Hello everyone

Lovely to hear all your news.

I am still tired but things are ok. Oh apart from my mother chucking most of her clothes and my father's clothes away for some reason. She isn't having any psychotic episode thank god her CPN was coming round and she thought the place looked untidy soooooooooooo just binned it. Consquently I had to go through the bin and get out my father's best suit trousers and lots of her bits. Oh what joy. I am now laughing now as it does seem so funny but at the time I was ooooooooooooooh mooooooooooooooooooooooother.

My father continues to do well. However yesterday he was due to have his gastroscopy and colonoscopy (camera both ends) anyway he wasn't on the list. The ward he is in is has four other men who are quite confused and very poorly and incontinent. This nurse comes round the other night and asks if they are all dry do they needs pads. Anyway she asks my father is he dry and he says girl sure of course I 'm dry I've not had a pint in over a week!!!!
He is surely on the mend.

Eating wise yesterday was my best day its hard to get back on track but I'm getting there. I'm hoping to have lost a couple of pounds by the end of the week. Its my day off today but I shall be a busy thing. I have to sort my mother out and then go and visit my father.

I am hoping to get back to the gym by Saturday.

Michele

Miche - your Dad is surely on the mend. The cheeky man! I wonder at the wisdom though of asking confused patients if they are dry, some might not realise what the nurse means, though obviously your dad did!

Your poor mum - I guess she is in a bit of a state with your Dad's health problems. Mum's do daft things. Mine just gets ratty especially on Boxing Day when she is 'Hostess' but we know this and love her anyway!

Well to tell you the truth Peacock I didn't think it sounded particularly good practice but it tickled my father's fancy.

I just sodding well burnt myself. I decided to have a fried egg sarnie
so I put some olive oil in the pan, in the meantime my phone rang so I answered it then dashed back to the pan which was beginning to smoke. I put my egg in and wooooooosh it spattered all over my tummy I was wearing only my knickers and a dressing gown that has no tie!!!! Ouch so I burnt my tummy and there is plenty to burn. I'm ok though.

My mother is really fretting over my father sometimes I am short with her
and it makes me feel so awful afterwards. She has been schizophrenic for many many years now anyway enough of that I will just go on and on.

Take good care everyone and I really must shift myself.

Michele

Happy Birthday Peacock for umm yesterday!

Evening All!

RSG - Free cheese samples..... that sounds like my kinda shop!

Michele - Your Dad sounds very lively - maybe your Mums worried about whats going to happen to her if the worst happens with your Dad. Ouch! That burn on your tummy sounds painful.

I've done my back in. I don't know what I did to it - it seems to have come on slowly and now I can't do anything which involves twisting, bending, leaning over/forward or raising my knee (like walking upstairs) - even the process of trying to sit down hurts - although once I'm sitting down and leaning back I'm okay. Sitting and leaning forward (like to type) is okay for a few minutes and then I kind of get locked in to position and it hurts like when I try and move. The biggest agony has been trying to put on my socks and trainers, especially with the dogs getting all concerned and in my face.

If anyone has got any ideas as to what I might have done... and what I can do to fix it.... I'd be very grateful. One small blessing is that it doesn't really hurt while I walk - it just hurts more when I stop and rest.

I had a great cleansing/detox day yesterday and today has been an introductory day to properly re-starting my diet tomorrow. I've had the usual detox headache - my body must be getting a huge shock by having to do without all that chocolate, cheese, caffeine, cheese, Christmas cake, cheese and wine!

I'm really looking forward to getting back to normal. The detox helped - I've never slept so well as I did last night. I've decided I don't like feeling 'stuffed' - I just have to remember this NEXT Christmas.

Forgot to say.... Sainsbury subbed me some Twinings cherry and cinnamon tea instead of the one I ordered and its gorgeous, absolutely STUNNING - and I don't usually much like fruit teas.

Sarah to you. Hope your back gets better. If not get to the doctor. Have you tried heating pads and ice? I have found the cold pack good.

Got my appointment today going on 22nd to see the neuro-surgeon. When I called they asked me if I wanted to have surgery or conservative treatment Conservative please no-one is cutting me not yet.

I had a free 5 minute massage just before christmas and it felt so good. I will definetly go back.

