| lesley153
|
Thanks, David - perfect analogy. (The routine's probably on YouTube. Almost everything else is.)
Day three and I've needed the odd drink of cold water and a couple of doses of bicarb, which is less than I expected. But I only had three hours' sleep last night, which is a lot less than I expected. Sob.
I'm disappointed that it's taken me this long to think of taking a good look at all the meds I'm taking, and I'm very disappointed that it hasn't occurred to my GP. I'm sure there was a time when he would have listened to my breathing, measured my blood pressure, told me to stick my tongue out, looked at my fingernails. I'm not imagining it, am I? He doesn't do any of those things. He just writes another referral. Wonder why he keeps seeing horses and thinking they're Pegasus? Sending me off to a string of specialists, without eliminating all the basic stuff, must be a huge strain on NHS resources. Perhaps that's the difference - the most basic observations come off his time and budget, but the specialist investigations come off the hospital's. Don't know, give up. |
Reply #141. Dec 08 09, 6:45 PM
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MarchHare007 
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No don't give up Lesley - change boats! :)
After what we went through this year with The Child Sloth (my daughter for the non-blog followers :) - there Has to be Some One, Some Where with medical knowledge who is not a Total Git!
*shakes head*
You'd think after all the time and study they put in that knowledge and grey matter would meet somewhere around common sense and informed decision.
Oh wait - that's a Real Person!
Hugs for a better rest tonight. :)
Reply #142. Dec 08 09, 8:06 PM
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Professer
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Lelsey hope you had a better nights sleep, i had a bad night, even though i took pain relief i was in pain.
I think you definetly need a better doctor, trouble is they are paid too much, pressurised too much to get results, and gone are the caring attitude by some of the Doctors.
I have a job getting to see the best doctor at our practice because she is so popular.
keep in touch let me know how it is going
Reply #143. Dec 09 09, 2:33 AM
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| lesley153
|
Thank you both - it seems that most of the people we talk to agree that we have to be our own doctor. I had a retinal screening yesterday (second attempt, with slit lamp, and it worked), and I have an appointment with my GP on Friday afternoon to thrash out all these results, and also to ask for alternative meds to the ones I think are making me ill... or just stop taking them.
But I did get five and a half hours in one go, and it was lovely. :) I actually felt human all day on that!
~~~ Yay a concert! ~~~
After all the disappointment of missed concerts in London and Bedford, what could be nicer than one in Bedford with Jonathan playing in it?
I didn't find out about it till very late yesterday, and it was all a bit rushed, of course. Here's what happened...
The school Jonathan was at from years 5 to 11 (that's ages 9 to 16) has an astonishingly good music department, and that was probably the only thing about that school that he missed.
The headmaster is retiring, and he says he decided to go at the end of this term so he'd be there for the Christmas concert, and the service of nine lessons and carols at the town church on Sunday afternoon.
The Christmas concert is usually held in the school, but this time they used the Corn Exchange in the town centre, and they invited old pupils back to play. They got 22 old pupils, which doesn't sound like many but is actually not bad considering how many will be studying and working in different parts of the country, or just different countries. Twenty-two musicians make a big difference to a symphony orchestra, and you'd be amazed at the difference 22 adult voices make to a school choir. The Corn Exchange was packed.
Jonathan left work at 4pm, which is the earliest he can leave, and arrived at the Corn Exchange in plenty of time to join the orchestra and sight-read. He'd played a lot of the pieces at the school!
Meanwhile I bought him food and drink. He had some of it on the spot and went home with a picnic - but not before he'd spent half an hour in the free bar, catching up with people he hadn't seen for five years. (He would happily have stayed for longer but he has work in the morning.)
Oh - and it was a delightful concert. I am really glad I went.
~~~ next hurdles ~~~
There's another college concert in central London on Saturday. It's the string ensemble, which is the one he leads so, if I can only go to one, that's the one to go to.
He has also put together a string quintet which will be playing during the evening. There are two girls he played in string quartets with for a few years, when he went to county youth music chamber music courses, and they have kept in touch and, occasionally, got together just to enjoy playing. The quintet is Jonathan, plus these two girls, plus two other young musicians they're bringing with them.
There are actually two hurdles here. One is whether I shall have the energy to brave the travelling. The other is the date. The day before the concert is the anniversary of his father's death, and we have made a tradition of always seeing each other on that day.
I was thinking of killing two birds with one stone with my suggestion that I go on Friday, stay over and see the concert on Saturday - it would spread the effort of the return journey for me, and we would see each other on The Date.
His answer? his girlfriend has suggested exactly that! I am so impressed. This girl just gets better and better. :) |
Reply #144. Dec 09 09, 8:31 PM
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veronikkamarrz
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Wonderful! A sensible, sensitive girl! You'll go, sleepy or not, and you'll have a fantastic time!
Have fun, Lesley.
Reply #145. Dec 09 09, 8:47 PM
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| lesley153
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| I think you're right - she is and I shall. Thanks, VM. :) |
Reply #146. Dec 09 09, 9:12 PM
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| lesley153
|
I forgot to mention - he brought me a bag of goodies. Half a dozen energy-saving light bulbs; a couple of food items that don't exist in the cultural backwoods that is Bedford; and flowers! A tight, slim bunch of fragrant red ones, mostly buds just starting to open.
Are we celebrating something?
"No, just that I can do that now - I'm an adult!"
When I got home, and took off the tight wrapping, I found another one, hidden: a big, cream-coloured, half-opened rose. Pride of place, best vase. :) |
Reply #147. Dec 10 09, 9:15 AM
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Professer
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How nice for you Lesley, so pleased about the sl;eep and the presents from Jonathan, he sounds a wonderful son for you.
