Ahhhhh lovely

Yay Prince William and Kate are married!

Although I haven't actually seen the wedding all the way through yet as we were busy getting the garden ready for the party, I did keep popping into my front room to watch the TV and see what we were up too in the matrimonial proceedings to enlighten Derek and Tiff with what colours the Queen and Carol Middleton were wearing etc.
Not sure why men don't share our enthusiasm for wedding fashion and why they didn't think that the all yellow outfit however lovely, did rather make the Queen look like a baby chick?
What I did see of the service was delightful and the whole wedding thing caused me to shed a few tears and plus all the wonderfully colourful pomp and ceremony gave me goose bumps all over.
You have to admit that no one does the tradition and razzmatazz as well as Great Britain.

And you have to admit that no one can organise a party as well as Derek and Julie. I know it was held around mine and it goes without saying, that I am the 'hostess with the mostess', but they organise all paraphernalia of putting up and taking down all the marque, the gazebos and the strings of fairy lights like a well oiled machine, as well as sorting out the extra garden chairs and tables etc from nowhere.
Well done you two, you really should go into the party business.
Our party was I think a great success, as everyone seemed to enjoy it and it was quite late at night before the last party goer which was my neighbour who climbed over the fence splitting her trousers, went home.

The one embarrassing moment of the day was me teasing Julie's son after he told me that I had to behave myself as his new girlfriend was coming round to meet the family and me. And of course our reply to something like that is to do our usual party trick to embarrass the youngsters is to flash your bra at them, as of course us mature mothers do.
There was that horrible moment as my hand brushed the bottom of a fleshy boob, when I realised too late that I hadn't got my bra on!
I don't know who was more horrified, him or me, and strangely enough she didn't come round after all.

Julie came round at what seemed the crack of dawn and worked like a Trojan sorting my garden out again and Stella came round to clean the bungalow throughout so everywhere looked spick and span by lunchtime. This is where you feel totally useless not being able to pull your weight and can only do things in the radius of your oxygen tubing.
She looked so worn out, that I really think we should go away for the Queen's jubilee next year!

Tonight was a treat, as I was invited round to friends to a BBQ, but to use their hot tub too. Now that was so invigorating and really helped the aches and pains accumulated from the last few days.
I love the water and could have stayed in there till I was completely wrinkled like an old prune and bonus, it was a lot warmer than yesterday...fab!
Should sleep tonight.

Many thanks to everyone that supplied yummy food and wine yesterday, but most of all thank you for your company. I love my friends xxxxx

Lots of love Debbie x

The night before the Royal wedding

Stop the world I want to get off!
If ever I say 'lets have a party at mine' again, please hit me over my head with a rather large mallet until I come to my senses.
Dear god, I have not stopped all day... ok I am a bit like a snail on a go slow at the moment, but it has been full on all day... ok the shopping excursion probably didn't help, but hey I am the proud owner of a 'Jamie Oliver' garlic press and a frying pan that you can shove in the oven as long as it's not over 180 something or other, which actually I have been looking a rather long time for... ok maybe I shouldn't have had lunch out either... but hey I did have to go into Chelmsford to pick up my drugs anyway, so shoot me!

I now have posh sausage rolls, that I didn't realise that you were suppose to crush the fennel seeds before adding and they did take a lot longer than Jamie's 30 mins to cook and enough smoked mackerel to sink a battle ship. In fact it smells like the ocean in my kitchen now anyway and looks like a bomb has hit it.
I also now remember why paper chains went out of fashion after sticking enough together to go around my garden at least ten times... ok maybe ten feet instead. The first few were very 'ah memory lane' but after three packs of three in each, the remembering why those garish tin foil decorations soon took over.
Later the gardeners lawn mower blew up, so luckily my ex was in a good mood and came and cut my grass at very short notice.

I am going to have to eat one of Barbara's cup cakes which keep winking at me every time I open the fridge door... sorry Barbara.

Neither of the two colossal zits on my chin have disappeared and my eyes look very slitty thanks to being dry and sore. My hair thanks to this hospital body and hair wash that I have to use daily looks... well shit actually...Damn I'm good looking! Please God let me wear mascara tomorrow??????
Julie and Derek are coming round at the crack of dawn to put up the gazebos etc. will I be up? Mmm let me think... not on your nelly!
If William and Kate get divorced after all this effect, I will sue lets be very clear on that, but I have had a rather large brandy now so I'm ready to sue anyone!

Lots of love Debbie x

Cut backs

Gawd knows what the spelling will be like on my blog tonight or will it make any sense, as I am typing this through very blurry eyes thanks to an antibiotic eye ointment... hell that stings when you put the drops in.
I have cream for up each nostril, cream drops to put in my eyes, drops to stop my eyes from drying up and antibiotics to keep in case my sinuses flair up over the bank holiday.
The doctor said that the oxygen is affecting my eyes by drying them out, which is what the optician said as well, only she said that I could end up with glaucoma... nice!
Mind you the doctor made me work for the drugs, as the antibiotic eye drops that she prescribed were out of stock in my village chemist and there was only one chemist in this area that had them. And it was me that had to go chasing over there after them after I had my physio at Maldon.
Listening to another lady in the second chemist while I was waiting for the pharmacist to sort my drugs out, it seems that the drug companies are stopping production of all sorts of various drugs at the moment.
Having to chase around is not great news when you have a banging head after being beaten up in physio and in the sauna that they call St Peters, thank goodness for my 'Chillow' that's all I can say!

Still, physio was good as Hannah was chatting to me about what to expect next week with my angiogram. Her mother has had three in the last four years and Hannah has looked after her on each one.
She gave me helpful hints like wearing a long dress or baggy trousers so I could leave off my pants when going home, as they will hurt where I'll tender.
Or making sure I go home in a roomy car, as I will have to lay back and keep my leg out straight while being driven home.
She also explained what they meant by plugging it, that it is a bit like a pea size lump from a glue gun put under the skin which dissolves over time and she knew the nurse that I saw and said she was very relaxing and kind.
I'm not so frightened now.

Must go now and make the most of two cups of coffee before bedtime, as I have a 'Royal Family Wedding' quiz to design!

