Hi @Judith you are never alone on our forum and there is no such thing as being late, this party is always there for you and so is coffee and cake.
Oh, a concrete slab is not a good opponent, I’d stick to the beautiful coloured autumn leaves as you say they really are stunning especially with the sun shining as well.
Yes, we all have challenges and it certainly is not a competition.
Join the ongoing party, virtually, and enjoy your coffee and cake, I fancy coffee and walnut or carrot myself.
I find just typing my challenges and how I am feeling with people I know will understand really helps me, does anyone else feel the same?
Go carefully, look after yourselves and keep posting.
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Hi Judith and other guests
All are welcome, we are all carrying some. Heavy loads and need to share them occasionally. Alzheimer’s is hard too cope with if you are not a hundred percent well… I. Have to interpret for Bill, it is like a. Never ending game of. Charades, guessing. What. He wants. To say, sometimes hilarious, always exhausting. … numbers are. A no no for him, he cannot dial a phone call, he cannot remember where he has put anything. He is totally Dependent on me.
After talking to Dr today, have a face to face appointment tomorrow, he did. Say. I was a complex case. Bill has more antibiotics and thyroid tablets.
The car passed its MOT but it’s parking bleepers need attention so it is booked in again. I need those bleepers to be reliable these days. It will. Need new tyres but not just yet thank goodness and the lovely lads have done a winter weather, antifreeze etc check for us. Let us hope my MOT will be successful and we will all survive the winter.
You can see that my benign tremor is not so benign tonight From. The errrors in my text. Apologies
Marylin
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Hi @Marylin with your husbands challenges you certainly are a 24/7, 365 days a year carer and you are an unsung hero, it is an ever vigilant role.
You also have your own challenges to contend with.
Your car did well and as you say I wish our Mot’s were so straight forward.
Don’t you ever worry about errors in your text, I am sure I know what I aim to type and sometimes it comes out completely differently.
Make the most of your face to face tomorrow with your Dr and please let us know how you get on.
Look after yourselves
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Hi
Was rather up to 90 by the time I got in to see the GP as had to telephone a number to let the medical centre know I was in the car park, then wait for a text from the GP to tell me to go in, all with dire warning to look out for text otherwise I would miss my slot. My old phone doesn’t always alert me to texts or it rings ad infinitum at 7am with a text from Sainsbury’s to let me know my grocery delivery time. It’s cranky, like me. So was sat in the car folding the text page up and down so that my phone wouldn’t shut down and I miss the text. When it came I tottered in to room 14 which is at the end of a long corridor starting with room 1. The GP remarked I was short of breath when I got there, what does he expect of a soon to be 78 year old with a clot in one lung, two dodgy hips and under severe stress, wearing a mask? Anyway, after examining my Ribs and stomach, said the stuff between my ribs was inflamed and although not serious, it was quite painful, I didn’t want steroids so we settled on a ibobrufen gel prescription to rub in. A prescription I cannot have until tomorrow as our Day Lewis is becoming overwhelmed. He is also sending me for an ultrasound scan, just to make sure he said.
Wouldn’t it be lovely if just one morning you could wake up and feel well, no sweats, no headache, no cramping muscles, no rash, no blurry sight, no dizziness, no indigestion, not one ache or pain. No pills to swallow. Good health is priceless. 3 years ago I was still playing tennis, now I could barely crawl up the steps to the court. Can’t even bend to tie the laces of my tennis shoes, still Pip likes my old tennis round things ( certain word is banned on this forum apparently) and I eye my old racquet with longing and wait for the two weeks heaven of Wimbledon. I am grateful that I was able to totter around the court for 68 years.
Erica and Nicola, I don’t know how you find the energy to support us when you are obviously far from a 100% yourselves, but you deserve all my gratitude.
I hope tomorrow is a less stressful day for us all. I and my aching ribs wish you a good night. Marylin
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Wow, @Marylin what a stressful morning for you, on the one hand I am impressed with the precautions your GP practice has in place and on the other hand I wonder if they realise how stressful it can be for the patient, I bet they wonder why their patients blood pressures are sky high.
