More steps on the way

This blog has always been a diary,  first for the self-sufficient smallholding and campsite, then it charted Colin's un-expected heart problems and since January the 'coping with Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma'  story has unfolded. I've shared details because that's what's happening and maybe someone reading might have to go through the same thing one day and it's always useful to have a bit of information.

Col  has now  been through six lots of chemotherapy with all the problems and side effects and next we have the final and biggest hurdle to jump over.
A special chemotherapy, 9 days of injections to force the stem cells to overflow from the bone marrow into the blood, stem cell harvest (collection), six days of high dose chemo, recovery, stem cell replacement and more recovery which includes up to 4 weeks in hospital in partial isolation. The aim is for remission for as long as possible - maybe up to 7 years - maybe less. There is a risk with stem cell treatment - 5% of people will have problems, some serious. There is no complete cure for this type of cancer.

 So on Thursday it started and we went to Addenbrookes hospital where the stem cells will be collected, over one or two days in July, to have everything explained, see where it will happen and for signing consent forms. Addenbrookes is on the edge of Cambridge and thankfully, now that we are in Ipswich it is easy to get to along the A14 and A11- just under an hour and a half away. Colin made me drive there and back to see how I would cope with the busy road. We used the Park and Ride at Babraham which is not far from Addenbrookes  and saved us trying to find a parking place at the hospital. When we go for the actual stem cell collection we will have to be there very early so should be able to park on their multi-storey car park on site. Thankfully all the other treatment can take place in Ipswich.

On Friday he had a CT scan to check there are no other visible problems, he has already had several blood tests and a lung function test, all to make sure he is as well as possible and fit enough to cope with everything that will be thrown at him between now and the end of July.

 Monday I will deliver him to hospital for 5 hours for the first thing on the list above - he will be prepared for chemo, the chemo itself and then flushing afterwards.Then the injections will start, (we've learned how to mix up the dose and how to safely inject himself) which will give him flu-like symptoms - lovely!

So on we go, one step at a time towards a recovery - roll on Christmas!

Back Soon
Sue

A short post with news of visitors

Thought I ought to change the header, because the map of Suffolk that I was using came from google and I was reminded on someones blog that people do get fined for using copyrighted images. This rose will do for now until I find something more interesting. My problem is that every time I change the header it takes me an hour to remember how to do it. I always think "must make a note of what I did" but then I don't remember how I got there!

Just finished this book - very enjoyable. It's another one gleaned from the archives of the Mass Observation organisation. What I like about diaries is the immediateness of the writing. This is how people actually thought about things at the time, not what a historian thought several years later.
Small shopkeepers had to work hard during WWII; ration books, coupons and points, information constantly changing, lack of supplies and moaning customers. Most of whom didn't grin and bear it just because the country was at war.
Nothing is known about this lady before the diary and all that's known about her later years is what was written on her death certificate. She was unmarried and had no nieces or nephews, but this little bit of her life has been recorded forever.



Col had his second blood test of the week today and we were both pleased to hear that all the important things (platelets, nutrophils, red blood cells) were all creeping up nicely. This means that the stem cell treatment will be sooner rather than later. We go to Addenbrookes hospital near Cambridge one day next week for the pre-treatment check and chat and for him to sign consent forms. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Very exciting weekend ahead with eldest daughter, son in law and baby Jacob coming from Surrey to stay - just for one night, I doubt they will be arriving very early as H say's it takes her a couple of hours to get organised  and out of the house-  and that's just to go to the shops!

                                                                                 ☺

 Welcome to Barbara - a new follower

Back after the weekend
Sue

The £100 book?

Is the book in this photo really worth £100?
Well, there are a few copies on Amazon for sale for that price but whether anyone will buy them is a different matter. I paid 50p - much more realistic. Knowing nothing about it or the author - as I was only drawn to it by a small embossed picture of a farmhouse on the front cover - I came home and looked him up.You can read about him here if you want. Seems he was best known for having an affair with Evelyn Gardner when she was still married to Evelyn Waugh.
So where was this treasure?........... At a midweek boot sale which I ventured to early this morning, held at Needham Market which is just a quick dash down the A14 from here.
(I'm pleased that I am now confident enough to zoom to boot sales along busy main roads! I couldn't and wouldn't have done it a couple of years ago). There were quite a few booters there but most of them looked like traders or dealers and other than the book, only  £1.20 was spent on the wooden train and a pack of notepaper and envelopes.
By 8.30am it was getting hot, and I'd been round once so drove home again via Asda for shopping. Then spent an hour sitting in the garden until it got too hot for that too.

Col, by the way, is back in hospital AGAIN! He just had 3 days out then felt hot and shivery, his temperature was almost 38 so a phone call to the special cancer ward 'hotline' number and they told him to go back again. His neutrophil level was almost zero ( Neutrophils are the white blood cells that protect against infection) so he will be in hospital having frequent platelet, blood infusions and antibiotics and they will keep a close eye on him for at least 5 days. The type of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma he has is certainly a nasty one.