Lots of love Debbie x

Let the Debbie see the rabbit

I feel like that old nursery rhyme that we used to sing along to when we were little. Then years later we used to sing it to our own kids teaching them the actions just like our own parents used to do to teach us.
You know the one, 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes', but in my case it would be, 'Eyes, cheekbones, nose, top teeth and lungs, teeth and lungs' and that would describe each bit of me that was playing up today... damn it I'm falling apart.
Leaving the lungs out of it, the rest has got to be a sinus infection surely, as I've just finished eye drops bottle number three and they still hurt and itch like crazy?
Still it will make a change to see the doctor tomorrow about something other than my lungs, that will be quite a novelty!

A lot cooler today which has been very helpful, as I am now feeling it after the weekend of entertaining.
Don't get me wrong I love having my family at mine and Oliver did most of the actual cooking part yesterday, I just got it all ready and besides you can not beat his roast potatoes... damn they're good!
You can see I have been indulging in rich food though, as I have two giant zits appeared on my chin, like two horns on a troll, which is probably what I lool like at the moment with my red eyes.
They are probably revenge for eating little Xanthe's Easter Egg, but to be honest, she actually has got a better deal now instead, as I felt so consumed with guilt and chocolate, that I had to go out and buy another and mercifully the Co-op still had some... a cute Winnie th ePoo honey pot all in chocolate complete with bees.

I had a chat with Ruth my head physio today after she beat the crap out of me, about the Coronary Angiogram and admitted to her that I was probably going to be like the shopping trolleys when you try and remove them from their car park... that they clamp down and freeze, only with me it will be my feet refusing to go over the threshold of the Angiogram ward.
Ruth told me very sternly that I must inform them that I am bricking it. I don't know whether that is so they can hold my hand or to all sit on me to stop me jumping off the operating table and legging it!
Believe me, I can move it when needs be, just like a greyhound after a rabbit.

I am off to drink brandy now for medicial reasons only of course, so good night folks.

Lots of love Debbie x

Happy Easter everyone

Happy Easter!

Well I thought I was going to have a very disturbed night after the police helicopter flying around the tops of all our homes with the search light shining about like something from the 'Close encounter of the third kind.'
There was no way that I thought I could sleep with my windows shut in this heat, so it was going to be a case of booby trapping the garden, but I drifted off in a very deep sleep with the aid of my 'Chillow' to keep my head cool.
Yay! I have found something that works.

I took my time over breakfast as my stats were still low and as it was cooler, I was able to eat my hot cross bun under the shade of my garden parasol while reading my book. All very civilised.
A nice cool shower before getting ready to take mother over to my sisters for Easter lunch and it proves things are a lot easier when you don't have to hurry.
I could take my time showering, even though mother telephoned beforehand to ask if I could come over and put her parasol up.
I told her not to worry as I'd be over before we were due to leave and I was, but I took my time and only went over about ten minutes before we were due to leave for my sisters.

I do worry about my mother as she was very muddled again today, worrying about something on the side of her head that she has to have sorted out at the doctors. I've noticed that she keeps fretting about this, but she doesn't know what she means or what is on her head.
I can only think it was when she had a bad case of shingles on the side of her face a few years back and when she gets tired, she gets very flummoxed and thinks that it is back.
I can understand that as when I get tired, I even lose the power of proper speech and everyday words frustratingly escape me.
Luckily once we were on our way she reverted back to the fun, witty mother that I know and love.

A good day was had by all I am happy to report that it was a day when everyone was agreeable, food was delicious and we were able to play board games in the garden under Helen's vines and clever Helen choose the one board game that mother could join in with and thoroughly enjoys.

Very tired now and my eyes have decided that they belong to someone else with a much bigger head as they are so swollen and sore.
Great I have gone from wearing 'boston strangler' type leather gloves indoors to keep my hands warm while watching TV to looking like a second rate Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's!'
Looks like a trip down the doctors...Yay!

Lots of love Debbie x

Mad dog and Englishmen

Ooo Er Mrs, I feel like a wet rag on a weekend. Blimey O'Reilly it is so hot out there and I also think the heat is affecting my brain, as I appear to have lost my marbles through the high temperatures, as I'm now talking like a character from a 'Carry on' film!

I had breakfast outside and read for a while, before admitting defeat and coming in from the midday sun. I don't want to be a mad dog or an Englishman.
Oddly enough though, my clothes still weren't completely dry when I got off the washing line. Maybe it was so hot today that even they were sweating out there in my back garden.
It is one of those days where you shower and sweat some more from just trying to dry yourself and where your hair gets so wet at the nape of your neck from sweating, that you get neck ache from driving with your window open.
Or maybe I have confirmed what I always knew that I am not a lady, because ladies don't sweat, they glow... me, I glow alright, but like Sizewell B on a nuclear melt down.

I have taken it very easy all day as just walking to the car in this heat is a killer and the thought of having to cut my nephew's hair made me want to vomit, but one good deed a day might have the gods smiling on me when it comes to dishing out the donor spare parts.
I'm afraid my mother bombed out when she kept dropping hints about me watering her back garden. It will be your turn tomorrow mother.
I only have the energy to do mine tonight, especially the lovely rose bush that Reni brought me for Easter. Bless her, it's called 'Mamma Mia'.

I took myself off with the girls to watch the remake of 'Arthur' with Russell Brand. It's lovely sitting in the fierce air con inside the cinema, I even had to put my shawl round me as I was getting too cold in there.
Only problem was the film was really funny and unfortunately every time I laughed, I then started coughing so I missed some of the jokes or had to stop myself from laughing when I really wanted to do a huge belly laugh.
The ice cream made my chest quite bubbly, so they were quite gross gurgling, coughing noises that I was making I'm afraid, so glad that it wasn't a full house in there.
The joys of having a lung disease.

My 'Chillow' has arrived today, so hopefully with my 'Coolsleeper' mattress and my new pillow, I shall freeze tonight in bed... bliss!
Unfortunately my door bell since I changed the batteries today, keeps going off randomly. I bet I go off to sleep like a charm only to be woken by nobody at the door... time to remove the batteries I feel, as another bad night and I could possibly be done for man slaughter.

Lots of love Debbie x

Happy hot Good Friday

Good Friday and it was 23 degrees out there today, though I suspect my back garden was a good 10 degrees hotter judging by the sweat that was dripping down my face today.

I suppose Easter is very late this year and the good weather is quite early, but it's not unusual if you think back to other years, it's just the last few have been pants and of course we all have short memories.
It was lovely eating Good Friday dinner 'AL fresco' and even though dinner did look a bit dubious, it tasted divine.
Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meal was a great success, although the kitchen was a bit frenzied at one point and it took us at least another 30mins to wipe away all the rogue sesame seeds and to get the pomegranate juice off all the kitchen cabinet doors!
Thankfully my eldest son and Reni made a good double act and cleared up for me, as I was completely knackered after eating my baked mackerel dinner.

