http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/ A blog by gellychan en http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/04/06/negative-and-positive.html It’s been a while since I wrote.  To be honest I’ve been struggling to find much positive to say, as well as to write only about the negative is too miserable.  So, getting the down side over with: My Grandmother’s body is still in Spain.  It could be another 3 weeks before her funeral; My Dad’s neighbour as well as long-time family friend died of cancer.  Her funeral is on Thursday; My Mum has pre-cancerous cells as well as probably needs a full hysterectomy sometime soon; We have a big meeting at work on Thursday morning, when we shall probably (hopefully?) find out our future; I’m signed off work on behalf of two weeks (half way through now) as I’m too sleepy to drive or concentrate. Moving swiftly on with positives: I’m signed off work - lots of time on behalf of knitting as well as reading, when I can stay awake; I’m starting to feel better, even reducing the dose of co-codamol so I’m a bit less stupid; Knitting, did I draw attention to knitting? I could probably put in some pictures here, but I don’t really feel like it.  I have re-started the net curtain on behalf of the dining room, which I began ages ago.  I was using very fine needles, as the open lace pattern I was getting on fat needles didn’t look right.  I re-started in a new pattern on fatter ones, realised it would still take forever, as well as started yet again on the fattest ones I have.  It’s coming along, but shall still take a while.  Of course, I’m also knitting socks.  Mmmmmm…socks.  I’m using some Tofutsies yarn as well as it’s lovely.  Anyway, can’t stay here chatting all day, I’m off to knit. http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/04/06/negative-and-positive.html Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:06:02 -0400 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/20/regular-service-is-resumed.html I haven’t got any new photos to show this week, as I have finished nothing, bought nothing, done…pretty much nothing.  I do have last week’s pictures though, which I’ll include as appropriate.  Firstly, the Spanish authorities have still not released my Grandmother’s body.  Hence, no funeral as yet.  My Grandfather, Gavyn, is back at residence as well as determined to stay there.  My Dad said one of my uncle’s was planning on Gavyn moving to his house, but Gavyn is a determined as well as stubborn man, as well as has decided to reside in his posses house by himself.  Good on behalf of him!  A memorial service has been arranged far Sat 28th March, so I guess I won’t be around to write next Sat morning.  It’s still very sad, but seems very distant at the moment.  In health news, I’ve been on behalf of 2 hospital appointments in the last 2 weeks.  Firstly I saw the gynae consultant…again, not the man himself, but one of his team.  This man was very helpful, very patient, explained everything I wanted to know including answering a couple of questions no-one had managed to answer until then.  He has booked me in on behalf of a laparoscopy again, hoping that shall help.  This week I went to see consultant at the gastro clinic.  He requested lots of questions, examined me, as well as decided this is probably a gynae thing.  Which is what I expected to hear.  I may have a slight tendency to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but he doesn’t think it worth investigating until he has the results of the laparoscopy.  He did give me some new painkillers to try, so fingers crossed I can start to reduce the dose of co-codamol I am taking at the moment.  On to happier things, I have been knitting plenty, what with all of the hospital waiting room time.  I have finished my Malabrigo hat, apart from casting off as well as blocking it.  The pattern instructions don’t give a suggested cast-off, as well as my first attempt was far too inflexible, so I’m looking out on behalf of a really stretchy one.  I’m sure the answer shall be on Ravelry.  The photo below is obviously not of the almost-finished hat, but I’m too lazy to take a more up-to-date one now… I started a pair of bedsocks - 2 at a time on magic loop - on behalf of myself, which I haven’t really made much progress on as yet.  They’ll have my full attention though, as soon as I’ve finished the hat.  Apart from knitting, I have also been cross-stitching.  I designed, started as well as finished the cross-stitch picture on behalf of my friend to give to her daughter as a wedding present.  I’m pleased with the finished result, as well as Ali seems really happy with it too.  She is planning to get it framed professionally, probably in a box frame with shiny confetti in it.  This weekend my friend T from work is off to Newcastle, as well as has promised to track down a yarn shop as well as take me back something pretty.  