Post Surgery

I have now had my gall bladder operated on, its gone!
So now I am recovering at home, the only problem is a wound infection and I am now on my second course of antibiotics so hopefully it will heal soon.

The house renovation has been coming along fairly well this last month (not that I have done anything much since my op) Bob our lovely builder and his team have been in for a few days and given us a much needed boost. We now have some plastered walls and ceilings downstairs and this has enabled Steve to crack on with the underfloor heating and hopefully we are on track for moving back into part of the house. Listening to local weather forecasts we are in for another hard winter so the sooner we get back in the better!

Royal Cornwall Hospital - Waiting Lists

I am angry and frustrated having seen this local news article about waiting lists at RCHT on BBC Spotlight last Friday night - I haven't calmed down even a week later I remain as mad as hell. I hate unfairness and this is totally unfair to people throughout the county who are waiting for surgery.

I am currently on the waiting list for gall bladder surgery at RCHT. It is now a year since my GP (August 2010) referred me for investigations and 10 months since the consultant referred me for surgery. (18 week waiting lists appear to be a complete myth). It emerges that RCHT have been fined for patients that have been on their waiting list for more than 18 weeeks to prevent further fines they are treating new referrals within the 18 weeks target and not treating patients who have been on the list over 18 weeks because they have already been fined for their poor service.

I don't mind waiting my turn but I totally object to other people being treated first so that the Trust are not fined. I am so frustrated at the unfairness to patients throughout the county who have been waiting for long periods of time for treatment.

I am sure my story is a common one but I feel that all the hospital managers who made this decision need to understand the consequences of the Trust's decisions on real people rather than just financial implications for the Trust.


As a patient I don't care about the Trust's business plans, I don't care about foundation status, I don't care about the Trust being fined for exceeding waiting times.

All I want is to be treated fairly, to have my treatment and be well again. I am not asking for special treatment but I do resent other people newly referred having their surgery before me just so the Trust are not penalised.

This is what happens when the NHS is taken over by managers and accountants who care more about targets and money than people.

Whole Lotta Led

Yesterday evening we spent an evening at Sterts Open-Air Theatre on Bodmin Moor. Now usually I really enjoy an evening there but not this particular evening we had gone to see a tribute band called 'Whole Lotta Led'- it was cold - but I was prepared for that with jumper, coat and scarf (I even had gloves in the car but felt I would be too much of a wos if I got those out, in August!) I decided in advance that I would not bother with a cushion because I reasoned I would not be sitting for long. But I was wrong, I was bored. The drummer was good but the rest of them were at best mediocre and the vocalist was awful!!

The first half dragged on and in the second half after they crucified 'Stairway to Heaven' (the singer forgot the words!! and there aren't that many!) we decided to leave. On our seats the 'band' and I use that term loosely, had left an itinerary of their tour and all I can say is you have been warned, hang onto your hard earned cash and don't bother going!

However we will be going back to Sterts - wish us luck for 'the Last Night of the Proms - a sell-out I hear!

Chickens!

Life on the Moor is fine, I love the peace and tranquillity of this place.

As we are still working on the house and I have just had eye surgery our smallholding crops are very scaled down this year, the soft fruits planted over the past few years have cropped really well especially the strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries. The potatoes are doing well, but the rocket has been feeding the slugs and snails - we haven't had a leaf yet.

Its the chickens that are causing grief we haven't had an egg in weeks, they are laying one or two eggs but then eat them before we get to them. As I keep saying they will have to go, our neighbours have replaced theirs but ours are happy and healthy enough and its doesn't seem right to kill them! so I keep feeding them, good job we don't rely on them for income - but I do hate having to buy eggs!!!

Summer in Cornwall

Summer in Cornwall

Early summer is my favourite time of year May, June and early July the weather tends to be good, the days are long and the nights are short. One of the highlights is the Royal Cornwall Show which is held during the second week of June at the showground in Wadebridge. I really enjoy ‘the Show’ lots of people out enjoying themselves, loads to see and do; not much beats a few pints of local beer or cider, sitting in the sun, listening to music. I always come home exhausted, with very little money left but happy.

Work on the House

We are making progress on the house. Steve is working all hours; evenings, weekends and holidays in a supreme effort to get us in before winter starts.
I am able to help him a bit but I do find some of the lifting a struggle and at a recent evening out with some of my work mates we decided that this difficulty in lifting large heavy objects was a female thing! Also the fact that we are shorter than the men and this creates its own problems when assisting with DIY.

I am really looking forward to the decorating - now that is something that I can do as well if not better than he does!
I am trying to plan the new looks in my head but still have not made a final decision and as the budget is totally overspent I may have to wait a while until a few more pay days have gone past before my grand plans can be actioned ( or there is always the lottery, but not much luck in this department yet)

All this work on the house means that minimal work has been done to the land. The only crops planted are potatoes and some wild rocket (which hasn't started to grow yet or we missed it and the slugs got it! We haven't even cut the grass yet and although the dog has the odd identity crisis she is not keen on taking on the role of a cow or a sheep.

Try Again

When I first started to blog I got a bit disillusioned as I rarely got any replies to my postings but several friends have said that they actually did read them and would like me to start again so here goes!

We are still living on wonderful Bodmin Moor, the longer we live here the more I like it. In November of last year we started to renovate and extend our cottage and what should have been a month's work has turned into a long drawn out saga that has cost us fortune. Cottages that are built in the 1700's can be expected to have issues but it was the 1990's addition that was poorly done and has caused our fantastic builder Bob (yes, he really is Bob the Builder) so many problems. We have not been able to live in the house all winter and we have no idea when we will be able to move back in. In true 'Grand Designs' we are not only behind schedule but over budget and now have very little in the way of a plan and Steve is having to do most of it, with a bit of goffing from me.

Here are a few pictures so you can see what I mean the whole roof needed to be replaced, sewers, drains, stairs, the list seems to go on forever.