Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

....I'm on leave just now Ian and my doctor is signing me off in any case. Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to all that ail A lovely soft start to the day in The Moorlands....calories burnt on usual weekend circuit.... Now music by The Adventures.....Broken land Relatives from the south coast travelling to see Is today....I'm meeting them later to act as guide to her bedside Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

....I outlined our close shave with disaster yesterday to ward staff today Stewart and have asked for any hint of similar to result in an instant telephone call to her next of kin.....me. Dave

....emotionally motivated knee jerks describe it best for me Ian. If I'd known that the planned operation would be postponed twice this week I still couldn't have acted until the Thursday appointment with her oncologist/consultant, at which point the fully funded Fastrack care package was offered/accepted and the wheels put in motion. She has been in hospital for 3 weeks and is fed up....but coming home can't happen until the house is ready equipped for her. Thank you all for your support Dave

....I've attempted to ensure that immediate family know that each move now is putting Is at risk and that any transfer should only be done in the correct way, with the correct transport and staff on hand to nurse her. Random, emotional and desperate acts are not an option. Of course the expertise of her former colleagues is being dismissed by them. Dave

Mornin' all, The drama continues. I checked with Is's ward staff to see whether she had had her op around lunchtime yesterday and was told that she was fourth in line. I then had a call around 5pm from her sister to say that she was no longer having her op and was being discharged immediately complete with kidney bags/tubes and would I fetch her in the car. This sounded bizarre so I rang Is's friend Janet (recently retired from a senior role in hospital discharges/care packages), she started laughing and immediately attributed the chaos to aforementioned family members banging on desks and shouting at staff to get some action. She advised checking with the palliative care team first off cos Is's care package couldn't have been set up in a day. Sure enough this was the case and Is would have come home to a non equipped house in an unsuitable vehicle and would have had to have been taken straight back to the hospital. I then chatted to her ward staff who happily explained that the problem was due to family members attempting to short cut them and talk directly to doctors etc. She will now be discharged once her care package is in place and be taken to the hospital for her op from home once a slot/appointment is available. You really couldn't make it up Dave

....there have been occasions during our time together Dom when some of Is's family issues could have been addressed much more effectively and in short order by demonstrating a little more backbone. Instead, too many feelings/whims were pandered to, hence the current position. Dave

....I'm subtlely (mostly) attempting to maintain our choice of direction as a couple just now Dom, however, there are some family members standing in the way of being dealt with in a less subtle manner....should the need arise. Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to those that ail How she will always want to be remembered and where one twentieth of her ashes will be scattered to the four winds.....Is enjoying The Valley of the Rocks, North Devon around the time of our marriage in 2005 Is's choice of music to be played out to at her funeral is this A real lesson in varying perspectives going on around Is just now. When we got together in 2000 we instantly recognised the limited time available to us with a 22 year age gap and simply set about holidaying each other to death. Yes we had assumed another 10 years as reasonable to expect but in no way feel cheated with what we've been able to cram into 16 years. This acceptance and calm is viewed from within parts of Is's family as a failure to care sufficiently (Top Trump type being most upset means I care most mentality). The delay of 3/4 days to Is's surgery should apparently have caused me to start banging on doors and desks in the hospital whilst ranting & raving, until someone did something. Instead I calmly asked those demanding such action what they hoped to achieve by same, whilst I was sitting by Is's bedside. Is herself said it would make no difference to the hospital timetable and would just cause upset and ill feeling. Allowing several of Is's former work colleagues to organise care for her (they have spent their working lives organising such) and actually being a part of that care package was similarly going to be a great way of letting them show their regard for her. An informative scenario of human thought processes/emotional/rational/irrational behaviours. Dave

Aft'noon all, Is's prognosis is now 2-3 months. I arrived at the hospital at 07.30 today to ensure that I had opportunity to discuss her treatment timetable with her doctors....before going on to an appointment with her oncologist/consultant and finally the Douglas Macmillan care team. As soon as the stent operation is done and they're happy with her then she will be brought home. The care team are coming round to fit out the house with the necessary equipment for her care. Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to those that ail Another lovely start in The Moorlands but the cloud is starting to threaten. More calories burnt around the short anticlockwise. The garden at sunset last night.... A reminder of the grip which Is's condition has on her came yesterday.....after the bright weekend....with her needing assistance to sit up in bed and to get to the bathroom. She has so little strength.....I do wonder whether she will make it home. The stent implant might happen today....if she is up to it. Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Smashing blue sky start in The Moorlands.....a few calories burnt around the short anticlockwise.... Now music by The Scorpions.....wind of change Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

