Today I shall be Mainly...

[Wendyf]

Good luck Kev, good luck Ian.

[Big Kev]

Awww...Big Kev...will it pull at the heartstrings to move?

Not really, we've been here for 8 years so there's no real attachment. It's a downsizing exercise, which we've already done once, my eldest son and his family now have the first house we bought in Barlick. We have far too many rooms for just two of us so it's just wasted heating and space really, the house I have an offer on has just the two bedrooms so will be ample.

[Big Kev]

Good luck Kev, good luck Ian.

Thank you Wendy.

[PanBiker]

Sounds good Kev.

Thanks also Wendy. I'm going to go straight up the ridge, Sally is going a reverse route out round Brogden, we should meet on the top. That's the plan anyway.

[Sue]

Sue...my son's dog sleeps downstairs with us when she visits. She used to wake me up ( for a wee) when she was younger by laying at our bedroom door and puffing under it. Rather cute...I always heard the puffing and got up to her.




We are in a bungalow so we put Bobby in the cool part of the conservatory which backs on to our bedroom so we could here him and as he still has the occasional accident it has a tiled floor which is cleaned easily. We put old towels on the chairs so he could sit there and he had his own cushion and his travel cage with his bed in. At home he has a large cage that he goes in at night and when they go out and have to leave him but we thought the travel cage was a bit small to leave him in overnight. Bobby scratches or bangs on the back conservatory door when he wants to go out, but last night he just wanted to come in and play as it was the door into the house he was banging and barking! Next door would have heard him very clearly. If he slept in the house we couldn’t use the burglar alarm and a little dog this size may bark and growl but he is not much of a threat to any no gooders trying to enter.

[Marilyn]

Ah...my son's Dog is a big fat black Labrador ( stomach on legs we call her).
She has the sweetest nature and does not worry about a single living creature. The back garden can be full of birds and bees and butterflies...she couldn't care if they all landed on nose! Son has a resident back yard lizard, but Abby would never bother it. Labradors make great guide dogs etc...but I'm afraid "ourAbby".doesnt care enough about anything (except food) to be any use to anybody. We love her...big lump she is.

[Big Kev]

Sounds good Kev.

Thanks also Wendy. I'm going to go straight up the ridge, Sally is going a reverse route out round Brogden, we should meet on the top. That's the plan anyway.

Enjoy your wander up Weets Ian. I've seen some pics on Sally's FB page, cracking achievement, well done. Onwards and upwards.

[PanBiker]

Thanks Kev, just popped it in the walking thread.

[Big Kev]

Downsizing. Who's bright idea was it to look at moving to a smaller house, I've got to sell so much stuff

[Stanley]

What is downsizing? I just put stuff closer together on the shelves......
Shed failure again, I cooked instead!

[Big Kev]

What is downsizing? I just put stuff closer together on the shelves......

Hahahaha!

[Sue]

I was brought up with a Labrador Maz, rather similar to yours. Little Bobby has returned home. He was fun to have for the weekend but such a nosey little thing. I couldn't even go to the loo without him pushing the door open and wagging his tail as if I had disappeared for hours. He is welcome any weekend.

Woken late today, must get a move on if we want a swim this morning. Then I need to take my sewing machine to be looked at as It has developed a nasty clonking noise when it sews. I have had it apart several times, changed the needle and the bobbin also several times but I am not happy

[Stanley]

I have been inveigled into cooking again.....

[Marilyn]

I feel like another bike ride along the coastal path. I'm having trouble convincing my life companion that he would like a ride too.

[Stanley]

Offer him a treat!
I shall aim for the shed again........

[Marilyn]

I settled for a longer walk than normal. Lovely and sunny this afternoon.

[Sue]

Packing today, off to France on Thursday. Rather a lot of veggie plants to take and this year they are rather large! We were going in Bobs car but my mini Countryman has more height in the back, being like an estate car so we had a last minute change of car on the ferry booking. I have a lot of geranium cuttings that I have taken , these are small plants as are some of the others so we are going to put them in boxes with lids and stack them in the back. The corn and sunflowers are a big problem! I will stand them on fibre matting in an open crate and give them a really good watering and pray they don’t get too hot! Its not usually a problem as well as the plants we have new towels and sewing machine to take out.
Luckily we have clothes out there so we only need an overnight case for the ferry.

