Chitchat thread #24

[mothhawk]

Afternoon all.

GF I feel for you. The "discharge team" is to my mind just a way of the hospital covering their a*ses to prevent complaints or legal action. We had that rigamarole when my mum had a slight stroke in 2016. She was quite recovered and well, but the hospital kept delaying, waiting to see this person then that person. Eventually we said we're taking her home - if we need anything, we'll call. They were not happy, but we were! Hope you get your way and your man.

Snoop, Jack sounds a lovely pup, it's so hard when they are young, to predict what shape they will be, but as you say, huge paws is a big clue!

[mothhawk]

Here's an interesting thing. I planted out a courgette seedling at the end of May. It sat in the ground and didn't grow much. The leaves were pale and yellowing. I noticed a volunteer potato had come up about six inches away, just a little sprout, about 5" tall. Last week I pulled the potato sprout out as I didn't want it. This week, the little courgette is a healthy dark green, and growing big new leaves. Was the potato trying to kill it off do you think?

[Nicos]

Sounds like they were competing and the potato was winning doesn’t it MH.

I have a bit of a clunking going on in my dormant grey matter with an idea that courgettes and the nightshade families don’t get on. Not sure why though.

Think it’s time for a short siesta…full tummy, ( don’t usually have lunch!) and 26C outside…perfek

[Andraste]

Just having a catch up - it's all go on here!

Bramble: sorry to read about your daughter's dog - the loss of a pet is as heartbreaking as any bereavement but I'm sure she'll be able to take comfort in knowing that the years with her were filled with love & comforts. x

GF: what a turbulent time your Mr is having on the ward! I'm a huge advocate for our NHS but sometimes the best care is given to those who complain loudest (they want you well & home for an easier life) so you go girl - complain loud & often & get your man home! He certainly sounds much better.

Mothawk: lovely haul of cherries on your walk - yum yum

Snoop: congrats on your new furry baby! Pics please ASAP! We intended to wait before having any new pets after we lost ours but when you see all the animals in shelters who desperately need a loving home there's not much choice for those of us with a soft spot and a hole in our hearts. They all have such different personalities it's never a replacement. A house just isn't a home to me without a pet in it - everything seems too quiet, neither me or OH knew what to do with ourselves of a morning whilst the kettle's boiling if no one wants feeding, lacking the cuddles etc.

Nicos: congrats on splitting all that wood!

[greenishfing]

He is home. He can't quite believe it. He is fast asleep in his recliner now. I think his adrenaline has now faded away. I did say that it was totally unacceptable that a lot of the hospital does not work 24/7. When the very young doctor called me dear twice, I did tell her to stop being so condescending. The consultant said it was a cultural thing. I replied that cultural or not it sounds as if she is talking down to me and it might improve her bedside manner if she refrained from doing it with other relatives.

[Florence Fennel]

So glad you've got him home GF, I'm sure he'll make a better recovery under your care. I feel the same as you when people, particularly those younger, refer to me as "love", "dear", or darlin'"! My grandson is a junior doctor and it was part of his training not to patronise. He refers to patients and their relatives as Mr or Mrs unless they offer their first names.
I've been to the hairdressers and then pottering in the garden, but I've come in for a cup of tea. It's really hot out there.
Can hardly wait to see Jack Snoop

[Snoop Puss]

Well done you, GF. Like Flo, i hate being talked down to in that manner. I guess doctors do it because they have so many patients it's impossible to learn all their names. But better to use nothing with a patient's advocate than that.

Right, here's a picture of Jack taken when he was five weeks old. He's looking a bit dopey and very out of focus. Will post a proper photo Friday morning. Fingers crossed he adjusts OK to being without his sister.

[Florence Fennel]

He's absolutely adorable Snoop!

[Andraste]

Congrats Mr GF! I second Snoop & Flo's sentiments on calling anyone 'dear' - I'd have nipped that right in the bud

I'm officially in love with Jack! OH proclaims 'aaaaawwwwwwwww' too

[greenishfing]

Jack is so handsome. He looks so sweet and innocent. Just wait until he settles in and learns how to manipulate you, though.🫣 All dogs tend to sense that Mr GF is a big softy.