Thank you to penfriends (who read this blog) SW for the little hat for baby Jacob and  WM for the muslin cloths also for our little fella. Both arrived in the post this morning. J, H and baby Jacob are hoping to get here for a weekend soon if we can't get there.

Thank you for comments, now it's time for another half hour in the sun - just in case this is the last day of summer!.


Back in a day or 3
Sue

The week just gone

Apart from becoming Nanna Sue on the 27th, gazing at pictures of baby Jacob, stitching, sudoku-ing, baking  and watching as much tennis as the weather allowed, I did do a few other things while waiting for Col to come home after chemo number 6. (The really silly thing is that he probably didn't have any infection as nothing showed up in the blood culture. The high temperature was probably due to him having a heat pad round his neck because he felt so achy!) I finally picked him up yesterday afternoon.

So back to last Sunday when I zoomed out of Ipswich early to go to a car boot sale. It was Huge but mostly dealers or people wanting silly prices. All I found was a yellow ink refill for the printer, a big pot of parsley, a babies knife, fork & spoon set and a book about the ENSA organisation during WWII. Total spend £3.80 so apart from the exercise I got walking round, it was almost a waste of time.

I've walked to the shops and post office through this alleyway  passing under these colourful trees

I've been to Asda and seen these most frightening of garden ornaments

The worrying thing is that earlier in the year they had many more than this so some idiots people must have bought them. They even had queen shaped ones and now they have gnomes in swimming trunks!


I went to the library to return some books and  collect a few more. From the picture on last Monday's post two went back unfinished = Deadlier Than the Male was a study of women's crime writing looking specifically at 5 well know authors . It was a bit to literary for me and as it was first published in 1981 it's a

little dated so I just flicked through the chapters on Josephine Tey, Dorothy Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.  All of the reviews of The Girl from Station X by Elisa Segrave were good but after about 3 chapters I  couldn't be bothered to read on. The mother/daughter relationship was too uncomfortable. I probably should have persisted to find out what exactly her mother did at Bletchley Park during the war but............
Picked up were two diaries. First 'The view from the corner shop' by Kathleen Hey, the diary of a Yorkshire shop assistant in wartime and The Journal of Beatrix Potter - a massive tome of nearly 500 pages.


Then this morning it was the once a month boot sale near Woodbridge. Last month it was Huge, today the weather was foggy and nowhere near as many booters there. So after just  short  look round  I returned home with this small haul.

 Another Sudoku book for 30p, a cotton pillowcase to cut up for the inner sachets of the lavender cases for £1, 3 bird pegs for crafting -50p, yellow-duck hand puppet was 20p - he's brilliant! and all the 7 Josephine Tey books for £2. It's many years since I read some of them and the coincidence of reading about her in Deadlier than The Male and then spotting these books seemed too good to miss.

And here we are - a Saturday at the beginning of June. Although Col has to have blood tests and platelet infusions everyday this week, the weather is set to warm up so we might get to the beach hut  and there is a good tennis final on TV tomorrow - what else can a person ask for!

Back Soon
Sue
PS welcome to Ana and Jan who have clicked the follower button.

What to do while waiting............

Visiting -
 Col had a temperature which means another infection, so he is stuck in hospital until Tuesday at least, which is why I'm waiting for him to come home again. He's feeling very rough after this round of chemo but hopefully will pick up again soon. The ward sister goes by the nick name of Alf! A very nice nurse.

 Cross Stitching -
 Two more lavender sachets ready for Christmas

Watching -

The French Open Tennis on TV. So far so good for Andy Murray, they could really do with a roof as rain has stopped play several times

Puzzling - 

 with the new Sudoku book I found in the charity shop, they are rather easy.......at the moment, I hope they get a bit more difficult as I progress through them.

Reading -
 more library books. Quite a variety......... in the last 10 days I've read Nell Dunn's 'Up the Junction', first read when I was about 16, seeing it mentioned in the bibliography of The Button Box made me decide to re-read. 'Song of the Skylark' by Erica James which is a bit of a light tear-jerker and Anthony Trollope's collection of Christmas stories first published in the 1860's to 1880's. I've not read any Trollope before, this was a tester, probably won't bother again!

Enjoying -
 the scent of these lovely roses from the garden

And Baking-
A few scones and some cheese straws to take in to Col

Thank you to everyone for the lovely comments about our beautiful new grandson. We are so looking forward to  Col  being well enough for us to go down to Surrey to see him.

Welcome to Alison Collins a new follower in the google pictures. Every time the numbers go up to 354 they then go down again a few days later!

It's a really grey bank Holiday Monday here in Suffolk, cold and windy too. I shall stay in except for hospital visiting.

Back Soon
Sue

Here is the Good News From a Small Suffolk Bungalow

We are Grandparents! Whoop whoop!
Our eldest had a little boy at 11.30 this morning. Mum, Dad and baby are all well. No name yet. He is a tiny baby 6lb 2 oz and 3 weeks early because they were a bit worried about H's health. Very exciting, hope we get some photos soon. We will get down to Surrey to see them  as soon as Col is well enough.