Sarah I miss Ellie's pic in your avatar

Good news is, I seem to have dropped most of the New Years weight so I'm back around 162. Hopefully I can maintain that and after mid January concentrate on losing. My 40th birthday is the 13th and I'm signed up for 3 dinners between now and then. I love all of my friends for "celebrating" with me so I'm going to try and be extra good the majority of the time so I can not count calories on those nights.

Good luck to everyone with all of the doctor stuff. The whole medical industry aggrevates me. I had a physical last week, and I have this small cyst that is harmless but it flares up every once in a while, so my doc refers me to a surgeon. I call her today and she can't see me until March. So ok, I'm supposed to be in pain until then?? Not major pain but annoying pain. I also wanted to have surgery in the winter if I have to have it. Annoying.

CG - OMG - the idea of surgery on your spine when they haven't tried everything else first is very scary. Ice hasn't helped my back but that spray on heat stuff and/or a hot water bottle has been helping me get off to sleep although the smell of that spray is revolting. DH said he found it a bit of a turn on - I do wonder about him sometimes.

RSG - Yes, I get annoyed with the medical industry as well, especially after the whole fiasco surrounding my hysterectomy! (Too long a story to go in to here - suffice to say you should ALWAYS get a second opinion before you let anyone take fairly important bits out of you!!!) You'd probably have to wait more than 3 months for that kind of surgery over here. After reading blogs about women in the US with major health issues who don't have health insurance, I do appreciate that the UK National Health Service is wonderful - but sometimes very slow.

I've promised DH that if my back is still this painful on his next day off (next Tuesday or Wednesday) then I'll go to the doctor. I hate going to the doctor, they always find more wrong with me than just what I go in there for. In the meantime I've had to stop taking painkillers because they were making me feel

I can't help but wonder if this back pain is at all related to the EIGHT POUNDS I gained over Christmas - if so then it is entirely my own fault and its payback time. But it was a GREAT Christmas....

I've got myself a shiny new diet diary and I'm forcing myself to get some motivation by reading my Rosemary Conley GI Jeans and Diet Doctors books before drooling over the Nigella and Delia recipe books I also got for Christmas.

Did I mention that DH decided to do a 12 days of Christmas thing? As well as normal Christmas pressies and our usual stockings. Its the first time he's ever done this and I don't know where he got the idea from but its lovely. They are only little pressies - about £1 or £2 - but unfortunately when he wrapped them up he didn't do it in any particular kind of order so I got a diet diary when I was shovelling chocolate, cake and cheese in to my face with both hands (NOT at the same time) - and now I'm back to dieting I'm opening yummy little items like yesterday's German marzipan Christmas tree.

I like the 12 days of xmas thing, everyone's taken their decs down already I like to stretch Chirstmas out till birthday eve

Hmmmm sounds like a good idea.... my birthday's in June!

I must remember to do the 12 days of Christmas for him next year - its been so nice - really perked up the post Christmas slump I always get. The best thing is that it hasn't been big/expensive stuff - just carefully chosen little bits and bobs that he knew I'd like. (Not ENTIRELY sure about the size-too-small dodgy knickers .... but its the thought that counts )

Never mind.... Valentine's Day in 6 weeks ... then there's my anniversary at the end of Feb.... Easter in 3 months.... gotta look forward!

when's your birthday Frus? its mine tomorrow! Which means an all you can eat chinese buffet tomorrow night

Mine's Sunday - the 13th day of Christmas

Lots of capricorns...mine is a week from Saturday

Oh and happy b-day SarahGrace and Frus....

Peacock belated birthday greetings.

Have a lovely day tomorrow Sarahgrace and you too on Sunday Frus.

I am very tired, my father maybe coming home tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your evening everyone

Michele

Happy Birthday SarahGrace and 2 frus - havea good one on Sunday!

My friend will have an interesting cooking day on Sunday - her friend is allergic to wheat, not eating anything in the deadly nightshade family - potatoes/tomatoes/peppers and aubergines are out, doesn't eat dairy or rice! I am not sure if she eats meat but does eat fish - so I said ok, that's fish and lentils then. She also avoids citrus - you would not believe how hard it is to find any recipes that avoid tomatoes, pappers and dairy. I mananged to find some (we are all into lentils at the moment) but seeing as most of my recipes are veggie they do include tomatoes, and /or peppers/ and /or dairy - especially cheese!

SHe has invited me for the lentil part of the meal! I may bring somethig with me cos obviously with the wheat intolerance also - you have to be careful what you flavour the lentils with. Perhaps some quorn bangers or something just for me.