Heart Stopping

Good morning

One week ago, I was walking down to the operating theatre to have a routine operation to finally remove my pesky gall-bladder. I'd arrived at the hospital in plenty of time and had been checked in and confirmed to be in good health and ready for my op. Even my blood pressure was perfectly normal - no 'white-coat' panic this time. I hopped up onto the bed and was happily chatting to the medical staff whilst wires and needles were attached to me. I started to count to 20 and then I must have dozed off.

I was woken a few hours later in recovery - surrounded by rather alot of wires and machines - all which seemed perfectly normal to me. I had been assigned a lovely young nurse who was chatting to me and making sure I was comfortable - again it all seemed perfectly normal.

Then the bed got surround by a few others - they asked if I was feeling ok - I said yes and then they told me. During the first part of the operation they needed to inflate my abdomen with gas so they could get to my gall-bladder. During this part my heart stopped - nothing - no output!! They said they'd given me drugs and CPR to get it going - and obviously it had worked!! They had decided to carry on with the op and I was no longer in possession of a gall-bladder nor a little triple family of stones.

To be honest it didn't really sink in then. I then happily lay there texting my family (well the best I could considering I was still high as a kite and unable to wear my specs as I'd an oxygen mask on!!) to tell them the op was over and what had been said. Only when my Dad text back with a hint of panic in the text it started to dawn on me what had happened and what it could have meant!!

Instead of going home the same day, I was being admitted to hospital - some talk of sending me to ITU but that was deemed not necessary. Instead I spent a very long time in recovery with my own nurse at my beck and call. Eventually a space in a lovely ward was found - I needed to be by myself and very close to the nurses station so they could keep a careful watch over me. I was not allowed out of bed unless someone was with me - oh yes 43 years old and not allowed to the loo without a grown up! I was monitored very closely as my blood pressure was pretty pathetic.

Anyhow staying one night lead into another then another - in total 5 nights were spent in hospital. Thank goodness for family and friends - who visited, phoned and text me. Now I am not a big TV watcher but having access to my own tv over the weekend meant I had some entertainment. I love Glastonbury festival and watch every year (one year I will get there for real). I knew the line up was good and watched many hours of it over the weekend. One of my highlights was Sunday afternoon - lying in bed, watching Kenny Rogers and singing along to my hearts content - I loved his set and yes I managed to sing out loud much to the amusement of the cleaner who came into my room!!

I was eventually allowed home on Tuesday afternoon. I got home before the boys got in from school and there were plenty of hugs when they got in. Its the longest I've ever spent apart from them and I really missed them so much. Whilst they visited its not the same. It was lovely Tuesday evening to sit down together to have dinner and a good chat.

I have got to go back to hospital for various follow up appointments to check that there is no lasting problems. The surgeon is confident it was just an extremely rare reaction and I should be 100% very soon. At the moment I am a bit battered - lots of bruising from the op and one cracked rib from the CPR process!

However they have given me permission to go camping with my Morris friends this weekend providing I don't dance and don't drink too much cider! I can agree to this - after all who'd turn down the chance of camping with friends at the seaside and getting to eat ice-cream too!

If you've got this far then thank you for reading. I needed to write this all down as after all this blog is mostly used as my online diary and this is a big event in my already eventful life this year!!

I shall leave you with a happy picture - these gorgeous yellow roses - a get well pressie;

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Happiness is......

Good morning

I've not taken many proper pictures recently - the habit of taking my camera with me everywhere has lapsed. However I have captured happy moments on my ipad and these get shared by Instagram - its instant blogging I guess. However I do want to keep this blog running as its a more permanent record of my life - its ups, its downs and of course my family.

Here's just a few pics from the past week - all filtered via IG first;

 Those blooming named coke bottles - once Big Son found his name, we had to find one for the rest of us - even though I really don't like the stuff! I found mine on the way home from my cancelled Op appointment - hence full fat coke was ok - after 9 hours of nil by mouth, I felt I'd earned the calories!!

 Gardening time - pretty frock of course and wellies 2 sizes to big - despite everything I still can't get my ankle into my wellies - I've just adopted an old pair of little sons instead!!

Big Son taking on the task of grass cutting - he did a fab job - completing the task despite a wheel coming off the lawnmower with just a small area left to cut! A new lawnmower is on the shopping list now - had hoped to wait till we move but heyho!