 Col was called in Monday night to grab a bed ready for the 6th chemo cycle to start on Tuesday morning, but it didn't because his platelet level was too low. The doctor decided that while they were waiting to see if the next blood test was better they would do a bone marrow sample to see how things are progressing. Col asked for gas and air as pain relief because it's a very painful procedure. The results of the bone marrow are good, there is no sign of Lymphoma now. His next blood test was OK and they finally got going with the chemo on Thursday morning. All being well he will be home on Saturday evening. We had a chat with the cancer nurse specialist who has explained the next stages of treatment (stem cell therapy and a different chemo) to consolidate everything that's been done and put the NHL into remission for as long as possible. We knew right from the start that it would be probably be a year until he was well again - and that still seems to be the time scale. The biggest risk with everything isn't the treatment but the chances of serious infection while he has no immune system. So it will be limited visiting for the weeks he has to spend in hospital during the summer.

Our son has been offered a permanent job as a Project Officer with Suffolk Archaeology CIC (once Suffolk County Council Archaeology Dept). He has been working for 8thEast for 2 and a half years but their funding runs out in the Autumn.  8thEast and Suffolk Archaeology have consulted and negotiated and found a way for him to work part time for both so he can see out the Airfields project. Such good news. He has managed to work in his chosen profession since finishing uni in 2004 - something very few archaeology graduates do.

Our youngest had her 20 week scan today and all is well with her bump.

And finally we got a letter from Department Work and Pensions giving him more benefit money per week back dated to April (from £73 to £109 - handy, no idea why).


So good news all round. I am a happy Nanna Sue!

Back soon
Sue

All I Do Is Read

All I do is Read
This ought to be the title of my blog.

We are waiting for Col to go in for the 6th chemo session. Once that's done he will be ready for the last, final and nastiest bit of the treatment for NHL. In the meantime he is having a echo-cardiograph and lung function test. The CT scan showed the blood clot in the lung had gone, one piece of good news.
The weather hasn't been good enough to go to the beach hut, the house is tidy, washing and ironing up to date and the grass cut, so I'm reading

Here are  two books read in the last few days. First,  A presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L Sayers
When she died Dorothy L Sayers left some letters describing what her hero - the amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey - might have done during the war. Jill Paton Walsh used these letters as the basis for this novel.  Although I've not read any of the original Sayers books (why?) I enjoyed this. A well written story.

Second The Shepherds Life by James Rebanks.

Flagged up as 'The surprise Hit of the Year' this is a lovely book about what life is like for a third generation sheep farmer on the fells of Cumbria. James Rebanks was a failure at school - he just wanted to be out with the sheep and his Grandad. Several years later he discovers that he is actually clever enough to go to university and sets his sights on Oxford.
Now, as well as being a prize winning sheep farmer he works for the World Heritage Sites part of UNESCO.
The farming year from shearing to lambing and through harsh winters is told from the point of view of someone who has always loved the area and always knew he had to keep farming the Herdwick sheep that are specially bred for the landscape.





A welcome to someone over in the Google followers, not sure who, maybe Jules? Thank you for clicking the button. 

I picked up more books from the library yesterday, so better keep reading.

Back in a day or 3
Sue

Chemo cycle round 6..........

.................not quite yet.
Col was due in for the 6th chemo session today but that's been postponed until next week while they do some investigative work to find out why he is still short of breath. So it's another CT scan today instead. He  felt well enough to get out into the garage yesterday  to sort some of his workshop stuff, he's been wanting to get that done for weeks. The garage has a pitched roof and some boards across the beams so he's been able to put a lot of stuff up out of the way. I can now get my bike in and out without tripping over

I picked our first "harvest" this morning ready for our lunch - a colander full of salad leaves, all from 2 small troughs and plenty left too.

 Then I walked down to the charity shop, to take a few more bits in and found a book of Sudoku puzzles for 50p which was a handy find as I've only got 5 left in the book I'm working through. I like giving my brain a work-out over breakfast every morning.

 Not much else has been happening here at the bungalow, which is why I haven't posted for a few days. Lots of reading  and TV watching - loving the Invictus Games.

Welcome to Roses,Lace and Brocante - a new follower, but still numbers are stuck at 353 so 1 in and one out again.

Thanks for comments recently
Back in a day or two
Sue

Into the second half of April

Something no-one told me about in this Coping with Non Hodgkin Lymphoma thing is how weird it is to live with someone who is eating all the time. Col was  packing in as many calories as he could for the last 10 days because he knows that after chemo cycle 5 he will feel really ill again. He has lost over a stone in weight since January so he's trying not to lose more. He's been eating big meals and grazing in between.
Anyway, he was called in for the 5th cycle on Monday night, they were planning to give blood transfusions Tuesday but decided he didn't need any, then today they inserted a filter thingy into a vein (the thought makes me feel quite peculiar!) to prevent any movement of blood clots into the lungs(or worse), they will get on with chemo tomorrow and let him out Friday. This 5th lot is the short dose but with the nastier side effects.

