Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Hi Mary,
Glad you really do like mushy peas after all, they're Cheap and healthy. One day I'll have to tell you about black pudding, tripe and onions, haggis and jellied eels....or not.
Out of Hospital and the temperature is finally behaving. PICC line now working well. Chemotherapy nurses sorted it out. Many nurses here have no experience of PICC lines and no training, I would have thought this was fairly basic.
Friends in the village have invited us over for Christmas dinner. People here are so kind. I'm very tired, but don't want to let them down at the last minute. Michael could really do with a break and some cheering up.
I'm pleased that the spirit of Christmas is now with you. My voice - such as it is- always breaks during Silent Night, l don't think any of us will ever forget the story of that Christmas in the trenches. Young men forced to be enemies and to hate by their 'betters'. At least on this occasion both sides were able to show their humanity and love and generosity to one another, albeit briefly.
I'm going to miss Midnight Mass this year. Just too tired. However, I shall be thinking of you singing and will be with you in spirit. Star of the show then home, a short break and let the feasting commence. Enjoy to the full.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Before I forget, a cossie is a swimming costume.
Love,
Gill X
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Hello Sylvia,
I have so much to do, but it's a case of the spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak. So no choice but to rest. I hope you and Raymond also find time to sit back and do very little for once. You could do with a break.
I know I've said it before, but to run a successful thread for so many years is a considerable achievement. It's been a real lifeline for many newly diagnosed women over the years. Congratulations too on all the milestones a anniversaries you've seen come and go. Knowing your story has certainly given me more confidence.
I understand exactly what you mean about the commercialisation of Christmas. I honestly don't know why so many people fall for it year after year.
I truly hope that you and Raymond are able to enjoy a peaceful holiday and that the New Year will bring you both happiness and health.
With love,
Gill X
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Hello Gill,
So glad you're out of hospital and I'm sure your friends won't mind if you have a little nap between courses and don't join too vigorously in charades.
Merry Christmas.
Susie
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Hello Susie,
After dinner charades is one of life's little pleasures and is de rigueur at Sandringham, though Brenda probably just watches these days.
Thanks for all the laughs.
Bon voyage!
Gill X
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So glad Mary asked about some of those foods; I never heard of them. I confess I'm a poor eater so I wouldn't be inclined to try them.
I love the phrase, "Bubble and squeak." I'm going to get two stuffed toys for my grand daughter for her birthday and call them "Bubble and Squeak." It won't be the first time we've named something using an English term. My first dog was called "Squiffy," named by my mom and dad...not an ounce of English in them, so I have no idea where they found the mane. Just know, as a kid, I loved it. It wasn't until many years later that I looked up the definition of Squiffy.
Is the word still used today in the UK?0 -
Hello, Viewfinder,
Squiffy is perhaps used mostly by the older generation. Bladdered is popular with the young, I think. Happily, our young people are a little less inclined to get 'completely bladdered' than their predecessors.
Susie
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE.
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Hello Mary,
Thank you for your post.
I really had no idea that this thread that I started in September 2010 would still be going over eight years on. I cannot believe how many people have gone through this thread and that so many different countries would be involved. When I think back it is all a bit of a coincidence.
I went through my own treatment without any access to a forum like this one. I was not really that much into computers. I went through my treatment mainly on my own, with Raymond as my rock, a nurse who befriended me from the beginning, and came to my treatment, and Hospiscare nurses whom I was offered by my oncologist as helpful visitors, not to mention icon magazine and Chris Woollams, the book The Cancer Directory by Dr Rosie Daniels, and people I discovered in that book and the magazine.
It was not until 2009 that I happened upon bc.org. It was early that year and I was well over all my cancer treatment, that I started to think about the hyperparathyroidism that had been diagnosed at the same time. The breast cancer consultant surgeon/endocrinologist had told me how dangerous this could be untreated and that I would need surgery. I was told it would be dealt with once I was over the breast cancer treatment. I got in touch with the hospital and found they had forgotten about it. I was told I would need to have surgery. I was looking for information about all this and found Sam52 on the High Calcium thread. We became friends and supported each other as we approached surgery for hyperparathyroidism which she also had in addition to the hormonal breast cancer she had been diagnosed with in 2001. We both had successful surgeries that year.