 A peony rescued from the garden - just so gorgeous.

 Dinner for one on a night when the boys were with their Dad. The perfect excuse to indulge in all things local - asparagus.

Followed by strawberries - all served on vintage china - why not ;)

Last but not least - someone who makes us all very happy. My little nephew - just so cute. The boys visited earlier in the week and took lots of photos - I just love this one of him with Big Son;

Right I'd best go and get sorted - work later and then S&B group tonight.

See you soon 

xxx Vicki xxx

Oh well - so it's changed again!!

Good morning

This wasn't what I'd hoped my next post would be about. I'd wanted to tell you I'd had my op and I was home getting better. Instead I am at home but no Op has taken place!!

I got to the hospital yesterday at midday as planned - I was admitted to the ward at 2pm and then I waited and waited. My BP started to rocket due to the stress. I called P who works in town and he came over and sat with me to take my mind off stuff. At 4.30pm a nurse appeared in my room with a sheepish look on her face. I knew what she was going to say before she spoke. Due to over-running previous ops mine had been bumped off the list :( So after almost 5 hours at the hospital and 10 hours without food or drink I was on my way home still with my dicky gallbladder inside me :(

Cross is an understatement - so much planning had taken place to ensure I had got people to look after me whilst I recover. Friends/family had taken time off work to help out and having my Op yesterday meant I wouldn't miss much other stuff in my life that I want to do - sadly this now means I will miss things I was looking forward too.

I've spoken to the hospital this morning - a new date has been arranged and this time I am first on the list - however its 3 weeks away and it clashes rather with things I had wanted to do and also getting sorted for my move. Luckily P and I are getting on well so we are going to work together to make sure things happen as smoothly as possible. 

I might have kicked several cushions today and ripped up the odd newspaper!!!

And now for something lovely - my garden always looks at its best in June - so whilst trying to calm down after this mornings call, I wandered around with my Ipad and took some photos which have of course already appeared on Instagram (I do love that place rather a lot these days);

Oh btw I've added a new widget to my sidebar - I wanted to see where my blog visitors were visiting from - its not entirely accurate but it is interesting - lots of UK (seems there are plenty of readers in Suffolk) and US visitors. Does seem that Sid the grass snake is still bringing in people - ever hopeful he will appear again soon - just need some long hot sunny days!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Be Back Soon

Evening

Thanks to those who've wondered where I am disappeared to :)

Just a bloggy break as life has taken over recently - so much stuff to sort, rehome etc. One move has taken place and the boys & I should (keeping it all crossed) be having ours early August.

Another big event in my life takes place next week - my pesky and sometimes very painful gall-bladder is being removed. It has caused no end of problems recently - another trip to A & E and some days I rattle with all the painkillers I take. The upside of it all - since this first started to play up in the Autumn, I've lost 3 stone and dropped 2 dress sizes! I was wearing an old pair of jeans today to paint some garden furniture and its just crazy to think that they fitted in the autumn - they are so huge now. I fully intend to never fit those jeans again!

The Morris dancing continues - I am so grateful to my friend for dragging me there in early Feb - I never realised how much fun it could be. The butterflies no longer plague me - instead a wonderful calm happens for several days after a day out. Off out again in a little while - this will be my last one for a couple of weeks. I have no idea how longer it will take for me to feel ok to dance - the hospital say a couple of weeks and others who have had the same op vary from about 10 days to the more pessimistic 6 weeks! I am aiming for the shorter recovery - life is to short to slob around in baggy joggers!!

Right - just checking my list - twizzly skirt, big stick, boots, mask and tailcoat - oh and beer money!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

18 of 52 weeks of happy

Good evening

What a difference a week makes - much chillier today than last Sunday and rather soggy at times too. Never mind I've found plenty to do indoors instead.

I must confess at times in the past week, happy has not been my state of mind but as ever wonderful friends and family have been there and picked me up and dusted me down. Of course those daft boys of mine help too - I am still the butt of so many of their jokes but they've worked out the signs and can now leap in if they think I'm wobbling and soon make the corners of my mouth turn upwards.

One thing I've been focusing on lots is my house move. It is all slowly coming together - paperwork is being signed and sorted. A date of early August is most likely as it suits all involved.

Some packing has started as lots of stuff will be moving to P's new house at the end of the month - I will end up with a couple of very bare rooms but there is plenty others we can use and we've changed how some are used and they seem to work fine for us for this short time we've left here.

