Monday, October 07, 2013

The wheels on the car go round and round…


This being a chauffeur business is certainly keeping me busy. Last Tuesday I had to take DH to the health centre for a BP check (still far too high, but gradually coming down) and on Friday across the hills to the hospital for an ultrasound scan of his carotid arteries. This was followed by a very welcome and enjoyable weekend visit by DS who came by train, so had to be collected from the station. Except for the hospital visit (a nearly 80 mile round trip, none of the extra journeys are very long, but it's amazing how they mount up. Thank goodness for the comfy new car. 

This afternoon it was back to the health centre to see the GP to get him into the system for his medication. DH is not a good passenger – too many years of driving many miles alone in connection with work - but he's having to get used to being driven. I’m pleased to report that the initial white knuckles and worried looks have diminished as he has accustomed himself to not being in control of the car for once, but he still can’t wait for the end of the month when he will be allowed to drive once more.

Our lovely GP has checked for us and found out that my cataract operation has been rescheduled for November 5th, though we’re still waiting for the official letter to confirm that date. So life is gradually getting back onto a more even keel and we’re even starting to make plans for our annual family visits for Christmas and New Year. In the meantime, the daily walks are continuing and at the weekend DS and my dear brother-in-law helped us to dust off and reassemble the exercise bike, as we both heed the wake-up call to get fit and stay fit. Even when DH can drive again, in the Transit household the wheels will continue to go round and round.

And while we're on the subject of wheels....


54 comments:

  1. Glad to hear that DH's BP is coming down. Driving can make one very weary, so I'm glad most of your trips are short. Been thinking about you. Stay well.

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    1. Thanks, Bonnie. You're right about driving being tiring , which is why I'm glad the driving is in autumn, not winter (snow and I don't mix on the road). Hopefully DH will be able to get behind the wheel and relax before too long.

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  2. Glad to hear things are slowly improving. I haven't heard the "London Omnibus" song for many, many years - wonderful.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Glad you enjoyed the Flanders and Swann. I've always loved their songs and recently bought a compilation CD which will be worn out soon....

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  3. I'm glad that the BP is starting to improve and that your op has been rescheduled - as you say, things returning to normal.
    Nothing like a good bit of boring normality after a shock like that.

    But given your chauffeur work, that big six wheeler scarlet painted London Transport diesel engine 97 hp omnibus might have been welcome on your route - as long as it wasn't 'full right up inside'.

    You've started me off on a Flanders and Swann afternoon as the thunder rolls above and the rain obscurs the view....

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    1. Flanders and Swann will certainly make you forget the weather and it sounds like you're getting plenty of that. :-)

      The BP is coming down very slowly, so the GP has doubled the medication dose and we'll see whether the improvement speeds up accordingly. We're over the initial shock now, though we were both extremely tired for a while and are now getting used to the new normal.

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  4. Good news that all is almost back to normal.

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  5. Hari OM
    Oh it is a drag, all the to-ing and fro-ing for med appts, but so necessary. Am delighted to hear that you have not so much longer again to wait and pray that your confirmation arrives tomorrow itself!! Am putting lots of photos in the posts this week, so hope you can enjoy them.

    Crikey, with all that gardening you do, I'd have thought you were keeping well fit - but I guess the extra will be beneficial. Happy 'cycling'!! YAM xx

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    1. I think it's more of a drag for DH, who so wants to be behind the wheel himself. There will be regular check-ups at the GP, of course but hopefully no more hospital visits for him for a while.As for my letter, I don't expect to get it until about 2 weeks before the due date, so I'm not haunting the postman yet. :-)

      Unfortunately gardening is very much an on-off occupation for us - done when urgent, but neglected when other things take precedence. It's only in France that I'm really good and regular about it. :-)

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  6. But you didn't tell us what the GP said about DH, and the results of the ultrasound scans! DH will need to get used to sharing the driving on a more regular basis - it's better for both of you, and certainly better for his BP (unless he gets too nervous as a passenger!) BH & I have got it down to a fine art now, although we are finding it a lot more tiring at our advanced ages (it took us about 4 days last week to get over our trip back with the caravan!) I'll have to take a leaf out of your book and get back on the exercise bike, which at the moment lurks in the dining room as a repository for newspapers waiting to go for recycling!!

