really drunk!). I love cooking and baking, but as there only 2 of us and G doesn't eat cake its not good for my body shape! Don't forget to do your phone top up......a couple of hundred pound should do it. Get your reading matter and music sorted. The time will soon go and it won't be long until you're back home and without MR C. YEAH!!!!!!!

    Biggest hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • Hi Ems 

    such a relief to know both are still in one piece after such a terrible accident .My eldest and her then boyfriend did a similar thing a few years ago his car skidded off the road flipped over and went down an embankment.My eldest had to climb out the smashed back window then haul the boyfriend through his smashed side window she still gets back pain but both so lucky to be alive as the car caught fire.

    I agree with Louise as to why can't people be judged as individuals.My Dad was terribly prejudiced from being in the war wouldn't buy anything made in Germany or Japan very colour prejudiced and homo phobic.I think all this made me as far opposite as I could get from all that.

    Yay for friends and coffee yum yum for cake my youngest is vegetarian has been since she was 11

    I was vegetarian for a very long time when in my teens and people thought me rather strange but over time it became more and more accepted .I do eat meat now  but wish there had been the same amount of variety for vegetarians then as there is now

    Mr Crabs days are numbered it is getting close to kicking his arse for good followed by a big party 

    Wishing you all good things 

    Cruton xxxxxxxxxx

     

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi Ems,

    Medics don't know everything, one told me that being overweight was my fault not the medication I was on!!!

    Isn't it lovely when you see someone who started treatment absolutely terrified, get to accept it as routine.

    Still, they do know how to kick cancer's arse and for that reason we put up with the rubbish they do to us for ourselves and our families. With this loony lot behind you the time will soon pass and you will have lots of visitors. How lucky for the staff that LM's in a different hospital, otherwise there would be pandemonium with all the giggling.

    What a shock that news from Megan must have been. I know my heart would have missed several beats. But the angels were there to look after them even if they did come by car!

    Spam emails are best dealt with by putting them in the bin. I have a "friend" who sends soppy emails that will bring me luck and fortune if I send it on to 13 people, I'm working on how to get 13 bins! Yes, all the papers put their own slant on stories and it was interesting to see the conflicting reports when I was at college, where we had eight papers delivered. It taught me a lot about politics and politicians.

    Hugs and cwtches to you and your daughters, and Yay for Megan and Ben surviving the crash.

    Odin xxx