Just finished this book, another mentioned somewhere (?) on a blog. The first 3/4 of the book was well written, but when the author gets towards the end, the story breaks in a gallop and gets a bit silly.

 

 This is what Amazon says about this debut novel

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for code-breaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined-and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.
Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family's hidden secrets, she'll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin's murderous plan and Churchill himself.
In this thrilling debut, Susan Elia MacNeal blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a beautifully crafted mystery.

There are now 5 books featuring this character, with the 6th due later this year. Decided it was worth another go so I've ordered the 2nd from the library.

This morning after I'd huffed and puffed and shifted my paper storage drawers into the bedroom from the garage, I made a few cards for up-coming birthdays. I've had the paper flowers and leaves for years so it's good to see them used.

After lunch I went in to see Col and take him some more books. I've found I am the most hopeless hospital visitor because after 5 minutes in the ward I start yawning and after an hour I'm keen to get home again. I guess after nearly 37 years of marriage Col knows what I'm like and he never wants me to visit more than once a day - Thank heavens! ( I know that sounds awful- but I am nothing but honest!).
When I got home I was able to spend an hour sitting in the shed/summerhouse, out of the wind but in the sun, it's lovely to soak up a bit of warmth especially as the weather lady said we would be back to really cold weather by the weekend.

The latest Persephone Biannually arrived yesterday. I love to find out what out-of-print books they are planning to republish and was interested to read about one of the October books which is "Long Live Great Bardfield: The autobiography of Tirzah Garwood". I know absolutely nothing about this lady except it says she was married to the artist Eric Ravilious, but Great Bardfield is the next village to Finchingfield in Essex, where our friends live, so just for that reason I shall add it to my wish list.
One of the books our son gave me for my birthday was The Persephone Book of Short Stories, another to add to my Persephone collection -  wonder which box they are in?

Many thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes, although I said I groan about another birthday I don't really feel any older and I'm sure I'm still 25 inside!

Back Soon
Sue

Thursday to Sunday ( my titles are getting boring!)

Many thanks for all the comments on the last post, all the info about ultrasounds was very interesting. I've been searching my memory and maybe I did have a scan for our youngest in '87. Certainly didn't know the sex of any of them until they arrived although I somehow guessed right each time.

The cat flap has been fitted, Polly wasn't impressed because after two weeks without one  she now prefers to have someone open the door for her! I shoved  her in and out several times and she eventually realised she was now free to come and go just like at the smallholding.

Colin came home from hospital on Thursday evening, and with more antibiotic tablets to take for a week his 5th chemo cycle will be postponed for a few days. They gave him some different high calorie/ protein supplements to try but, just like the previous types, they are revolting. He says he'll stick to peanut biscuits and fish butties! He is going in almost everyday for blood tests -they need his platelet levels to increase  so that he can start having the clexane injections again ( they are for a blood clot on his lung - not sure I've even mentioned that but it was something they eventually found whilst trying to sort out the breathlessness) Apologies for all the health details, sometimes this blog seems to be turning into a medical encyclopedia and it's still hard to believe he was never ill until he was 56.

The larder fridge has been delivered, very prompt service and the extra shelf is very welcome. I emailed The Ipswich Furniture project and Age Concern who both collect but neither could come for the old fridge for several weeks so on Friday Col, who has more patience than me for sorting out stuff, decided to put it on ebay after all. No idea if anyone will want it.

Saturday afternoon we went back to Knodishall to fetch the trailer full of our garden and workshop stuff  from our friends barn.
It was quite a load

 On Sunday our son and future daughter in law came over to help us unload and get as much as possible stowed in the garage. This means I have 4 large pots, three bags of compost, a water butt,the lawnmower and my garden tools here and I'll be able to start weeding and growing veg - on a very small scale - at last.
Then we treated them to lunch and went somewhere we've never been before............PizzaHut! Blimey, it's not cheap is it? but it is just up the road, was decent enough but we probably won't bother again.

There were a few things Col decided we didn't need here ( thank heavens!) and they've stayed on the trailer to take back as soon as we can.


I've read the book that my friend Mary-in-Bath suggested after I did the review of  "The trouble with goats and sheep".   "Spies" by Michael Frayn is also a world seen through the eyes of a child growing up. This is the blurb from Fantastic Fiction.....

In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live there is very little evidence of the Second World War. But the two friends suspect that the inhabitants of the Close are not what they seem. As Keith authoritatively informs the trusting Stephen, the whole district is riddled with secret passages and underground laboratories. Then one day Keith announces an even more disconcerting discovery: the Germans have infiltrated his own family, and the children find themselves engulfed in mysteries far deeper and more painful than they had bargained for.

It was very short and easy to read.

