Thankfully I am now on the mend and I am vaccinated against flu and 23 strains of pneumococcal infections. I had quite a reaction to one or other or both. The flu jab is annual but the other is a once only vaccination. I continue on my blood pressure tablet journey - no further along, still in a foggy place! 

I have been reading with interest and concern the on going debate about breast screening. There have been many recent newspaper pieces written about breast cancer during October as it is Breast Awareness Month.   The most concerning is the one found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20121043 It is suggesting that there are  too many women being treated for breast cancer unnecessarily following screening. My concerns are that it could put women off going for screening or even worse refusing treatment for breast cancer. It seems that there are some types of cancers which do not need the aggressive forms of treatment that breast cancer is treated with at the moment. the problem is that the Drs do not yet know which cancers they are. So a women could refuse breast screening which would detect a tumour and go on to develop secondaries and die because she has read this report. Until more is known about which cancers can be left this sort of reporting should not happen. Half information does not empower women it just confuses them. Please encourage women you know to be screened - without the mammogram I would have died - my cancer couldn't be felt and it had already spread to my lymph nodes.  Also please encourage your young girls to be breast aware - to know what is normal for them so that if something changes they will know. Breast cancer treatment is yuck - but it saves lives. 

Tomorrow I am going to London with Joy to see Top Hat - can't wait to see Tom Chambers tap dancing, lovely. 

Saturday was wonderful - although a full on day. Great to see all my family and catch up - especially lovely to see all of our children interacting together despite the age differences. Amazing how children of all ages love the park! 
Since then I have been quite poorly AGAIN - I think it is a reaction to the pneumococcal vaccination which I had at the same time as my flu one on Saturday. I have had a very sore arm(they had to give both jabs in same arm) and a high temperature and now my kidneys are hurting again. Ho hum! I am sure you are as fed up with reading about my aches and pains as I am to be writing about them. So it's yet another day in bed to recover. Maybe get some sewing done if my arm will let me and lots of drinking for my kidneys. 

It's nice having my boys on holiday. Paul is loving the Ring Cycle at The Royal Opera House. Ben is enjoying sleeping! 

Today Paul and Ben start their holidays. Paul has the week off to go and see the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden. He has been waiting for this for years and is very excited to see it again. There are 4 operas and each one is 4 hours long. They are spread out over the week - so that you have recovery days! They also have very long breaks - so that you can have a meal in the middle. Ben is recovering from a busy first half-term. He is going to paint the bath room next week - wonderful. It's great having my own painter and decorator! 

My day is busy - getting on with cooking for tomorrow, flowers bible study and a Drs appointment. It is all go! I am not liking the change in temperature. 

Today is my 1 year anniversary since stopping dialysis. What a year it has been! I have done so many lovely things (see my recent post) and I think I have made the days count. I don't think a day goes by when I am not grateful for not having to do dialysis. On Tuesday my friend D picked me up in her car and we both reflected on the times she had picked me up for dialysis. I am so grateful.

 Today preparing for the get together we are having on Saturday - some tidying and cooking. Tomorrow is a busy day with flowers, biblestudy and a drs appointment. Saturday an early start with a flu jab and a pneumonia one before cooking lunch for 18! Not something I could have done with dialysis on Saturdays! I will be glad to have my flu jab as there has been talk of people having flu already. My poor kidneys would really struggle with flu!
I hope you all have wonderful weekend plans.

 

The photos attached to this blog are from a walk I did back from shopping the other day and a visit to Dinton for a damp and muddy walk. The colours of autumn were stunning even though it was overcast and foggy.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,

Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay

From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past

All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise

On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;

Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,

So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.

Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine

Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Yesterday on Songs of Praise I heard Alfie Boe singing this song and the words struck a chord with me. 'Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.....', 'leave to thy God to order and provide' I am struggling to leave all this to God to order but being impatient I  tell him what should happen. How much more I could achieve if only I was completely well again. It's all about me! I forget that this is his plan - this is his path. I am where he wants me to be. Why do I still need to hear those words - you would think I had got it by now! So today I will try to be patient, try to trust and accept this is where I am supposed to be. 

Woke this morning with yet another headache - feeling quite sorry for myself again. However my throat is much better. I am so not good with pain. It is debilitating. So in bed again waiting for it to get better. I am not sure how I managed months and months of doing very little before - just 3 days and I have had enough now. I am impatient to be well and get on with life. Hopefully a change in tablets will sort out the headaches. 

So this weekend has not included our proposed visit to Windsor Castle we have had to postpone that. But I have finished some knitting and started a new project, finished my book club book and nearly finished the fiction book I am reading - thank goodness for my kindle. 

I am including some pictures of the flowers we did for our harvest themed flower arranging last week. It was fun working with such beautiful colours.

 Hopefully this week will include, coffee with friends, shopping, sorting with another friend, tutoring, flower arranging and a lot of cooking for next Saturday when we are having a family get together at our house  - there will be about 16-18 of us. It is getting harder and harder to all be together with all the children having busy lives. It is also an ever expanding group as the children have partners too. I am thinking we may not be able to sit around tables but have to have a buffet and eat off laps. 

 I don't think we will manage to all be together at Christmas time - although you never know. It is lovely that we all want to be together even if it is a struggle to manage it. 

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.

Betty Smith

This week I have heard news of a birth and a death. One of my friends has become a Grandmother with the safe and joyous birth of her Granddaughter. Other friends are mourning the loss of their young daughter-in-law.  How precious is our life and how must we make our days count because we don't know what lies around the corner. These act as reminders that we must grasp each day and make the most of it. Hold tight to our loved ones and make sure we tell them that we love them. Keep short accounts with people - don't allow quarrels to damage or hurt our relationships - say sorry often. Both these families know and trust God with their lives - sometimes it is so very hard to understand his plans. Sometimes we have to cling on by our finger tips trusting that he is in charge even though we can't see the whys. My prayers are with both families. 

I am starting to feel better - hurrah! My visit to the GP has left lots of questions. So now I have to be in touch with the renal team to find answers.Hopefully soon we will have a fully working plan! 

Today another quiet day recovering, some more knitting and watching DVDs and reading. Hopefully tomorrow I will be  well on the road to recovery. 

Chloe and Ed are spending the weekend in the New Forest cycling. Thankfully it is dry for them.