Weigh In Wednesday wk 2

 

Week 2

lbs lost - 1lb

So not great. Its not been a good week all round really, health wise. I seem to be running a temp on and off and Oscar has been having cold symptoms again. He has also developed ulcers on his tongue which are making him cry every time he eats or drinks, hence the picture above. Sadly the ice-cream wasn't for me it was an attempt at tongue numbing. (we are seeing the Doc tomorrow)

We have had other things going on too which have been taking up our attention, for instance

If its still not clear, how about this?

 

I am not sure I will do much better next week because (Oscar's health permitting), Duncan and I are going on a date on Saturday night for the first time in 3 years.  And it will include food and it will include chardonnay. Good luck to you all joining in, I hope you are doing better than me.

Valerie

xxx

Yesterday

 

Yesterday I

Joined an online forum

Ordered a book called Happiness

Did a fake tan (just call me tango)

Made breakfast, lunch, dinner and many snacks

 

An Epiphany

After many months of writing this blog, I have come to the realisation that Monday's and I just don't mix well. I don't keep a journal offline so I don't have a direct time-line laid out behind me any place other then here. The funny thing was of course, while I sat in the middle of the toddler chaos I then realised that it was 'ok' it was just a Monday and we don't get along, and after that, it didn't feel so bad. I doubt I am cured though, so expect plenty of Monday moans in the future, but as for today, it was alright actually.

Day 2 broccoli soup (always tastier than day 1)

 

Accompanied by home made bread rolls *

 

And homemade cookies and milk for afternoon snack

 

A game or two with the cat

 

And painting - of course

 

*If you make bread roll mice, expect some resistance when its time to put them into the oven. Oscar said 'NO! they are too cute' I managed to persuade him they would be happy being dunked into broccoli soup ;) Recipe For Children's Bread Rolls

Valerie

xxx

Thankful For The Simple Things

Sometimes I feel like complaining is all I ever do, especially lately before we moved back to the city. I used to ask Duncan if I came across as a whiner, and he would always laugh and say no. I had a fairly sunny disposition as a youngster so I guess when I took on the responsibilities of a wife and a mother, I got quite a shock when the natural worries of keeping a home and raising children set in.  I think the most important thing to remember is to be thankful for all the little things, it helps put the bigger things into perspective.

So today I am thankful for

* An hours knitting time, when Oscar and Duncan took a trip out.

 

* Home made broccoli soup

* Cuddles in the morning

* The father and son bond in this house

 

 

 

* After 4 weeks - A washing line

 

 

* The return of the sun for a few days

* New yarn at great prices shop link

* The view from the lounge window

 

 

 

 

* Unexpected visitors

 

Of course I am still hanging out for a good nights sleep, now that I would be truly truly thankful for.

Valerie

xxx

 

 

Just An Average Boy

 

I suppose to other people, Oscar is just an average boy. His physical development is about average and to a stranger his mental development probably seems about average. With us of course he is much more vocal and expressive and he is always showing us the new things he can do. The cry of "look at me Mama" is often met with a heart stopping moment because he is a bit of a dare-devil. We think he is advanced for his age, and not average at all, quite special in fact. But don't all parents think that about their children? Well, no actually, they don't. I was reminded of that this week when I had an awkward telephone call with my health visitor.

A little while ago Oscar started having a small problem with his eyes, nothing major but all the same I wanted it checked. I telephoned my HV and left a message asking her to contact me. The HV called back and I explained the problem and she made a referral to the eye clinic for us. In passing, I mentioned we had never seen our HV, the lady I was talking to was a stand in.  I had to call again last week with our change of address and another HV called back this week to confirm it. A rather tense call then followed, asking if everything was alright with Oscar. This HV had seen a note on the file saying NEVER seen a HV since coming to this practise when Oscar was 4 months old.  Oscar's immunisations were done by the nurse practitioner. The HV laughed nervously and said "well you are obviously the type of mum to pick up the phone when there is a problem". I could pick up on her tension very easily and I know why.  Last year a man was sentenced for 10 years for the death of a 23 month old toddler.  They were living just around the corner from where I was living for 2 years and had not seen a HV.  I actually became a little bit mad after the call. They don't know me at all, what if I wasn't a good mother, what if Oscar was at risk of danger from me or his Dad. What if Oscar wasnt an 'average' little boy at all, what if he was suffering in our hands, or was not developing normally and was being neglected.  The call ended with a high pitched "if there are any problems or anything you need to talk to us about, please call right away". What if I wasn't able to identify a possible problem, lots of parents don't know what they are meant to be looking for. Oscar has only just started playgroup, before this we were fairly insular, who would notice if things were going wrong.