I also came upon Calling all TNs, was impressed with Titan who started it, and started posting there. Doing this gave me the idea to start one for Brits as I thought we were in the Dark Ages over here for breast cancer treatment, especially breast cancer with triple negative receptors. The rest is history!
I was impressed at school by a teacher at my Junior School who always said "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well". That sentence has followed me all through my life and once I undertake something, I have to dedicate myself to it. I did it as a High School teacher, as a director here and also in the communities where I have been, where I have tackled councils if I think they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing for their taxpayers and that goes for governments as well.
I have no problem wishing people a Merry Christmas. I just think it would be better without all the commercialisation. It is a religious festival for those who believe and it would be nice to have it as a Thanksgiving get-together for those who do not believe.
I do have my treats, Mary. I really do not have a sweet tooth, but from time to time I do have a McVite's original digestive biscuit with my green tea. I buy biscuits for the contractors that come to work here, and always give them biscuits with the coffee and tea that I give to them.
Raymond and I have recently been going to a little cafe in the covered market in Exmouth, where we have got to know the owner, a very nice Turkish lady. She has some lovely cakes and a lot of them are home made. We recently tasted her home made chocolate cake and it was delicious. It was not very sweet and we had some with some black tea, which we always drink plain without milk or sugar.
I am totally addicted to my green tea, which I have all the time and sometimes have the 100% dark chocolate (Montezuma) that I buy regularly. I like this with my bitter apricot kernels, which I have been eating regularly since my diagnosis in 2005.
it is unbelievable the number of goods that are in the supermarkets. I know a lot of it will go to waste. What is not wasted will go to waists!
I read the other day that obesity is the second cause of cancer. Certainly I do see so many overweight people, not to mention overweight children. There is talk of taxing processed foods with too much sugar and salt, but I do not think it will work. The food industry and the supermarkets are too powerful.
I am wondering what you are doing right now as Christmas Eve draws near. We usually say here in the UK that Christmas has begun when we have the carol service from Kings College, Cambridge early Christmas Eve. The trouble here is that Christmas goes on for too long. Life will not get back to normal until Monday January 7th. There will probably be lots of sales during this period because, apparently, the shops are not doing well.
Have you read much in the last two newsletters from Chris Woollams? I was interested in the December 4th one which listed eight things to do in your cancer journey. The top two were healthy nutrition and physical activity. In the December 10th one I was interested in the information about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
I do hope you will have a very enjoyable Christmas.
Sending you love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
I read your post to Mary and was glad to know that you are out of hospital and that your temperature is back to normal. I was glad to know, too, that your PICC line is now working well. Like you, I would have thought tht installing a PICC line and keeping it clean and flushed would be basic training, but everything has been dumbed down in today's world.
I was glad to know that friends have invited you over for Christmas dinner. I hope you manage to go because it would be a good break for you and Michael. I am sure your friends will know how both of you are feeling as you go through the treatment and Michael is there to help you.
Try to make sure that you get plenty of rest and try to have some gentle walks with Michael if you can. It is so important to keep well oxygenated.
I am hoping that Raymond and I will be able to have a bit of a break now. We just keep our fingers crossed that there are no emergencies here.
Thank you for your very kind words. I do hope you will now be able to get your strength back and then go through your taxane chemotherapy treatment with no problems.
I do think that a lot of how we react with treatment may be due to our general state of health when we begin. I was very lucky that I had never been ill when I started my treatment just before I was 63. I did have an overactive parathyroid of which I was unaware because I had no symptoms. It could well have caused my breast cancer because my breast cancer consultant surgeon/endocrinologist said it definitely preceded my breast cancer. I was told I sailed through my chemotherapy. I also had the chemotherapy before surgery so that may have helped as well.
Wishing you a restful happy Christmas. I hope Michael will be able to rest up as well. I know from Raymond that it does take a toll on the carer. Raymond used to go to Hospiscare in Exmouth to meetings for carers and he found that useful. It was good for me too just to be left alone with my thoughts etc.