I thought mackerel was brain food, but I still found myself agreeing to cut my nephews hair even though every part of me was shouting out 'Noooooo!'
At this moment in time, I can barely stand let alone stand and create a style for Matt. But I cannot refuse him anything.

I think I might have to go to bed very soon, as I am shattered thanks to a very disturbed night.
The glass of wine helped me to go off to sleep quickly enough, but alas I seemed to wake up with a quick 'Poof' and then every night demon and monster from under the bed seemed to crawl into my dreams. I woke up absolutely ragged thanks to I suspect my visit to the Angiogram ward yesterday.
Fingers crossed for tonight.

Lots of love Debbie x

Gulp!

One more large step for 'Debbiekind' and a little bit of a scary one at that, as when I walked into the Angiogram unit, it wasn't what I expected at all.
Does this sound daft when it looked very much like a hospital ward and not the clinic which I thought it would look like?.
I can imagine my feet feeling like deep sea divers boots come the actual day, in fact Oliver may have to throw me over his shoulder to get me in there at all.

Blimey I wasn't anticipating to feel that nervous on first glance, but luckily I had Julie beside me and a very happy nice nurse called Siobhan to meet me and talk me through all my concerns.
Luckily she didn't tut at my creamy rather than white underwear which I ruined on my first wash from putting the set in a too hot wash, but at least I'm consistent and both bra and knickers got the boil treatment.
I think that broke down barriers!

She answered all my concerns with no qualms and no looking at me as if I was a simpleton.
These worries were basically if I cough would the tubing shoot through my heart and puncture it?... that was a huge concern of mine.
What happens if I do cough and can I cough?... As long as I let them know that I feel a cough coming on, I can cough as much as I like but I can't lift my hand to cover my mouth, I can live with that too, although they may have to wear face shields and plastic sheeting if my cough is a bit gunky!
I will be raised up a little as soon as possible to make it easier for me to breathe after the procedure and the hole in my groin area will probably be plugged, so I'll be able to clear my lungs when I need to without any fear of me bleeding to death from the strain.
They will also up my oxygen intake, as apparently your lungs don't take in as much oxygen when you are lying down. I will have to wear a mask rather than nose specs though, but that's only for half an hour, so I can live with that.
Though I do feel claustrophobic in a mask.

She went through every detail for me explaining what I will feel and when. From the hot flushes as the dye goes into your heart to the sensation of wetting yourself when they inject through your grion.
That might not be a sensation actually.
If I am scared, she will be there and according to her they are a fab team and they have never lost a patient yet. When I laughed and said 'ah well if I break the chain, at least that would be one hell of a talking point at your next party!'
... I earned myself a slapped wrist from her and Julie for that joke.
After another ECG, swabs and blood tests, I was free to go home with a freebie bottle of special antibacterial shower wash to use daily on my hair and body until D Day and it will keep me free of germs.
I loved the little diagram that shows you how to shower and the finishing picture is you with clean clothes on!
Also I have to drink lots of water to protect my kidneys from the dye that they inject into my arteries.
But they told Julie or whoever is looking after me at the time, if they are worried in any way, to call them direct and they will always be a friendly voice and I believe them.

I am smiling now, but I have no idea how I will feel the night before the grim event. I shouldn't imagine that I will get much sleep and I am sure that Siobhan will see a very different woman from the chatty, happy, come what may person that she met today.
This one will be ashen face and woddling down the corridor with one of Julie's Tena Ladies thrust in my drawers in case I really do wee myself on the bed.
I'm betting money that I will wet myself through fear alone!

Lots of love Debbie x

Ms Angry of Essex

What a scorcher today.
Decided to take mother out to Maldon again for another picnic and as I forgot to pack the deckchairs, I had to balance on mother's walking frame as hers has a seat. Luckily it wasn't too uncomfortable and at least I was able to catch a few sun rays.
Mother was quite happy to sit in the car with the doors and windows wide open, as that's less hassle for her what with her legs playing up.
I'm amazed just how many cars not sporting a blue badge, park in the disabled bays there. Whether it's that the drivers don't actually see the signs attached to the wooden poles or they just couldn't give a shite, I'm not sure.
I think maybe the latter, as it's quite fun to see them squirm when they come to get back in their cars while you are sitting there next to their four by fours eating a pork pie balanced on a walking frame!

I've been quite short of breath today and I should find out whether I have another infection lurking or that I am just suffering from hay fever, although Hannah doesn't actually think that hay fever would affect me like that.
Hard to believe that the bright yellow rape fields that hurt your eyes where they are so luminous, doesn't have some effect on you as the smell of rape hangs so heavily in the air around our area.

Was a tad annoyed with my doctor as she still hadn't phoned back to our chemist after their numerous requests about a problem that has arisen.
The drug manufacturers who produce my drugs to clear the mucus off my chest, have fell behind with their supplies. Now they do have the cheaper version that I used to take and can still take, although a bit rough on your stomach, but my doctor has to sanction it.
I want my chest to be problem free for this angiogram and as we already are worrying that I may have an infection, I thought she might have been a bit more on the ball, but at 4pm she still hadn't called back... why?
Not sure if I have a lot of faith in this doctor.
I am completely out of tablets now and have already missed a day and I can't help but feel she should be a tiny bit more concerned. As far as I know she hasn't many patients on her books waiting for a transplant.
Is this the Tory influence on the NHS? Drug companies having to find cheaper alternatives, oxygen suppliers quibbling on filling up your tank and trying to make you last longer between visits? The delivery chap said that they were trying to get everyone to stretch out longer.
Er no chance unless they want me to sit by my concentrator which turns air into oxygen all day everyday!
Better stop sending me for hospital appointments, rehab, physio and just try to live a normal bloody life then!
I am Ms Angry of Essex!

Lots of love Debbie x

I'm too short for my weight

Another busy day in paradise.

I had my Dexa Scan this morning and I really hope that the angiogram is as straightforward as that one, but alas I know by the way that I hide from the paperwork and come over in a cold sweat when i am brave enough to read it, that is going to be a bit of an experience that I would rather miss out on.
The nurse who conducted the scan today, was so nice and for one moment I felt so close to getting this transplant, that I felt that the next step after the angiogram would just to pop down to the hospital and pick a set of lungs, one size fits all.
If only.