....she drew the line at the initial chemo Don. She now reserves the right to choose whether to have any more or not. Agreed, we have had the best visiting sessions so far over the last few days. Dave

....the Dave wasn't yellowish in colour was it Baz? Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to those that ail Blue sky warm fragrant kick off in The Moorlands. More calories burnt around the weekend circuit.... ....the canalside crane/hoist adj. the flint mill at Cheddleton is having its wooden boom/jib replaced with new..... Another 'on form' Is visit for the Wimborne family members yesterday (an hour this time) led them to question how poorly she actually is. The underlying ovarian, kidney & bone cancer not being treated with chemo leave no doubt as to the outcome but the daily undulations of how she feels appear to be controlled by the how well the kidney issues are being addressed. Surviving the rollercoaster is currently down to trying to understand/allow for the randomness of this cocktail. Breakfast in the garden again Feathered ones provided for Church duties beckon Enjoy what you do Dave

Congratulations Andy. Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to any that ail Overcast fragrant warm kick off in The Moorlands for the weekend circuit. Some parts of the route are seasonally enclosed by the rampant flora.... ....a particularly good year for the lilac in the garden....leaving the windows open now causes the whole house to be filled with the scent.... Now music by Kiki Dee....Loving & free Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

Evenin' all, Smashing tribute to Jock....well done Andy. The Wimborne relatives arrived safely and we spent a great half hour with an on form Is before heading back to the local Italian for the second successive day. Tomorrow I'm driving them to Sheffield for a trip down memory lane....with a special lunch en route. In the evening we'll be back at Is's bedside for another half hour. Her sickness is linked to her cancer so it may or may not be preventable. Either way we'll make the best of it. Lovely to watch an on form Andy Murray demolish the current French open champion....way to go Andy!! Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to those that ail Blue sky glorious good to be alive kick off in The Moorlands. A few beer calories burnt on the short anticlockwise..... Some further afield relatives arriving for a couple of days today.....a couple of short trips to Is on the cards with them. Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

Evenin' all, A real day of two halves. We took a birthday cake in to Is and she was able to join in some of the happy birthday singing....she even tried a little of the cake. However, based on today I'm not sure that she'll make it home. Then it was off to the local Italian with some of the family for a great meal before joining Col for a visit to his two favourite real ale houses in town. I'm just thankful for the beer or three that got me through the emotional rollercoaster. Thank you for the support all Rgds Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to all that ail Overcast & cool in The Moorlands.....birthday calorie burn around the short anticlockwise in anticipation of taking on a few later. Most suitable 50th image to hand just now is one from my misspent youth. Here No7 provides the accoustic entertainment in barely dry green paint whilst departing Exeter in June 1984 Now music by Big Country......Look away Mum, dad & aunt should arrive after lunch when we'll head for Is's bedside with a cake etc. Some time later it is off to our superb local Italian for a birthday tea, then a circuit of the real ale pubs in Leek with other friends. Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

....there is going to be some verbal from Is re a bed downstairs if she gets home....but having acceeded to each of her wishes so far I'm afraid that was one condition of my own. By having a bed downstairs she has the run of the house and isn't confined to a sick room upstairs. She could have a view of the flowers in the garden through the conservatory from that bed, can sit at the dining table in the conservatory for meals/on comfortable chairs to relax and may even get to sit on a sunlounger outside. Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to those that ail The Meerbrook scarecrow festival is in full swing....here are more characters seen on this mornings constitutional..... Is is weakening continually but is determined to come home. She is having a stent inserted into each kidney so that the tubes/bags can be removed. I'm about to bring the comfortable single bed downstairs cos she'll never survive the stairs.....even with home help. My 50th birthday tomorrow is going to be a sombre affair....the plan is to take mum & dad and an aunt to the hospital and spend a half hour with Is. Should be having a beer in town later in the day with some friends though. Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Best regards to all that ail Some atmospheric starts in The Moorlands just now... Is is poorly but relatively stable....not on pain relief yet. Will popping in for a half hour or so later. Feathered ones provided for Enjoy what you do

Hi Don, There are almost always Canada geese around Tittesworth. On occasions they can be seen in the fields too, apparently eating grass. Dave