Take care of yourself.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Susie,
I am just popping in to wish you a Merry Christmas in Norfolk.
Thank you for your contribution to the thread this year since you joined. I have enjoyed your sense of humour.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello viewfinder,
I was interested to know that you will be calling the two stuffed toys for your granddaughter's birthday Bubble and Squeak. Raymond and I often had bubble and squeak as chidren. It was just leftover cabbage and potatoes mashed up and fried in a pan. It was a way of using leftovers. We were of that generation that were made to eat greens on a regular basis. Crisps (potato chips) were an occasional treat and there was very little in the way of processed foods, junk food and takeaways.
As a former High School teacher of French and English, as a second language, I have a love of words and grammar. It is fascinating to compare the difference between American and English vocabulary, not to mention grammar. When I was teaching 14 to 18 pupils in Morocco there were a couple of teachers from the US also teaching and the pupils used to have friendly discussions about which country had the best language!!
by the way, we were interested in this word 'squiffy'. It is not a word we use. We probably would use 'sozzled' or 'one over the eight' who has had too much to drink. We would also say 'tipsy'. By the way, it says in my dictionary that the word 'squiffy' is origin unknown.
Wishing you all the best for Christmas and sending our thoughts to you and your sister.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Pam,
I just wanted to wish you and your husband a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We do miss your informative posts and I do remember you had the courtesy to tell us you were going to move on. I do hope you still view from time to time and that you will pop in when you have an anniversary or something special to say.
I do hope all is well over there in California, US.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I too find the differences between the American language and the English language fascinating. When Michael and I were posted to Gosport we had USAF officers over to do some training with the Royal Navy. Talk about two nations divided by a common language! We had some fun though, especially on Burns Night when an officer would be called upon to address the Haggis. The American contingent clearly thought the British were quite mad.
Mary looked after her husband's PICC line without any trouble at all. It's really just a matter of keeping everything sterile whilst flushing or changing the dressing. I was amazed that so few nurses had PICC line training. On the Acute Medical ward this meant long waits for IV medication. Apparently, during training, nurses have to choose between PICC line training and another course. I find this deeply disturbing. Ward sisters used to train junior nurses and I always thought it worked well.
My temperature is now back to normal, however, my blood transfusion has not left me with the get up and go I'd hoped for, so rest is about all I can do for now. I'm sure that the break from chemotherapy until January 14th will do me good and I'll soon be back on form.
I do think women should be better informed about the relationship between an overactive parathyroid and breast cancer. Information regarding breast cancer seems to be everywhere. Actually much of it is very basic and patronising. Most women are quite capable of understanding the complexities.
I thought I was fairly fit before cancer. I led an active life, ate healthily and at 5' 6'' weighed only 9st 7 lbs. Just sheer bad luck I expect.
Sylvia, I have to agree about obesity and the relationship with cancer. So many obese young women in Norwich. Many more women than men. Also overweight children invariably clutching a can of fizzy drink or sweets. Being a parent is difficult, but I always put up with the tantrums rather than give in to the demands for sweets and crisps. Both of my grown up children are slim and healthy. My grandson who will be three in January is now at the stage of throwing himself on the floor in public if he sees other children eating sweets, hoping to shame his mum into giving in and handing over the chocolate. She never does. His 9 month sister finds her brother's antics amusing and the more she laughs, the more energy her brother puts into his tantrum. Oh well, he'll grow out of it eventually.
I do hope that there aren't any emergencies at the complex over the holiday as you and Raymond sound as though you could do with some time out to relax properly.
Look after each other.
Mich love,
Gill X
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Hi, viewfinder
I really like the pic of the sunrise over the beach, beautiful. I am going to St. Thomas VI 2nd week of January, my sis-in-law and I decided to go somewhere warm. She has been dieting like a maniac (she's not overweight, but she is trying to lose some of the extra around her middle.) She is a very attractive person in her sixties, I wish she would relax about it. If you met her you would be dazzled by her smile, eyes, and personality and never notice the middle! Ah well, though I am a bit thin, I am not fond at all of my thighs, the difference is I have given up on it as a thing to worry about. I just want to be healthy!
