The Furry Monkey

1 july 2006

Guess what...??? Yes still no stockings. How can they expect you to keep going in this heat with the wrong stockings that make more problems than they solve. They go to the expense of getting me to London every day for two weeks and the Lymphoedema specialist bandages me each time and then no stockings arrive and I'm in the same position now, if not worse, than before it started!!!!

I wish they'd realise that it's us, the patients, who are suffering with this problem. It is a chronic condition that we have to live with each day.

3 july 2006
rlhh, london

Phew a really hot day and for once I was hoping transport wouldn't arrive and I could just rest at home with a nice cool drink. Then they turned up....oh well.

I got there early as usual and the Doctor was late as usual. I saw a lady I'd seen there last time and she doesn't mince her words about how late the clinics always are. You do sometimes see them sitting in there with no patients and wonder why it takes so long to see us.

I didn't see anyone famous today. Last time I saw Oscar James (well know for playing Tony Carpenter in Eastenders amongst other roles). I also saw Roger Daltrey at UCLH last time when I had my legs bandaged too.

The inner workings of the NHS will never cease to amaze me! If I live to be 100 I will never understand it I think. Does anyone?

6th july 2006 (approx)
phone call from lymphoedema clinic

It was approximately around this day, sorry memory fails me again. They asked if they could change my appointment, oh dear, I thought it will probably be put back to October or even worse. Then I was amazed to hear Pauline say she wanted to bring it forward to next week!!!!

How good is that? Not sure why but I will find out when I go. Wouldn't it be great if they had some stockings for me (more than one pair as it takes over a day to dry the one pair I do have!) and that there is a Group near me who can help with Leg Lymphoedema.... the stuff that dreams are made of :-)

The lovely Jan won't be there this time as she has now moved to the Teenage Cancer Unit - I'll miss her and she has helped me a lot, specially through the tough times which I've mentioned before in my diary. Who is there to help me now? The Teenage unit has got a wonderful person there, you will be missed so much by the Lymphoedema Unit and me.

I'll let you all know how it goes and what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for me and who knows....sometimes dreams do come true! :-))))

14th july 2006
lymphoedema clinic, uclh, london

Transport arrived, I was hoping it wouldn't as it was TOO hot to go to the middle of London. Still at least I'd see what is happening.

To be truthful there wasn't a lot happening that could improve things. Jan was back covering the Lymphoedema Clinic so we had a catch up which was good. No stockings were there (well it was a bit of a wild card I suppose!). Jan checked ye olde legs and they have changed shape again. Strangely the right leg is worse than the left one at the moment. I think this is due to the Achilles Tendonitis though. It is so painful still and the crutches are a great help.

As the legs came back up again fairly quickly after the bandaging last time there is not much more they can do apart from maintenance and keeping an eye on them. I'm going to find out exactly what they mean by 'not much more' as I need to know what the future holds. The heat doesn't help, being encased in these compression stockings in a heatwave isn't fun believe you me.

So now I just have to wait until my next appointment which is in a few months time. Sorry there's not much to tell, but I'm as disappointed as you guys.

15th july 2006
surprise surprise...!

Yes, we're off on hols - to my favourite place - the Yorkshire Dales. We've found a lovely cottage to rent - looks quite snazzy on the photos and we're all packed and ready to go. The kitties are being looked after by our dear friend, Anne, so they can stay at home and not get unsettled that way.

We arrived in Hawes, after a few delays on the motorway due to rubberneckers - don't you just hate it when people do that. It makes it worse for everyone. As soneone who has been in the middle of a six car pile up on the M6 before it is NOT nice I can tell you. A simple solution would be to put screens around it but does that enter their heads? No of course not.

Anyway Hawes hasn't changed at all really. A couple of new shops, Elijah's and the Spar Shop are still there. The Post Office seems further away than I remember but then again I have no memory now.

The cottage we are staying in is gorgeous! The photos I saw of it looked good and they haven't lied, as some others have done we've stayed in. Everything was superb. Definitely 4* as promised. There was even a bottle of wine on the table welcoming us which John enjoyed!

It had stone floors in the kitchen/dining room/lounge/hallway/downstairs shower room which made it lovely and cool in the heatwave we had whilst there. Last year when we went on holiday we had a heatwave so watch out next time we go for another heatwave!!

I won't list where we went every day but give you some highlights so to speak...

Black Sheep Brewery, Masham - a small brewery which seemed to supply most of Yorkshire with their ales and beers. It made a lovely Sunday lunch (although it was beef/lamb so I had a Draymans Platter instead whjich was tasty) so Mum said. She loves her Sunday Roasts and cups of tea so was well catered for in Yorkshire.