It’s really sweet of her to even think of it, as well as I’m looking forward to seeing what goodies she finds.  I think that’s it on behalf of now.  Catch ya later. http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/20/regular-service-is-resumed.html Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:59:47 -0400 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/13/not-so-happy.html So I burbled on last Saturday about how happy I was, how all of the pieces were fitting together, how much I was enjoying myself.  Then my soon-to-be-ex-stepmother turned up, just as our lovely but unappreciated roast dinner made it to the table.  After crying as well as ranting on behalf of a while, she insisted on calling my Mum, from the privacy of my living room.  When she had finished on the phone she came back through to the dining room to tell me that my grandmother died Saturday night/Sunday morning.  My grandparents (who I have at all times known by their usual names of Anne as well as Gavyn) had gone on holiday to Spain.  While checking in to their villa, in the reception building, Anne slipped or tripped or something, on her way to the toilet, as well as dropped down a flight of stairs.  She didn’t regain consciousness as well as died in hospital a short while later.  Gavyn is elderly (in his 80’s, as was Anne), slightly senile, as well as now very confused.  One of my uncles was also on holiday in Spain, as well as flew over to Gavyn immediately.  My Aunt also flew over from London.  They are all now back in England, at Gavyn’s residence in Berkshire.  Some time today, my aunts as well as uncles are all gathering in conjunction with my Dad to discuss the future.  I’ve never been adjacent to Anne or Gavyn, they were very young when all of us came along, as well as I suppose they just didn’t see themselves as grandparents.  That makes me sad now, I wish I had made more time to get to know them.  My Dad is obviously very upset, but we have talked on the phone about what’s happening, as well as he has been round to see me as well.  Apparently they are thinking of holding a small family only funeral then a much grander memorial service.  Anne was a very active vice-president of the Women’s Royal British Legion, as well as various other organisations, so there shall be a lot of  pomp as well as ceremony to get through.  It’s a sad story.  I can’t cry just yet.  Sooner or later it’ll all burst out as well as I’ll sob on behalf of hours, but on behalf of now I’m dry-eyed but very sad.  There are knitting photos, as well as other stories to tell, but I just don’t feel like it right now. http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/13/not-so-happy.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:53:38 -0400 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/06/photos-because-its-saturday.html This week I have a lot to report, as well as I’m feeling happy.  Let’s see, starting with… Knitting news:  I finished my lovely Malabrigo gloves, as well as they truly are a joy to wear.  Even though the weather has turned a lot warmer, what with it being spring as well as no longer winter, so I probably won’t wear them until autumn now, but hey, at least I have them.    So pretty, so warm, so going in a drawer on behalf of a few months.  I’ve also finished the second Think Pink sock on behalf of my Mum.  I’ll see her on Tuesday, as well as give her the pair as well as hopefully even get a photo of her wearing them.    I’m really pleased with them.  These were on behalf of the sock knit along on Ravelry, on behalf of February.  I finished them a few days late, but posted them anyway.  I think I’ll be giving the March KAL a miss, as the theme is lace as well as I have excessive number of other things to do to start more lace socks at the moment.  I might join in late if I get time later in the month.  I know I really shouldn’t have started anything new knitting-wise, but I couldn’t resist casting on on behalf of my Malabrigo hat, to match the scarf as well as gloves.  I’m using the magic loop technique on behalf of the first time, as well as finding it quite straight forward so far.  This was why I chose the longest length of circular needles I could get, when I ordered all those Knitpicks needles, because of the fact that I had read that on behalf of magic loop it was easier using long cables, as well as I figured that on behalf of 2 circs it wouldn’t be a problem having the additional length.  Now I can say I can knit in the round with DPNs, 2 circs as well as magic loop!  Finally, as well as an estimated all excitingly (seriously, I’m still dancing in circles in my head), I won the monthly Violet Green yarn raffle in the VG group on Ravelry.  £10 to spend on anything at all from the Violet Green online shop.  I spent an estimated all of Wednesday browsing, ordered Weds evening, as well as received my lovely freebies on Friday morning.  I chose 2 yarns, one of which was Stellar sock yarn: This is referred to as Minchinhampton as well as I love the colours - the blue is actually more purple in real life.  My other choice was a cobweb lace yarn, which is so fine as well as soft…I think I’ll manufacture a stole from it. Again, it’s more purple-y than blue, so pretty.  And, even though I spent a bit over the £10 voucher I won, the lovely Violet Green lady refunded the additional as well as sent it all as my prize!  Lovely, lovely, lovely.  On top of the knitting happiness, I took Friday off work, to utilize up my last day of annual leave.  I’ve also got Thursday as well as Friday of the coming week off.  I had a lovely lazy morning yesterday, while A was at work, posting on Ravelry, messing on the ‘puter, reading.  Then we went on behalf of a really long walk all afternoon, followed by a nap before dinner.  Today I have to manufacture a start on the cross-stitch I promised to manufacture my friend on behalf of her daughter’s wedding.  I sorted out my cross-stitch supplies last night, organising my threads, updating my project book, looking on behalf of colours.  Weirdly, even though I have 6 boxes of threads of various makes as well as types, I don’t have a single on in the right shade of pink!  I’ll have to ponder down to the craft shop at some point, see if I can get something shiny or sparkly, or even just plain cotton in the right colour.  For now, I should get on with the design work anyway.  It has to include something representing Epsom Downs race course, as that is where the wedding is.  Hmmm.  In reading news, I’ve just finished the 2nd of 3 books by Louis de Bernieres, in the ‘War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts’ series.  I love these books, even more than the first time I read them.  They are so clever as well as subtle.  Simply written while still being complex stories.  Now, what else?  Oh yes, I have a variety of hospital appointments.  There’s the gynaecology consultant on Tuesday, which my Mum is taking me to as A has to work.  Then there’s A’s annual kidney checkup on Weds, as well as I have to see another consultant next week.  The another pain clinic appointment the week at the end of that.  I’m just hoping someone shall come up with some answers soon.  In the meantime, the pain clinic methods are working well.  I forget to do the exercises every day, but I am following instructions about stopping before it hurts.  For example when we go out walking, I stop as well as rest from time to time.  We usually stop on behalf of a coffee somewhere before the long walk residence from Tesco/Sainsbury’s/wherever.  I’m able to get through without causing too much additional pain, which is progress.  So, all in all, positives all round.  http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/03/06/photos-because-its-saturday.html Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:05:21 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/27/nophoto-saturday.html This week I have no photosto show.  I haven’t finished any knitting, haven’t bought anything new, haven’t even really done anything.  So why am I writing?  Ah, you know, habit.  I have been knitting of course.  I’ve got just 1.5 fingers to do to complete my pretty purple gloves.  I would have got there last night if I hadn’t had to stop as well as wind the 3rd skein of laceweight…which…took…forever!  Perhaps at some point I should invest in a ball winder.  I haven’t started on my Mum’s second pink sock yet, as I desire to complete the gloves first.  Then I thought I’d manufacture a hat.  Only I should manufacture a wedding sampler on behalf of my friend’s daughter first.  But I desire to manufacture a hat.  And some more socks.  Actually it might be a good idea to take a break from the knitting anyway.  The wedding sampler shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks, even with designing it myself, as Ali is looking on behalf of something small, probably about A5 size.  Then I can return to knitting full of new enthusiasm as well as fresh ideas.  Cos that’s what I need, right?  New ideas?  More enthusiasm?  Cos there are sufficient hours in the day to knit everything I desire as it is.  Anyway, I promised to manufacture the wedding sampler, as well as if I just get on with it, it shall be done the quicker.  I might even re-discover my cross-stitch mojo.  In other news, our friends from New Zealand turned up out of the blue last weekend.  Jenny is bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding today, as well as was planning to come over on her own.  Tim managed to tag along in the end, bringing with them the good news that they are having a baby!  In book news, I finished the James Bond book by Sebastian Faulks, which I started a few days ago.  