My husband and I were in St. Thomas ages ago, on a cruise. Now it is still recovering from the hurricane, we will try to help it. We were lucky to find a room, I have no idea what that will be like. An adventure!
I'm proud to be at all involved at all in the naming of the toys for your granddaughter, bubble and squeak sounds great, she will love the toys and the names!
I am curious, you say you are a poor eater, do you mean you don't eat much, or do you mean you are picky about what you eat? Eating and trying new things is a favorite thing of mine, even though I actually eat simply most of the time. Meaning when I am home I eat lots of fruits and veggies, and when I eat fish and meat I cook it very simply. When I am on a trip I really like going out and trying foods of different regions, doesn't always work out well, but I enjoy it.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and tell us about it!
Talk to you soon, love, Mary
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Hi, Gill
Being of German heritage, I am actually familiar with many foods similar to the ones you mentioned. I think black pudding is similar to what we called blood sausage. I never did like that one. Tripe I used to eat when I lived in the Southwest, there is a popular Mexican dish that is called menudo, it is made with chili sauce and tripe, it was famed as the cure for a hangover. Don't know about that, but it is very tasty. Haggis I have heard about, is that stomach of some animal? We have a dish called panhaus, which is made from boiling the head (and other stray parts) of the animal you have butchered, picking off the meat, and mixing it with cornmeal, flour and spices. When we make it, it is then poured into pans and cut into portions and put in the freezer. I am no longer involved in any butchering process, so once in a blue moon my brother and I make it but we use cheap cuts of meat and boil that instead. It is a family favorite, because nobody else in my family makes it, when we are all together it is a popular breakfast dish with eggs on the side. Is that at all similar to haggis? Jellied eels I have never had, I don't think I've ever seen an eel except on TV. I would try it if I was in your area!
Glad you are going out for Christmas to friends, I suspect you won't be out late. Michael will be cheered just by some normal activity and by having you home.
Midnight Mass; I suspect I will be very tired too by the time it gets here. I have 2 family get-togethers that always take place on Christmas Eve, so by the time they are both over it will almost be time to get to church. And I have been hoarse since Thursday after choir practice, my voice has no stamina anymore. All that said, I will be there and do the best I can. Luckily there are 2 songs being sung by younger folks, although it's an hour and a half of singing all in all. Wish me luck!
Thanks for cossie translation!
I am so glad you are home with Michael, and away from the hospital headaches. Now for a nice long break in your regimen, and have yourselves a Merry little Christmas!!
Talk again soon, love
Mary
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Hi Mary,
Thanks for the interesting reply about food, etc.
I'm glad you like the photo. It was taken at 7:14:09 am. The one I'm posting below was taken at 07:15:48 the same morning. It always amazes me how quickly the colors of sky change during sunrise. I feel so fortunate to have gone there that day at the right time and at the right place with my trusty camera. Actually, I take an advanced compact digital camera with me almost everywhere I go. I prefer the flexibility and love to edit/enhance photos.
Yes, the German and Scandinavian heritages have many similarities, including some of the food. My favorite foods are Asian, especially Chinese Cantonese. I also like Thai...if it's not too spicy. When I told my mother I was marrying a man from Finland, she said she was surprised I wasn't marrying a man from China. lol
If I like a food, I can pack it away but to be honest since taking Anastrozole, I've started eating less and have lost about six pounds. Doesn't sound like a lot but I'm only 5' and I needed to drop a few pounds! I'd probably be considered a poor eater but my daughter is into eating healthy and she keeps a close eye over me. I like her shakes but she doesn't always tell me what she puts in them.
I think the best way to loose weight in the middle is to walk. There was a study released a few weeks ago outlining the benefits of walking (and other exercise) and mental health. I really need to get back to my walking routine, which I like to do outside. But it's been raining 95% of the time for the past two or three months, and we don't even live in the UK or Seattle.