My heart goes out to baby Brandon Muir, I hope that no other children are in danger the way he was. ( FULL STORY)

 

My average boy

 

 

Valerie

xxx

Blogroll

I am afraid I am a late developer when it comes to blogging and that includes reading them and writing this one. Before blogging I frequented a lifestyle/mummy forum, and I was a member there for a year or so.  I was able to chat about pregnancy, birth, co-sleeping, bottle v's breast, bereavement, PND and the issues of being a (stay at home), Mama on the forums, and it was really good to have other people to relate to. When someone I 'chatted to' linked to her blog, it was the first time I went and looked at a blog. I had no idea there were so many types of blogs out there. My husband is a designer so I was vaguely aware of the design/professional blogs he was reading and that was about it. Now almost a year later since I started reading blogs, I don't have time to frequent the forum, but that's ok, because I have found some lovely inspirational blog sites to visit instead.  As a wee tribute to my last year of blog reading, here are some links to my favorite bloggers (in no particular order). There are a few more in my bookmarks, but some I couldn't find email addresses for, some didn't post regularly and some have stopped completely (RIP Twig And Toadstool).

 

A thrifty Mrs, found HERE A nice blog about thrifting, saving money, fashion, interior decor and vintage living. Mrs Thrifty lives in England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Barefoot Crofter, found HERE. Jacqui is a wife, mother, grandmother, crafter, photographer, knitter, and all round lovely lady living a crofting life on The Isle Of Lewis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bleubird Vintage found HERE , belongs to James (female), who is a Mama and a wife, who runs a vintage shop, and has a vintage styled home, and lives in Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lazy Seamstress, can be found HERE, and is written by the lovely Jeanette. Jeanette is a wife and a mother and is amazing on the sewing machine, not to mention fabric design and baby clothes and sling designer. Jeanette's blog started as a sewing blog, but has become so much more. Jeanette lives in England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metropolitan Mum can be found HERE and is written by Deborah. Deborah or MetMum as she is often called, is a wife and a mother and writes about being a mummy, fashion, interior design, and life in the Capitol. MetMum has also written a book and is looking for a publisher right now, she lives in London England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slugs On The Refrigerator can be found HERE and is written by Kat, a wife and mother who moved to the UK many years ago and is originally from Iowa. Kat takes amazing photographs of her gorgeous children and writes about life as a stay at home Mama, yarn, spinning, knitting and crochet  (with the odd juicy recipe thrown in). Kat lives in Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Va Voom Vintage can be found HERE, and is written by the lovely Brittany. Brittany is a wife and a mother, in the true and lovely old fashioned way. Brittany has some amazing tutorials, fashion shoots and tips for thrifting on her blog. Brittany lives in Missouri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vintage Wife can be found HERE and is written by Cedar. Cedar is a wife and a mother who has blogged about living vintage for quite a while and has become a mama this year and is now sharing her experiences of motherhood. There are also some great recipes and household tips on Cedars blog. Cedar lives in San Diego.

 

 

 

 

Updated : Polly was on holiday :)

Pixie Mama can be found HERE and is written by Polly. Polly is a wife and a mother, a thrifter, a fashion enthusiast and all round creative person. Polly lives in England.

So there you go, some of my favorite ladies. There were a couple of other people on my list however they didn't email me back with permission to link to them.

Please visit the blogs listed here and share the bloggy love around.