Lightwater Valley Park - lots to interest everyone here, although there was coachloads of kids arriving when we got there so we didn't go in the amusement park as you can imagine. Some amazing bargains to be had in the 'house' departments which I loved looking at. What I also like about Yorkshire is that there are ALWAYS seats so that you can rest dotted around the place. So much thought to help customers, why don't they do that down here? Less care and more profit selling space I suppose.

Hawes Market Day/Farmers Market - still on a Tuesday in the centre of the village. Almost got a pair of sandals but they weren't quite right. It is SO hard to get shoes now as my feet swell with the Lymphoedema so much.

Dent Crafts Centre - Dent is a gorgeous village deep in the Dales. We had a lovely afternoon tea there. John was on a mission to find the best cream tea. He drove us all over the place (sometimes it was a bit 'hairy' if you know what I mean!) but we had loads of laughs along the way.

Ripon - an old fashioned sort of small town with lots of independent shops and a large (for Yorkshire!) market. Some of the stallholders were totally rude though and I took my money elsewhere!! Serves them right. I can't abide rudeness.

Tan Hill Inn - the highest pub in England! The last time we went there just as we arrived they all piled out the door and said 'one of the sheepdogs has gone off, we'll be back as soon as we get them!" and we had to wait in the pub for them to come back. We could'be been blind drunk by the time they came back, but us honest people just waited instead.

This time there is a couple of new additions - there was a baby duck on the bar whow as wandering up and down and also a sheep outside the back door who had been hand reared in the pub.

It has new owners now and we must admit has improved a LOT since our last visit. They have internet access and a webcam now so perhaps it could be the ideal place to live if you like the moors, beer and solitude! Although it does get a lot of visitors as well. They do a lovely lemon curd cake there if you get the chance!

Windermere - our last trip on Lake Windermere resulted in all of us having a permanent grin on our face - due to cold weather as it was in October. How daft are some people, going on a boat in October in England! This time it was different though, we went on a bigger boat, mainly so that I can get on/off with the crutches without too many problems and also we went inside with big picture windows so it was WARM!!! No more 'bugs in ma teeth' look for us. It was so peaceful and relaxing - I took loads of photos and will upload some later so you can see how truly beautiful our country really is. I take lots more photos with the digital camera than I ever did with my film camera.

Darley Mill Centre - this is an old Listed Building that was restored in 1985. It still retains the original machinery including the waterwheel dating back to 1874. It is powered from the mill race by an overhead chute. The building nestles in the valley by the River Nidd.

Built in the 17th century on the banks of one of the many streams that feed the River Nidd, the Mill took grain from the surrounding area for grinding into flour. A miller's cottage with a walled garden was added to the main building in 1761. In 1874 the Mill became powered by a large iron waterwheel made locally. The 27 ft pitchshot wheel finally ceased to operate in the 1950's. Restoration work commissioned by the current owners and carried out by local craftsmen took 6 months and used 5 tons of elm and 2000 nuts and bolts.

They do a fantastic coffee cake according to John and the caramel slice is just yummy (says Karen!). They do have loads of seats where you can rest your weary bones which is a good point!

We got John a metal Land Rover for being our driver as he loves anything Land Rover/Range Rover as most people who know him know! It has pride of place on his shelves now.

Falconry UK - a small organisation that do so much for Falconry. We saw an amazing display of birds of prey flying around and even got to hold a Kestrel and an Owl. Everyone there was knew so much about the birds. It was nice sitting on the benches in the late afternoon sun watching these amazing birds flying around and swooping down for their treat.

Embsay and Bolton Railway - this was a real treat - a steam train ride through the Yorkshire countryside. Obviously the trains weren't new, but that added to the charm of the ride. I could quite happily have sat there in the train all day but John was keen to go. I thought he would've been more keen but the increased heat in the train probably didn't help. Once again there was steps laid on to help us 'old codgers' get on and off.

Woolly Sheep Inn - another good pub - did the best tasting 'Chicken and Bacon sandwich' according to John and their Poachers Chicken was very tasty too. It was a pub that seemed to go on forever backwards towards the Beer Garden.

All in all a very good holiday which we all enjoyed. When I win the lottery I know where I'm going. It feels like going home to be back amongst the Dales again and once you get amongst that countryside you feel instantly better and refreshed.

Keep your fingers crossed so that one day I will get my dream come true!