Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 12, 2008 in
family,
health,
pets Ok I am very tired tonight but I’ll try my best to make this entry readable and understandable. Today I took my dog to the vets, he hasn’t been well at all recently. We gave him some bones a few days ago, the next day he vomited and since then he hasn’t eaten and just seems out of it. He won’t go upstairs to his bed either, so I have been sleeping downstairs on the sofa (which is far from comfortable), and I’m sleeping on the sofa again tonight to keep him company, don’t want to leave Sam all on his own downstairs.
I took him to the vets this morning to get his nails clipped and explain what’s been going on. He has been drinking, peeing and doing his business, I think he does want to eat but just doesn’t feel like it for some reason. Anyway, they gave him an examination (my poor baby boy, finger up his bumbum, he wasn’t best pleased and hid his head under my arm) and said we could either try the medication which should get him eating by tomorrow or have an xray to find the cause of the tenderness on Sam’s abdominal area. I phoned my dad, and we both agreed to go for the xray as if there is a real problem, the medication only masks it and down the line it’ll be worse for Sam, he isn’t getting any younger. 
So… I had to leave my poor lil boy at the vets. When I said goodbye and was leaving, Sam wouldn’t walk with the vet so he gave him an ultimatium, “you’re either going to walk with me, or I’ll carry you”. He chose the latter.
It has been so hard. The vet said to pick him up in the afternoon but them 6 hours waiting at home for a call from the vet to tell us to pick him up was so long. Dad and I kept looking over at his bed, I came home from shopping expecting to see him, my dad was whistling to get Sam’s attention even though he wasn’t there. It was weird. I was so glad to get the phonecall and pick him up. 
The vet shown me the xray, it was all clear. The tenderness, he said, was most likely caused by some fluid but there’s no need to open him up or anything… no medication, either. The vet gave him an injection to stop his nausea and I was told to feed him on chicken & rice and see how he goes… if no improvement, go back for more tests.
Tonight, he hasn’t eaten anything. Le sigh. I am really hoping he eats tomorrow… even if it’s only a tiny bit.
Vet bills!! Oh yes… today…
Nails clipped: £4.50
Examination (consisting of the anal examination and just feeling around his belly): £18.50
Xray: £40
+ VAT
= £95.94 
But at the end of the day, I really do not mind paying out. I just want my lil baby to be healthy again.
Tags: family, health, pets
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 11, 2008 in
life,
people,
thoughts I typed up this entry a while ago, and submitted it on my old wordpress blog but I thought I’d submit it here too as this is a subject I feel strongly about.
I’ll start off with a quote from comedian, Lee Evans:
Young people and old people are always having a go at each other, like, teens and pensioners but actually, they are very similar. For instance, they are both taking lots of drugs. You wouldn’t trust either of them with your car, and little old grannys and teens are very similar as they have got loads of bumfluff.
All good in humour but as you are all probably aware already, I am somewhat ashamed of the generation I have unfortunately landed in. Of course, not all young people are uncontrollable tyrants who get a thrill by tormenting and being aggressive. I’m certainly not one of them people and I know there are others about, too. But I do wish the elderly get more respect than they do these days.
I’m sick of reading in the papers of elderly people getting robbed, assaulted and one particular case which sticks in my mind is when a young person battered an elderly woman to death on her way home from her fish shop for £1 or something silly like that. How do these people live each day. How would they like it if someone beat they’re grandmother to a pulp? How would they like it if, when they are elderly, they are treated in this way?
These people, from 70+ have lead such long and full lives they deserve to enjoy the rest of the time they have left and not to be victimised by the scum of the earth. It makes me so angy to hear of the elderly being scared to leave their house because of the way things are today. Isn’t that awful? These people, who have lived for 70 plus years, are now scared to leave the ’safety’ of their own home, and sometimes it isn’t even ’safe’ inside they’re home. As people get older they can become more vulnerable, their body isn’t what it was and some people lose their hearing and their sight, some get some sort of dementia and they are taken advantage of. Robbed and abused within their own home or in nursing homes, the places where they should feel safe and secure but unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and it just makes me so angry.
Younger people get it into their minds that all elderly people do is nag, nag, nag, knit and all those other stereotypical things but that is so not true. I have had a lot of experience being with elderly people, I also did some volunteer work in a Care Home a few years ago and elderly people can be such a breath of fresh air. Full of life, and that child inside them doesn’t escape. I can sit next to an elderly person and they tell me stories about their family or their life and I find it interesting. Also have a few jokes here and there and let me just say this, not all elderly people are prudes!
They deserve more respect. After being on this Earth for so long, they deserve to lead their life in peace and enjoy the remainder of their days.