Valerie

xxx

 

Weigh In Wednesday wk 1

 

Week 1

Lbs lost - 2

So, a slow start then, but at least something has come off. I would say I had been 'good' but not super good. I know from past experience though that sometimes nothing comes off then 4 to 6 lbs can come off at once, so its in for the long haul.

This weeks recipe(s) is for cake. Oscar loves to make cupcakes, its something we do fairly often (and you wondered why I was a wee fatty?). I know the simplest solution is to make them and not eat them, but that's a tall order is it not, besides, healthier treats for all the family are the way to go. I don't really believe in one person in the house half starving themselves and everyone else eating unhealthily. Years of experience have taught me that silly diets or total restriction just does not work. Family healthy eating is the key.

I found a few 'low fat/low calorie' cupcake recipes. Some looked promising and some looked just as unhealthy, (making me wonder what the authors unhealthy cupcakes contained). Here are 3 recipies which looked not too bad. The cook time is pretty much the same for every type of cupcake 15 minutes (ish) in a hot (ish) oven, which is about 180 or 340.

Ingred : 3 Eggs

                        0.5 cup sugar

                        pinch salt

                        0.5 cup cornflour

                        2 tbsp flour

                        1 tsp baking powder

method : Separate eggs, beat whites and salt until stiff. Slowly beat in sugar. Add egg yolks, beat until blended. Sift cornflour , flour and baking powder and fold into the mix. Spoon into cases.

 

Ingred : 180g low fat spread

                        3 eggs

                        100g granulated sugar (silver spoon half sugar)

                        100g self raising flour

Method : Beat the spread and sugar together until pale. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time with a tablespoon of flour. When smooth fold in the remaining flour. Divide into cases.

 

Ingred : 3 eggs

                       120g low fat spread

                       120g sugar

                       160g self raising flour

                       1 tsp baking powder

Method : Cream the sugar and the spread together until pale, sift it the flour and baking powder. Spoon into cases.

 

 

 

These we made using recipe no 2. Cooking with a 2 year old is always a challenge, and with cakes I tend to throw everything into the blender and whiz. The mix was quite runny and spooning it into the tray was very messy, but not impossible. They tasted not bad, just a tad on the eggy side, which I may fix by adding more flour next time. Obviously icing would be overkill (weight watching wise) so we dusted with chocolate powder and popped a posh pearl in the middle.  I would make this recipe again, but like I said, I think 100g of flour just isnt enough.

 p.s. cupcakes is the American name for them, here in Scotland we normally call them fairy cakes. Somehow, low fat fairy cakes seemed to conjure up the wrong image.

 

source

Valerie

xxx

Savings And Investment

So what type of mama are you? Are you an exclusive breast-feeder, co-sleeper, sling wearing, home schooler, eco, vegi, natural super-mum? If you are, I see your point, I know what you are striving for, I just cant walk that path. 

Two types of surgery on my breasts make/made it almost impossible for me to breastfeed, although I did try unsuccessfully with baby number 2.

We co-sleep with Oscar about 50/50 but its through necessity as much as choice, don't get me wrong though I do love my snuggles.

I have degenerative disc disease, which has meant wearing a sling was 100% out, although I have bought 2 just to try.

I find being at home all day very lonely and although I am dreading the day my baby leaves me for nursery full time (or school), deep down I know it will be good for both of us.

I try to limit the amount of chemicals we use (I make my own washing powder, window cleaner etc), but we are terrible at recycling rubbish, and I am a consumer (no point denying it).

I actually enjoy vegetarian cooking and we always have a few nights a week meat free, but I will probably never give up meat completely (unless they put a government health warning on it).

And a natural mama? no hair dye, no perfume, no synthetic clothes or furnishing, or no plastic or synthetic toys? Were you wondering why Noddy's Car is at the top of the page? I am saving up for THIS for Oscar's Christmas. Yes maybe I should be saving for him in other ways, and investing in his future without monetary value, but like I said I just cant walk that path. Do I feel guilty about it? Why else would this post even occur to me. The truth is though, I am doing my best, and I restrict the TV time, I limit the treats, I try and knit and sew him things with the best natural materials I can afford. I do shop 2nd hand if possible. I never give him ready meals, I cut out the salt and reduce the sugar. I give him all the love a child could ever need. I hope that by giving him myself, he might remember the Noddy Car he had as a child, but he will remember the love and attention he had more.