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    1. Poor DH, I'm not spilling all his secrets to the world, Helva. :-) The scan was OK and the GP visit was more about medication levels than anything else. As for the driving, there's no way that DH will share the driving at all equally if he can help it. I don't drive the van and it's many years since I had much experience of motorway driving and didn't enjoy it then. His BP would rocket if he had to be a passenger on the motorway. :-)

      DH does his cycling while watching old films, which certainly makes the time pass for him.

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  7. These hospital appointments certainly keep you busy - we have another one tomorrow and again on the 26th November. So glad to hear that your DH is progressing well and great news that your cataract op has been rescheduled - less than a month away - that's brilliant. And a special weekend with your DS - Life is good

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    1. Yes, life is good despite everything. Do you have to go to Shrewsbury for the hospital appointments? I know the road in that direction quite well from the past. 5 weeks of 5 times weekly radiotherapy certainly added up the mileage :-)

      My cataract op will be 4 weeks today, which should mean all the follow-up appointments will be over by Christmas. Yippee!

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    2. Yes, thank Goodness. It only takes about 20 minutes from where we live and once we're on the main road not too bad. I'm so pleased to hear about your cataract reschedule and all done and dusted by Christmas. I apparently have cataracts starting too so I'm off for another eye appt soon

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    3. The RSH is at least an hour for us and often more, depending on the traffic and the same in the other direction to the hospital in Aberystwyth. The joys of living in the middle of nowhere.... :-) I hope your eye appointment goes well. I'll need the other eye done one day, but thankfully not for some time yet.

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  8. I've been thinking of you both. Glad things are progressing well with DH and that you have a rescheduled operation for your cataract - you need to take care of YOU too. Continuing to send healing thoughts to DH and soothing ones to you. Keep up the good work!!

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    1. Thanks, Sian. At the moment I'm busy taking care of DH so that he will be well enough to take care of me when my turn comes . What a pair of old crocks we are. :-) We're both feeling much better than we were two weeks ago and I'm hopeful that the increased dose of medication will soon make a big impact on his BP.

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  9. My husband and I are each terrified of the other's driving. How fortunate that DH is growing accustomed to your style on the road.

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    1. Oh dear, that must make life stressful for one or the other at times. DH is a good and very experienced driver and I mostly feel very comfortable being driven by him. He's just not used to being a passenger for other than the most occasional journey, so it's been a steep learning curve for him. :-)

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  10. Good news about DH's progress, may it continue, and so glad they have re-scheduled your op'.
    It sounds as though things are beginning to right themselves, thank goodness.
    Just don't go too mad with the exercise. Let the marathon wait a week or two.
    Blessings.

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    1. Yes, it's been good news all round, Ray, and will be even better when his BP gets back towards normal. We're both feeling much better and less tired and the exercise has to be doing us good. It's all very controlled and gentle as yet. It will take time to work up to the marathon level. :-)

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  11. You have really been on the go! And it appears you are making adjustments well, but I'm sure at times you must both get weary. How lovely to have had DS for the weekend and to enjoy his company. So glad you're getting dates in line for your surgery, and it would be a grand thing to feel nicely settled as you go into the busy holidays. Good to hear positive reports, Perpetua. A few years ago we had a very brief "medical event" that turned us on our heads for a short time, and I've never forgotten how disorienting it all felt for a bit. Maybe soon you won't need all that driving at all!! ox (breathe lighter)

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    1. Yes, life's been more than a tad busy here recently, Debra. :-) The adjustments are happening gradually and I trust we can make them stick over the longer term. It would be very easy to be full of good resolutions at first and then slip back into our bad old ways.

      It was lovely to have DS to ourselves for a couple of days and he was very helpful in getting several things sorted out here. As for the op, I somehow think that after all the recent stress I'll just take it in my stride after all. Thankfully we go away for the Christmas and New Year festivities, so there isn't much work involved. Aren't we lucky?

