Oh Dear!

K8 has been busy tagging everyone she knows in the Blogosphere today.

Thankfully she took pity on me and left me alone. I don’t like that sort of thing as I have to work hard to remember my young life… it was so very long ago.

While having a rest this afternoon I was thinking about my Newly Weds.

I gave Elly a bit of a scare last weekend, and instead of pushing up daisies I must keep struggling on. In case she decides to sell my body to science I completed a survey to tell me approximately how much money my darling daughter would get for it.



$4615.00

If you see her running up the road with a pillow will you let me know…

A Message in a Bottle Part 2

Back in April I wrote a piece about ‘A Message in a Bottle’.

Today we have a little update! The system works!

Yes, on Friday I had reason to test it. A test nobody wants to have.

Following all the excitement of the wedding last weekend I spent the time since my return home lying low. I woke at around 5a.m. as usual on Friday, but tried to go back to sleep. I must have slept as I was awoken by the sound of the doorbell. Mark the Postman was all apologies for disturbing me. I signed his book and accepted a parcel. I still felt rather sluggish and fought against going back to bed. While thinking of Jack who often said “Bed! I am not going to bed. People die in bed!” I concentrated on making my breakfast.

By 10.15a.m. I knew I was in trouble and took my spray. Not having the desired effect I took it again and instead of improving things got worse. When my sight became blurred I called ‘999’. It is not the first time I have had to avail of their services. What a wonderful service they provide. Once I had given them all the information they needed, I was told me not to hang up and the man talked calmly and quietly to me until help arrived.

Within 4 minutes the Cardiac Car was here and I was wired up and put on Oxygen. The Ambulance was hot on the heels of the car and one of the men went straight to the fridge to get my ‘message in a bottle’. It gave him the information needed without me having to use up energy answering questions. He lifted my medication but refused me time to get night-gear or wash-bag.

It is at times like this I am glad to have a major hospital ten miles out the road. I was seen to immediately, injections and tests were started but since I was in the early stages of Hypothermia drawing blood was all the more difficult.

I was settled into a bed in the Cardiac Ward and was checked every 15 minutes. It took until 5p.m. to bring my temperature back to normal and for the pain to subside. The tests continued through the night and since the pain had not returned I was allowed home late Saturday afternoon. I still face tests but they will be as an out-patient.

Note to Bloggers: Do something about A Message in a Bottle!

Note to Self: Stop chasing Toyboys!

Gentlemen can I have your attention....

On Friday I got a letter. By now you all know how I love to receive letters.

This one was from my local health Centre. It was a reminder that it was time to have a routine test.

Yes the time has come round again to have THAT test. Let me just say it is probably the one we women most dislike – a smear test. The fact that it can save lives does little about how we feel about it. It is silly you know as it only takes a few minutes. Nowadays we are no longer asked to put our legs up in stirrups and told to relax as a doctor (in the past it was usually a man with a gruff manner) approached with a hunk of cold steel! You get the picture.

I always found the Mammogram test just as uncomfortable as a smear test. It is like having a Boob squashed in a vice first horizontally, and then vertically. It was made worse when I realised that nowadays it is the only time someone will ask me to appear topless on film.

Today I had to smile: “Why”? I hear you ask. Well they have found a test for the men in our lives. It only takes a minute and it could save your life, no need to be squeamish…..

Message in a Bottle

As a young girl I enjoyed walking along the waters edge of any beach dipping my toes in the water from time to time. Thoughts of finding a bottle with a message in it seemed so romantic. In those early days the beaches were on the east coast of Ireland so any hope of bottles coming ashore from some exotic sun drenched island were rather farcical. I suppose if I was to find such a bottle it would have more lightly come from over the side of the boat from Dublin to Holyhead!

Today I have a message in a bottle. In fact I have had it for a year now. I keep in safely in my fridge. The fridge is an unusual place to keep a message, but this one is special. It is more a clear plastic container than a bottle and stands about 12cms tall with a strong plastic lid. The note inside contains a photograph and personal details of the individual concerned. It was given to me by a friend.

The bottle came with a sheet of instructions and three stickers. So what is it all about? It is part of the Emergency Information Scheme. This is a voluntary scheme intended for use by any person whilst living at home. The scheme provides the Emergency Services with the vital details of any illness or allergy you may suffer from, medication you may be taking and the name of a person to be contacted in the event of you suffering a sudden illness or personal accident.

How does it work? Your details are stored on an A5 sheet of paper, in a plastic container, which is kept in your fridge. The three special stickers are known to the Emergency Services and other caring agencies.

You need to complete the form in biro/ballpoint pen and place it in the container. Then attach the large sticker to the outside of the container and store it in the fridge. Next you put a small sticker on the outside of the fridge and keep it uncovered. Put the other sticker on an inside door or panel within the hallway, where it can easily be seen.

I decided not to put the stickers on my fridge and hall panel as they were, because if I moved or needed to replace the fridge I would lose them. Therefore I had them laminated and put a magnet on the back of the one for the fridge and used ‘Bluetac’ for the other one. So if I move they move with me.

I particularly like the last two questions. Are you a Carer? If so there is space to put the details of a person who relies on you for daily care. And the last one is: Do you have pets, if yes how many and what type?

Do you know somebody who might find this scheme useful? Then I suggest you contact your local, Emergency Services, Police, or the next Politician who calls at your door looking for your vote!

I am attaching a copy of the form and you might be able to print it off and use it. I hope you never NEED to.

A Visit to Mary

ME

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