Update on hip

Had first appointment with Musculo Skeletal physio person yesterday. Thankfully no arthritis, so the wear and tear isn't as bad as I'd thought. However, the lateral tendon (hope I got that right) is inflamed and my hip joint bones on both sides are sore because of surrounding muscle weakness, and there's even possibly a bursa.  So - result is 12 weeks of physiotherapy to stretch and strengthen the muscles round my hip joints. 

This has gone on far too long, as has the problem with my foot.  I'm happy that someone is taking me seriously at last and that my future mobility looks waddle free!  It's a long way down the line yet, but there's hope and a reason to smile, if only at the thought of me being pushed, pulled and pummelled in every conceivable direction.

Happy days!

Polly is better!

To continue from last week's post on family pets, I mentioned that Polly had been to the vet because she wasn't well.  Well, I'm happy to say she's back to her usual loud self, eating and functioning normally again.  Phew, thank goodness!

Here's Polly last evening, taken with my camera phone.  We were having a game before bedtime :-D

I still don't know what was wrong with her,  The water infection theory doesn't seem to fit somehow, though being a little stressed does.  There's a new 'cat-on-the-block' who's paying her rather a lot of attention.  Polly doesn't take easily to other cats and is normally quick to see them off, but this one seems a little different.  We think its male, so we keep referring to it as 'he'.  The reason being he's a bit of a hunk!  Drop dead gorgeous, all black with vivid green eyes and a bit muscly.  We've called him Dave.

This is Dave....

He gives Polly every indication that she's the boss, even though he sneaks in when she's not looking and helps himself to her cat biscuits.  If she sees him, she doesn't chase him off, just leaves him to get on with it.  He then rolls on his back in front of her and as a result there's very little animosity between them.  UNLESS the cat mint is involved!

We have a tub with some growing and Dave loves to jump in it and sit in there licking all the leaves.  He then jumps out if Polly is near as if he's made way for her jump in.  She doesn't.  She prefers me to pull a sprig off for her to have a little chew on then she rubs her face in it.  She makes the strangest noises and drools all over the sprig.  The white fur round her face turns a bizarre shade of nuclear green but she's not vain - she's more of a 'who cares if I have green stuff stuck to me face' sort of gal.  No pride, that one.

So, in my usual misguided way two days ago, I pulled off a sprig of cat mint for both cats, setting them a distance apart.  Both were happy to get stuck in, until Polly decided Dave's looked juicier than hers, and went to take it.  For the first time, I saw Dave assert himself and he cuffed Pol's ear!  There was a moment or two of caterwauling before things settled down, then Polly chased Dave off down the driveway.  He didn't appear again until this morning, coming to call for her as usual.  She was very wary of him but eventually went out, sat by the garden gate and gave him warning signals to keep his distance.  The last I saw of them as I headed out to work an hour later was the pair of them sitting together on the patio.

OK, I've digressed a bit though I think it was necessary in order to paint the picture of why Polly might be a bit stressed.  She's getting used to having another cat call round on a regular basis, and I think it hasn't sat easily with her.  Perhaps she'll get used to him eventually, after all she lets him eat her biscuits!

Family pets

When Teddy, our wonderful 14 year old Golden Retriever died in 1999 we vowed never to have another pet.  Losing him was like losing a family member and I recall the pain morphing from emotional to physical and back again happening for a number of months afterwards.

Ted was a handsome dude; a laid back sort of guy and very sociable.  He was always happy when my daughters had their mates round so he could sit in the middle of them as they strummed guitars, or just laughed and chatted.  He didn't care which, he just enjoyed the fuss and attention.  It was easy to include Ted in stuff like that he just went along with everything.  For him it was even better if there was a drop of Newcastle Brown ale shared with him in his bowl, although I'm given to understand he passed up on the spliffs!

I've included this photo borrowed from http://dallasdoglife.com as it's almost Ted's double with the same fur colouring and nice black nose.  The facial expression is one he wore a lot; happy, pleased, joyful.  But Goldies are like that and such a pleasure to own.

After Ted's death, we went many years without a pet, and would probably still be without one now if it hadn't been for a little stray cat who appeared on my younger daughter's doorstep one day.  She was pretty persistent so my daughter having recently lost another cat, decided to take her in.  It quickly became apparent that this little cat was in a pickle!  Within a matter of weeks she'd given birth to 5 kittens in the wardrobe, so as she'd arrived in a pickle, Pickles became her name.  She was less than a year old herself, so in effect she was a teenage mum.  One of the kittens didn't survive, but the other four went on to thrive and become lovely little creatures.  We didn't want to see them go out of the family younger daughter kept mum Pickles and one kitten (Jasmine).  Elder daughter took one and called her Trinity.  She now lives in Malvern, Worcestershire, and we had the remaining two which is my gorgeous Polly and her brother Rastus who sadly got run over a while ago.  Rastus was  a beautiful Tabby and very loving but a free spirit and kept his own hours.  I always feared he wouldn't see old age.