My next task of the day was to pick up my new glasses and surprise, they aren't rose tinted. Still they feel good when wearing them and thankfully I don't think that I will have all the hassle that I had with the last pair.
After walking from my car to the opticians and back even with the help of my 'go faster' wheels, I was shattered and fell asleep in my back garden once I got home.
That was a bit of a stupid thing to do as I felt bloody awful when I woke up and I then had to zoom off to St Michael's for physio.
Having that done in this hot weather is not a pleasant experience and as soon as I got round to mother's, I fell asleep yet again.

For those of you who don't actually know what happens in my physio sessions, it involves me lying in a postural drainage position which is feet higher than my head.
This is normally achieved by tilting the head section of the hospital bed down and a rather large pillow placed under my hips so all the crap out my lungs drains out. The physio's help this process by banging my sides in a cupping motion and shaking into my chest area which helps me cough it all up.
The new NHS pillows which are placed under me are these God awful things that are full of air and balancing on one of those, is a bit like sitting one of those bananas that you see abroad being dragged behind a speed boat, bouncing up and down on the sea!
If you don't have a headache when you start, you certainly do when you have finished and all the fillings in your teeth rattle too.

Derek came round and had a mammoth task finishing night. I now have the letters spelling 'Rock & Roll' on my wall and they look fab. I am so pleased with them.
I also have my fire pit in the garden ready for action and my beautiful silver mirror is up on the wall in the hallway.
I now really feel that I am here to stay and not just in transit. My bungalow is shouting out that 'Debbie lives here!'

Things I have learnt today.
1; Lose some weight. I had to be weighed and have my height measured for this scan and I am a stone and a bit overweight and my BMI is quite higher than it should be.
2; Make sure in future that I measure things before ordering them, as I might not be so lucky next time... Derek's words, not mine!
3; My feet now freeze in bed thanks to my 'Coolsleeper' mattress. must check to see if I have on upside down.
4; Read all official letters as they arrive. Apparently I'm not entitled to free prescriptions and only a little help towards dentist and optician costs.

Lots of love Debbie x

The toilet roll police

I have come to the conclusion that I hate Mondays, as they are just non-stop.
Ok the first part was purely me needing to go to town to get a hair colour and then actually applying it, but the whole experience was peppered with people telephoning me or people delivering stuff that then needed to be sorted out.

One of the telephone calls was one of my physios, asking what was I doing as my stats were low and my heart rate was up too much again and I tried hard to make her believe me that I had been honestly taking it easy over the weekend. I know I had gone to the 'Greek night', but I was only sitting there in the restaurant.

The delivery was from the candle party with every one's orders for their gardens at long last. The firm isn't the easiest to sort the orders out from and they include so much packing on each item.
It's amazing how knackered I can get from just putting polystyrene shapes in a dustbin bag from the rather large box and I was sitting on the floor doing the deed.
I am so pleased that the recycling is being picked up tomorrow, as not only have I two bags of recycling, but one huge box from my new TV, one big box from the fire pit and now a huge box full of smaller boxes from the candle party.
I only carried them out to the front gate and I was annihilated and needed to lay down in a darken room.

The strangest part of my day was as I sat on the loo reading the information 'how we make our toilet rolls so soft' from the back of the bumper bag of recycled loo rolls, when I realised that I had just been told off by a toilet roll.
In one of the speech balloons on the back of the bag, it said that they have to remove all the staples (thank goodness for that, as that could be very nasty) and the cellophane windows from letters, that naughty people... i.e. me... who are too lazy to remove and leave in when recycling. Well there you go, I'm good, but I obviously ain't perfect!

After a rehab session, a quick supermarket shop, checking on mother, handing over candle party stuff while making cups of tea and then finally cooking my tea, I got to eat at 9.30pm while ignoring my phone that was constantly ringing.
Now, could this be why my heart rate is up, do you think?????
Bugger off world and leave me alone!

Lots of love Debbie x

Every day a winner

There is a fine line to taking care of one's self by resting up and just wrapping yourself up in cotton wool.
My ex husband bless him, fell into the category of wrapping yourself up and retreating.
I think I have got the balance right, knowing when to push myself and when to take to the sofa and read or watch TV.
Last night I was just left bemused.

I had a 'Greek night' booked with a group of friends that I really wanted to go to and I knew that if I rested all day and didn't do anything stupid at night, that I'd be fine.
The most strenuous thing that I was planning on doing other than eating and drinking was a bit of clapping. I was being driven there and back again, plus I knew that my friends are only to happy to do the journey to the bar for me, so I was sorted.
Now I know and you all probably know by now that I hate it when wearing my oxygen specs, but when the belly dancer who was quite insistent, told me to get up on my chair and wiggle my ever growing belly, I did rather wonder what planet she was on.
Durr hello!
When it came to the plate smashing for luck, I thought I could do that at least.
Err... I was told by the little round 'Greek' dancer/musician with sweat pouring off of him, that I had to do the 'Zobra' dance first...Ok, so not going to happen.
He did let me throw a plate in the end after I stood there looking like someone had stolen my last five pound note, but unfortunately it didn't smash so no good luck for me. No change there then!
Strangely enough the thing that tipped me over the top, was the two cups of coffee before bedtime. I was buzzing until 4am.

When I had got myself together enough, I took mother back down to Maldon for a picnic lunch again.
It was absolutely glorious there, as there was a Spring tide due to the full moon tomorrow night and the estuary was at it's highest. The river was really busy with sailing boats, rowing boats, motorboats and the odd jet ski. Fab, I love it when it's so busy like that, it's all so interesting to watch.
The boating lake was busy too with crabbers and remote boats alike and behind us rather large kites were being flown.
There was cherry blossom blowing about in the wind, but the car was lovely and warm with the sun streaming through the open windows and I have to admit that I felt a snooze coming on.
I went off to sleep with happy memories of me standing under the cherry trees in our old garden at the farm house when I was about six years old with my sister's best jiving petticoats, one pulled up under my armpits and the other on the back of my head like a bride. Of course no bride's outfit would complete without your sister's best stilettos on clip clopping around in the mud!
Strange how little things like falling petals summon up such colourful images from my memory filing cabinet held deep in the back of my mind.