Suppose I use the rain as an excuse too much but, to be honest, got out of the habit after I was diagnosed with cancer and got a little down in the dumps. No more excuses.I hope your family and you have a wonderful Christmas too. Yes, it will be fun to share. We're hoping to bring the grandchildren to the Infinity Mirrors. It's already sold out but they do sell walk-up tickets, but that's really taking a chance especially when it's so cold outside.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post. I think we have to accept that everything in our country has been dumbed down. We seem to be in a complete muddle.
As for the parathyroid, I think the problem is that it is not included in regular blood tests. My GP, now retired, told me that in his whole career he had never had a case of hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism. I think a lot of people just mix it up with the thyroid and are unaware that there are four tiny parathyroid glands sitting on the thyroids and that they control calcium in the blood. Having said that, it seems that the thyroids themselves may be connected somehow with breast cancer. Marias, who used to post, had breast cancer and then also developed thyroid cancer. She had a bad time with it all. I think it is probably all to do with hormones going wrong.
I do see many bad behaving children in our local supermarket. I have seen them stamping their feet in fits of temper or just lying on the floor screaming. Their parents are usually doing what I call 'shooing flies'. I did a diploma in Social Work when I was in Canada and I remember that expression from a book I read on child psychology. My generation were brought up on the saying that children should be seen and not heard! We did not have all the temptations that children have today and life was much more simple.
Recently the French channel TV5monde has been taken off and I really miss it. I am not a great one for television, but this channel was excellent. I was looking around at some of the other channels and discovered there is a channel entitled Talking Pictures and it has some good old films. Do you know it? It is Freesat 306, Freeview 81, and Sky 328.
Another channel I discovered is Keep it Country, Freesat 516, Freview 87 and Sky 376. It is a music channel and at 8 pm on Sundays and 10 pm on Tuesdays it has memory lane, 50s and 60s music and all sorts of music at other times. Last night I saw Bob Dylan singing Blowing in the Wind, which is one of my favourite songs.
Do you do your typing on a laptop, tablet or smartphone? It seems to me that a lot of people are using smartphones.
Raymond told me that when he was in town the other day he saw a Chinese couple walking along, both on their smartphones, and a three-year old child was walking along with them, also on her smartphone! Where are we going?
I hope you are gradually improving.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Sylvia
My 5-yr mark since diagnosis is coming up in February, and I noticed my sign-in info on my posts is also February 2014. So I have been coming here for 5 years, that doesn't seem possible. I do remember Sam52, she was still posting once in a while when I started. Adagio has also been here a long time, and I remember all of the male posters, I remember one of them, who was in the medical profession, did not much like it when we talked about Chris Woollams, Ty Bollinger and other more "natural solutions" believers. I think he was afraid we might sway people to not pursue orthodox treatment, but really the only person I recall who ever posted on this thread who did not have chemo was our own Nancy. And she seems to be doing well.
It's certainly good you found your faulty parathyroid at the same time as the BC and got it all taken care of, I wonder how many people are walking around with this condition and don't know it. Did you find the high Calcium in a routine Blood test, or a special test?
Do you know if Titan is still around?
Christmas is over-commericalised. I don't like that the push with it starts right after Halloween, Christmas music starts playing and goes on through Thanksgiving, and then it is non-stop. I do not watch TV commericals, hardly ever, if there is something I want to see I will record it and then when I watch I can skip the commercials. When I was a child we would not get a tree until a couple days before Christmas, and it would not be decorated until Christmas Eve. Of course, it was a real tree, nowadays one could leave the tree up all year, it wouldn't really matter, I suppose.
I have to close for now, I will be back later to get to the rest of your post!
Merry Christmas to you and Raymond!
Love, and gratitude for your dedication and friendship,
Mary
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Gill
I really want to make a a few comments on this, though not related to language. A huge difference is the side of the road we drive on. Though I've never been to the UK, the Irish also drive on the left. I was always a passenger when visiting. Several times when I got out of the car, if it wasn't for my friend, I probably would have gotten run over. Out of habit, I just barged out of the door without thinking that traffic was on my side.
As an side, my husband and I were visiting some of his family in Finland in 1967, the year Sweden changed from left to right hand driving. Another brother visiting from Sweden, often drove on the left side of of Finnish roads out of habit. Fortunately, we were in a very rural area so he had time to get his senses back. Still, it was scary.