Polly however, is a homely girl.  Very pretty as you can see here - yes this is her!

We adore each other and have snuggles first thing in a morning before I have to get up for work.  She has the world's loudest meow though and even the neighbours can hear her when it's dinner time!

Because Polly doesn't venture very far or get much exercise she's got a bit curvy so that's a bit of a concern.  None more so than this morning when she didn't wake me up.  I just thought she'd overslept (rare for her) but she later showed signs of being off her food, and was lethargic.  We took her to the vet who couldn't find anything directly wrong with her.  I was worried that her being a bit overweight was starting to impact on her health but it appears not.  Its possible she may have a water infection so she's being treated for that.

My fingers (and everything else) are well and truly crossed that it turns out to be nothing much.  Having a poorly cat is as bad as having a poorly child.

I bet you've been there haven't you?

Update on foot consultation

Had appointment with Consultant on Tuesday about results of the MRI scan on my foot. Seemingly there's nothing horribly wrong, though there is actually a tendon problem. However, the main source of the pain is within a joint deep inside my foot. Plan of action is to inject it with steroid and if that's successful they know they've found the correct area. This will result in an operation later this year to fuse the little joint.

Hmmm, can't help feeling somewhat cynical about it, so let's wait and see if the injection is successful. Have to wait until 2nd July for that.

Meanwhile, onwards and upwards!

Hello, nice to see you. Come on in!

In anticipation of someone popping round for a catch up, I uncorked a bottle of wine and also put the kettle is on.  Park your bum - I saved you the comfiest chair.  So,  coffee?  Tea?  Something stronger?  There's cake too......don't want you going home thinking I'm a bad hostess!

Ok, so now we're settled, let's have a bit of nice background chill music.  I hope you like Sting - he's one of my hearthrobs.  I'll drone on about the others later (Robert Palmer, and Robert Plant to name a couple, both for different moods!)

Here's a couple of my favourites from Sting.  They are very different from any Police tracks, and in my view in a class of their own.  Are you comfy by the way?  You might like this cushion to lean on.  Shall we listen to this first?  We can always natter afterwards.




How did you like that?  Good?  Try this one!




Relaxed now?  That's good.  So how was your Easter?  I really hope it was a good one!  Loads of chocolate?  I tried to keep it to a minimum but my lovely daughter treated me to a Smarties Egg.  I was restrained and took 3 days to see it off.  I could happily have munched my way through it in an hour but she was with us at the cottage in Wales so I figured I shouldn't be a greedy guts and show myself up.

So, now that the ice is broken again after no postings for almost two weeks, I'll try not to bore you with how great Wales was, but I have to say it was better than great.

The condensed version is:

• Stayed near Porthmadog on the coast of West Wales
• I'll be posting a few pictures in the 'Gallery' at the first opportunity.
• Weather was mostly sunny and warm(ish)
• Only two dull and rainy days out of seven
• Cottage was wonderful and I owe my friend a huge thanks for letting us use it
• Went up Snowdon to the summit on what had to be the clearest day.  It was all wonderful.
• Visited the lovely Portmeirion
• Rode on the Ffestiniog railway.
• Dined out on three evenings in the local pubs/restaurants, and also had fish and chips twice from the local chippy.  If I said to you it was like eating REAL fish, would you know what I meant?  My reason for asking is because we have a chippy in our village at home and I don't know what they do to their fish but it sure doesn't taste or look anything like you get from the coast!  It's supposed to come fresh from Grimsby - fresh my @ss!  I've resorted to having sausage and chips from there now!  Anyway I'm digressing as usual.....
• Did a bit too much walking and went beyond my limitations resulting in some very uncomfortable days, accompanied by tears of frustration followed by more painkillers.
• Husband kindly offered to buy me a walking pole from an outdoor centre but I grumpily and rather ungraciously told him where to stick it.  He calmly placed it back on display and went off whistling to check out rain jackets.  Poor bloke!  I crept up behind him and gave him a hug to apologise.  
• I bought a limited edition painting from a little gallery in Porthmadog which now has pride of place over my sideboard in the living room.  It was love at first sight and I couldn't get the image out of my mind all week so I guess I was meant to have the painting, don't you?  Please say yes, of course you did!

So, that's all my news for the time being.  You're not asleep are you?  Did I bore you or shall we blame the wine?

Oh, you ARE awake.  Come on tell me all about YOUR Easter...........

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