Just your luck your GP was in Room 14. In our surgery half the rooms are upstairs and half just down a corridor and I spend my time worrying which numbers mean which when it is clearly written up in front of me.
Yes, it would be a complete miracle to wake up in the morning pain and pill free, those were the days.
I laugh at the words this forum will not let you type.
I was watching the tennis coaching going on at the courts on our local rec today , you can definitely see who has potential.
Yes, stress is something I definitely do not deal with well either.
I hope the ibuprofen gel helps your aching ribs. Look after yourselves.
Good morning both. I hope you are both doing ok. @Erica. Please let us know how you get on at the doctors today. 
it all goes ok.
@Marylin, that does all sound quite stressful. I think another morning of cake and treats need to come to this party! X
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This was seven days ago, and I have only just seen it. I do hope the Danish Pastry, the coffee, and the trashy novel did the trick, and that your socks found a way of getting to your feet!? It sounds like you need the Elves to leave the Shoemaker and come visit you for a night. I do hope the sun has shone on you for some of this week too, to make the unbearable bearable. All the very best to you and your husband…Marion
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Hi all
I solved the shoe if not the sock problem by buying some slip-ons. The sock problem remains. I think there is a sock putting on gadget, but I already have , a leg raising thingy, a long shoe horn,a grabber, unfortunately I need someone to invent a rack to hang them on as they always end up on the floor where I can’t reach them.
This morning I was awoken by my phone announcing a text at 6am. I got up to silence it. It said a pallet was being delivered to us today. We guessed it might be the second WMD arriving. Later in the morning the phone went, the gentleman requested me to open my door as he was outside, trying to deliver something to me. I asked my husband to answer the door thinking the doorbell was having an off day, he said nobody was there. I got into recent calls on my phone and rang the number and informed him I was outside my door but he wasn’t. I told him we were no. 34 he said no. 4 was the no on the package. He would be up to ours right away.
It was my WMD bedecked in shiny red paint but, unfortunately, the hand book is in chinese, one of the hazards of ordering from China direct. I need to search online for an English version as there are various bits that need attaching, and there are only a few blurred photos in the handbook, the trouble with Chinese, I don’t know how to put it into the computer to get a translation, there aren’t those characters on my keyboard. I will deal with that tomorrow.
Another telephone call this morning, came from Cornwall Age U.K. who have enrolled. Me on a Step into Wellness Zoom 8 week course, I am hoping it will help me back to some modicum of fitness. They also put me in touch with their partners in crime, Macmillan cancer, a lovely lady telephoned me and on hearing that I was unsuccessful in an attendance allowance claim, said that they had experts who would handle another application for me. I just couldn’t face the battle of appealing their decision. She gave me a number to phone, which on next weeks to do list. There really isn’t much I feel up to dealing with sadly.
I am pleased to say that I am starting to feel a little better from the booster jab effects and Bills second dose of antibiotics are working and he is feeling better. I am not brave enough to face a flu jab after the results of the booster, I don’t want to risk feeling so unwell again at the moment. Polycythaemia vera (PV) has drained both my energy and courage. The extreme fatigue is so hard to overcome as I am sure most of you know. Thank goodness my family understand. Marylin
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It’s sounds like you’ve had a very positive day on some respects. Aren’t the support services just great!
The fatigue sounds horrible. I wish there was a magic cure for you.
Good luck with the translation. Can’t wait to hear how you get on
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Wow, @Marylin what a day of challenges.
I am glad this WMD is red so you don’t get parts mixed up.
Perhaps Cornwall Age UK or Macmillan cancer can help you with a sock putter onner thngy. Perhaps someone can on this forum???
Even receiving your WMD is a hassle and as you say with fatigue everything is too much hassle and stress.
I hope you find instructions in English…somewhere.