Thanks for the education and the memories, ladies.
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Dear Sylvia,Mary and all
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all.
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Hello Mary,
It was nice to hear from you and thank you for taking the trouble to post on Christmas Eve.
As you say, you have nearly reached five years since diagnosis and that is wonderful. You have also been a dedicated poster on the thread and I do thank you so much for that.
As for sam52, I do wonder what has happened to her. We had got to know each other so well because of the parathyroid problem. She was also a teacher, living in London but when I last heard from her, her father had died and she had sold her house in London and was moving to Gloucestershire. She had had hormonal breast cancer and was diagnosed back in 2001.
I do wonder what has happened to the men who used to post. One of them was Tom (Breastcancerhusband) who was posting for his wife as she went through breast cancer treatment. She was also pregnant and had a baby during all of it. He was actually working in research on drugs.
It is true that he was not happy with anything that was not orthodox, but what we now see is orthodox medicine coming around to the idea of integrative cancer treatment that Chris Woollams of Cancer Active was promoting way back before 2005 when I was diagnosed. I cannot see what is wrong with using complementary and alternative treatment along with orthodox treatment.
I do miss Michael from Northern Ireland on the thread (Chatterbox). He was posting on behalf of his late wife who had died of breast cancer and he had set up a charitable foundation in her name. I remember that Christina1961, an American, who posted here steered him to us. It was a very romantic story that he told us of how they had been sweethearts in the past, had met again and married and then tragedy struck. I do wonder what has happened to him.
We were certainly not trying to influence newly-diagnosed patients but just informing them of all the extra help there was.
I think there are a lot of people that could be walking around with an over-active parathyroid gland. I do not think it is rare, but I do think it is under-diagnosed because it is not part of regular check ups. I was very lucky to have two dedicated women looking after me, my oncologist and my breast cancer surgeon/endocrinologist. Having given me a CT scan and a bone nuclide scan, when I was first diagnosed, and having seen that my scans were clear but that I had above normal calcium levels in the blood, they had the idea to do a parathyroid hormone test through taking blood and discovered it was very high. They then ordered a sestamibi scan to locate the four tiny parathyroid glands and found that the lower right one had an adenoma on it. An adenoma is a non-malignant tumour. My breast cancer consultant surgeon did surgery to remove it and everything normalised within minutes. I was afraid of the surgery on the throat because there was a risk of my voice changing, but everything was fine. As usual, I was hesitant about the surgery but I had to have it because had it gone on it would have become life threatening and I could have gone into a coma. I am sure I have mentioned the two threads where sam52 and I communicated a lot and contributed a lot about high calcium, PTH and hyperparathyroidism. It is the PTH level that gives the diagnosis, but I believe that even slightly elevated levels of calcium in the blood should be checked out.
I have no idea what has happened to Titan. I know that she has popped in from time to time on her thread but I do not think she has been around for a long time.
I do think we need to tone down all these festivals. We do need breaks from everyday routine, but I think simple Thanksgiving Days are sufficient. We do not need all this buying and selling.
I shall be thinking of you as I imagine you singing in your choir.
That is all for now.
Have a really enjoyable Christmas and take great care of yourself.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Jags56,
What a lovely surprise to hear from you and thank you for your festive greetings.
I can see from your details that you are coming up for 2 ½ years since diagnosis. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
You're absolutely right about dumbing down. I must say that I was more than a little surprised to learn that the less academic universities may now be opening medical schools. I realise that there is a a shortage of Doctors, but if we're not careful, rushing less able students through inadequate training could be disastrous. Disastrous for us that is, not the Government.
We do have a television, but I gave up watching about two years ago. I do sit down to watch old films over Christmas, but that's about all. Michael watches documentaries and often tells me that I'm missing out. I'm an avid listener of radio drama, though there are far too many repeats.