Visitors have just arrived
So Back Soon
Sue

Home alone, good TV and other stuff

I am still home alone (unless you count Polly the cat- and she's not very talkative) because Col is still stuck on the oncology ward. They gave him antibiotics and then a different sort, they've given him platelets but the levels are only creeping up slowly. He might come out tomorrow, I hope so. Then he should be due for the 5th chemo cycle next week but this may be delayed. The doctors have explained about stem cell treatment which he will have after the 6th chemo session, it requires 4 WEEKS in hospital, most of it in a single room to avoid infection. Oh my goodness, he will be institutionalised!!  not to mention bored stiff.

This is the photo of Col that our son posted on his Facebook page the other day when he took a giant Haddock sandwich into hospital for Cols teatime treat. M and R had popped down to Felixstowe and Col had put in a request for decent food. I'm not sure this counts as Good but he needs all the calories he can get at the moment and there's no chance of that with hospital food.

Now to the good TV programmes - We watched most of The Farming Life which finished last week. It was a series of 12 programmes describing a year on 5 farms in various parts of Scotland. The hard work in harsh conditions was something I wouldn't want to do that's for sure. I enjoyed seeing some of the farmers showing their animals at auctions and agricultural shows which I never wanted to do when we kept goats and sheep (not that we ever had anything worth showing anyway!).
On Sunday evenings I've been watching Paul O'Grady getting involved in the work of the Salvation Army. I'm not keen on him but I am interested in what the sally army do. An aunt and uncle were uniformed members all the way through their lives and my cousins  and their families are now. My Gran went to a Salvation Army over 60s group when she was alive and her funeral was at the Stowmarket Citidal.
On Monday Night there was a fascinating programme about The Vikings and their journeys across the world all those years ago.

And all the other stuff - a  larder fridge has been ordered, I shall ring up one of the charities that collect, and donate the old fridge to them along with an armchair from the shed. I know I ought to be selling them on ebay but at the moment I just can't be doing with the hassle.
On Tuesday I had time to go on a tour of the Ipswich charity shops to look for some baby clothes for the 2 bumps, but there were so few around. Some charities don't have any at all but there is a jumble sale at the local Scout group on the 21st and luckily they are not from us and I must try to get to some boot sales.
 As her OH is working away in Manchester this week our youngest asked me to go with her for the first scan of her bump this afternoon. Mini bump was turning somersaults! We were both glad to see only one baby (my dad was a twin so you never know) and the heartbeat was fine so that's good news.
When did ultrasound scanning start? I can't remember if I had scans for any of our three in 1980, 81 or 87? Anyone know?

Back in a while
Sue

Easter has come and gone..................

...........................without us noticing!

Colin had hospital appointments on Saturday and Easter Monday as they needed him to have blood tests to check platelet levels. Both times he had platelet infusions in the ward day-room because the clinics were shut for Easter, of course there are no extra staff for the extra cancer patients going to the ward for checks over Bank Holidays so the poor nurses were all rushed of their feet.

I ventured out on my bike on Saturday morning to take a few things to the charity shop and go to the post office and found a pathway through from one road to the next which means Aldi, 2 charity shops, the post office,newsagent,Co-op and chemist (and dubious take-aways!) can be got to by bike in 10 minutes.Yay! but because I still hadn't shaken off the cold/croaky throat - the first I've had several years - I didn't feel like dallying.

On Sunday Col's brother came over to lend a bit of muscle power for shifting boxes and now 16 boxes of books are under a bed and 6 more piled in the corner of the room. There still seems an awful lot of  other boxes in the summer house/shed and garage but at least the books are safe from damp. Andrew also brought a pair of secateurs (ours are on the trailer still in a shed on a friends farm along with other garden bits) to cut down some bamboo so we could haul out a compost bin I spotted in the corner of the garden and get it in use as our compost bin is also on the trailer.

Then of course we had Weather with a capital W as storm Katie blew in early Monday morning and by golly she was cold, wet and windy! I went out to the garage to investigate another box but it was just too cold for working. Instead we swapped some of the curtains left here for ones we had brought with us and Col (who is feeling not too bad) fixed up my little shelves to hold the herbs and spices - no room in a cupboard anywhere.

Herbs and spices sorted

Below the shelves we have a hatch - they were big in the sixties............ saves all of 10 steps from kitchen to table in the living room, I doubt it will be used.


Polly has settled in nicely, we went outside with her a couple of times during the week, then on Sunday she didn't want to be caught to come in again, climbed a Buddliea, jumped on the fence and onto the shed roof of the house behind and vanished  - Ooops we thought, but 15 minutes later there she was appearing from between our garage and the garage next door. Phew! At least we know she can find her way home again, now we just need to sort a cat flap.

That was the weekend gone - no trips out, no car-boot sales, no visits to stately homes or the sea-side but never mind, we are getting settled and that's the main thing.

Many Thanks for all your comments, sorry I'm not getting around to replying or leaving comments on any other blogs at the moment and welcome to gingerliz and L Efting.

Back in a day or 3
Sue

Catching up on the week's happenings

Goodness me, more new followers, and they've arrived when there's not much to post about too. Welcome Annette and Carol - I used to be more interesting - Honest!!

