A mixed bag

It’s been a funny old week for lots of different reasons.  So much for blogging about plans and routines on Tuesday, all this went out the window when Phil came out with a cold on Wednesday.  Of course, out in the cold with friends and a tank load of beer didn’t help but at least on Thursday, we managed to sleep in until 8am which was wonderful.  The week gone by has been splattered with appointments.  Phil had to go and see the doctor first thing on Tuesday morning to ask for some blood tests, prostrate and liver tests at my insistence.  On Wednesday morning I had to be at Superdrug for my appointment with Julie the mole nurse.  She re-examined a dubious mole on my right shoulder to see if it had changed in appearance.  Julie took photos and showed me on her screen and we both agreed that there had been no change.   The report came back later that afternoon from the doctor in Sweden who confirmed that the mole didn’t look cancerous but the advice was to keep an eye on it.  A bit difficult really when it’s on my back but I’m definitely going to be more diligent with my sun screen from now on.

Phil was feeling rough so on Wednesday afternoon he settled himself on the sofa and covered himself with blankets which has pretty much what he has done every afternoon this week.  He seems to be okay in the day time but by the afternoon his nose starts streaming. I’ve been feeding him Lemsips and they seem to helping a bit.   With Phil snuggled on the sofa, I took myself off to Carmelo’s in Stony for a cut and finish.   This really will be the last time I go to Carmelo; his prices are exuberant even on discount days.  Harriet said my hair looked nice but Phil said he couldn’t see any difference.   A typical man! 

We both failed to make it to the gym on Thursday; Phil certainly wasn’t well enough and I got stuck into the housework and by the time I got around to thinking about going to workout, it was lunchtime.   In the afternoon we had an appointment at the travel clinic to get our injections topped up.  We both needed a top of Typhoid, the nurse did me first but Phil couldn’t have his injections because of his cold.  He has to go back next week.   We talked about malaria tablets.  I’d done a bit of research on the web before our appointment and I discovered that there is a new malaria drug on the market called Malarone.  We could buy these at the travel clinic but 21 one days worth of pills came to £245!!  From my research I knew that I could buy it much cheaper over the internet but the trouble is, you need a prescription.  I asked the nurse if she would write me a prescription and she said she would but would charge me 20 quid. I said “thanks but no thanks”.   We talked about it when we got home and have decided we aint going to bother with taking malaria tablets.  I think we should be okay as long as we slap on the mosquito spray and turn the air con up high.  The mossies don’t seem to like me much, I guess too much wine in the system that sends them crazy but, boy do they love Phil.

On Friday Phil once again settled himself in front of the telly and opted out of the gym; I didn’t blame him because he obviously was still suffering with his cold so it was best he stayed at home.  In spite of my hamstring and hip pain I still went to the gym, no pain, no gain, I didn’t overdue it but it still hurt a little.  I’ve decided to go to the MK Dons therapist for a sports injury massage to help me.  I’ve been before and it’s around 30 quid and, well, if it cures me and enables me to do a ‘proper’ workout then it’s well worth the money.

Phil is really suffering from a wardrobe defect.  I know he doesn’t give a toss what he looks like or indeed what he wears, but today, he took it to another limit.  We went to buy fish and chips from the shop in New Bradwell (best chip shop in town if you ask me).  Anyway, I diverse, and it was whilst I was queuing in the shop I noticed that Phil was wearing his pyjama top underneath his shirt.  Nothing wrong with that you might ask but in fact everything was wrong with it.  A horizontal PJ top doesn’t miz well with a vertical striped shirt!  I need to sort him out; truefully he doesn’t have a fully stocked wardrobe but even so………….

Alan was finally discharged from Oxford last yesterday afternoon and both Sue & Alan got home last night. Thank god for that; I want to write that they will be back to normality sometime soon but in reality their normal lives changed way back in Rome with the CT scan when Alan was first diagnosed and now they are well down into that medical tunnel.  Sue says they will have    nurses in to visit Alan each day but at least now they have home comforts and privacy.  Hopefully we can link up with them before we fly away.

We took fish and chips and mushy peas x 4 back to Chris’s house in Walton Park to coincide with Harriet’s OU lunch hour from 1 till 2pm.  Considering Chris has had his second replacement hip operation nearly 2 weeks ago, he is doing well.  We were a little early and had to put Harriet’s fish/chip supper in the oven but still, she enjoyed it, as did we all.   Phil helped Chris with his scanner and it was nearly 3pm when we left. 

After we left Chris, we went to Tesco to get some stuff for lunch for Sunday as we have Shirley & Jim round for what I call a ‘paupers’ lazy lunch.   Phil will do his best and be assured everything will be cooked from scratch.   I shall look forward to seeing Jim & Shirley, we can catch up over the Grand Prix with a few jars and, well, as long as they don’t have any high expectations in the catering department, all shall be fine. Back in after the weekend folks….have a good one!