Also when we were driving home, mother spotted a field where we all used to go strawberry picking when I was barely a young teenager. It takes at least 20mins to drive there by car and we would have biked there and after a backbreaking day of earning about £1.50 because I ate more than I picked, we'd cycle back home again. I guess mother was right when she said that all that exercise has stood me in good stead for now to keep me strong through this illness.
For a mad old bat, she does say some enlightening and sensible things!

Now though, I feel a long hot bath and a relatively early night.

Lots of love Debbie x

I think I am a mermaid

I made five new friends tonight. All bright orange and a memory span worse than mine.
No not the cast from 'The only way is Essex.' They are Lynn's goldfish.
For some unknown reason they always swim to the side of their tank when I go round Lynn's and they just stay motionless in the water staring at me. I used to get quite paranoid when it's happened before, but I've realised they only get interested in me when I have my oxygen on.
I'm beginning to think that maybe they think I'm that deep sea diver that you see in fish tanks wearing it's oxygen tubes and that I remind them fondly of when they were fishlets in the pet shop?!
I am transfixed by them and if I move my mouth like them, they do it back... Whoa I am a fish whisperer!
They are soothing to watch and that's what I need at the moment.

I had Ruth over earlier this morning after I spoke to the office and told them that I wasn't feeling right at the moment. Ruth rushed over, which that in it's self is worrying and gave me the once over, plus a bit of extra physio. She has told the team that I have to be kept a strict eye on, as we don't want a repeat of the last bout as she is on leave next week. Hopefully we will know for sure on Wednesday when my results come back, but to be this close to getting this bloody angiogram and then to go down with some infection would just be unfair.
Why do you always feel yuk when you have a bank holiday looming on the horizon, in fact we have two straight on top of each other.

I guess this will be how I feel when waiting for the transplant. How awful would it be to get the call and then I find out that I have something brewing like now. How rigid are they about temperatures etc? How many times could a person take being told that unfortunately you are not quite well enough?

Thankfully mother's wound is healing and is less painful for her, so hopefully she will be less demanding and I can rest a little more.
Tonight was good though, as we laughed a lot and laughter makes you feel so much better. And I have my new 'Coolsleeper' mattress topper on my bed now, so it will be interesting to see if I sleep well without the hot sweats that usually accompany my sleep. I now have a mattress, a memory foam and this cooling topper on my bed, I'm beginning to feel like the Princess and the pea!
I'm off to try it out now, so goodnight.

Lots of love Debbie x

Sweet and sour

A day of two sides.

Today I went to a rather graceful hotel deep in the countryside of Suffolk for a scrummy afternoon tea. I had a glimpse of how the other half live as a very proud employer showed me some of the downstairs bedrooms, one grandeur room which was £450 a night with it's own hot tub on it's secluded patio.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my tea, I was happy enough to go home with lovely memories to my little bungalow. Of course I wouldn't say no to an overnight stay, but it would be hard to relax in a beautiful room like that once I was wired and tubed up. In my little bungalow I feel comfortable and safe.

I think Sadie's warning of getting a sample off asap was spot on, as this morning I was feeling very breathless, a little confused and by night time, my chest was getting bubbly, I was bringing up plenty and my back just under my shoulder blades was tender.
My stats were very low this morning and not a lot better come tonight, plus throw in an increased heart rate and I think I'm going to need help tomorrow.
Alas, I think I'm back on the old merry go round of fun and follicks, still it's been two whole months since the last one.

Julie reckons that I'm a bit vulnerable at the moment. After watching 'One born every minute' with tears running down my face and then watching 'Monroe' where a father had to switch off his young daughter's life support, but still manage to ask to talk to the donor team had me in floods, so I'm inclined to agree with her.
I think that programme really hit home that someone would be going through that very same scenario to enable me to have a full life again and how the hell do you say thank you for someones premature death so I can live? Excuse my french, but that's a bit of a head fuck.

One thing I have learned through this, is to enjoy everything you can everyday, to stop wanting that little bit more all the time and to say thank you for each day.
I wish I had learned that lesson years ago.

Lots of love Debbie x

Things come in threes

Oh buggery bollocks, I managed to get my friend a parking ticket, miscalculated the price of an order of wine and disclosed a bit too much information to an old friend all in one day... Not a good day all in all.

Very tired today, so my brain is not firing on all cylinders, on a bit of a go slow in fact.
An old friend came round which was lovely and we sat comparing notes about how things had panned out in our lives over some toasted teacakes and although I never said anything that wasn't common knowledge, I just wish afterwards that I hadn't said as much.
Mind you she had as many regrets about things as I did and life was far from straight forward for her too.

After checking on mother, my tiredness got the better of me and I fell asleep on my sofa for nearly an hour, which promoted Sadie when she came to give me my physio, to ask me have another sample checked over at the hospital. That will please my doctor!
I quickly got changed ready for Bill, who was picking me up to drive us to the Mission Croatia meal at a rather yummy Indian restaurant in Chelmsford.
Bill was running late where he was stuck in the evening stalemate traffic jams in Witham and me being ever so helpful told him not to park in the multi storey car park, which incidently is too far for me to walk anyway, but to park outside the restaurant, which I have done many a time.
Within twenty minutes, we had a parking ticket. The traffic warden who was very nice and advised us to appeal, which believe me will we. She that went on to explain that it was a taxi rank, but we couldn't see any lines on the roads or signs that said anything of that nature or any taxis come to that... Until we looked down the road and saw the sign that was flat against the wall two shop fronts away. Aren't they suppose to be in full view?
What is the point of having a blue badge if two cripples in a car can't park outside where they want to go?

My next act was ordering two boxes of wine and not being able to add up quick enough in my head. I only actually wanted one box, but between the noise in the restaurant, the second brandy to calm my nerves and the very nice wine man, I was good and just ordered the one box, but then adding on a second box on impulse while working out the price wrongly, very wrongly in fact.
That lot will be locked away in a cupboard and only brought out on special occasions.

Lots of love Debbie x

On your starter's orders

Some days you just feel that you are always on the run or playing catch up.

My Docobo malfunctioned this morning. It had been playing up last night by not reading my stats, but this morning it didn't even registrar that the power was on.
Of course like the house goddess that I am, I have filed the instructions away next to the docobo for moments just like this... Filed on the floor.
Ok not the best place to keep them, actually keeping the booklet in the docobo box which is stored in my cupboard probably would have been the best bet, but for the last six months they have sat on top of my magazines no problem, till I decorated.
After much frantic searching, but no results, I called the Respiratory team to get the number for the care call department from them and in the mean while one of them was phoning me to see if I was dead.
Thankfully the lady from the care call department came out with another to replace the deceased machine, but away we went, mumbling something about it burning out. Mmmmm... now should I be worrying?!