We've had some really cold weather this week because a biting east wind has been coming straight in off the sea. I know further west in the country there has been sunshine and warmth but the first half of the week was mainly grey and any excursion outside was teeth-numbingly cold.  Amy at Love Made My Home had a walk with her camera and found many signs of spring, so when the sun came out on Thursday I went up and down the road and round the field to see the signs of spring here on the East coast...........Almost Nothing! We have daffodils that have been in bud for weeks without opening and  no buds or leaves anywhere except for the apricot trees. Just shows what a difference it makes living un-sheltered from the East winds and it's back to really grey and damp again today.

The only sign of blossom - I shall miss the apricot trees even though we only got apricots 3 times in 10 years.

Up at the top of the field we've left the green man to watch over everything, he's been there many years now, I wonder if the new owners will find him.

2 months ago Col filled in all the forms to claim benefit because of the cancer and they were sent off  but nothing has gone into the bank yet. So he rang to find out what was happening and got told "yes we have your details, don't know why you've not had anything, ring this number" So he rang the new number only to be told "No we have no details of you, you need to ring this number" (The number he had first rung!) Seems he has been lost in the system - Oh bother now we have to start all over again - with the added complication of change of address. Thank Goodness we are not counting on this money to live on. Thank Goodness we saved all the money we made from car boots, my pension and  yard sale etc last year. Thank Goodness the bungalow we have bought was less than half the price of the smallholding.

 We went up Tuesday for Col's pre-chemo blood test and  check with the consultant and all was well, they were pleased with progress. He was due in for the 4th session  yesterday- Thursday but they had no bed for him, so he rang again today - No, still full up but he needed a blood test so we trekked up to Ipswich anyway, again all OK. He has been told to call Sunday morning in the hope that they can get him in Sunday night ready for an early start Monday which means he will be stuck in hospital when we move because...................... ............................................................................................Contracts were exchanged at 4.30pm on Tuesday with completion confirmed for next Tuesday 22nd so I've been doing more tidying and packing but also un-packing boxes - yes - UN-packing to find things we wouldn't have needed if we'd moved on the 9th or 16th! Very annoying it is too. I undid two labelled "craft stuff"  to find the 'Sister'  and 'Son in Law ' peel off stickers for up-coming birthdays and one of the kitchen boxes to find the coffee. Thankfully I have plenty of helpers signed up for Tuesday so everything will be fine - fingers crossed. I just hope the carpet fitters will be able to get the carpets laid before Tuesday - that could be a nightmare if they can't.

I  spent most of Wednesday morning on the phone to various utility companies trying to get everything organised - that was no fun at all, you need the patience of a saint just to get through. Then the estate agent through which we are buying rang to offer me chocolates or wine as a 'welcome to your new home' gift  which rather cheered me up! ( Chocs ........ obviously!)

We had some unexpected exciting news last weekend - our youngest will be producing a grandchild for us in the autumn ☺You wait 26 years for a new addition to the family (that's the age of our youngest niece) and then 2 come along at once. ☺ I shall have to make two "Babies First Christmas" cards ☺ It's Extra special news in a way as she had only half the chance of getting pregnant compared to other girls because of the ovarian cancer when she was 18. Eldest daughter due June so the cousins will be 4 months apart (but many counties - sadly) and I've started a new column in the accounts book - Grandchildren☺ I refuse to be like my mum who rarely bought anything for the children unless it was their birthday or Christmas, she wasn't mean but it just wasn't done. I'm planning to haunt charity shops and car-boot sales for clothes, toys and books as soon as we move.☺
Talking of Christmas, I'm now worried.................there is no way we can fit all the expanding family into the teeny Ipswich bungalow, so we might have to move again sooner than we thought!!! Jolly Good Fun?? At least we wouldn't be selling as we are intending to stick to our original plan to keep the bungalow and rent it out for an income, the only difference is that instead of travelling round the country for the summer we will be stuck with hospital visits! Hey Ho - such is life.

Back after moving
Sue





 

Quick update

Thank you to everyone for kind wishes on my last post.
We are still here and STILL waiting for exchange and a completion date!
All due to our buyers and their late application for a mortgage. IF poss. moving should be next Wednesday, if not I have no idea what will happen.
We have a removal company for the 16th but if it's later I shall be ringing every removal company in the county to find someone.
We have almost everything packed and waiting.
Wish we had done what we originally planned and rented for 6 months, even if it meant moving twice in a year it would still have been less stressful than what we are going through at the moment,
Colin was very poorly after his 3rd chemo session but  is feeling a bit better now after 12 days. He is next due in on 17th. We are still backwards and forwards to hospital 2 or 3 times a week for blood tests, X ray and a CT scan.

Back in a week or so I hope
Sue

Chemo number 3 of 6....... delayed by a day and whisper it quietly.......2 more books!

One of the things we have discovered on this coping with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma "Journey" (sorry, hate that word used in this context but couldn't think of another) is that things rarely go to plan and they get changed at short notice.

