My medical problems and their investigation and treatment
Today I had my pre-assessment appointment in Exeter, prior to my upcoming parastomal hernia repair operation. The original date for the operation, Thurs. 28th April, has been cancelled and my operation postponed, with so far no new date forthcoming, but today's appointment went ahead as planned. The first part of the appointment was…
Cooking I made a batch of Jamie Oliver's Scuffy Aubergine Lasagne today. This is a favourite recipe. It's "scruffy" because you just break up the pieces of lasagne and chuck them in - no faffing about with layering or anything! It also has everything in it so it's a really good meal just…
Preparations apace! I made a good start yesterday on my pre-op preparations. I sorted the top of the kitchen freezer which is now virtually empty. While I was at it, and because there wasn't too much in the fridge prior to my grocery delivery, I took everything out, removed all the shelves etc.…
Napkins from Lithuania A few days ago I received the final (I think! - I ordered so many it's hard to keep track!) of my packs of rice paper and napkins. I knew there was a delay on this one because it was coming from overseas, but I hadn't realised it was coming…
Photographing my teabag mini-albums I always edit all my photos, and this usually just involves adjusting the levels, straightening perpendiculars, cloning out distractions, etc. I always check the colour balance as well, as many of my photos are taken in the evening under artificial light, and you do tend to get quite a…
Health update - more frustrations! On Sunday I had my CT scan in Exeter as arranged. When I had my first scan there, back in the summer of 2019, Mr. Daniels, the consultant, had said that he wanted me lying on my stomach for it, and when I arrived, there was nothing on…
Exciting new art materials Derwent Coloursoft coloured pencils I have been doing more drawing and colouring recently, and have become increasingly frustrated with my limited set of cheap colouring pencils which are perpetually breaking, so I decided to treat myself to a decent set - the first I have ever owned. I did…
Health update Yesterday I had my long-awaited outpatient appointment with Mr. Daniels, the colorectal surgeon in Exeter. This referral by Torby Hospital for my third parastomal hernia repair has been a catalogue of delays, with a CT scan four months after my initial appointment, then getting lost in the hospital system for another…
Health Update I had a surprise phone call on Friday from the Exeter hospital, totally out of the blue. It has been so long since I heard anything since my initial referral three years ago, and due to getting lost in their system for months after my initial appointment and subsequent CT scan…
The downward spiral In 2020 we longed for the normality of 2019. In 2021 we thought that perhaps 2020 hadn’t been so bad after all. “Three weeks to flatten the curve”? Hmm. The majority are ruled by fear and are willingly giving up their basic freedoms and submitting to totalitarianism. However, for the…