My eyes are still very sore, but I still went for my opticians appointments as I had already cancelled last week and I need a back up pair of sunglasses, plus my latest glasses from their opposition have never been right for me.
They were very nice to me and after squeezing orange dye into both my eyes, agreed that my eyes were very dry, but felt it was more likely the skin around the eyes was the main cause of irritation and me keep rubbing them even without knowing I doing it, wasn't helping.
I left there with a snazzy pair of glasses and another pair of prescription sunglasses on order, plus £310 less in my bank balance and bright orange panda eyes thanks to the dye soaking into the dry skin around my eyes. I looked like a 80's throw back, all I needed was hair bobbles and leg warmers!

Still I had a lovely evening with my eldest son who stayed over last night and a very early start to the morning today, as I had to drive him to the airport at 5.30am.
I have forgotten what that time of day looks like, let alone go outside and actually function. The nearest I get to seeing that time of day, is glimpsing it through a chink in my blinds as I stumble my way to the toilet!
I got back at 6am and went straight back to my still warm bed till 9am. I was woken by Hannah asking way my heart rate was up yesterday? No idea, as I felt ok, but I did feel as if I had been accused of going out pole dancing or something.
I am expecting another telling off tomorrow as my heart rate was up again tonight.

Mother actually had her cyst removed and bless her she is really suffering. I keep trying to explain to her (every 3mins) that she mustn't remove the plaster on her back and to explain to her that it's the stitches in the cut and the cut it's self, that's hurting.
I also had a lovely relaxing massage on my back, which was much needed as I had my moustache waxed off...ouch... and had my impinged shoulder cuff worked on... more ouch.
I reckon that when I get my transplant, I will become so fit, but will look like quasi-bleeding-modo where my shoulder is shagged thanks to carrying the oxygen unit non stop!

Ah well just another couple of fun filled of fun and follicks.

Lots of love Debbie x

Blue skies all the way

A really lovely day today. Nothing out there to scare me anywhere, just sunshine, warmth and good company.

I took mother down to Maldon Prom for a picnic in the car and we managed to get parked in our usual spot so we see the boating lake and the river from the car. Plus there are plenty of people walking past in various shapes and guises, so you never get bored if you are a people watcher like myself.
Blue skies and the trees full of blossom, very picturesque. I know that the sea air gives you an appetite, but within minutes of parking, mother was wading through our picnic lunch with great gusto! Does her good going there, in appetite and in her spirit. An afternoon there can keep her buoyant for at least the next three days.

I had a little kip in the car, while she ate her prawn baguette and watched the families going by. I had to take an antihistamine tablet earlier in the day as my eyes were still swollen and watering badly and it did make me a little bit on the sleepy side, especially with the warmth of the sun coming through the car window. I know, I should have been sitting outside the car as only old duffers sit in the car at the seaside etc, but it wasn't that warm actually as there was a bit of a nippy wind coming off the water!

After another little nap after taking mother home and I went and picked up my babies, as Tim was cooking tonight's celebration meal for Reni's birthday and Oliver's belated birthday.
It was just like old times around the table with Oliver teasing Reni, Dwight teasing Eli the dog and Tim shouting at Dwight for teasing Eli. Gave me a nice warm feeling inside me... which was good as that house is always cold... that a lot of shite can be thrown at you in your life, but if you hang on in there, life can be good.
It is hard to be positive at times and at times I am petrified of what's round the corner waiting to trip me up, but there are so many people worse off then us out there, that you count your blessings and store these special days in your head and replay them on days when life ain't so peachy.
Today will get me through my coronary angiogram easily.

Lots of love Debbie x

I hate flies

I hate flies nearly as much as I hate spiders. Actually I hate them more as I am frightened of spiders and flies are just annoying things that dive bomb you.
I have two of the blasted things flying around my front room at break neck speed as I type and I am not happy.
Where they come from I don't know, but they have just arrived. I guess they sneaked in when I was watering my new plants by the front door about 10mins ago.
I thought I'd wait till nearly bed time to water them and now I will be dancing around for the next half an hour trying to outwit them and show them the door, which is not easy when you are attached to a concentrator and trying to wave your arms around for any length of time, hurts and makes you breathless!

I also have extremely sore eyes again and look like a frog. As far as I know I haven't wiped walnut dust in my eyes or used cheap make-up again, but they look swollen, red and are bloody sore. Why? Could be hay fever? Or it could be that someone up there really, really hates me!
I even passed over going to the cinema tonight. So I stayed in with the hump and no chocolate. Grrrgghhh

I also got my appointment and advice sheet through the post this morning about the coronary angiogram and I really am not looking forward to this at all.
I don't think it's the procedure so much... although having things stuck in your heart while awake, is a wee bit mind blowing... but it's afterwards that I am worrying about.
I have to lay perfectly flat for an hour and then propped up for four, which after that time they remove the tube out from your groin and hopefully you then go home and rest up for another 24hrs.
That all sounds ok, but how do I clear my lungs and what happens if I dislodge the plug in my groin when coughing? Now that is what worries me, as you have to keep your hand firmly on it when walking to the toilet let alone coughing your heart up!
If I don't cough up the phlegm, I feel like I'm drowning.
Ah well I guess it will be sorted, I can't be the first to ask these questions... Can I?

Lots of love Debbie x

Yay... I'm booked in

I bunked off rehab today.
I did explain to them why I was bunking off, as one of our friends needed a little bit of moral support today and as Lynn was already in the village having her hair done, it seemed stupid to make her go to Ipswich and back again for tonight, especially with petrol being as expensive as it is at the moment.
We had a really nice lunch in the sunshine at a local pub, in fact we actually started burning at one point where the sun was so hot.
Was really lovely being ladies who lunch and not having a hospital visit or rehab for a change.
Fab weather, second day of no heating on in my bungalow and I haven't felt the need to wear gloves in my front room since Sunday night!
Yay... warm hands!