Neither of us have smartphones, we do have a Mac desktop, but mainly use a tablet. This was very useful while in hospital. You'll laugh, but we only have pay as you go mobiles and they're only for emergencies. We live a fairly basic life, no main water, septic tank, no gas, and surrounded by wildlife. Now that I'm temporarily unwell it's less than ideal, but we're not ready to give it up yet.
I'm sorry that you can no longer access the French Channel. I would imagine that's a great loss especially when it comes to hearing the news from a French perspective. I have no faith in our media. Michael has an app for Le Monde.
I'm taking a few days off over Christmas, but will be back soon. It was good to see an old poster dropping in.
Wishing you and Raymond a peaceful few days.
Much love,
Gill X
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Hi Mary,
I have my fingers crossed for your voice. It's been through a lot recently.
I'd completely forgotten your German heritage. Talk about teaching my granny to suck eggs - not that you're anywhere near old enough to be my granny. Of course you knew all about black pudding. I used to enjoy it many years ago. Then I saw it being made!
In the poorer regions of the UK tripe was boiled in milk and a few sliced onions. Cornflour was added to thicken the sauce and finally, seasoning.This was served with creamy mashed potatoes. I always thought it was delicious. I'm not sure anyone here has tripe these days.
My son lives in Scotland, so I was honour bound to sample the national dish. Haggis is the liver, heart and lungs of a sheep, though sometimes beef is used. This is finely chopped, mixed with animal suet, oatmeal, onions and spices, stuffed into a sheep's stomach and boiled. It tastes much better than it sounds. Small slices only.
I've never been able to pluck up the courage to try jellied eels. Looks horrid and eels are full of small bones. As a proper Londoner, Susie may know.
We'll Mary, I'm taking a break for a few days. However, I'll still be thinking of everyone on the thread.
May your Christmas be merry and your New Year be blessed with happiness and peace.
Much love,
Gill X
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Hi Viewfinder,
I'm sure there must have been a reason why the British drive on the left, while most other countries drive on the right. Could be sheer awkwardness of course. I do agree that you need your wits about you when visiting a left hand drive country when used to a right hand drive. I honestly don't think I would dare to drive abroad, being a pedestrian is more than challenging sometimes.
I'd forgotten all about Finland changing from left to right. Must have boosted car sales for a while. I do seem to recall that the idea of changing was considered here.
I've enjoyed the lively discussions on the thread, particularly those related to favourite dishes and long forgotten dishes both here and in the USA. I ought to be the size of a house the way I go on about food. Thankfully I don't eat that much, maybe I just like taking and reading about it.
I'll be taking a short break from the thread just over the Christmas holiday. I hope you'll be able to relax a little after your very difficult year. This time next year, when we're looking back, 2019 might well be the year which we all remember for the happiest of reasons. Fingers crossed.
Merry Christmas.
Much love,
Gill X
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your last post on December 24th. I think we are going down the slippery slope in this country by lowering standards in every aspect of life. We shall pay the price in the end. It will be dangerous indeed if standards are lowered in the training of doctors.
I can understand why you watch little television. I am very fussy about what I watch. I can understand why Michael likes documentaries and why you like to listen to dramas on the radio.
Raymond and I do not have smartphones or tablets. We just have a laptop with a 17" screen. We are the same as you when it comes to mobile phones. We just have one basic PAYG mobile phone that we take with us in the car in case of an emergency.
I do hope you had a good Christmas day.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Sylvia
I survived the Christmas hubbub, had very nice times at all. Celebrated with step-kids and their kids, then with extended family, all on Christmas Eve. Also had Midnight Mass, finally to bed at 2:00 AM. Then on Christmas celebrated quietly with friends, well maybe not as quietly as in the past; in the past year one of their daughters had twins to join their toddler, and there were 3 or 4 dogs running around so it was more chaotic but still fun.
Back to your post, I admire your lesson learned "A job worth doing is worth doing well." Before BC I tried to keep up with everything, the lawn work, the house work, and all the things that needed doing. Now I need help with things sometimes, and it's hard to find people to help that follow that maxim. I think some of the old adages would be valuable lessons still today.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth either anymore, I received a box at Christmas which contained a lot of candy, not sure what to do with it. I don't think anyone needs this much candy, not sure what the lady was thinking, I do believe she meant well.
