Queen Elizabeth

 Today we received the news that our much loved, admired and respected Queen Elizabeth had passed away. 

Her family will grieve, but they must be so thankful that she had lived a full and long life.

I so value the card sent to us for our 60th Wedding anniversary, this was the photo on that card.

This is how so many will remember her, gracious, smiling, our Queen .

Quotation of the day, from the Queen's  21st birthday broadcast, 

 from Cape Town, South Africa, 21st April 1947.

" I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, 

shall be devoted to your service

 and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong "

Something New

 The  last week was a short holiday, just 3 days, all meals provided and excellent care every hour of the day and night,

Thursday I had angina again, after months of no episodes, then Friday, at the supermarket ( One cheery Doctor suggested it might be the price of food that brought it on)!!! So had to resort to the sublingual spray right there, find a chair, leave Hugh to struggle with the 2 trolleys full  !!!  Home, and further pain,  and rapid heart beat.Off in the green and yellow courtesy car, with two lovely ambulance officers taking great care of me.

Two nights in ED, it was so crowded, all staff run off their feet,  and seen by various staff, doctors, blood taken, and the X-Ray machine brought into the cubicle. New tablets, and home on Sunday. The care I was given, as was the same to  all the others, was outstanding. My thanks in huge amounts to all in the ED at Whanganui Hospital.

The quilting has taken a back seat lately, and I thought a new project ( not that I don't have so many to finish) might tempt some enthusiasm.I have a little booklet a friend made years ago, and with a stationery voucher, managed to find some card, paper, and today some linen thread.

The inside papers, that will be sorted into sections of   12 pages with assorted colours , all A5 size, so one A4 sheet will do  2 double pages. I have a super duper guillotine to cut them accurately.

Then the outer cover papers, slightly heavier weight.

Then the binding, I struggled to find the same method on Google, but finally found it at veterokforbooks, a lovely lady in Finland, and a handy tutorial and diagram for threading the sections.

Here you can see the different coloured pages, and the darker grey covers.

So wish me luck, I hope this  ends up like the elephant motto.

Quotation of the day,  slightly edited  for publication. 

from the same friend who sent me the above words,

" Be careful whose toes you tread on today, 

they might belong to your boss tomorrow"

Greetings from Jean

The Finishing Line. !!!

 At last I can focus on my laptop, and see letters more clearly. New glasses  left side lenses will make this even better in about 6 weeks.

Thursday began with a very early breakfast, who wants to eat Sultana Bran and have a smidgen of coffee at 6.a.m.? It was a very wet windy start, and we decided to leave home at 6.45 a.m. giving plenty of time in case of road problems.  Just one lot of road works , so we arrived before the 7.30 scheduled time. 

Into the Day Surgery Unit, all particulars taken, and into the room with the Lazyboy chairs, red non slip socks, a blue   hairnet, and of all colours, a yellow plastic cape with long sleeves.  This goes on over your own clothes. By this time the eye drops had really worked and everything  was a blur.

The lovely surgeon visited each of us in turn as we waited.  Next thing, I was wheeled off into the theatre. An additional 5 theatre staff I think, position your head on the rest, get it fastened tightly so you cannot move,  and a tube with oxygen and air under the blanket, blood pressure cuff and oxygen meter on one finger. Then the anaesthetic drops started. A second lot, then some pain.By this time I should have not been able to feel anything.More drops, I could feel them on my eye.Then another type, 2 lots, and total numbness!!

My surgeon talked quietly as she said what was happening, a small slit, then a hum, then a bit later, " That's half the cataract out " . Did I mention that she is from Spokane, Washington ?? We were all so fortunate to be seen by her before an  extended leave to see family. A little later, with some water dropped in, more humming,  and looking at the light all the time, orange and yellow blur,  I was ready for the new lens to be implanted. 

I didn't know that the lens had little "wings" guess there is a proper technical term for the side pieces, and each eye has to be measured in width, height and also depth before the lens is made.

The cut had to be sealed, then all done. The theatre table was titled, so it sat me up.Warm blanket, back to recover with coffee and biscuits.

Lots of instructions, and home with 2 lots of drops.  No bending, no sleeping on that side, no lifting anything heavy , so I have abandoned our bed and am sleeping on the sofa in the lounge, where I cannot turn onto my left side. Even our cat Boris knows something is strange, 

Friday, I returned to the Opthalmology Clinic to have my eye checked, and behold!! The pressure is too high, so another type of drop for 3 days.

NOW, I am only the second person in 18 years that my surgeon said that type of local anaesthetic didn't work.How odd is that!!! So if I need anything else in either eye, Lidocaine is the #1 and only choice. 

Next check up in 4 to 6 weeks, by which time I should have my full driver's Licence posted to me.

New left lenses in both distance and reading glasses in 6 weeks, then Hooray, I will be back to sewing again.

Whanganui Hospital, your Day Theatre staff , from the front door and all others, are all truly wonderful, so caring, For those in the theatre that I did not see, a huge thank you. 