Of course, it’s not all one sided. Some of the elderly have no time for young people too and that results in trouble. “One bad apple spoils the barrel” an’ all that. We’re not all bad. I personally have a lot of respect for the elderly. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t despise the generation I’m a part of, there are some good people and I know some good people around my age. It’s just people always ‘focus’ on the bad people. It’s like school all over again. The chavs in some classes get most of the attention because the teacher is trying to settle them down and get them back under control whereas the students who have potential and are doing their work don’t always get the help they should -not all the time, depends on the class, but I’ve seen it happen.
Incase anyone has a go at me by saying, “well, it’s not only the elderly who get assaulted etc, people of all ages do”, I know that, it shouldn’t happen – period. I hate crime committed on people of all ages.
There’s good and bad in every generation, it isn’t a case of one being better than the other because there’s a mixture. The ‘war’ between the younger generation and the older generation will probably never end, but there’s so many misunderstandings and it’s the misunderstanding and stereotypes that are probably the main causes in this mess.
Anyway, that’s my view on things. =)
Tags: life, people, thoughts
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 6, 2008 in
life,
thoughts Sigh. 2008 isn’t going off to the best of starts, that’s for sure.
Last night, I changed into my PJs, bought my duvet downstairs and watched a movie On Demand to try and cheer myself up. It was going ok but then half way through I just started crying and couldn’t get myself back into the movie. Things get on top of me but I’m glad to know I’m not the only person in the same situation I am currently in, that very few people know about. I am a member of a support forum, and last night, in a space of an hour, I read two threads from two different people who are unfortunately in the same position as me, I wanted to reply and help – but if you’re struggling in that area too, then how are you meant to? Just can’t. I may drop them a PM (private message) later today, sometimes it helps to know that someone, somewhere, truly understands exactly how they’re feeling.
I felt very alone, and very sad. After the movie I did the washing up etc then dragged myself upstairs to bed. Sat on the side of the bed and looked up to see my step-mums teddy, so I grabbed it and took it to bed and hugged it. The teddy is the only item (next to her wedding ring) that makes me feel close to my step-mum, like, she is actually with me at that time. Last night I was feeling low already (not about my step-mum) and when we’re, or at least, I’m, feeling low and upset then it’s ‘easy’ for me to start feeling sad about other things, too.
Tags: life, thoughts
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 5, 2008 in
health,
life,
news Note to self: Buy some hair conditioner. I’ve just ran out, good thing I’m going shopping in a few hours time, I guess!
I haven’t left the house since Tuesday and it’s Saturday now. I have had such a bad cold it seemed the only way it was going to go was if I quarantined myself and made myself stay inside the house. I called in sick on Wednesday, and then on Thursday my senior & manager said I should take the rest of the week off to make sure I am recovered. Well, I am feeling a lot better in myself today, I think the main thing that is causing me discomfort is my ribs… am pretty sure I have bruised them through coughing too much. It hurts to cough, it hurts to sneeze (both, I am doing very little of now), it hurts to bend, it hurts to laugh, it hurts to twist and they are sensitive to touch on one side. Ow. But!! I can deal with it. 
I think I’m lucky, and I HAVEN’T caught this bug. Maybe I have just had the flu or something because I haven’t had the two er… lovely symptoms. I have had the sickness, but only through coughing too much. I haven’t had the ‘D’ word. Thank goodness!! My cold/flu has also lasted more than 3 days…
A sickness bug sweeping the country is claiming 200,000 victims a week.
Already, more than 100 hospital wards have been closed, operations cancelled and visitors banned in a desperate attempt to halt the march of the norovirus.
Experts warned last night that next week’s return to work provides perfect conditions for the bug, which is 100,000 times more infectious than salmonella, to spread like “wildfire”.
The Royal College of GPs has warned workers to remain at home for 48 hours after symptoms have subsided to avoid spreading the bug and to stay away from doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.
…AND THERE’S NO TREATMENT
Symptoms generally appear between 12 and 48 hours after infection and last up to three days.
Patients are infectious for 48 hours after their symptoms have cleared.
There is no treatment, other than staying warm indoors and drinking liquids. Victims must allow the virus to run its course, meaning many are off sick from work for days.
Read more
Tags: health, life, news
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 4, 2008 in
thoughts I was just checking out the stats for my blog, who’s coming here from where etc. I find the search engine keywords one of the most interesting. I have had some people end up here using really bizarre searches (and on Life’s Chronicles), by searching for keywords that have no resemblance whatsoever. Some of them make me laugh, I wonder how on earth they ended up here. Others make me cringe, and I wonder how on EARTH did they end up here!!