 

Valerie

xxx

A Day Like Today

 

Sometimes there is no reason for it, tiredness perhaps, or more likely long term tiredness, or long term stress, nothing specific just the usual worries everyone has.  A friend I don't see very often called in for tea and chat this morning and it was lovely, so when the afternoon slumped into grumpiness and tiredness and general malady it was unexpected and yet not.  It happens a lot, Oscar was up early this morning and we were up late last night (painting the lounge doors after he was asleep). When we are all tired with no one to keep the energy going, its a difficult afternoon.

 

 

 

We went in and out to the garden a lot, trying to avoid the showers but make the most of the sunshine, that always helps.

 

 

Oscar even found a slug to poke a stick at, but in the end, he squashed it (should I be worried or is that normal?).

 

 

I did what I always do though, changed nappies (again and again), made lunch, made snacks, picked up pine cones, crayons and chalks (over and over), supplied endless amounts of drinks, put wellies on, took wellies off (all afternoon), found some Pingu, read some stories, made dinner, got tearful because I forgot Daddy was going out again after dinner, got Oscar to bed, planned some TV and some knitting and read some blogs. Its not all that bad really, its just what it is, a day like today.

 

 

Valerie

xxx

Cancer

If you read some of the same blogs as me, you may have seen THIS blog post over on Mums The Word. I always find things related to cancer quite difficult these days since losing my Dad in January 2009, just 3 weeks before my little boy was born. The thing is, although my Dad had cancer, and it is probably what caused his death, it is a bit more complicated than that. No one outside the 7 of us who were at his side will ever really understand the impact of what transpired over those 5 days awful days back in January 2009.  Sometimes though, I want people to know what happened so that if they ever find themselves in the same situation they may have a moment of clarity, and say STOP. I often wonder if we could have done more for my Dad, but at the time, things were so confusing and for my own part, I was very heavily pregnant and struggling with my own health.

You will find below, a copy of the complaint letter I submitted to the hospital trust. I wrote the letter on behalf of my mother who was obviously my Dad's next of kin. My mother was unable to write about it herself, although she desperately wanted someone to 'DO' something.

If you read further, you may find some of the details in this letter upsetting. I don't want to damage the NHS, I want it to get better. I believe in free health care for everyone, I believe that more should be done to help get our ailing system off its backside, I believe my beloved Dad was entitled to better care than he received.

 

 

Complaints Manager
Complaints Team
xxxxxxxxx Hospital
xxxxxx
xxx xxx


Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Thomas xxxxxx (DoB xx/xx/1947)

My father, Thomas xxxxxx, passed away on 8 January 2009 in Ward 12 at xxxxxxxxx Hospital. I find I can’t begin to come to terms with his death because of the many issues surrounding his care in Wards 8 and 12 prior to his death. Although it’s too late to help my father my family and I would not wish another family be put through the same trauma and distress that we have suffered and are still suffering, and I hope by writing this letter the failings in his care will be acknowledged and acted upon.

WARD 8

On 16 October 2008 Dad underwent surgery for what he had been told were two hernias. Post surgery he was informed there had been a problem with the bowel, which had attached to the pubic bone, possibly the result of adhesions acquired after the radiotherapy he had received 15 years previously.

There was an improvement in Dad’s postoperative recovery over the first few days but then he began to vomit, his overall condition declined and it was found that he had “acquired” an infection in the wound. The surgeon instructed that dressings be changed twice a day but discrepancies in the care of the wound arose when the senior nurse (Fiona) told Dad that while some of the nursing staff felt that the wound should be dressed twice a day, others felt that once a day was sufficient. She said that the difference of opinion was because of the “wetness” of the wound and the problems in healing if it was washed out too often. At this stage Dad was very upset by these inconsistencies in his care and in the unprofessional manner of the staff, all of which made him feel confused and very vulnerable.

