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

    Thank goodness Ben and Megan were OK, but what a scare it must have been for you all.

    Those cold feet moments are to be expected but onwards you go you wonderful lady.

    Very wise words about the extremists of this world, here, here.

    Take care

    Jan xxxxxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Phew! That was a blog and a half Ems! So relieved your daughter and boyfriend emerged virtually unscathed, what luck that such a lovely family found & helped them. It started snowing here (Brum) at 2 pm & hasn't stopped since.

    I do so agree about the value of judgements based on independent research. You just can't rely on any of those who wield power to give information straight, it's always skewed to suit a purpose. A couple of years back I saw two different headlines about the same incident - the one where Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross phoned Andrew Sachs during a radio programme & made obscene coments about his grand-daughter. One newspaper reported that Sachs said "It ruined my life", the other said the opposite! But it's a pity so many people "read" the gutter-press and believe it all. And the Murdochs, father and son, should be shot. Disgusting pair. We don't have Sky solely because of their involvement - don't want to put any money into their greedy hands.

    Oh cakes, gorgeous! unfortunately I'm having to steer clear, as my weight is climbing steadily & everything I wear feels tighter.But this kind of weather makes you crave comfort food, doesn't it! However I am going to make bread as we have tried so many different loaves from the supermarkets & still don't like them ( or their prices). Sadly, the decent bakers are too far away & we don't have a car.  But I've found a great Dan Lepard recipe for a sourdough sandwich loaf, so I shall try it

    I sometimes get those racist-type emails via a cousin who was in the Army for 22 years. I haven't the heart to respond with my own opinions because he's got cancer too, is 71 and is unlikely to change, I just put them in the "trash". Sad, though, that there are so many who'll happily forward such rubbish.

    Well, transplant day at the end of the month? This is going to be the Brave New World for you Ems, - of course you're scared, I'd be wetting myself, or worse!. It gives you time to do a few more fun things, get your crafts going again etc. and plan your convalescence. And yay to leaving parties!

    Hive & logs,

    Annie xxx

     

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Goodness me it is too wonderful having you lovely lot behind me :)))

    It was rather a lengthy blathering, glad you all managed to get to the end relatively unscathed, perhaps I should have borrowed LM's St Bernard??

    Poor Ben is now trying to get hold of a cheap car, he can't get to work without one :(

    An odd thing - my hair had grown a little, only a few millimetres, but last night I was rubbing my head (gets sore and tender sometimes - does yours?) and the hair came right back out again! I guess it wouldn't cope with the Mega Chemo I'll get for SCT anyway!

    I meet my SCT consultant on Tuesday, so may have some definite dates then.

    Oh, I forgot, I had a bonus chest x-ray on Wednesday - I have to have several body function tests prior to the SCT ... I also have to give a 24 hour urine sample - Sandra the nurse told me to do this Tues and bring it in Wednesday when I go in for R - BUT, on Tuesday I'll be at the Heath to meet SCT man - I can't lug a gallon jar of wee in a carrier bag with me! hahahah! So, maybe I can do the sample Wednesday and pop it back in on Thursday?? PLUS, just had letter for the cardio test, which they want to do at 11am on Wed, which is usually when I am getting hooked up for R - so maybe I'll be a bit later than usual getting things done on Wed!

    Phew.

    Anyway, the snow seems to have stopped :( And its very late, but big roast dinner at mum's tomorrow!

    Nos da folks, sweet dreams xxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    what's a 24 hour urine sample.....you have to wee all day..???

    love and hugs....and wonder....

    jackie xx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Phew, ems just seen your lastest comment....they are keepiing you busy! Are you sure its not a gym you are signing up to by mistake? :D

     I'm with Jackie... 24 hour wee? The mind boggles! Want to borrow my bags? hehe.

    I will be keeping everything crossed on Tuesday and you must let me know what he says.

    So, 3 weeks enforced book reading and missions galore and then a bit of lounging around of doing nowt and then relaxing by pools with me and spas and holidays and cwtches with girls and LIFE and laughs and all that.

    We will have to try and meet up soon cos between us, it could be a while otherwise. I guess you will be coming home as I go in and neither of us will be able to drive for a while... better sign up for unlimited texts eh??

    All the hugs to you

    Little My xxxxx