Turns out it was a bit of a celebration for me too as at long last they have called me to book me in at Broomfield for my coronary angiogram. One step closer to the transplant.
I have to be honest, I am bricking it about having this done. The thought of having a catheter put in my heart while I'm awake frightens the hell out of me. Apparently I have to be there for six hours from 8am and have to lay flat for 24 hrs and will not be allowed out unless there is someone there to look after me. Whether that includes those six hours I don't know, but I have to go and be assessed next week and will find out more then.
Questions that are burning in my head now, is how will I manage to clear my chest and what if I cough when having the angiogram done? God, I am scared.

I thought I'd book Julie to have her feet nibbled by little fishes in a clinic in Braintree, to get her ready for her holiday and me... well I just wanted a boost. Apparently it's all the rage and it's only a tenner on special offer, but alas because we both have verrucas, we can't have it done.
I wonder whether; a) it would kill them off as verrucas do produce a lot of dry skin and they might actually poison them?
b) would they make the verrucas bleed by nibbling off too much dead skin and then make the fish go wild and turn into piranhas?
or c) It's just that you could spread the verrucas, simple as?
Ah well back to the cheese grater!
All this sunshine makes you think of getting your much neglected feet and legs into some sort of ship shape so that you can actually show them to the sun and it people without blinding them.
When I do start exfolitlating (I can't spell it and neither can the spell checker!), I will probably lose a stone off my legs with the amount of dead skin that will be washed down the plug hole!
Must sort them out before I go to have this angiogram done, as they go in through my thigh and I don't want to worry about the procedure and my hairy white scaly legs too!

Lots of love Debbie x

Tick the correct box or do not pass go

I actually got up fairly early this morning and entirely of my own making and believe me that's an all time first.
I have no idea how I used to get up early for work and have energy to actually work well when I got there. I wake up tired now.
But to be truthful for a knackered person, I do cover quite a bit of ground when I am awake and functioning, however slowly.

I had to wait in for B&Q's to deliver my fireplace stroke garden heater, for want of a better word, which is what I chose to spend my voucher on from the girls at work.
I love being outside in my garden and hopefully I can have this alight in the summer evenings without blowing myself up when wearing my oxygen, as it's totally meshed in. Hopefully spark free.
B&Q actually gave you a time scale of only three hours unlike my TV delivery on Tuesday, which was 7am to 7pm and then came at 8.45pm!

So I spent my time wisely sorting out my paperwork for the various benefit people, who have now decided that they want to see everything again. Which is no problem, apart from the Jobseekers wanting to see the same form about my pension, which they haven't sent back as yet from last time and they don't accept photocopies.
Mind you, getting photocopies aren't so easy to get hold of anyway when you no longer work in an office.
Please tell me how people commit fraud? I can see they might do unintentionally as the forms are so crap to understand, but to do it on purpose they must be some real whizz kids!
I live in fear that I have accidentally put a decimal point in the wrong place or ticked the wrong box and I will be told to go straight to jail, do not pass go.
I have shed more tears out of frustration over these poxy forms when trying to fill them in then anything else to do with this disease of mine.
I used to be so on the ball. What has happened to me?!

All this aggro for £40.55 a week and it was on the news again today that they are cutting benefits again. By the time they get their act together, I will be paying them so I can stay at home ill.
Hello? Wasn't it the work's occupational health doctor who made me give up work in the first place?
A hundred lines... I must not be inconvenient and have a lung disease.

I did have one bit of luck today and that I was able to double my Tesco points and have £60 to spend on clothes for free...Yay!
Hell, should I have declared that too?
I must be in my monochrome stage at the moment as everything I brought was in black and white and mostly all striped like the old comic book burglar. Perhaps if they had little arrows up and down them as well, I could wear them in prison?
Still it's an excellent feeling getting something for nothing.
I will be the best dressed beggar on the streets anyway!

Lots of love Debbie x

Lick and taste cheques

Still seem to be rushing around like the proverbial blue arse fly.

I wanted to pay in two cheques before going off to Comets to sort out mother's aerial lead, before the cheques managed to get covered in even more food splashes. The tiller lady if that's what they are called, I don't actually know as my brain is pretty fried as you know... although that does conjure up a vision of ladies with very long fishnet clad legs and feathered head dresses that bob up and down... anyway she looked very grumpy at me when I gave her my two tomato sauce splashed cheques... whoops, but it was a homemade sauce!
For the younger readers, google 'The Tiller Girls' before asking 'what planet is she on now?' and mental note to myself... do not keep cheques in kitchen next to cooker!

Set off to Comets to get a gay aerial lead for my mother. I say gay, as that's the only way I could remember I needed two male feeders and not a male/ female feeder. Just had to remember not to ask for a gay lead when I gave up looking and asked the man instead.
Guess that was a wee bit too to ask of me and the man just looked at me as if I had just walked out of the clinic for the 'No, absolutely hope, this one is away with the fairies, throw away the key' people. I guess that's not PC either????
Still I have come away with a lead and a brand new DVD as my new TV didn't have the facility to play them. God my bloody mother is costing me a fortune. So far I've brought a new hoover which isn't half as good as the one I gave her and now a TV, all because she didn't want to buy one.
I pray her washing machine doesn't break down, because I'm damned if I'm buying a new one of them!

By the time I had shopped, had lunch with Reni before getting her to cut my hair really short as I had attacked it somewhat while she was away thanks to the run in with the blue hair dye and plus it looked like rats had been eating it in my sleep... looks good now though thank you Reni... By the time I got to have my physio at St Peters at Maldon I was knackered.
They were running late and it was very warm in the waiting room, plus the big old armchairs there are so comfy, that I woke up to see two very old men fast asleep too and some woman sitting opposite, staring at me with a 'something smelly is under her nose' look, because I was obliviously snoring... loudly.
Oh the shame.
I have realised that I don't use very many full stops in my writing, but lots of 'ands' and commas and I ramble, but I guess that's because my life doesn't have very many full stops or pauses either.
Sorry folks but hey it's a lovely day out there today!

Lots of love Debbie x

My head is spinning

Here's the thing... if you are told that your brand spanking new TV, which you didn't actually want to buy in the first place, but did because your mother's set had died and she was point blank refusing to buy another, so I offer to buy a new one so she can have my semi new one... if you're told it will arrive sometime between 7am and 7pm that's annoying enough, but to arrive at 8.45pm? Durr hello?!