Apart from the practical house move stuff, I've found myself collecting things for the new house - both new and charity shops finds - here's this weeks happy picture;

1 - A mini chest of drawers - in need to sanding and repainting but too lovely and cheap to leave behind. Luckily I bumped into my Dad in town that day and he brought it home for me - I was then pondering how I could fit it into my bike basket with the pile of proper shopping I'd got!

2 - A painted enamel tray - this I think will end up on the wall - its too pretty to use.

3 - A hearts picture - I fell in love with this when it came into the shop - but the 24 hour rule meant I couldn't buy it straight away. I thought it was gone the next day when I went in but it was in the shop window and soon became mine. 

4 - Two little purchases from Rochester last weekend - I found a gorgeous little shop in the High Street and went back after we'd finished dancing to buy these - I can see them hanging from somewhere in the new house.

Right six weeks of exams starts tomorrow for my boys - AS levels for Big Son and then some GSCE modules for Little Son. Both have been revising hard and I hope we get through this all with confidence and not too much stress!

Oh and there's a dance out with the Morris lot on Tuesday night - in a pub!!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Enjoying sunshine on a bank holiday!!

Good morning

Shocking - firstly two posts in two days and then sunshine on a Bank Holiday in England!!

The boys and I hadn't planned to go far - domestic stuff needed doing and there was exam revision to do as well. However the gorgeous sunshine made us decide to have a barbecue. Once it was unearthed from the garage and all parts found - I went into town to buy supplies.

We spent the early part of the afternoon in the garden together - reading, surfing the net and revising;

I must confess I've never been in charge of a barbecue before but I decided it couldn't be hard after all most men can do it ;). Once it was lit - we waited to see if it would get hot enough to cook our food;

The sun moved round and so did we - I tried to snap the boys together but they sussed I was taking their photo;

I brought the boys both a tankard back from my weekend away - cider is the perfect partner with a barbecue;

It was lovely - food cooked to perfection - no swearing or muttering - no one even moaned about the insects trying to join us! I sat and watched the sun move round and shine behind the cherry tree;

Utterly blissful - here's hoping for some more perfect weather very soon.

Its lovely here again today so once my chores are done, I am catching the bus and going to see little sister and my gorgeous baby nephew :)

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Rochester Sweeps Festival 2013 - 17 of 52 weeks of happy

Good evening

Wow what a weekend - it seems only best to combine two posts into one - a wonderful weekend providing the 17th post of 52 happy ones;

Rochester Sweeps Festival has been running in its current form for 33 years now - its become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.

As well as music, workshops, stalls, a funfair and more street food than you could ever imagine - there are 60 Morris sides dancing in the street at various points over the 3 days.

We arrived on Friday evening after a uneventful drive down - traffic was light - it all seemed to be heading in the other direction! When we got to the campsite we soon found the others - a huge space had been saved and we were camping together as a group.  Once the tent was up - it was time for dinner. Fish & chips (well just chips for me) were bought and soon consumed along with the first of many pints of cider!

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and once breakfasts of bacon rolls were consumed, costumes put on and for the men, faces blacked - we headed down the hill and into town.

I am not sure who took this picture of me - but I found it on our FB page today and decided I rather liked it - though slightly windswept and not smiling then, I can assure you I loved every minute of Saturday;

More photos - just one more of me though I expect more to appear once people return home and get time to upload them;

 Lots of fun was had, dances performed and just 2 sticks got broken that day!! Oh and we even managed to time our lunch break so we could go and watch our friends the Bounty Hounds perform in the castle grounds;

We had a group barbecue in the evening and then some of us headed over to the school hall to a ceilidh which was rather fun. I didn't have a very late night - my body was shattered and was rather keen to climb into my sleeping bag for a good few hours sleep.

We headed back into town on Sunday morning for our final dance slots - finishing up near the castle and dancing under the most gorgeous cherry trees in full blossom;

 Here's the view upwards;

 Just gorgeous - a very happy view indeed.

I had a wonderful weekend - good company, good beer/cider, good food and good fun - roll on 2014!

Oh and in case you wondered, those boys of mine had fun too. They spent a lads weekend with their Dad and part of it was spent Segway racing in Norfolk;

Apparently it was great fun - even though many crashes were had and bottoms landed on!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx