Out of dreamland with a cuppa and 2 choci biscuits… I’ll just have those and then try and go back to sleep as I don’t have to get up for school this morning. I try and get up everyday for Aisling otherwise it seems a long day till I see her, I know she will have to cope on her own in the furture but while I’m here i like to see her off. She’s all bunged up with a sore throat, no temp though so I think she’ll live :o)
My sister is coming today :o) she’s like a whirlwind, as soon as I see her she makes me feel good. She has her own problems to deal with and was off loading last time I saw her and she said she was sorry to do that as I had enough to think about, a friend said the same. Well I told them both it was now or never and my life has become very simplified that I welcome the fact that I am still here for them and would help in anyway.
I hope you manage some sleep Libby and to warm up, there’s nothing worse than cold feet, I can’t ever think now how I used to garden in this weather…although I wore thermal everything, but I enjoyed it very much, just being outside.
I’m going to try and sleep soon too. Hope you get back to sleep Clare you need some rest if your sister’s arriving today. How lovely that you and your sis get along so well, and she makes you feel good. Have a great day spent with her and I hope Aisling’s well enough to join in.
I feel my eyes getting heavy, I’ve turned the heating on full blast so hoping my feet warm up, my husband will no doubt be too hot now, but he’s in a deep sleep so hopefully he won’t wake up.
Morning Clare,
hope the cuppa and choccy biscuits did the trick and you’ve had some refreshing sleep. So glad everyone enjoyed your cooking and that you’ve had some pleasurable time with Jon. Hope Aisling is soon over her cold. Keep warm… and enjoy your day.
Hello there Clare - wow, what a chilly night! So glad you’re sleeping well and had a lovely relaxing time with Jon.
I hope you stayed warm last night Clare and Libby. When I was on Tax I bought myself an electric heat pad from ebay. It’s like a mini electirc blanket somewhere between A4 and A5 in size. It has three heat levels. The highest level isn’t exactly what you’d call hot but it is a lovely gentle warmth. It stays on for about an hour then switches off automatically for safety but you can just turn the switch off and on again to re-start it. Maybe something like that would be worth looking at? It’s been worth its weight in gold. I used it in bed last night. The lovely thing is that unlike a hot water bottle or wheat bag you don’t have to get up to heat it up again!
Cackles, I’m afraid I laughed at your story of the cottage pie meat. Maybe our local hunting hounds have made it over to you and gone on a raid?
oops - look at the time - got to go to work Hope you all have a lovely day.
Hope you’ve had a good day with your sister. And that she doesn’t feel bad offloading on you. I know what you mean, sometimes the best thing to help you deal with your own problems is to worry about someone else’s for a while. I am sure just the offloading will do HER good, and you being there to listen will do YOU good, so by this evening you have probably both put the whole world to rights and the pair of you will be feeling much better for the day.
Hope you have a quiet, peaceful (and toasty!) night. I’m just about to crawl off to my pit, wearing fleecy hat and hiding under duvet.
Had a lovely day today with my sis, she was early for once as she had a time restriction with her kids at school, or as it turned out she stayed later as she took me to the doctors as I thought I had a blood clot in my very swollen legs. It turns out that the doctor thought my beautiful sexy stockings were too tight so I am getting measured in the morning for some new ones. It had made my leg all bruised and hot but I was relived that I didn’t have to have a scan in Oxford.
We picked up a chinese takeaway on the way back, so it wasn’t a total waste of time :o) It didn’t even tempt Aisling to eat it, so she must be ill lol.
Then she kindly saw to my feet, they are so cracked up, she put plasters on all the ones I couldn’t see and then lathered them in cream. They are like ice blocks nearly all the time, althought the fire was so good they are warm tonight. We put the world to rights while she did that for me, its nice to see her happy face, i would do anything I can for her as she has shown she would for me.
Then I did a bit of jigsaw, I happened to mention it the other day and XOH came in with two and one of those large portfolio keepers for it, so I don’t have to keep it one place, which was really thoughtful and kind.
I hope you are all ok and keeping warm, Its -6 here, heating is just going off, so i will hobble to my covers…
Night night all, please sleep well all, especially Libby who I hope not to bump into on here tonight :o)
So glad it wasn’t a blood clot to add to your woes! Nice to spend time with your sister today. Your poor cracked feet. Kind of Aisling to take care of them for you. I too have been doing a jigsaw although I noticed that a couple of the pieces had been nibbled by one of the rabbits ( obviously being naughty during the night & climbing up onto the table-I’ve had to stop putting fruit in the bowl as they were helping themselves). The puzzle is the cover of tbe Beatles Sargeant Peppers album.
Here’s hoping you have a good rest tonight with lots of spoons for tomorrow
Pleased you had a good day with your lovely sister. She does sound an absolute darling, and it’s obvious you love each other to bits.
I used to enjoy doing jigsaws when my eyesight was sharp but find them frustrating now as my poor old eyes aren’t what they used to be, even glasses don’t pick up the shading on jigsaw pieces to help me find the right piece. It was thoughtful of your XOH to bring you jigsaws and a portable carrier.