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  12. Great news that your DH is improving, and also that your op has been rescheduled. Maybe, just maybe, your DH might get used to being driven around? It is to be hoped that life will be back on track by Christmas:)

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    1. He's getting used to it willy-nilly, Shirley. It's that or missing his appointments. :-) I still don't think he will share the driving much once he's allowed to drive again. It's good to see him looking better and I'm relieved to know i don't have too much longer to wait for my op. Roll on Christmas, when things will hopefully be back to normal in every way.

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  13. I was up your way this weekend - visiting Machynlleth and making a tour of the Clewedog reservoir too. You really NEED a car in those parts! Fabulous, fabulous scenery though - would have been much better on a bike - but not an easy peddle!

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    1. So it was you who brought us the lovely weather! I though it was DS. :-) If you went round Clywedog you were less than 10 miles from where we live and yes, the scenery is truly wonderful, but we don't see many cyclists round here. If you live here a car is essential for anyone who doesn't live on our shrinking number of bus-routes.

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  14. I hate driving when my husband is with me -- he always gives the impression that I'm really not competent and I worry that it will end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy! Fortunately, I don't drive in the UK so it's rarely a problem! I'm glad to hear dh's bp is coming down albeit slowly. And well done both of you taking up your exercise regimen. And good luck that the 5th of November is 3rd time lucky!!!

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    1. That's the situation in a nutshell, Broad! Interesting that your husband and mine both take the same attitude. I do drive here, but not in France, but nowadays only locally. DH always drives on the long journeys and I do the navigation and feeding. :-)

      We're hoping the increased dose of medication will soon make a dent in the raised BP. It's certainly true that even this small increase in exercise is making us both feel better. As for the op, I just want to get it over with now.

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  15. It is good to hear things are returning to normal, and hope HB gets the all-clear to drive very soon. He must have had quite a turn, being taken off the road like this. I am not so familiar with Flanders and Swann - very droll! Love those big red buses - very London. We don't have anything like them here. Oh, and good luck with the cycling, too.

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    1. Life is much more normal than it was a fortnight ago and once DH can drive again he'll feel that it's business as usual. In the UK no-one is allowed to drive for at least a month after a TIA or stroke, however minor, so he still has another couple of weeks to go before he can get back behind the wheel.

      Flanders and Swann are so funny, if rather dated nowadays. General use of the iconic red double-decker buses was finally discontinued in London in 2005 but some are still used as a tourist attraction on a couple of so-called heritage routes. They remind me of my childhood when similar buses were used all over Lancashire where I grew up.

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  16. I do sympathize with you, Perpetua, as Tom was unable to be behind the wheel for several weeks and it was, for a few weeks, doctors visits daily. Things have gotten better and he's now behind the wheel again, most of the time. Not complaining, just wanted to say I understand. Hang in there. It sounds like DH's blood pressure is slowly going in the right direction - good news! Take care of yourself, as well.

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    1. I thought I'd read that Tom was having similar problems with not being able to drive, Penny. It's not only a nuisance but very frustrating for anyone used to the independence and convenience of driving everywhere. I'm not complaining either, but it does give one a different perspective on everyday life. I'm glad Tom is doing so well now. DH is certainly much better and his energy is coming back, but I'm making sure he doesn't overdo things. :-)

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  17. I'm glad things are beginning to right themselves after the health scare you had with your husband. I know you aren't looking forward to your cataract surgery (I'm not good about stuff like that either), but I'm sure it will be nice to get it over with. And I'm just like your husband - a very nervous rider!

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    1. Things are looking so much better than they were a couple of weeks ago and I'm certainly looking forward to getting my op over and done with at last. At least I don't have time to obsess about it at present. :-) I still remember your marvellous post about being a passenger with your mother at the wheel. I think DH would sympathise with you too.

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  18. Fingers crossed you'll soon both be out the other side as it were and all journeys will be fun ones :)

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    1. Roll on the day, Annie! The days seem to be flying by at the moment and the op will have come and gone before I know it at this rate. The new car is certainly piling on the miles. :-)

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  19. Glad that things are getting back to normal after the health scare. Thank goodness you're able to drive although those trips sound rather a long way. Also thankful you have support and you've heard unofficially about the new date for the cataract surgery. (The Flanders and Swann London Bus Song - good to sing along to).