I await hearing how your 8 weeks step and wellness Zoom course goes.
I have heard Macmillan cancer are very helpful with allowance claims.
I have found that I have to manage my fatigue, which helps me rather that calling it overcoming it, I have to plan my tasks and when.
Family are so priceless aren’t they.
Look after yourselves and take care, you are doing brilliantly.
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Hey! What a great idea 
I try not to feel self pity but I recognise all your symptoms. On Tuesday I felt just like you do now. I try to have this philosophy - if I was given only a limited time would I choose to be miserable or relatively happy? That thought helps me to keep cheerful however bad I feel. The treatment (2nd line relapsed myeloma) is not pleasant and I get dreadful peripheral neuropathy, stomache aches, extreme lethargy and so on, but I’m buoyed up be the thought that my treatment has prolonged my life, and that many people are suffering much worse than myself with all the ills in the world. I hope you can think that way and hope it cheers you up, if only a little. Julian.
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Great to hear from you @Julian
You treatment does not seem pleasant and neither does your side effects.
Apart from what you have said here what have you been up to?
Hi Julian. It’s sounds like it’s been really rough. It’s great to hear from you and that you can share with others. Always here for you to 
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Hi @Julian,
Sorry to hear that you are experiencing these side effects from your treatment, it must be very difficult for you at the moment. Alongside all of the great support that you can access here on the Forum, our Support Team are only a phone call away if you ever just want to chat things through. 0808 2080888.
Best Wishes
Jo
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You sound really positive @Julian in spite of everything. I hope the side effects ease and you get some quality of life back so you can enjoy life again. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Hi. Julian and all,
The side effects of treatment are not easy to bear at times, especially as I think we are all grieving the loss of the relatively fit people we were. At the moment yesterday’s consultation with the haematologist (actually face too face) resulted In venesection being added. For. Some reason I find blood tests Painful so not looking forward to that experience. But if it thins my blood and stops the clots I will do it. Like most of you I look well, the aching cramping muscles, headaches, digestive upsets, extreme fatigue and sweats are not visible, only your nearest and dearest and those undergoing similar treatments can understand.
Incidentally I have been partaking in a ,Step into wellness’ zoom course, run. Jointly by Age U.K. and Macmillan Cancer, through it I found out that my local Medical Centre has a Social Prescriber, I did not even know there were such people people. Hopefully she will find. A way of getting my nails cut without it costing me £35 for a ten minute appointment. I am also wondering if. She could get some help with my aching cramping muscles. Marylin
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I haven’t heard of a Social Prescriber either @Marylin yes, ask about everything you can think of that would assist you, anything is worth a try.
It is so true when you say you look well, so do I, and my pet hate is people saying ‘oh, you do look well’ when I am feeling so yukky inside.
Yes, it is really only our forum members that understand how we really feel.
Look after yourself and let us know how you get on.
Hi Erica and all
Apparently every GP practice should have a Social Prescriber, have a look on your medical centre website or ask at reception how you can be referred. I suspect that the practice bears the cost of help so does not publicise it.
Sadly it seems I am having some bad days, feeling wobbly and lightheaded, also al the muscles are really painful, need to get better as am out for a birthday lunch with the family on Sunday. Sometimes it is hard to distract oneself from how awful you feel if you don’t feel well enough to go out. Aren’t the leaves a wonderful colour this year? I love the changing seasons. Marylin
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Wishing you well for Sunday. Hopefully you will start to feel a little better! I love this time of year, the early mornings especially X
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Hi @Marylin thanks I will look for a Social Prescriber.
Sorry to hear that you are in the middle of some bad days.
Yes, a birthday lunch with the family on Sunday is something to aim for, is it your birthday or someone else’s?
It’s my son’s birthday tomorrow and he will be 48 yrs old, he is coming round for socially distanced birthday cake and hot chocolate (or coffee in his case).
I love the colours of autumn and as @Nichola75 says especially the early mornings.
Look after yourself and be kind to yourself.
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