Colin rang yesterday morning to check they had a bed for his 3rd Chemo session, -  they hadn't, but we had to trek to hospital anyway for  9am appointment for his scan in the frighteningly named Nuclear Medicine Centre! (They weren't able to do this Wednesday so we could have organised some more help with packing after all - Bother) He popped into the ward just to check they hadn't suddenly found a bed for him - No. The consultant was on the ward so Col asked him about the X Ray results from the other day, all was OK but they are concerned at his lack of energy and shortness of breath. They really need him to have the Rituximab which helps the other chemotherapys to work but that was the one he had a bad reaction to and they had to stop it quickly. They plan to try it again with this 3rd session. The nurses on the ward said ring at 7pm and if they had a bed he could come in. So he did and they had and another trip to Ipswich. Two 50 mile round trips in one day and my driving is improving all the time!
 All these changes play havoc with meal planning - will there be 2 people here for dinner or just me? Do I need to get more bread out of the freezer on not? Do I need to buy milk or will I be on my own for a few days and not use it? The only thing to do is just to go with the flow.

As I write, this afternoon, he has had the first lot of chemo and has just texted to say the nasty stuff has been going for 20 minutes and all is OK this time............Phew!. I won't go up today but hopefully will be able to pick him up tomorrow. 

I went down to Leiston this morning....... paying a bill, a few bits from Co-op, picking up tablets from the doctors and taking the last bag of unwanted items to the charity shop. Of course while in the charity shop I Had to look at the books and spotted the book on the left "Letters from an Airfield"

Subtitled - The True story of a GI Bride of The Mighty Eighth. It was the mention of The 8th Air force which made me look again as of course our son- the archaeologist - is working on documenting the buildings of the 8th USAF, and I wondered if it had any information that might be useful for him. When I got home and had a look it turns out to be even more interesting as it's about a girl from Knodishall! What the connection is between Jack Rosenthal - well known playwright who died a few years ago, and a girl from Knodishall I shall have to read and find out.
Then I noticed the second book " Lake in the Clouds"  by Sara Donati. It is set in the newly independent American States and has over 600 pages and a huge list of characters - according to the first pages- a bit daunting. It might be a good read ........one day. I forked out £1 each for these two.

Now, in reply to lots of lovely comments from the last two posts............

My friend Mary in Bath reminded me that our Penny Pincher Paper Penfriend group has also been writing letters for 15 years. We take it in turns so only one letter every few months and I really look forward to receiving and writing. Our numbers started at 7 dropped to 6, went back to 7 then 8 but now the two newest people aren't writing so we may be back to 6 again, I have to admit that I'm not keen on sending letters to people who don't take a turn to write.

Vintage Singer at Mendingmakingcrafting said that I always sound so calm with all that's going on at the moment and do I ever go "arghhh!". I think I'm past the stage of getting in a panic! I like to think I'm quite organised - helped by all the years of being a Cub Scout leader when being un-organised meant 30 boys in  a Scout hut running riot!

Gill asked if my penfriend W from the windy Scottish island and I have ever met up, and no not yet.

Hello and thank you to Donna who said she is enjoying reading the blog

That's my lot for today except there is a new follower BUT when I clicked to see who it was a warning came up that the blog contained Adult Content - Oh dear, not the sort of follower I wanted to attract at all! how can I get rid of this person? any ideas?

Back Soon
Sue

Monday - catching up on all sorts

Thank you for the continuing support through lovely comments. As Marlene said in one of the comments - we do feel like we are on a merry go round, trying to hang on as it goes round and round between hospital and home! 
Welcome to 2 new people in the followers pictures - Chars and Edwina. I apologise in advance as you've started following just as my blog seems to have got stuck on just two subjects - Moving House and Cols Non Hodgkins Lymphoma! At the beginning it was full of self-sufficiency, frugal living and campsite news but our world has changed considerably since April 2013. Follower numbers are now back to where they were before Google started chucking out non google followers, although having said that things will probably go peculiar again.

Col is feeling well after the blood transfusion, it seems strange to think he gave 50 pints of blood between the ages of 18 and 55 and is now getting some back (not his own obviously!). He started giving blood when he worked for a builder in the village where he lived and the men would all go together - what a good idea that was. When he changed to working for the County Council he had to go in the evenings, I went once but felt very faint afterwards then of course I was pregnant, we moved out of town, had the children and it would have been complicated for us both to go. He got a lovely pen as a gift for his 50th pint, I came across  it when sorting and thought it might as well be used rather than sitting in a box in a drawer.

More things got cleared out this weekend as our son and future daughter in law came and collected a settee and also moved a single bed frame and mattress downstairs for us. We didn't think we could take it to the auction sale but I was reading through their on-line catalogue to check our stuff was listed and saw they had a pine bed and mattress on the list so maybe we will take it over there for next week. They have nearly 800 lots for sale today so I think we will be lucky if we get £10 each for our few bits of modern pine. We also delivered a few items of gardening stuff to our youngest as they now have an allotment in Leiston and they came and sorted which of their stuff that has been here since last May can be chucked. Col has organised a friend to come and collect the last lot of scrap during the first week of March and taken a photo of an old caravan chassis to list it on eBay. So little by little the list is getting ticked off.