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    1. Thankfully it already seems a long time since I was so worried when DH was in hospital. Quite how we'd have managed if it had happened the day after my surgery, rather than the day before I don't like to think. Yes, we're very fortunate to have family who always rally round when necessary and our GP is wonderful.

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  20. So pleased that everything's getting back to normal again and let's hope the BP continues to drop. Not long to wait for your cataract op Perpetua and still thinking of you both.
    Patricia x

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    1. It feels wonderful to be on an even keel again, Patricia, even though things have changed a bit. The BP continues to stabilise but it will take time.to get to where it should be. As for the op, i can't wait to get it over and done with. :-)

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  21. Dear Perpetua, thanks for including that song and the singing by Flanders and Swann. Once again, all new to me. I'm glad to learn that your husband is not only feeling but that he's getting used to being chauffeured around the countryside. And also good news about the Nov. 5th date for your cataract operation. I'm getting my exercise through walking--much slower than I used to walk, but doing something is better than doing nothing, even if I'd walker slower. It now takes me almost 20 minutes to do a mile. Peace.

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    1. Oh, Flanders and Swann are very old favourites of mine, Dee. I've known some of their animal songs since childhood. Glad you enjoyed them. All being well DH will be driving himself again in less than two weeks and he can't wait. :-) I need him to drive me to and from the hospital for my operation and check-ups. We are both enjoying our afternoon walks and they are getting gradually longer which has to be good for us. Keep on walking yourself, even if more slowly than before.

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  22. I am now very reassured that all is going much more smoothly - though I also have an image of you 'peddling along to Flanders and Swann'! Axxx

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    1. It's very reassuring to be able to give better news. :-) We're trying to be good about exercising, starting slowly and building up (DH cycles while watching TV) and I'm still dragging him out for walks in the fresh air too. :-)

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  23. Lovely to hear that the BP is slowly heading downwards and that you won't have to wait too long for your re-scheduled op :-)
    Music or TV make peddling away on an exercise bike much more bearable.

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    1. We were very pleased this morning to see that the lower BP figure is now down to a normal level, as is his heart rate, though the top figure is still markedly too high. Still ,it's early days and I'm sure the improvement will continue. The walks and cycling certainly will. :-) As for the op, bring it on!

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  24. Yes Perpetua - I can imagine that DH would not be the best passenger when he normally does all the driving :-) But as you say, you'll need him to drive you when you have your op. Good to hear from your reply to the previous comment, that his BP is now down to a more normal level. As I think you already know, I'm also a great fan of Flanders & Swann, so thank you for 'Transport of Delight'.

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    1. You've said, it Ricky. :-) Thankful there's not much longer to go before he can drive again. Yes, it's good to know that the bottom BP figure is normal again, but it's the top one which is implicated in stroke risk, so we need to get that one quite a lot lower too before we can relax entirely.

      I remembered that you like Flanders and Swann too, so I expected you to enjoy this.

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  25. I'm glad that DH is getting better, and that you are back to organising your schedules again. I feel less alone doing my taxi routine now. Bigfoot spends the journeys telling me how I should be driving and what I need to do better. Future backseat driver? Sigh.

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    1. Yes, it feels good to be thinking ahead a bit again, thanks. I sometimes got the same kind of advice from our two back in my taxi service days. There's no such thing as public transport in the hills of Mid-Wales so DH and I spent a lot of time ferrying them around. You have my sympathy. :-)

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  26. I loved the video! Thanks for sharing. I know about those long trips to the doctor. We used to make many of them before we moved last year. Part of the reason for moving was to be closer to medical help. I'm happy to read the the blood pressure is going down. Great news!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, as I love introducing my overseas visitors to some of the treasures of classic British humour. I grew up with Flanders and Swann's songs from childhood.

      Our trips to the doctor and even to the hospital aren't long by US standards, but as they are on winding, hilly roads they still take a fair bit of time. Thankfully for his peace of mind, DH will be allowed to drive again next week. He can't wait! The blood pressure continues to drop, albeit slowly.

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