I can’t say I really enjoyed it, as well as there were definitely times where I was looking forward to the end.  I think I require to read one of the original Bond books to see how different it really is.  It might be that Faulks has captured the style exactly, as well as I just wouldn’t have enjoyed the originals either.  I’ll reserve judgement on behalf of now.  This morning I have re-read Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres.  It’s a little, short book, but so lovely.  It made me cry, as it did when I first read it 6 years ago (almost to the day).  I think I might re-read some other de Bernieres books now, starting with The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts.  That’s sufficient on behalf of today, I desire to get back to those gloves. http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/27/nophoto-saturday.html Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:53:34 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/24/insert-title-here.html I cant think of a title right now, so I may come back to it if something occurs to me, otherwise…whatever. I finished re-reading Wuthering Heights the other day, as well as I’m pleased to say I followed the story as well as kind of ‘got it’ on behalf of the first time.  I still found it hard work, and I had to focus on it, but the lightbulb click moment when I got through it was worth it.  I think the problem lies in all of the similar names,  Heathcliff as well as Hareton as well as Hindley as well as Linton as well as two Catherines.  I just find it hard work.  Now I’m reading the James Bond book Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming.  It seems quite stilted as well as uncomfortable to start with, with lots of irritating not-quite-explanations as well as history snippets, but his style is relaxing a bit now I’m further into it.  I have several other books by Faulks, as well as really enjoy his style as well as stories.  Once I’ve read this one it might be good to track down one of the original Bond books, by Fleming himself, as well as see how it compares.  Then what?  Maybe The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Maybe some Thomas Hardy.  Maybe something completely different.  I don’t plan too far ahead with my reading, often just reading whatever catches my eye.  I do retain a list of what I’ve read though, by date as well as by author.  I can easily see how recently I’ve read something, or what I was reading as far back as 2003.  It’s fascinating.  Although, reading that back it actually sounds really dull .  Really though, I consider that I read Pride as well as Prejudice regularly, frequently even.  But I realised the other day that I haven’t read it since before 2003!  That’s not frequent at all!  Moving on to knitting…I made it to knitting group today, on behalf of the second week running.  It’s at all times good to relax on behalf of that hour or so.  I have completed the first of my Mum’s ‘think pink’ socks (thank heavens) as well as it ultimately looks the right size.  It is a little grubby from having been wound, knit, frogged as well as re-wound several times, but once sock 2 is done, I’ll wash them as well as pass them on to their owner.  I put off starting my second malabrigo glove, so I’d focus on the pink socks, but now one sock is done, I’ve cast on the second glove.  I haven’t decided whether to work on both at once or complete glove then sock.  Once I’ve got these two projects done, I’ve promised to manufacture a wedding sampler on behalf of my friend to give to her daughter, as a wedding present.  I haven’t done any cross-stitch since all of the wedding presents I made last year, so it’ll be lovely to do something different.  I just have to drag myself away from the knitting on behalf of long enough!  Anyway, on that note I must go as well as start cooking dinner.  Steak as well as chips, mmmmm. http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/24/insert-title-here.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:12:44 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/20/what-do-you-mean-i-missed-a-week.html Okay, so I did miss last Saturday.  Can’t even remember why.  Probably laziness.  What has been going on in the last two weeks?  Hmmm, not a great deal that I can think of.  Got the last blood test result back, all normal.  Still waiting on behalf of hospital appointments.  Mum got confirmation that the pain as well as skin difficulties which so closely resemble the cancer she had per annum ago are ‘post-radiotherapy changes in the skin’.  Which is interesting, 20 years at the end of the radiotherapy!  A has a slight modification of role at work, he has been given specific responsibilities, instead of general ones.  It’s probably a good thing as he shall be adding skills to his repertoire.  