Busy and critical few days, starting on Tuesday (as far as we are concerned), when it was not too cold, though there was some rain in the afternoon. I was writing this at 11.20pm, when Oliver was just arriving at Anndale Court with David and Amy. He left Gatwick about midday.
Dot and I went to the Archant Christmas meal at the Town House at lunchtime. Very good food, and reasonable too. Eighteen of us. Sat with Robin and Shelagh. Tricia didn’t make it: quite ill with high blood pressure etc. Ex-colleague Duncan Jeffery was there. Still lives in Earls Court: had been until recently working on publicity at Windsor Castle. On returning home, we watched the skipman manoeuvre skip on to lorry without proper equipment – very impressive. I lay down in the afternoon and Dot bought a few presents at Riverside. Felt very tired. Watched TV in evening: last episode on Julius Caesar (good), and first of new series of Vigil (also good).
Wednesday was very damp and grey, but we had to get out in it, because there was a lot of charity sugar to be picked up from schools. I woke early and had a bath while Dot stirred. I then walked to the post office and bought some stamps, then walked up to Revelation to buy Christmas cards, but they didn’t open till 10am. Walked down to Cathedral shop, but nothing worth having there; so walked back up to Revelation and bought cards there, despite very poor selection. Walked home and felt very tired, but had recovered by 1.30, after lunch, when we left to drive to Saxlingham to pick up the first lot of charity sugar. The head there had forgotten to fetch the sugar from his other school, Tasburgh; so we drove there, where the secretary was very helpful and gave us a hand. Sugar is quite heavy.
Then on to Brooke, where there was a huge amount from Brooke and Hempnall; we were given a trolley to get it out to the car. Fortunately that worked very well. Weather was miserable, though. On to Anne and Philip’s , where we had tea and mince pies: Philip was surprisingly with it, though of course pessimistic as always. From there we drove to Helen and Chris’s, negotiating two closed roads (tight turns) and deposited all the sugar on a trailer with assistance from Chris. Then back home around 4.30 and I cooked salmon for supper. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel too bad. Not well enough to go to Carrow Road, though; so Dot went on her own, all wrapped up and with her green beret. And Norwich beat Sheff Wed 3-1. Saw Freddie outside looking very pleased. He’s doing well. Meanwhile some idiot had parked a huge van across our drive, just when I needed to get up early to get to hospital in the morning.
Thursday was drier and chilly: bright at times. Had a bad night, as did Dot, but the day turned out quite well. The van was moved about 8am. I had a pre-op with a Swedish-Hungarian nurse called Szilvia, who was reluctant to give the go-ahead because of my recent TIA and high blood pressure. As we reached the car park she rang and said she had arranged an appointment with an anaesthetist at 5pm. So we went back at 5pm, and the anaesthetist was really good, giving me the results of my CAT scan for the first time: there was nothing alarming there. She was also annoyed that my op had been fixed for a Saturday, when apparently they employ locums. She was concerned at the risk of a stroke during the operation and not enough support to deal with it. So the op has been postponed, and I have to get my GP to sort out my medication quickly.
After speaking to her, I’m sure this is the right decision. Earlier I hadn’t been feeling too well but had bought some presents online. Bridget came to clean, and we had a cup of tea with her before going to see the anaesthetist. After supper watched the last couple of episodes of The Couple Next Door, which was on Channel 4 and really poor: ridiculous storyline, bad acting, bad direction, terrible script. Why did I want to see how it ended?
Friday was brighter and maybe a little less cold. Had a bath, then we drove to Catfield (after filling up with petrol) and loaded car up with sugar again, with help from Natalie (head) and two assistants. Paul rang as we left, and got in way of phone call from doctor in response to my e-consult message that morning (prompted by anaesthetist). This turned out to be a Good Thing as it made me call in at surgery later, where we spoke to a really helpful receptionist and were given a copy of the anaesthetist’s letter. I now have to test my blood pressure daily for ten days and have an appointment with a nurse on Jan 2 to make any adjustments necessary to get me fit for an operation “later in the month”.
Nice to know what’s going on at last. Before that we called in at the chemist but my statins will not be ready till tomorrow. Before going to the doctor we called in at Brian’s and delivered a Christmas card plus Tricia’s £11 refund for her Christmas meal. Brian took a long time to answer the door but was quite perky. Tricia was due out of hospital later that day. She too has blood pressure problems – but worse. After lunch we drove to Helen and Chris with the school sugar – after Dot had carefully recorded everything. Straightforward journey this time: had chat with them before heading home. Street meet at 5.30 despite chill in air. Des, Chris, Ciara, Mary and Jonathan. Sarah has norovirus, but wouldn’t have come out anyway. Watched programme on volcanoes. Our family on their way home to Waterloo from Kingston, where they’ve been visiting Sophie.
Yesterday was cool but dry and reasonably bright. Dot went into city, and I went to chemist to get pills. Was there for about 40 minutes while they looked – for mine and others – and eventually found the statins and an old order of lansoprazole: two young women who didn’t seem to have much idea what they were doing. However the urgent prescription for beta blockers couldn’t be filled because they didn’t have the right dose! I now have to ring on Monday to check they have them before I go. Ho hum. Back at home I wrote some cards for tomorrow and ordered some presents online. After supper drove to church for cocoa (tea) and carols, with Graham on the organ in the old church. Quite nippy. Afterwards watched final two episodes of Hidden Assets, which were quite good. The episodes, not the assets.