I had to doze on the bed again fully dressed in case he came dead on 7am and then get Julie in to house sit while I went to physio for an hour in the afternoon at St Mike's.
Oliver took my TV around to mother's as she had the hump that she was now into day four of watching TV in her bedroom and she wasn't happy.
Oliver couldn't set that up as apparently her aerial lead had two male and a female conectors and apparently I needed two male pieces... hello are we speaking another language here?
Bless Derek, as he happened to have one in his shed, I won't ask why.
Mother now happy.
My friend arrived a hour early for her meal and walked in on all this fiasco.
The AWOL TV set arrived at 8.45pm and at 9.15pm, I was begging Derek to make his second rescue mission of the night and put it all together for me. Cracking picture though!

I also had the doctor who came out to see mother yesterday on the phone this afternoon and I have a sneaky feeling that she had the hump big time with me for getting her out.
The call was about my latest test results which Hannah and Ruth asked me to send in and it she gave the impression that she was not impressed with them doing so.
Luckily it had come back ok, well apart from my pseudemonas to which she said while yawning that 'there was no chance of eradicating it.'
Now I know that and I know that she has just has just been on maternity leave with her first baby and she could have been up all night, but maybe I'm being paraniod, but it sounded like a case of 'whatever' there to me.

Next time my sister moans that there is a different problem concerning mother nearly every day, I will probably have to go and stick my head in a cupboard to keep quiet!

Lots of love Debbie x

Patience is frustration

Patience is not a virtue I has come to discover, patience is frustration that another day has gone past and still nothing from either Papworth or from Broomfield.
I have two more tests to do and nothing. All I can think of is my specialist's words that telling me that I only have a two year window and already a month has past and dippity squat from anyone and I'm now down to an one year and eleven months window. Two years didn't sound as bad somehow, but I'm now beginning to realise how slippery time actually is.
Three years ago about this time of year, I would be counting down the weeks to my June holiday in Turkey, striking off the days on my calendar, getting excited. Now I have a cold fear that just wants to hold on to each day, but at the same time wondering if maybe tomorrow will bring my letters.
No wonder my nerves are as tight as a drum skin, as I find myself pacing around my bungalow just lately waiting for the postman to come, who of course brings me everything other than what I want and need.

I had to ask the doctor to come and see my mother's back again, so we can finally get her booked in to have the cyst removed.
I'm sure that the doctor thought I was making up the fact that mother couldn't get down to the doctors to be seen, as when I was telling the doctor about how feeble she was on her legs and how she kept stumbling. The doctor asked mother to walk from room to room in the bungalow so she could access her and mother started walking upright around the bungalow, near enough swinging her walking stick around like Charlie Chaplin!
'Me fall over? Not since I fell about of bed two summers ago, I don't fall do I Debs'
Ok, I'll remind her of that next time she moans about her legs and how she can't walk anymore or we have 'words' and she tells me that she fell in the kitchen after I had left like last Sunday.
I can understand that mother is frightened that she'll end up in a home, but all the doctor was trying to do was to get her some physio to keep her knees agile and keep her out of a home.
And we told her that as she was parading up and down the front room like Miss World!
Of course as soon as the doctor left, the real mother came back.
As I said, my patience is running out... correction, has run out on me. Patience is frustration.

Lots of love Debbie x

Brief encounter

Well yesterday was a triumph, as not only am I shoving cream up my nostrils, I now have to put drops in my eyes too as I'm allergic to the bargain eyeshadow that I brought the other week.
Sorry for putting make up on in the vain hope of trying to look a tad like a woman for a change!
I think I can safely say that the after effects of those strong antibiotics that gave me this brief well being feeling, have now well and truly worn off... bummer...though I can't blame the eyes on that.
Still however brief it was to feel well for me, it certainly was lovely.

We went to the cinema last night to watch the British comedy 'Chalet Girl' and actually it was enchanting with the beautiful snow scenes and the absolutely drop dead gorgeous 'Bill Nighy'. You got to love that man!
I think my imagination was on overdrive again, no not me and Bill and an evening of lurve, but that I could smell the crisp air and that pinch you get on your cheeks through the cold air.
I really want to be able to do some travelling again.
I still have wonderful memories of the first time that I saw the fjords in Norway by daybreak, but I really do want to experience other snowy places too and even try skiing etc. Well actually I just want to go places again, hot or cold, I'm not fussy.
I was such a late starter at going abroad and I really miss all the places that I could have gone and might not be able to do.

Still never mind, I had my lovely son cook mother and me a fab roast dinner of new season New Zealand lamb for Mother's day. Mmmm yummy. He is an amazing cook that son of mine. My eldest son missed out as he has an abscess under a tooth and has in great pain since Thursday even on antibiotics etc.
Made me realise how useless I am now. If he was to ask me to look after him, I wouldn't be able to get up all the stairs if he was in bed, as he lives in a town house and the kitchen is on the bottom floor and everything is up on the next two floors up loads of stairs.
He has promised me that he'll call me through the night if he is in a lot of pain again and I would give it my best shot at getting up and down, as I know what it's like to be on your own and frightened when you are ill.
He has an appointment at 9am tomorrow so fingers crossed it is sorted.

Lots of love Debbie x

And the lucky number isn't 73

A slight panic this afternoon at rehab for the team when my stats had dropped to 73 when I first arrived and 89 is enough to have them asking 'how are you' questions. I've never seen Hannah go so red and Ruth zoomed over like a shot to make me sit down. Apparently they had already had an ambulance out twice today at different rehabs and they thought they were going to have to do a 999 call for the third time with me.
Strangely enough though, I felt fine all be it a bit tired.

I was late getting to rehab because I really wanted to finish my ironing and I was a bit cheesed off, because of various phone calls to the bank and my housing association regarding my housing benefit payments this morning, but I hadn't been rushing.
Plus I had a call from the prescription people wanting to know whether I was contribution based or something else.
Needless to say I didn't get any straight answers from anyone. You ask a simple question and everyone goes round the houses with their answers. All I wanted to know, was do I get a 'Crips r us' card to show to the dentist etc and did the housing association alter my standing order or direct debit, which ever one it was or did I change it?
The bank said the housing association and the housing association said the bank, two calls each backwards and forwards and it was stalemate.
How the hell do people con these people as I'm having trouble getting what I am owed!

Still the day got better as I went to see Lee Evans at the Civic in Chelmsford. He was trying out his new material for his new tour. What we didn't like was cut out, but to be honest there wasn't much that we didn't laugh at.
My face was aching when I left the theatre. I don't laugh out loud much now a it brings on a coughing fit, but I did risk it a couple of times.

Now terribly tired again and my eyes are killing me, so off to bed.

Lots of love Debbie x