To add to the difficult situation Dad found himself in, he then had to witness the obvious distaste of some of the nurses who openly showed that they found the wound very difficult to dress, causing him to feel “dirty” and distressed. On one occasion, after having a shower, he was asked to place a pad over the wound and wait with a towel covering him so that his dressing could be done. While still holding the pad to his wound he waited for 4 hours and asked several times for assistance from the nursing staff. The senior nurse (Fiona) was sitting at the nursing station reading a magazine, and said that she would get the next shift to see to it. Again Dad felt let down by the lack of professionalism of the staff at a time when he was in great need of care and assistance.

It was decided that a VAC pump should be fitted to help the wound heal and this took several days to arrange. Meanwhile a doctor informed Dad and my mother, that the follow up care for the cancer could not be arranged until the wound had healed. Until this point no one had informed us that cancer was present, or had been removed during surgery.

The VAC pump arrived but Dad’s discharge from hospital depended on his General Practice being prepared to fund it. The funding was granted but none of the staff in the Practice had been trained in its use therefore he had to journey to xxxxxxxxx every 2 – 3 days to have the pump canister changed. This was an added worry as he had a very deep, open wound and was on strong medication to control the pain, and therefore not in any position to be travelling to xxxxxxxxx for treatment.

The VAC pump developed problems several times and in desperation Dad telephoned the people who supplied the equipment to ask advice. The woman who manned the telephone help line could hear from the sound it was making that the pump was not running correctly. She asked Dad to run through the procedure that the nurses at xxxxxxxxx used to change it and it became apparent that they had been fitting it incorrectly, causing it to strain hard and run out of battery power too soon, thus producing blockages. Inevitably, this had resulted in Dad having to make more trips to hospital than was necessary.

On one of the occasions the pump was causing problems he became very anxious to relieve the situation and telephoned Ward 8 to say he could be there in 30 minutes to have the pump changed. However, the nurse told him to leave it for an hour as the staff tea breaks were in progress. Again, he felt very upset and vulnerable, and when he finally arrived at the ward the staff kept him waiting a further 1½ hours before he was seen. They even had a patient get out of bed to make way for Dad as they said there was nowhere else available to deal with his wound.

Before Christmas Dad and Mum were seen by Dr xxxxxxx, the cancer specialist. She told them she was confident all of the cancer had been removed and that chemotherapy would be commenced as a “mop up” to eradicate any microscopic traces. When they left her office she placed her hand on Dad’s shoulder and said, “Well, we gave you 15 years since the last time, let’s try and give you another 15”.

On Sunday 28th December the pain was so severe my  brother in law drove Dad to an out of hours doctor who said that he didn’t want to step into Dad’s care and advised him to go to hospital, which he did. After assessment by several doctors he was given Diclofenac. One of the doctors read Dad’s hospital notes and informed him that the bone scan carried out prior to Christmas had been clear of cancer. This news was welcome. The first session of chemotherapy was given overnight on 29/30th Decemberin xxxxxxxxx.
By Sunday, 4th January Dad was at home and had lost the feeling in his left leg. The district nurses who called daily were concerned enough to call in a GP, who advised Dad to go to hospital. As he was due to have the second chemotherapy session the following day he asked if he could stay at home until then. The GP agreed, however the district nurses called in later in the day and advised that the condition of Dad’s leg was deteriorating and he should go to hospital. He did so.

WARD 12

After the admission procedure to Ward 12 a doctor told Dad that he had developed a thrombosis and his leg would have to be removed. The doctor went on to say that Dad still had cancer (not what Dr xxxxxxx had told Dad, and contradicting the bone scan). The doctor then asked to talk to my sister and my mother to explain what was happening. He repeated his statement that Dad still had cancer and said there was a balloon procedure that could be done in an attempt to unblock the thrombosis, however there was not a high chance of it being successful. They decided they would go ahead with it as Dad by now was too weak for surgery. When my sister asked how the leg could be amputated if he was too weak for surgery the doctor said that the leg couldn’t be removed – in spite of the fact that he had just told Dad that the leg had to be removed. They asked what would happen if the leg wasn’t removed and the doctor said they would “make him comfortable”.