Quotation of the day, author unknown

 " You do not miss the  water until the well runs dry" 

Greetings from Jean.

I leapt over the penultimate hurdle!!!

 Hi Folks, I am not sure what happens in other countries, but in New Zealand when you turn 80, you have to have a medical examination,  every two years, an eye test, and at our surgery, also a cognitive, memory and recognition test.

So today was the day. It began with me being given a name and address, yes, it was here in NZ, repeat 3 times, and remember it after about 15 minutes.

Then draw a clock and the time at 5.10. Identify 6 road traffic signs. Name the day, date month and year.

Then list as many animals as you can in one minute.  I astounded both the practice nurse and our GP with some weird and wonderful overseas animals ,.  Needless to say, after the minute was over, I remembered  a lot more.

But I passed 30/30. Hooray!!!

Blood pressure, weight, and all good for the next part of the process, off to the local Automobile Association for a photo that is put onto your licence card. I was issued a temporary paper one.

Then the ultimate part of this journey, second cataract surgery on Thursday.After that,  a few weeks healing time, there should be no stopping me with photography, at the moment I struggle to focus the lens correctly.Quilting, I am hoping all the seams will line up effortlessly.Well, maybe that is hoping for a bit too much.

So no photos today, but  belated best wishes for  all USA 4th July Celebrations.And more for those friends in Canada for 1st July.

Quotation of the day. author unknown

" Celebrate today, as tomorrow it will be left behind 

and a new day will be dawning"

Greetings from Jean,.

30th June, 1997, and 25 years later

 Thanks to you all for the love and care and words. I am improving at long last, and by next Thursday should be good for a half hour cataract surgery.

Today is our Grandson's birthday, , born on a very wet, stormy, ferociously windy day.

Today is sunny and warm after a cool start.

Moving right along to the last few years, Victoria University, Bachelor of Science,  then  a Master of Science with First Class Honours, employed with WSP in Wellington, and enjoying the mountains, rivers, and treks up to the snow.

Hoping you have a wonderful day.Josh, we are so proud of you and it is an honour to be called Nanny and Poppa.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

" The memories we have with our family are everything"

Greetings from Jean

When a Shingle is not Shingles

 Firstly, thank you all so much for your lovely comments, caring words  and prayers.

The weeks have passed, and the pain increased.No new blisters, in fact, not one single blister.

So  late last Tuesday evening, I gathered my usual hospital gear, including the large  crossword puzzle book. Crawled, well, walked with great difficulty to Hugh and said " Ring the ambulance" The wonderful men in green arrived, gave me what they call the " Green Whistle" , a  combination of Methoxyflurane, in a volatile liquid for inhalation. Hold your lips to the tube top, breathe in, then out.Several times, and I felt able to walk with a trusty man either side.

Back to the ED, more blood tests, ECG's, X-Rays, and that wonderful IV pain relief.

The same Doctor saw me , and he said there  was no appearance of a shingles rash. 

Lots of painful examinations, and the conclusion, Costochondritis, inflammation of the rib cartilage

Home the next morning, with more pain relief, and a determination  not to try and make Roman Blinds by leaning over the fabric on the floor for 3 days in a row. And this could last, maybe another 2 weeks. So if my comments are scarce or non-existent, I will, for sure,  have eagerly read all your news.

 There is nothing exciting to write about, or even a single photo to show.Life continues, at a slower pace, the fire is lit, a friend stacked enough firewood for a week on the verandah, and TV is on, we have been watching the Queen's Jubilee Celebrations.

Quotation of the day, from William Arthur Ward,

" The pessimist complains about the wind; The optimist expects it to change;

The realist adjusts the sails . "

Greetings from Jean

X-Rays and CT Scans

 The last week has seen me laid low, intense pain in my ribs and round the back at armpit level. Finally after one day and night of it overtaking anything I had before, rang the trusty ambulance crew. They were in total agreement, off to hospital, after putting in an IV line, and dosing me up with Fentanyl and anti nausea meds. Blood pressure was too high,  but not because of any heart trouble.

Admitted overnight after a chest X-Ray,  more pain relief that only just reduced it a  little, Monday morning,  thought I would be on my way home, then an unexpected  sentence, " You are off for a CT scan", thought it would just be for my kidneys, but when the DR came back, said he was very relieved to tell me the Aorta was fine,, no ballooning and diameter was normal also my kidneys were good as well.P hew, what a relief, as in the scanner, I thought it was targeting more than kidney level, back and forth, hold your breath, breath normally lots of times,  maybe they didn't want to tell me until the results came in. 

The diagnosis as this moment is that I have shingles., the DR could see one 

" vesicle'  and today maybe  there are 2 more..

So if I don't leave any comments, it isn't that I haven't read and kept up with all your news, just too painful to use my right hand and arm .

And as I think no post is OK without at least one photo, here is the Begonia keeping Moxy's grave company.

Quotation of the day from J M Barrie

" Not in doing what you like,

but in liking what you do

is the secret to happiness" 

Greetings from Jean.