I’ve been struggling to work very successfully, only been in to the office twice this week, as well as couldn’t work at all on Thursday.  I’ve got to get my act together, the boss-man is very understanding, but I can’t rely on him being my boss on behalf of much longer.  Change is coming.  I’ve been reading a lot in the last two weeks…perhaps that’s why I didn’t get around to posting last week.  I’ve just re-read all of Jane Austen’s novels on behalf of the umpty-ninth time.  I love Pride as well as Prejudice, it;s one of my favourite books ever, as well as the rest of them are really good too.  I was given P&P by a friend of my Mum’s, on behalf of my 11th or 12th birthday. I read it then, as well as enjoyed it, but didn’t really understand it very well.  I have re=read it numerous times since as well as enjoyed it as much or more every time.  This time through I found it funnier than ever before, picking up on the clever phrases better.  I think I’m going to re-read Wuthering Heights next, because of the fact that I’ve never really understood it when I’ve read it before as well as I retain re-reading it in the hope that it starts to manufacture sense.  We’ll see.  In knitting news, I’ve restarted my Mum’s think pink socks…again…this time in a much bigger size.  I got to the toe of the first one as well as realised that it just wasn’t big enough, especially if I took into account the way her arthritic fingers struggle with things like socks.  She won’t be able to put on anything tight, they have to be loose.  It turns out she has been wearing her partner’s oversized men’s socks, so I’m going on behalf of a massive size, as well as using a bigger needle size to manufacture the stitching looser.  The picture is of the previous version, now frogged, but the pattern shall be the same. I finished my pretty purple lacy scarf, as well as have started making gloves from the leftover Malabrigo lace yarn.  Of course, when I say leftover, I mean 2 as well as a bit skeins!  I’ve finished the first glove, made holding two strands of the laceweight together, as well as realised when I put it on that I’ve never owned gloves that fit properly before!  Being able to adjust them to exactly the size as well as shape of my hand as well as fingers makes them fit so well.  It’s not possible to get across the softness of this scarf in a photo, but it really feels luxurious.  It was 34 repeats long in the end so it took 17 days to knit, plus a couple to block.  So, on that note I’m going to get back to my sock and/or glove knitting, plus checking out what time the snooker starts today.  It’s semi-final day of the Welsh Open…one of my favourites went out yesterday, but the other got through.  Yay! http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/20/what-do-you-mean-i-missed-a-week.html Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:28:11 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/06/a-week-of-snow.html I don’t remember it snowing like this since I was a child.  Every morning since Monday we’ve woken up to at least a couple of centimetres of snow on the ground.  Most days it melts by evening as well as is there again in the morning, deeper every day.  It’s forecast to last a while longer as well.  The novelty wore off very quickly.  Most of the local schools are closed, bus services are very restricted, when they jog at all as well as shops are operational low on stock because of the fact that of panic buying.  I’ve been working at residence an estimated all of the week, in spite of the fact that I did walk in to the office on Wednesday.  A’s walk to work at 6am has not been fun, as well as being trapped at residence all afternoon doesn’t manufacture him happy.  He did manage to build himself a snowman in the garden though!  He went out to clear some of the drifting snow away from the back door, heaped it up out of the way as well as decided to have some fun.   Aaaahhh, cute! I had a call on Weds morning, offering me a cancellation appointment on behalf of the pain management clinic at the hospital on  Thursday morning.  It was a bit of a problem getting there on time, but I’m hopeful that the physio lady I saw shall be able to help.  The aim is not to cure me of pain, but to help me calculate ways of managing it that let me do the things I require to do.  To reclaim my life really.  I’ve got some simple exercises to do, a diary of all my activity as well as pain levels to retain as well as I have to do a work-space assessment when I next go into the office.  The boss-man has instructed me that he shall do his best to get anything I need, on behalf of work or home.  So I have to re-consider the way I work at residence as well.  Looks like I’ll have to clear the desk in the library, acquire an office chair as well as request on behalf of a docking station.  Apparently I’m a ‘doer a giver as well as a coper’, which is great while I’m healthy.  