The cafe in the covered market where you tried chocolate cake and drank black tea sounds nice, I do enjoy that if I am in a city shopping. To pop into a cafe and have a shot of espresso or strong tea and a small baklava or other treat is energizing. Too much is rather sickening, I think.
I think putting more taxes on items with sugar and salt ingredients is rather silly, people will buy it anyway. And actually as far as salt goes, it is necessary to life to have some salt in your diet. The problem is too much salt. I have learned to avoid sausages for the most part, maybe a taste now and then. Canned soups are very popular, but are loaded with salt. What I hear from people is that they think because they don't add salt to food they are not overdoing it. Most don't realize that the things they are buying and eating are already loaded with salt. Everything has nutrition labels now, there is almost no excuse not to read them and take it into account, but I don't know how many do. It is easy for me to preach, I suppose, I am retired, live alone and I have time to shop frequently for fresh food and cook my meals instead of buying ready-to-eat foods in the stores. The younger people are so busy with jobs and kids they often choose the easy route and end up with salty or fat-loaded foods.
As for sugar, there is so much preaching about the evils of sugar it's hard to imagine anyone hasn't heard it. Yet, we are in a holiday season where many bake cookies and make candies of every imaginable kind and everywhere one goes there are sweet treats offered. I have always enjoyed baking myself, now I don't do it, mainly because who would eat it? And I am convinced by the anti-sugar info I have absorbed, although I don't fool myself that I don't have any sugar. I have a healthy spoon of honey in my coffee in the morning, and eat an occasional piece of cake if any is offered without the gooey frosting.
Over here the news is full of reports that shopping was very strong this Christmas. So much for the reason for the season! I guess nowadays the reason is just shopping. I do give some gifts, and I try to make them personal and meaningful, or humorous and yet personal. I received several gifts of food that I will not eat, talk about a waste!
I have not had time to read any of Chris Woollams' posts lately, and you are right, things will not become normal again until next week. I have still another Christmas party to attend, not sure when it is, hopefully soon. I am rather out of the mood!
Today I have to go to the city for an allergy shot, that got neglected last week. Also I am having some repairs done at my old farmhouse, and have to buy some new bathroom fixtures. Not something I enjoy doing, I get frazzled by all the choices, and usually just end up picking something, anything just to be done.
I shall talk to you soon, love
Mary
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
Gill, just to clarify: It was Sweden that changed in 1967 from left to right side driving, not Finland.
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Hello everyone
Back from a lovely trip to Norfolk. I went to Holt on Boxing Day, Gill, though it was closed. Super visit to Blickling Hall this morning -- what a beautiful place.
I hope the women who are still undergoing treatment have not found things too tiring. Never mind, normal service will shortly be resumed.
Susie
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Hi Sylvia and all that make this thread,
My apologies for going AWOL! This is such a busy thread!!! I subscribe to several so don't always find time to keep up with all that's written here. Depends a lot on what's happening for me and what type of information I am seeking, as to where I do my reading and make comment. Needless to say I have been very hit and miss.
Belated happy Christmas to you all. I hope that you have been able to enjoy with family and friends and have had time to rest and relax. We had a wonderful few days with our loved ones. This was our first Christmas in our new home so it was great to share it with some of the special people in our lives.
I completed my fourth round of Xeloda on Christmas Day. I now have two weeks break before bloods and hopefully the next and maybe final round. The side effects have been minimal, for me, compared to that of IV chemo (specifically docetaxel).
Am am a tad ambivalent as I approach the end of my treatment plan. Sometimes I think - have I really just been through this? will this be the end of it? The whole experience has changed me, not a lot but I know I now look very different and my approach to others is different. Moreover, I really don't want to waste any time, especially on things that don't really matter.
I look forward to a new year and wish each of you the best for 2019. May it be a year of improved health and good fortune (maybe that is one in the same).
Kind regards - Helen xx0 -
Hello Mary, Helen, Susie, and viewfinder,
I have just read your posts and am glad to see you all back. I shall reply later on today. It was good to know you all had a nice Christmas.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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