Some good Rugby on TV over the weekend - England v Italy and some not so good - France v Ireland and did they say it was the 10th time in a row that Wales have beaten Scotland? We also watched the Snooker Shoot Out competition where they got 10 minutes to see how many balls they can pot. Just one chance to go through to the next round. It was interesting to see lots of new faces.

Two books have been added to Books Read 2016 over the couple of weeks. A new-to-me-author writing crime fiction = G. M. Malliet - Pagan Spring. Unfortunately I found it's number 3 of a series but there are two newer ones so they've been ordered. This is another author from the States writing books set in England, a fact given away by the spelling of 'gray' and the mention of 'scallions'! but a good read nevertheless. The other book was Angela Thirkell - The Brandons. One of her Barsetshire series first published in 1939. I love the look at Country Life of the period, where the gentry and the servants Knew Their Place, full of genteel snobbish people but looked at with gentle irony and flashes of humour that make you smile. Her books are gradually being reprinted by Virago Modern Classics, with 6 more due this year.

This morning I popped to Saxmundham  for bits of shopping - still trying to find things Col fancies eating, he has gone off muesli, our usual teabags and home made bread after this last chemo session, it may be different next time - makes shopping quite complicated!  Picked up a mail re-direction form from the post office too.

That's our news up to date

Back in a day or two
Sue

This week

Sunday - Collected Col from hospital after Chemo
Wednesday - Driving Col  for long morning out to and from hospital for his blood test and waiting for results
Friday -  Ditto except for even longer out because they were in total chaos!
Today - Col has taken himself to hospital for blood transfusion because of yesterdays results.

In between packing boxes and shifting things

How wonderful it will be to be within a few miles of the hospital!

Back in a day or two
Sue

Empty shelves, full boxes

My lovely bookshelves are looking very empty, almost all the 1000+  have been packed in boxes and sealed up. Left undone are a box for Col - in case he runs short of library books, a box of reference books and a box of cookery books. Still to pack are books I might want to read if I run out of library books - which seems unlikely! All the books will have to stay packed until we can replace the awful living room carpet and get some new book shelves for the bungalow

 After the days of driving backwards and forwards to Ipswich it was time for me to stay in and do some bread baking and I also made a blackberry and apple crumble for Col's dessert. Whether he will fancy eating it later is a different matter - although he says the nasty taste in his mouth is not too bad this time. He thought he might like a bacon, onion and tomato sauce with pasta for dinner so that's been rustled up.

I hope blogging friends over in Wales and the South of England are keeping safe during this windy weather, it's pretty rough here but nothing like what I saw of Aberystwyth and the South coast on the 1 O'clock news. From where Col was sitting at lunch time he could see out 6ft front fence swaying backwards and forwards in the wind. Somehow between us we managed to prop it up and Col hammered in some nails to hold the props tight against the trees on the sheltered side of the fence. I didn't want him to be doing stuff like this but he said if we hadn't the whole lot might have come down. By the time he'd finished he was shattered and had to lay down for several hours - Men!

The cat was pleased to see Col home again yesterday too.

 
 Back Tomorrow
Sue

There's a moose, loose aboot this hoose.

I have no idea if this link above will work so sorry if it doesn't. Adding a youtube video may be beyond me!

I spent the first 10 minutes of watching Shetland last night trying to catch a mouse that Polly had brought in. It vanished somewhere even though she had it cornered for a second so I expect to be surprised by it dashing across the floor again tonight. This is when I miss our dog Lucy, she was a Collie cross and would never give up on catching a mouse even if it meant laying with her nose under a cupboard for hours.

Antimacassar - Now there's a word that I never thought I would hear in this house. 

According to the dictionary:-

The definition of antimacassar is a protective cover for the arms and/or backs of upholstered furniture.

One of the annoying side effects of Col's cancer is a sweaty head! Sounds weird I know, but there you go.

It's particularly bad when he is asleep and he has had a towel on his pillow for weeks  Then we moved a leather recliner into the living room so he could lean back for a snooze and he needed a towel over the back of that too. But it kept falling off or slipping down so today I'm going to stitch a couple of  hand towels together on 3 sides so they can fit over the back of the recliner. Should keep me occupied while watching the rugby.

I went up to see him this morning and found him in the day room with two other men from his bay. They had had a really bad night as a poor man had had a bad reaction to his chemo which involved him shouting, swearing, thrashing about and threatening the nurses. Eventually the nurses managed to sedate him. Col said the man was quite OK until this weird episode in the night. So not a lot of sleep had by anyone last night.

Thank you for comments yesterday

Back Tomorrow - probably

Sue

Would you believe it

Col had 2ml of the chemo and promptly had an acute allergic reaction - they had to turn it off quick. Now all the specialists will have to confer tomorrow to see what they can give him. He'll be in hospital all weekend, maybe more.
Ho Hum!

Back soon
Sue