I think that as I'm now slightly older, it's the connotations of "old dear" that annoy me most.

[Nicos]

Evening all!

Oh wow…Jack looks such a softie! Just look at those eyes
Two more sleeps then he’s yours!!!

GF…well done on all accounts. I hope you manage to get some back dated snuggles in this evening

What an afternoon/ evening!….Our neighbours are away and we’re looking after their cat and house.
One of their workmen called us over to look at the inside of the house windows. Swarming with bees at several windows- clearly trying to get out
They certainly weren’t in there this time yesterday.
We had to go and fetch a local guy who we knew had bees ( thinking he’d at least have a bee suit to enter the house safely)
He managed to smoke them and then he opened all the windows and gently wafted them out .
They weren’t a swarm as such so he couldn’t basket them to re home. He clearly thoroughly enjoyed himself!
So that was a good deed for the day

I managed to get a lot of washing out of the way and some domestics earlier on, but having had lunch outside, it was just too hot to garden . It was ‘only’ 26C , but we have 36C forecast for weekend
( Bet Snoop is politely chuckling under her breath at the sound of me dreading that!)

Oh…and ‘dear’… absolutely hate it too.
And it’s not an age thing at all…I hated it when I was in my 20’s too.
Makes me sound either stupid, away with the fairies or just a condescending (almost narcissist) belittling comment. Tsk.
That certainly needed nipping in the bud. Well done GF ( on behalf of what I imagine is a very large % of female population!)

Right…cool enough now to water my tomatoes….
Enjoy your evening peeps

[bramble]

Wow Snoop, what a handsome dog...and those soulful eyes, he has won me over already.

GF, great to hear Mr is back home, and well done for speaking up for the condescending way we are spoken down to as we get older.

Nicos, that was a busy afternoon with the bees.

Have good evening all.

[greenishfing]

Well, I am glad it's not just me who gets wound up by being treated as a "dear". (We'll forget the "old"). It wasn't even the word really, it was the tone of voice. I just hope the young doctor will learn that reasonably intelligent older women from Yorkshire, who, although they do not have medical expertise, have a lifetime of experience of lots of aspects of life, and more than a modicum of common sense, do not like to be treated as inferiors. I hope that even the consultant, also female, and also from a different culture, may have learned something today. Judging from her reaction to my very rational comments I think she did, particularly when I said to the young doctor that I wanted to apologise if she thought I had been rude.

I actually have had some very good experiences with consultants in the past. A good few years ago Mr GF had been in hospital for over a week with a drain for an abcess on his liver. They drained it. He was discharged. Within a day or so it was back. He ended up back with the consultant, who said he was going to put in a long-term drain. I immediately asked why he had to be an in patient for weeks when he would be happier at home. After a few moments of thought the consultant asked if I could look after him at home. My answer was obviously yes, as long as I had somewhere I could bring him immediately if he had any complications. He did. The next morning, after all the nurses had told Mr GF that he would not be going home with the drain, which had now been installed, he kept insisting that he was going home.... ....... We had weekly out patients appointments for a few weeks. I obviously logged all the drain results in a reasonably logical manner, no form for this as it was unheard of, and eventually at one appointment the consultant quickly removed the drain, like you would pull off an elastoplast.

I thanked him for giving me my husband back. He seemed really, really happy that the result had been so good and that Mr GF was back to "normal". I hope that this helped other patients in the future.

[Nicos]

Every day is a learning day in the medical profession.
No matter how senior anyone is, there’s still plenty we don’t know about the human body. And, there are loads of new treatments, drug interactions etc to be aware of.
Plus, different people can respond differently to exactly the same given situation because their body works slightly differently. ( look at the list of possible side effects in every packet of medication for eg!)
Throw in different attitudes and cultures and it becomes a mine field.

Cant be easy, but respect and open mindedness is always a valued trait.

Well done in firmly, but politely, pointing that out GF

Hope your OH is happily snoring away and disturbing your beauty sleep at this very moment GF……he’s lucky to have you fight his side in the way you have clearly done for years now!
Hats off to you! X

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Another sunny one here and I'm waiting for Frank. Have a good day