Fat Neck!!

I went back to my doctor on the Monday after my exercise class and burst into tears whilst trying to talk to the poor receptionist/Secretary.  She said I should have the test if that’s what he said but I could do it when I was more calm if I wanted.

Unluckily for my friend Suffolk, who lives very close to my doctors, I popped to hers for a calming cup of tea.  I was in a bit of a state.  Among the various tests I am having, I was also quite worried about MrsElderflowerMeadow.  Anyway, Suffolk, always the calm and sensible one, talked me down and made me realise that if I was going to have to have the test, I may as well have it and not put it off.

So, Tuesday afternoon, I went in to the Heart Clinic and got fitted with a blood pressure monitor that would beep every twenty minutes in the day and every hour through the night.  I had a heart monitor around my chest connected to three extremely sticky pads with another monitor that sat on my belly.  I had a pulse monitor on my finger and wrist and a recorder dangling from my waist plus at night I had tubes in my nose to check my breathing.  Honestly, it all felt a bit ridiculous and I kept expecting someone to come out with video cameras for some silly TV show!

I drove home connected to the blood pressure monitor which was an experience.  During the night Huffle and I were woken (if we went to sleep) every hour.  I could actually tell my blood pressure was low because I could tell how much it was deflating.  I’m an expert now!

So, to cut a very long night short, I ripped it all off at 7am,, got half an hour sleep and then did my exercise class before driving off to collect Suffolk for my appointment to discuss my results.

The doctor started by telling me I had normal blood pressure and no sleep apnoea.  All I could think was thank you for wasting my nights sleep and so many trips backwards and forwards.  I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but really?  Not over the top?  He asked me if I was disappointed and kept going on about the fact that my neck was over 16inches.  He was a pig, he didn’t listen, he wasn’t interested in anything I said and I would have punched him on the nose if Suffolk hadn’t been there.  Suffice to say, when I got home I measured my neck and it was a mere 13”.  I’m hoping all this is over now and when my doctor receives his report, he will just leave me alone and let me get on with it.  So far I have ‘had’ a heart attack, blood clots, pulmonary embolism, kidney stones, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and really all it probably was, was a bad case of indigestion!

Moral of the story:  don’t eat three curries and a pint of beer!

And just to prove how ridiculous all the machinery was, here’s a very embarrassing photo!

That’s a Full Pull at the Fall Fair

So I guess the Summer is officially over.  The boys are back at school.  Smallest is very happy with his teacher (English lady from Birmingham, well liked by us) and he has a new French teacher that he likes.  He will be starting instruments within a week or so and although he doesn’t know what he wants to play, he is very excited to get one and be in band.

Small has started well too and likes his new teachers (well mainly).  His form teacher and class is in
Grade 11 even though he is Grade 10, which is confusing but is because he has been moved up a
Grade in music and music is his first class of this semester.  His History teacher looks like a rapper, as he wears gold chains and weird clothes but is in fact nothing like that in real life.  Small likes him and finds him funny.  He starts in two different bands next week, Junior and Senior and has now decided not to join the Jazz band (not sure of the real reasons yet!).

This weekend we went to the local Fall Fair.  We have been before a few years ago but it seems a very popular thing to do this time of year.  Lots of vegetable shows and home craft and photography competitions.  We might try and enter next year.  We ended up sitting and watching a Tractor Pull competition which we knew a few people had entered.  It’s a different world, this farming community.  It was interesting once we realised what was happening.  Basically a small tractor pulls a bigger vehicle with a weight that slowly moves towards the front of the pulled vehicle, making it
harder and harder to pull.  “He certainly isn’t lacking in power” was said many times about many tractors.

We left Small with his girlfriend and came home for a couple of hours before going back later to watch the Demolition Derby which was a treat.  I don’t hink I’ve seen one in real life before.  It was crazy and quite ‘redneck’.  Smallest got to have a Toffee Apple (candy apple) which he has always wanted but never had.  Eleven years and it was a slight disappointment.  I got to have a Bag of candy floss (cotton candy) which I ask for (but don’t really want) every time we see any.  It was disgusting and flavoured (loosely) Strawberry, Banana and BLUE!  Yuk.

Mr sheep 

This couple were in charge of the vegetable tent!

 Putting blankets on the seats, equivalent of towels on sunbeds!!

Leaf  blower Football!!!

Demolition derby cars before they got smashed up

Being smashed up

Ummmmm

I went to see my doctor this week who decided I needed to go for a stress test with a heart doctor just to rule out any heart issues that might occur as I am ‘of an age’ just in case my ‘episode’ was a warning.  I got an appointment almost straight away and went this Friday.  Crazy!  It was very intense. I had sticky pads with wires all over my chest, standing on a treadmill walking uphill while someone took blood from one arm and someone else took my blood pressure from the other, plus an ultrasound before and after the intense walking/running.  The whole test was bizarre.  Apparently I passed (thought they failed to tell me until I asked and then it was a mere “oh yeah you’re fine”)  until the doctor then decided I had Sleep Apnea.  How he came to that conclusion I don’t know, except that maybe I am overweight and I snore occasionally plus I have high blood pressure at the moment.  No wonder I have high blood pressure, I keep being poked and prodded!!  My left arm looks like I’m a junkie The amount of holes and bruises I have!  He now wants me to be fitted with a blood pressure monitor overnight to see what happens when I sleep.  To be honest, I think the whole thing is stressing me out.  Why can’t they just say oh yes you’re fine.  Perhaps lose some weight and we’ll see if that helps.  I have lost nearly a stone anyway and I am trying to be healthier!  I have decided I am going back to my family doctor on Monday to see if he thinks I should just say no to the next lots of tests!  How has this got anything to do with the ‘indigestion’ I had originally, I feel we are getting away from the original problem.

Bishop of Leicester Dahlia

Avocado grown from stone

Gorgeous dinner plate sized hibiscus flower 

Some veg harvested

Huge thoughts go to MrsElderflowerMeadow and her family this week.  She is not doing so well and is back in Loros trying to get pain relief.  Love you lots Meadows family xxxxx