Yes, still here...

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. Most significantly, perhaps, have been the meningitis B cases in Bristol. Three students at St Brendan's College, a mile or so up the road from us, have been hospitalised (tragically two of them subsequently died) with the disease, and it's been diagnosed at Bristol Uni too. Kai's spleen was damaged by his pre-transplant TBI and can't be relied on to fend off meningococcal infections anymore, so it's been a frantic search for him to be inoculated asap. It's not currently available on the NHS for anyone over about 3 (I think), and ordinary health clinics and drs surgeries can't do it (in our area at any rate), which left only Boots the Chemist pharmacy - and only the ones in Broadmead and Cribbs Causeway. I was very lucky to get an urgent appointment with the Broadmead shop - explaining the circumstances made all the difference - and he had the first jab last Tuesday. The second and last one is the middle of next month. Winced a bit at the price though - £110 per injection - but it's essential, even Kai's consultant agreed. So, with that and last Sunday's venesection he's feeling a bit run-down at the moment - which didn't stop him going for a small walk at Radstock with family friend Dawn yesterday!

Going back a bit, I taxied it up to my own dr Wed before last: like me, she thinks the pain in the right hip and leg is the same as in the left, and has requested another steroid injection into the right hip. Got the unfortunate news that three steroid injections into the same place is as much as anyone can have in one lifetime, as they carry their own risk of damaging tissue. (I asked what I was going to do when I've had three if the situation hasn't improved: she said we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Oh joy.) I did finally find out what the problem is with my back though (she printed out the report from my last MRI, the one I've been asking for for months.) It's a thing called degenerative disc disease, which is a bit of a misnomer, as it's a condition rather than a disease, and doesn't necessarily imply that it will get worse. It is, however, painful and not likely to get any better. [sigh] I asked Lutra, rhetorically, if the stress was ever going to end: her reply made me smile...

Stress? hah! We laugh in the face of stress and, and tweak the nose of the dreadful killer spindly fish. Or something.

While I was up at Broadwalk I checked out the charity shops, and came back with Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time (which we've seen before and which isn't very good, but it's very pretty and adds to our live action game collection) and Alien Agent (Marc Dacascos and Billy Zane in the same film!? This I must see!) for 99p for the two, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (with The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), which we watched last Sunday. It's absolutely gorgeous and we're looking forward to the second one this weekend.

Sun 15th K&K and Dawn went to Avebury for the day - train to Swindon then local bus. Avebury is one of my favourite places in this part of the country: been there twice, once with friends and once when I drove Ken and I there. They had a fantastic time, and Kai fell in love with the place. Arriving back, he asked if we could watch Children of the Stones, which we did over the next few days and thoroughly enjoyed.

Speaking of driving, we're investigating getting a car again. Kai wants to learn to drive (and in the meantime wants me to drive to places with the bikes so we can explore new areas), so the plan at the moment is to look for a little hatchback and bike-carrier compatible runabout in the new year. Kai will buy it, I'll insure and tax it, and we'll share the petrol costs. Something cheap and cheerful will do, as long as it has a long MOT and is in good running order. Not too bothered about the state of it as it's likely to get muddy and possibly a bit battered anyway. First though, I'll need to pay for a couple of refresher lessons, as it's been 23 years since I was behind the wheel. And I need to re-read the Highway Code, as a few things have changed in that time!

Then we'll need to have a hard-standing built and the kerb dropped, which was always the plan in any case. I need to start pricing up (and saving...)

This room's painting and curtains are now finished...

It's now beautifully de-cluttered and feels much bigger and brighter. Still need a new door (brown one) and maybe a new light, but those can wait. And yes, all of those figures are Transformers!

Recently watched: K&K have been watching episodes of Cadfael and enjoyed them so much that I've now bought the complete collection: aiming to watch in the run up to Yule. In the same vein was The Name of the Rose: first time Kai's seen it and he enjoyed it very much. John Wicks 2 was as violent as expected. And we're currently re-watching Sapphire and Steel. Fantastic stuff, although I think I need to buy a remastered version: ours is not performing well on the new DVD player...

My orchid's flower spike finally finished, and I thought it was going to take a rest for bit (remember it's flowered continuously for nearly four years now).

But no!

That's a new flower spike unfurling...

Wendy came up for the day yesterday - had a great time catching up with the news and watching Passengers, which just gets better and better each time I see it. Thanks Wendy - fantastic day!

... that's most of the news, I think. Will try to update a bit more regularly but no promises...

Cheeky invader...

Labels: busyness, days out, decorating, films, friends, medical matters