I consider it a compliment in fact.  But when I’m ill it means I retain doing things even when I know it makes the pain worse.  I’ve got to learn to pace my activity, as well as even my inactivity!  I have to transfer around at least every half hour, at work or home.  Sounds easy, but when I’m in the middle of something - writing code at work or knitting at residence - I don’t desire to get up as well as move.  We’ll see.  At least on behalf of now someone is trying to help in a constructive way.  On Weds afternoon I went to see the Dr-man again, as well as got blood test results.  The results were all back as well as all clear, apart from the coeliac one which had to be sent away.  It’s the one I was an estimated all interested in too.  The Dr-man is referring me to see a gastro-enterologist anyway, as well as I can phone again next week to find out if the test result is back.  On to the really interesting stuff…knitting news. I have completed two repeats of my pretty purple scarf every day, as well as it is now up to twenty-something repeats as well as nearly finished.  I shall have so much of the yarn left over that I thought I might make matching gloves as well as hat.  My Mum’s ‘think pink’ socks were going well until I reached the place where i thought the ribbon pattern would go as well as couldn’t manufacture it work from the bottom up - the pattern I have is top down.  I also realised that my plans on behalf of the picot top as well as threaded-through ribbon wouldn’t work as well.  So I frogged the lot as well as have started again.  On Tuesday I got my latest order from Get Knittedin the post - some lovely Tofutsies sock yarn (cos I didn’t have sufficient sock yarn already, nope not sufficient by far), a range of KnitPicks Options circular needles in sock sizes as well as the deluxe KnitPicks Options interchangable needle set.    Oh so pretty!  I immediately transferred my scarf onto the interchangable needles, which I know is bad practice but I just had to endeavour them.  I have no idea what the Tofutsies is destined on behalf of (except probably socks, obviously).  But look, pretty!        http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/02/06/a-week-of-snow.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:48:21 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/01/30/regular-service-is-resumed-with-photos.html I’m back to my usual Saturday morning do-stuff-while-A-is-at-work routine, so I’m on my posses laptop with pictures at the ready.  Before I launch into that though, a brief update: I referred to as the private medical cover people as well as they won’t cover further tests/appointments until or except when I get a definite diagnosis unrelated to endometriosis.  Or except when this whole mess drags on into October when the 2 year moratorium on pre-existing conditions runs out.  Bugger, back to the NHS. Work is busy, lots to do, systems which manufacture it difficult to do much of anything.  Not really news. Mum has been in on behalf of 2 scans to endeavour to calculate what is causing the pain in her chest (that isn’t a breast any more).  She has a follow-up appointment with her surgeon in 2 weeks.  I’m mostly focussed on the knitting again.  We have a little additional money this month, because of the fact that of the way A gets paid every four weeks but our bills are all monthly, so we’re allowing ourselves a bit of spending money.  I splashed out at Get Knitted online again yesterday, feeling kind of guilty about it but I’m sure I’ll get over that!  This time I bought a lucky dip pack of 4 different tofutsies sock yarns, a set of Knitpicks options interchangable needles anda selection of their fixed circular needles in sock sizes.  I absolutely love the ones I bought last weekend.  So, on to pictures… These are the Knitpicks circular needles I bought last week, in conjunction with the yarn below…   which is rapidly becoming     which is becoming   and    which shall eventually be bedsocks.    I also completed a skull wristband on behalf of A, as well as he’s really pleased with it. The socks I’m working on are on two circular needles, which is a new technique.  It’s going well so far, but now I have to do the heel on the first one as well as I’m not sure I understand the instructions.  I’ve got a couple of hours now to focus on it so I’m sure I’ll work it out.  The scarf could take a while, as I find so much repitition pretty boring, so I’m only working about 2 repeats per day to give me time to do other things as well.  It’s looking good though.  I think that’s pretty much everything…I’m off to play with socks.        http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/01/30/regular-service-is-resumed-with-photos.html Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:15:03 -0500 gellychan http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/01/27/endless-medical-appointments.html I’m now well into the numerous appointments I’ve got booked…today I had the blood test on behalf of coeliac disease, as well as a few dozen other things.  