In Training

Another personal post

Yeah I know.  Eventually I'll get around to feeling 100% better and get back to my old posting ways and that's a promise.  But gotta say, that for now I am enjoying my Mom's last few days here so it might be another week or so before the every day thing begins. 

Still feeling better every day - been getting out in the sun when it's there and taking walks to get my legs back in shape.  Scotland, at least where we are, has not been touched by the horrible flooding that is hurting so much of England.  I can't imagine what those families are going through, been thinking about them every day since it happened. 

Found out that hubby is leaving again fairly soon - blech.  He started summer leave today and hopefully we'll be able to at least take a nice weekend away before he goes back!

Thanks y'all for being so supportive, and still checking the site even after all my posting stops and starts! 

There are no words for these NIMBYs

NIMBY being the word used in the article, meaning Not In My Back Yard.
It's just so infuriating.

neighbors' war with wounded soldiers families

-- "It is often the first port of call for servicemen and women returning home after being wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Soldiers who may have lost limbs or suffered severe trauma spend months rebuilding their lives at Headley Court military rehabilitation centre. But when an Armed Forces charity decided to buy a £ 1.7million six-bedroom house nearby so visiting relatives would have somewhere to stay, the well-heeled neighbours in Ashtead, Surrey, launched their own offensive.
....
They have flooded the council with almost 100 letters of protest, raising every conceivable objection to the new property being used to house families visiting soldiers.
They claimed 'additional noise' and 'huge amount of additional traffic' would ruin the peace of the private lane and warned that the value of their multi-million-pound properties would plummet.
The families 'would not be welcome', they said, and their arrival could 'destroy the character' of the area.
One resident even objected on security grounds, claiming the house could become a terrorist target, while another suggested wheelchairs would present a fire hazard."

None of the residents would comment in the article, and I can't say I'm surprised.  To put it much too nicely, that lot needs to freakin' grow some eyes, some brains and a whole helluva a lot of backbone.

You can read about, or learn about supporting the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA, the charity involved) right here.

Believe it or not...

Yeah so the reason I haven't been around (thanks for asking Xeno!) is because well, I've been 'in hospital' as the British say.  For a week, just got out last Friday.  There was the shingles at first, then the sinus infection, immediately followed by a simultaneous bacterial throat infection (the worst I've ever felt in my life) and a urinary infection.  Basically, I was so weak I couldn't be bothered to sit up to take medicine and my resting heart rate was hanging out around 150, getting up to 163 at the highest. 

I went through heart tests and a CT scan, two IV locations, two antibiotics that made me feel sicker than when I came in, and getting stuck with needles 9 times in five days.  At one point I was taking six pills with dinner. I also have the most beautiful bruises on my arms and hands.  They were and still are afraid that I might have an immune system problem.
The thing that really killed me though was only being able to see Royal for two hours each day!  I couldn't speak to my parents (literally at one point, couldn't eat, couldn't talk) and couldn't spend time with my husband, or have him look out for me.

I could go on about the pros and cons of the NHS system, but I'll just stick with one of each.
Con: Doctors and nurses didn't really feel the need to tell me what was going on. Ex: Failed to tell me what antibiotic I was being given, and when they added yet another pill I didn't even know why.  This is a huge pet peeve as I really feel you have to look out for yourself where medicine is concerned, or have someone there to help -- I was pretty out of it and it would have been especially difficult to ask questions when I couldn't speak. 
Pro: Pretty comfy beds and good meals, which was really nice.

Throat is great now, just finished up the second antibiotic this evening so I hope all is well.  Still very tired and my legs are so weak - apparently this happens after being pretty much bed-bound for over a month - but at least I'm not as weak anymore.

There we have it, believe it or not.  I admit that while in the hospital after being told I would be going home the next day, and then for the third time being told I'd have to stay, I couldn't see the bright side anymore.  I just ran through everything that's happened since I've moved here (bank problems, living without a fridge/freezer, husband gone, sickness sickness sickness, etc.) and lost it, I thought it was never going to end.  I couldn't even cry because I didn't want everyone to see me - silly I guess, but how I felt at the time.  Now honestly, I do feel stronger and almost normal.  I don't know how I got through it, but I did and I'm so happy to be home.  So dramatic. 

Royal just left again for two weeks - training - and unfortunately my mother who was flying here on standby has not been able to make her second/connecting flight and doesn't know when she'll be able to make the next one so... alone again, but at least under better circumstances than before!

Bittersweet hellos & goodbyes

Bittersweet for many, many a reason.  But mostly because last weekend I said hello to my husband in person for the first time in about 3 months, and said goodbye to my Dad after 3 weeks of visiting.  Both are made more difficult because of the state I'm in, but also because let's face it, it's a hard trade off in one weekend! 

I have the best guys in my life.  My Dad came to take care of me and that he did.  The dishes, the puppy dog, meals, medicine and vacuuming for goodness sake!  And hugs.  Most of all a taste of home and family and no pressure.  I miss my parents a lot.  Apparently, my little brother misses me, too!

And the other one, the phone voice that is now off picking up Chinese food before we complete our O.C. marathon (yeah, go on and make fun I can take it)...  WOW.  I missed him - and he looks amazing spending every day visiting the gym while I sat practically wasting away all pale and sickly - so not fair.  He too with the dishes and the taking care and no complaints or pressure.  I'm just really blessed.

The bonus is that the doc said that in two weeks if I haven't had any problems I should be able to go back to work for a few hours a day.  And my MOM IS COMING TO VISIT!!  Maybe this sick thing ain't so bad after... what the hell am I saying, don't ever ever ever get shingles ever ever EVER
:o) 

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day everybody!  I'm celebrating with a nice salad made by my husband - which is saying a lot actually considering I'm still very much under the weather with the shingles and an added bonus of an apparent sinus infection made worse by a bad reaction to the antibiotic I was given.  Gosh I love my life  ;o)  No really, the one cool thing was I was able to go out a few days ago for lunch at a local pub with my dad before he left, and it was all decorated with red white and blue decorations, and cardboard decorations with things like 'America the Beautiful' and 'Home of the Brave'.  I wasn't up for asking what it was all about (a party theme.. ?) but it was really nice to see.

New posts coming soon though, promise.