On Monday, 5th January, my Mother tried to contact Dr xxxxxxx to clarify the situation regarding the return of the cancer but Dr xxxxxxx was not available. However, her colleague called her back and said that Dr xxxxxxx “could not recall” telling Dad and Mum that she was “confident that all of the cancer had been removed”, or using the term “mop-up”. This caused a great deal of distress for Dad and my Mother as they were very clear on what they had been told that day.

When my sister and I visited our father he was still under the impression that his leg was to be removed and we had to read his nursing notes to him to explain that the balloon procedure was booked in for 2 pm that day, he was still distressed at the thought of having his leg removed that afternoon. The balloon procedure went ahead. In the early evening we were informed it had been unsuccessful.

A doctor from Oncology came to tell us that there appeared to have been “a mix up” and that the cancer had not returned – this was less than 24 hours after being told that it had. The doctor said that the chemotherapy was a follow-up (an essential one) and the leg would have to be removed prior to the chemotherapy. We asked him to repeat this so that we were all clear, which he did.

Another doctor (presumably cardiovascular) then came to see Dad and asked if he could examine him. The doctor asked when the surgery had been carried out to remove the hernia and the cancer, and Dad told him that this operation had been done on 16th October. The doctor remarked that Dad was a remarkable healer and that the wound had healed well. My sister who was standing next to the bed, pointed out that the doctor was examining an old scar – from the removal of his bladder 2 years previously! The more recent wound was covered by a dressing. Is it possible that a consultant can mistake a 2 year old scar for a 3 month old scar?

On Tuesday, 6th January Dad’s condition visibly declined and we were informed he was running a temperature, possibly a sign of infection. It was decided he should have a scan to try to pinpoint the problem as the leg amputation could not go ahead in his current condition. The scan revealed that the bowel (the point at which the cancer had been removed) had tracked to the unhealed wound, effectively creating a channel between the bowel and the wound, causing faecal matter to seep into the wound. The doctor said that the good news was that there were no abscesses or pus pockets, which might have been expected due to the toxicity.

By evening it was decided that Dad be given a triple cocktail of antibiotics and that a stoma nurse would fit a stoma bag to the site to collect the matter, though we were not given a clear time scale for this. Prior to receiving the antibiotics a doctor asked Dad if he could get out of bed so that he could be weighed for a medication dose assessment. However, Dad was highly medicated, still in acute pain due to his wound and had no sensation from the groin down on the left side – certainly in no position to get out of bed.

On Wednesday, 7th January my sisters arrived at Ward 12 to find our father slumped down in bed and unclean, with matter seeping through the bedclothes. They asked several times for a nurse to come but no one came and my sisters were distraught at the dreadful condition our father had been left in. A nurse from the afternoon shift came on duty and was appalled. She apologised for her colleagues, expressing regret at the neglect Dad had suffered at the hands of the nursing staff. When Dad had been cleaned and made more comfortable she explained that there was nothing more they could do for him and that he was to be given palliative care. This was a huge shock as we had been led to believe his treatment was still aggressive. Mum was asked to agree to non-resuscitation if the situation arose but felt she could not do this. The doctor spoke to Dad, who apparently agreed to no aggressive or heroic measures, however no witness from the family was present to verify this

A few hours later the nurse returned and said that things were not as bleak as first thought and it appeared that palliative care was not being planned. A doctor then informed us that Dad was being moved to Ward 22 where they would try to correct the tummy/bowel problems. He could not stay in Ward 12 as this was a vascular ward and the leg was not a priority until the tummy issues were resolved.