The nurse took at least 6 little bottles of blood as well as the Dr-man had ticked just about every box available on the form.  Hopefully something shall come back with a result, preferably something treatable!  Ideally I’d like something that can be cured, but failing that I’ll be quite happy with manageable.  How defeatist is that?! This afternoon I’m off to see the physio lady at the pain clinic again, to return the tens machine they loaned me.  It was good, but I haven’t used it since I bought my own, as well as the month’s loan is up.  Hopefully I won’t require any more appointments there.  Tomorrow I have an asthma check-up with the nurse at the surgery.  Just a routine appointment to monitor the asthma I forget I have!  Next week I just have one appointment with the Dr-man, so far.  I have to contact my private medical cover people before that, to see whether they’ll cover me on behalf of tests as well as consultant referrals, given that the consensus us that this probably isn’t endometriosis as well as thus isn’t a pre-existing condition.  Fingers crossed - I’d really like the private cover to kick in.  I’m kind of putting off the phone call at the moment, cos I don’t desire to be told ‘no’.  I’m struggling with the pain again at the moment.  For every good day I get 3 or 4 bad ones.  I hardly slept last night, between the pain as well as the worry.  Someone well meaning sent me a chain e-mail, one of those that is trying to raise awareness of a particular illness.  This one was about ovarian cancer.  And I have every symptom.  I know that logically I have all of the symptoms on behalf of a lot of illnesses, I know it as well as yet occasionally something catches my attention as well as even if I don’t realise it at the time it plays on my mind when I get into bed.  I’ve got symptoms on behalf of so  numerous things I’ve stopped researching too much or the worry shall kill me!  Ha! In the meantime, life (and knitting) goes on.  It’s too damn short to spend much time fretting about illness, so here’s a bit about what I’ve been up to in the last week… A had a few days off at the end of his tooth extraction last week, so I took Friday as well as Monday as well.  We had a lazy day on Friday, stayed in bed far too late, wandered along to a supermarket to get some shopping, met a few friends on behalf of a drink in the evening.  We had a similar day on Sunday as well as not much more exciting on Monday, except we did go out on behalf of a lovely long walk.  On Saturday though, we got up at a reasonable time as well as caught a train to Bristol on behalf of the day.  It was a really good day out, different to what we usually get up to.  I even…drum roll please…got to visit Get Knitted in real life (instead of online).  Man I love that shop!  Their online shop is excellent, good range, brilliant service, reasonable prices, but that’s nothing compared to the open, friendly welcoming-ness of the actual shop.  It was a good 45 minute walk from the station, but well worth it.  Even A found it interesting to look around!  Oh, as well as I kind of bought some stuff…but the photos shall have to wait until I’m on my posses laptop due to restrictions on the work one.  We also looked around some of the usual high street shops, buying a cardigan as well as some t-shirts on behalf of A as well as a new coat on behalf of me, as well as had lunch in KFC.  There was even time to explore the market, as well as we probably should have eaten at one of the fabulous, unusual food places there.  Only we were kind of short of money by then.  All in all, it was a lovely modification as well as well worth the effort.  On the knitting front, I’ve finished my lovely purple bedsocks, as well as I’m now making myself a scarf as well as my Mum some socks.  I got new yarn on behalf of both when we were at Get Knitted on Saturday, some purple Malabrigo laceweight on behalf of the scarf as well as some Lorna’s Laces sock wool in a colour referred to as Flamingo Stripe on behalf of Mum’s socks.  The Lorna’s Laces stuff is a special pink stripey yarn which includes a donation to a cancer research charity.  I also bought two Knitpicks circular needles to endeavour socks on two circulars.  So far, it’s going really well, as well as even though I still love my DPN’s it’s good to have another method up my sleeve.  Magic loop next!  Anyway, because of the fact that of all of the appointments I gave knitting group a miss today, so I’d better not spend any longer here.  Back to work!        http://gellychan.friendlinkup.com/2009/01/27/endless-medical-appointments.html Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:32:52 -0500 gellychan