Talking of sewing machines I took mine yesterday for repair and service, I felt lost without it as I had planned a days sewing. I cleaned the sewing room instead and did a bit of gardening. Despite the repair the garden pond is still leaking and the level so low that we can’t use the pump to aerate it and thus use the chemical treatment for unwanted algae and duckweed. The blanket weed is thick so I managed to haul it out with a rake. It doesn’t smell nice! It would benefit from some rain! Today I will try a liberal application of the pond chemical on the surface using a watering can to try and keep it down whilst we are away.

[Sue]

I settled for a longer walk than normal. Lovely and sunny this afternoon.

This is so nice to hear. Glad your back ordeal is over.

[Marilyn]

I still have problems with my gait, Sue, and have to concentrate on each and every step. My speed has increased to almost normal speed. It can drop off if I don't concentrate. So we don't talk as much as we used to whilst walking, because I get involved in the conversation and realise I am going snail pace! Time to shut up and get going...
But I can walk for miles...so it's all good. Surgeon tells me improvement is still likely, so I just have to be patient.

[PanBiker]

Similar to my recovery Maz. I still have to concentrate on foot placement, comes as a result of previously having a turned out foot. As I lost all muscle memory down my right side it has allowed me to correct that particular gait but it is tiring maintaining the correct placement on every step. A degree of drop foot doesn't help in that respect but my brain is learning. When my foot starts to wander it's time for a sit down for 5 minutes, I'm usually then good to go for another mile or so. Stamina is building so I can do the distances it just takes a bit longer than it used to. Recovery after a decent walk is getting quicker also. Physio's told me from day one that I may not get full function back and that my best may take up to two years to attain. I can move my toes a tiny bit more on my right foot. I'm nearly 8 months post op now and doing reasonably OK I reckon but it's damn frustrating sometimes.

[Marilyn]

I still haven't been given an exact time line. My problem is foot drop too ( marked/total). I still have numbness, that changes throughout the day. Bad in the mornings but resolves about 80% during the day...comes on again sitting to watch TV in the evenings. Tends to drive me mad in bed when lying flat.
Op was successful though in relieving the pain.
One has to be grateful for that.
Sometimes I get a bit frustrated but have to be glad not to be in that awful/all consuming pain.
Couldn't possibly wear high heels again without looking like a drunk though!

I can/will recover!

[PanBiker]

That's the attitude Maz. For your foot drop, have you not been offered an orthotic device? They do help, I had a carbon blade job first to get me walking again and have had two different ankle cuff type devices since. I only wear mine now with my trainers. I can manage without for shorter sessions with different footwear and don't use it in the house. It's a velcro and elastic job and just helps to raise the front of the foot. I don't need it at all when I have my walking boots on. I too still get numbness down my right side, mainly in my shoulder and upper arm. It doesn't bother me as such it just feels a bit "thick" if you know what I mean. This should also improve I am told.
We have both had major trauma to the controlling motor regions of our bodies although I am lucky in that I have not had any pain to speak of for which I am truly thankful. Hang in there Maz we are both still on the journey.

[Marilyn]

It hasn't been suggested I use an Orthotic Device....possibly because I am better during the day (???? Who knows).
Surgeon quizzed me quite heavily on my post op visit. She said I was verbalising problems of spinal stenosis BUT there was no pre-op evidence of that on the 4 month old MRI. She did not suggest a follow up MRI.in fact, no further suggestion at all except to give things time. I understand that there is now scar tissue within the spinal cord ( from the op) that will eventually shrink and resolve. The original MRI showed 4 bulging discs, plus two protruding disc, one of which had herniated. They only treat the particular disc that is causing immediate symptoms based on the nerve pain. ( fair enough, but do I have another one waiting to blow?)
Only time will tell.
I said I would be back if I reached a point where time wasn't helping.
I am not in any pain above a " ache" though.....( but to be honest, even an "ache" can drive one a bit mad at times )
I just want it resolved, permanently. I expect you feel exactly the same. You just want to put the whole thing in the past and get back to normal.

[PanBiker]

I just want it resolved, permanently. I expect you feel exactly the same. You just want to put the whole thing in the past and get back to normal.

Indeed, but my normal may only be 90%. I will get the bike out soon and see if that brings the strength and stamina on a bit. I can start on the level and then put any number of hills in the way if the body is willing.

[Marilyn]

I've had two rides on my bike since the op. I found them very satisfying. Give it a go.
Rode 8 km the last time. Twice, my foot fell forward and scraped on the road. Had stout shoes on, no damages.