My brother and Mother were with Dad when another doctor came into the room and said that he was to go to Ward 22 because he still had cancer. Mum said that he did NOT still have cancer, it had been removed, but the doctor seemed unable to grasp what she was saying. He asked a junior doctor to look through the medical notes again, and the junior doctor asked if he should check the computer system for the results. This was rejected. Mum kept trying to tell the doctor what had happened over the last 2 months but the doctor seemed totally confused. Mum turned to the junior doctor and asked if she was explaining it badly and did he understand what she was trying to express to them (Dad had had cancer which was now gone but needing chemotherapy follow-up), He said that she was explaining it fine and HE understood her perfectly. This was around 8 pm.

Dad’s belongings had been packed up when the nurse, the same nurse who dealt with his personal care, came in and stopped the move. She asked the on-call doctor to see Dad and the doctor agreed that his condition had deteriorated. By now it was around 9 pm.

The oncology doctor came to see Dad and explained there was no treatment for the tummy/bowel problems. I said that we had been told that Dad was being transferred to Ward 22 for treatment. The doctor said he didn’t know what this treatment could be because there was nothing they could do for him. This was when we were finally informed that Dad was not going to survive. The nurse said that they would increase his morphine to ensure he was pain-free. They continued with the morphine and Paracetamol throughout the night and removed his oxygen mask so we could see his face.

A few hours before Dad died a junior doctor looked in and decided his breathing was shallow and put the oxygen mask back on. My family and I were extremely distressed. A nurse came in and removed it again, explaining there was no beneficial reason for it at this end stage and that the doctor should never have put it back on.

On the afternoon of Thursday 8th January my Father passed away. The recorded causes of death were
NECROTISING FASCIITIS
COLO – CUTANEOUS FISTULA
LOCALLY ADVANCED RECURRENT BLADDER CANCER
PRIMARY BLADDER CANCER
The first cause of death on the certificate was necrotising fasciitis – which had never at any point in Dad’s care been mentioned to him or to the family. We would like to know how long he had been suffering from this condition and what preventive methods had been in place and what treatment had been administered for this.

Overall, we feel that the treatment and care Dad received in xxxxxxxxx Hospital during his last months was far below that which we would have expected from a hospital with the resources of xxxxxxxxx. We would hope that this case could be investigated vigorously and all shortcomings rectified so this unfortunate situation will not be inflicted upon any other patient and their family.

I will be waiting to hear from you in the near future regarding your findings and any action you have taken or plan to take to prevent this terrible situation recurring.

Yours sincerely

 

 

Valerie

xxx

Hair-raising images

  

If you read my blog last SUNDAY you will know that I am in the market for some changes. I have already started my weigh-loss plan (see Wednesdays post), and continuing on I have booked myself a hair consultation for today with a view to getting a new style and maybe colour done on Saturday. So here I am in the picture above, its actually from last year but I haven't changed much or at all which is sort of the problem. 

Not having a single clue about what I want done to my hair I decided to look for some inspiration out on the web.

 

And actually, there are some pretty nice styles to look at, and age appropriate. I am not saying I am ready to be put out to pasture yet, but being totally honest I cant get away with the same at 41 as I did at 21.

The problem is of course, how do you know what will suit your face.? Well, my browsing eventually led to the Marie Claire website, and blow (dry) me if they don't have a virtual hair salon. Excellent, I thought I can see what looks good with my face shape (chubby I think you call it, but I'm working on that). First you have to upload a photo, then you can pick a style to 'try on'. After only a few seconds, you are then privy to possibly the scariest selection of photo's on the web. Want to see what I mean?

Well there was this .............

 

 

 

 

Or this ...................

 

   

 

Or even this .........................

 

 

And finally, before I could stand no more, this ..................

 

 

Now, I know I may not be a beauty queen, but I think they really need to work a bit more on their software, because squashing your features onto someone else's face shape just doesn't give you any idea how a hairstyle will look on you. If you look again you can see how variable my chin shape is from one picture to the other.  A few of them don't even look human!!! They remind me of a dolly who has been left out in the rain, know what I mean?  I am now a bit worried about getting my hair done, what the heck am I going to come out like?

Just in case you want to have a go here is the link

Marie Claire

And don't forget to show me your ET photo's so I know its not just my face.

Valerie

xxx