Hope all goes well hugs
Reply #148. Dec 10 09, 9:39 AM
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longcoolwoman2
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Lesley, it sounds like you have raised an exceptionable son..you have reason to be very proud. I am glad that you got some sleep and I hope that your weekend is fun!
Reply #149. Dec 10 09, 10:08 AM
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| lesley153
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| Thank you, both. I'm not sure I deserve him but I am sure I'll be keeping him. And I shall make every effort to get to his concert on Saturday. |
Reply #150. Dec 10 09, 10:56 AM
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guitargoddess
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It certainly does sound like you have a wonderful son! I'm not that good of a child, lol. Then again, I've never lived away from my parents, so in many ways I'm more like a five-year old than an adult: "Mummyyyy... can you get me some juice? ... I'm siiiick, I need more Tylenollll... [and when she makes the mistake of taking me to the grocery store..] ooh can I have this?! can we get cookies??" lol. Funny when I need to go to the grocery store on my own I manage to not get cookies (usually) and don't get distracted by a bunch of things I don't need. Mom still washes most of my clothes.. when I'm working, she packs my lunch (with animal crackers and a juice box).. I'm in for a big shock in the future I think :p
Reply #151. Dec 10 09, 11:44 AM
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| lesley153
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And the longer you leave it, GG, the bigger a shock it will be! But you have hit the nail on the head, and you know you have: you can be a child as long as Mummy lets you.
Jonathan has been living in London for just over three years, looking after himself, and turning into a capable and imaginative cook in the process. I don't suppose for one moment that he would have felt compelled to do much, if anything, if he'd carried on living here.
He works hard now, making up for all the years of daydreaming. When he's here, I am quite happy to do the cooking and laundry for both of us (laundry in this context being what he has worn while he's been here), and he enjoys being looked after, but he has never indulged in the stereotype stoodent pastime of bringing dirty clothes home (Bedford) for me to wash. He has, however, been known to take some back with him, on the grounds that it'll be just as easy for him to do them when he gets home (London).
There is one other thing which I'm sure has made a big difference to his attitude - that fact that he has only had one parent since he was ten. This is not normally regarded as a good way to make your child more responsible. There are other, less drastic, methods. You'll get there when you're ready, or when your mother's had enough. Keep us posted! |
Reply #152. Dec 10 09, 12:48 PM
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guitargoddess
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Ah, well I do cook! (Because my mother doesn't, so when dad's away, it's either microwave food, or I make something). Perhaps if I HAD to cook all the time, though, I wouldn't enjoy it as much. Also, mom cleans up when I make a big mess (it's very hard to make homemade onion rings and not get the breading batter all over the kitchen!)
But yes, I imagine I'd be a lot more like a real grown-up if I hadn't been pampered by two parents my entire life. Or if our family circumstances were otherwise different - like if my parents had less cushy jobs and were not always at home as much to spoil us kids.
I think I'll do alright when I'm on my own though, chore-wise. I think paying my own rent and bills will be the bigger shock, lol. I do have a grandmother just 20 minutes away who will never get tired of spoiling her grandkids :) She tried to give me a $2 coin recently, just because she was also giving one to my 10 year old cousin, who was upset that the tooth fairy had forgotten to pay her a visit, and Grandma wanted to be equal with the grandkids. Never mind that the oldest grandchild is 22 and has a lot more disposable income than she does.
Reply #153. Dec 10 09, 1:31 PM
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| lesley153
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Nobody likes cleaning up!
My mother always did the cooking, although she said how wonderful my father was because he could make a three-course meal for the family when she was ill. I didn't say anything - I just thought what would make him really "wonderful" would be cooking a family meal when she wasn't ill.
If your mother cooked, would you bother?
As your grandmother spoils her grandchildren, and it looks like your mother enjoys spoiling you - no prizes for guessing what a softie you're going to be. :) |
Reply #154. Dec 10 09, 4:32 PM
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guitargoddess
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I would still bother, I like to cook :) My dad isn't going to school one night a week anymore though, so there go my cooking days :( unless I am not working and just start making something before he gets home from work.
Reply #155. Dec 10 09, 5:19 PM
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| lesley153
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| That's a lovely idea, to make it your cooking day, whether he's there or not. It can get pretty wearing, being the only cook in the family, day after day, year after year. And - just think - you can experiment on him! |
Reply #156. Dec 10 09, 5:22 PM
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| lesley153
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After a lot of thought about the logistics of staying over tonight, I concluded that it would be hard work for me (I'd probably even have to take my own pillow, as he doesn't use them), not fair to take his room and relegate him to a mattress on the landing, and really not at all fair on him and his flatmates to have a little old lady insomniac shuffling about at all hours.
I said I thought it was impractical.
He said "Yes it is."
I don't mind not being argued with, but did he have to agree with quite such alacrity?
I have to scrub up now for an appointment with my GP in less than an hour. The idea is for him to help me sort out my life while I still have one or, at least, the hope of having one. We shall see how the reality compares. |
Reply #157. Dec 11 09, 7:45 AM
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longcoolwoman2
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Good luck with your Dr.'s appointment. I am sorry you will not be going out for fun and relaxation but I admire you for not wanting to infringe upon your son's privacy. You are a good Mom.
Reply #158. Dec 11 09, 7:55 AM
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Professer
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Hope the Doctors Appointment went well Lesley and i am sure Jonathon would not mind being put out for one night
Reply #159. Dec 11 09, 9:32 AM
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Deunan
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Best of luck, Lesley. Lots of good news and none of the bad.
Reply #160. Dec 11 09, 10:08 AM
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