-6 degrees Clare, that is bl**dy freezing, don’t know what it is here but this afternoon it was 1 degree. According to a newspaper it’s going to get even colder and more snow is on the way, time to get the long john’s aired!
I went for a short walk with my OH, only walked for 15mins but hoping to build up slowly, I’ll attempt 20mins tomorrow.
Hope you are in a deep slumber now, and sleep until morning.
Much love, and wishing you a good day tomorrow. Libby xxx
Thanks Alto and DJ007 for the tips on heat pads and throws, I’ll take a look at them. x
Sounds a lovely day Clare - beauty in the ordinary. There is something deeply spiritual, I feel, to picture your lovely daughter kneeling and creaming your feet… I am sure you can make the connection I’m making here.
Look after those leggies of yours. Stay warm… despite my permently stuck on ‘boil’ internal thermostat even I’ve felt the cold the last couple of days.
Hi Clare
Hoping you had a good nights sleep in a toasty warm bed. Poor you with your feet but it sounds like they, and you come to that, had some TLC yesterday. it must be lovely to spend some of these close times with your sister, I’m sure it does you both good. And if she is able to off load to you then that must also do you both good.
Your comment about making sure you are up to see your daughter each morning is so sweet but so sad as well as you both know things will change. Having said that we all know this life doesn’t last forever and there was really good article in the Times on Sunday about how we all treat death. Having read it, all I can say is you are doing everything right:-) it sounds like you are talking about it and being open to the ones you love and that was one of the important things in the piece, also having no regrets, other than the obvious one of not being here as long as you’d like.
I hope you are not so cold today, -6 is bl**dy freezing as Libsue said! We weren’t so cold here as that but it was still such a cold day yesterday, with possibly more to come
Keep warm and take care
Nicky xx
Morning Clare, Looks like you slept well after such a positive day with your sister… Your poor old tootsies they sound so sore. It was minus six here today but we are in the Oxford Bucks border so would get it about the same as you. I use socks in bed now since chemo…they keep my feet lovely and toastie and protect my Tax toes.
A fifteen minute walk is going some, good for you . I will have to do the same, you put me to shame.
Cackles x
I have just caught up with your post and replies. Yes, thank you so much for sharing this with us. I too have been bowled over by your heartfelt words and poetry. I have two teenage children too and I often think of how they will remember me after I have gone. I hope mine have as many wonderful and happy memories to sustain them as your children will have.
The snowdrops here are wonderful and the bluebells in the woods in May are a wonder to behold. I sincerely hope you get to smell them again this year.
I have just found this thread and read all the way through. I now have a wonderful warm feeling in my heart. I’m sending you hugs from over the cotswold hills In Bampton Oxfordshire. We are expecting snow again this evening so keep warm and cosy with your lovely family.:)xxx
Your poor feet. I have been doing jigsaws too, but mine are on the iPad. Virtual jigsaws. No pieces get lost, rabbit proof and very very portable lol
X Sarah
I have just read the last few pages and want to say I do think you have a lovely family - your sister sounds very much like mine - a bit of a whirlwind shopaholic - but I love my days out with her even if I end up spending too much. I have to say I hate jigsaws but was given a very old Russian one, hand made, which had no picture! My OH and I spent several hours over a few days working on it together and ended up completing it, to the amazement of my son who had tried and failed. Showed it to his (Russian) OH who promptly scattered it again as she said that is what they do!
Hope you have had a lovely day, take it easy on your poor feet.
Hi Clare, hope you are keeping warm. I was wondering if you have tried Flexitol balm from Boots. I swear by it, rub it on my feet, then pop some socks on, few hours lovely and soft, it is worth a try to see if your feet feel any easier. You have given me an idea with the jigsaws. Take care and love and best wishes to you and your family junieliz x
Hi Clare, I have a solution to your foot problem. It is a cream that I got on line from Amazon which was recommended to me by many people on here. It is called Udderly Smooth Cream. I have just purchased the one with UREA in it. It was £8.29 I think, fragrance free, and is light and is highly recommended by the ladies on here. I had sore feet from a chemo regime I was on 2 years ago and am starting it again soon. So getting my feet into tip top condition before I start. You don’t even need to go out looking for it as it arrived right at my door within 2/3 days. Give it a go. Love Val
Hi Scottish lass
I used the udderly stuff on your advice. It really is fantastic. I have a friend who uses it on my recommendation too. I got mine from amazon.
Along with the Udderly, Flexitol, silver plasters I’ve also found Crocs the most comfortable shoe to wear on this chemo. Crocs with socks…yes I know I’m such a fashionista but if you start to find some shoes are rubbing Clare you might want to try them…not for snowy conditions but when the weather gets back to normal.
Take Care…xx
Hope you all have a lovely day.
but if you start to find some shoes are rubbing Clare you might want to try them…not for snowy conditions but when the weather gets back to normal.