When the database went screwy a few weeks ago the hits took a huge dive but now they are slowly rising again. The database errors were such a huge kick in the face, certainly made me learn to backup!! Seeing as this blog is a personal blog I am making it more personal that it was before the database issues. I have added a few more pages:
I’ve also added a cute little music player playing a few of my favourite songs at the moment.
I have a Polls plugin waiting to be installed. I’ve actually had it on my laptop since before the database issues but didn’t get around to using it! I did install one but I just couldn’t figure out how to use it, but then I asked a good friend who has quite a few blogs (different subjects) and let me know what poll plugin he was using.
Anyway, I love my blog!!
Tags: thoughts
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 3, 2008 in
life,
thoughts You know when you wake up, and you haven’t a clue who or where you are? Happens to me all the time. I wake up confused, and I say the most stupid of things in “reply” to someone who is talking to me, only to find there is no one there. I walk to the top of the stairs and I shout down to say something to my dad, and he’s like, “what are you talking about?”. I have woke up thinking I am in a hospital, I am in another country, in another house, or not in a house at all. I have woke up forgetting what my name is and sometimes even thinking I am not human. Bizarre. It’s all really bizarre. This happened to me this morning, I woke up in such confusion I was almost in a panic. It doesn’t last long, only lasts a minute. Maybe I am still “living my dream” (or nightmare, in some cases) when I awake, but sometimes I can’t even remember the dream before I woke up.
Strange, huh?
Tags: life, thoughts
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 2, 2008 in
health,
life,
news Was awake coughing during the night again. Was sick too, almost choked on it! Sorry for the imagery, folks. Called in sick today, one of the night staff answered and handed the phone to one of my seniors, we both agreed it wouldn’t be beneficial for anyone if I went to work today, and she said she’d phone up someone else to see if they can cover my shift. I then had to contact the civic centre to let them know I was absent through sickness, the nurse called back and said if it continues, see a doctor in a few days.
This bug is going around and I’m sure the doctors clinics are plagued with people with these symptoms. I’ll see how it goes. I’ve been taking Covonia (looks like petrol, smells like petrol, tastes pretty yucky. Dad put some on a cotton bud to see if it was actually flamable, but it wasn’t 
), and it seems to be helping my chest. I think I have been coughing so much I have bruised a rib. Ouch. I also have a headache, I’m feeling hot, have a stiff neck and a sore throat and just generally feeling under the weather.
OMG I just heard there’s snow outside Cardiff. Le sigh. We’ll most likely get it now. According to the Met Office earlier:
As cold air sets in across the country the Met Office is expecting a spell of snow on Thursday and at first on Friday. Two separate areas of snow are expected. The snow affecting eastern Scotland and Northumbria will be more persistent and heavy leading to 10-20 cm accumulations on high ground, and 5 cm or so on lower ground, though rain is more likely close to coasts. This is expected to cause disruption to travel networks especially across higher level routes. Lighter snow is expected further south, which will turn to rain later. Here, there is some uncertainty about how much snow there will be, though latest estimates suggest little, if any, lying snow in most parts, but with the risk of 3- 5 cm over parts of East Anglia and southeast England, as well as on high ground over 100 m elsewhere. Again, this could cause travel disruption, though with lower confidence.
On the map it shows South East Wales too, a bit of it, and it looks like we’re gonna get some.. Get your shovels out, especially those in Scotland!!
Tags: health, life, news
Posted by flummoxed1 on Jan 1, 2008 in
health,
jobs/careers,
life,
people,
thoughts To start off… Happy New Year everyone!
Wished it was a happy one here. First day into the year and I wish it was over with already! Nah, it’s just been one of them days…
As posted, I am not feeling too well, still not great today but feeling better than I have been and went to work. It WAS a three course meal today, not 5 as I was told last week. Think my co-worker was trying to scare me or something – it worked!
Took me two hours going around 20 flats this morning, just checking how they are etc, but while I was doing the boards events kept popping up. A few tenants wanting something done or collected, a few feeling down in the dumps, homecare not turning up and me having to dress people, provide breakfast etc.
Homecare can be SO unreliable, it’s good we are there. I just feel sorry for those who don’t live in a complex like the one I work in, and those who rely on homecare totally. They can be late, or not turn up at all! Maybe they take advantage because they know we are an “extra care” complex, and they think, “well if we don’t turn up/we’re late then it’s ok because they have assistants there who can do it” 
Then there was lunch, then in the afternoon preparing the buffet for this evening and another event popped up… actually today has been a very busy day.
My cold has behaved itself too, starting to play up a bit now I am home though. Will ground it. 
It can stay in solitary confinement! I will lock it in a room and can stay there till it dies. Bwhahaha Make sure no one else is in the room though – just this stupid bug!
Tags: health, jobs/careers, life, people, thoughts