Sunday, 11th December, 2022
Landing on time at Gatwick at 8.00 am, we were told two things. Firstly, the temperature was -5C and secondly we had landed in a remote part of the airport to avoid skidding. It certainly was very white outside.
We were stuck on the plane for quite a while as mobile step structures and buses were brought out to us. It must have added at least 40 mins to our arrival. Anyway, we were soon through all the checks and our taxi driver was waiting for us. The roadside trees and bushes, fields around Gatwick as we drove away were just caked in frost. It got less as we drove closer to the coast and there was nothing in our village as we approached our house.
We were home by 10.30 am to find that the weird battery in our new Honda Hybrid was completely flat. Honda Assist came out and tried to re-charge it. They managed enough to drive it round to Honda and leave for Monday to be dealt with. Pauline got Jason next door to nip her to Sainsburys to buy essentials and that was it for the day.
Monday, 12th December, 2022
Early assessment at the Health Centre. Richard across the road took us down there and picked us up when we asked. When I met the clinician, I realised it was the one who I first consulted about my hernia so he knew what a mad old bugger I was. I had made this appointment from America and sent across the American Hospital’s results by medical link.
I rehearsed my theory about sunstroke putting my Liver in to shock which had subsequently produced all the other nasty effects. This was basically the American theory and led to the need for multiple body scans and interventions which they warned would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Luckily, he had had three days to consider the notes I sent him across the Atlantic and he knew more or less what my problem was from the outset. It is believed at my surgery it is little to do with sunstroke or my Liver but was a well known effect of long term Statin use in some people. To eliminate any problem with my heart, I will have an ECG later in the week and, after two weeks without statins, another set of blood tests. I really believe I did the right thing returning home for this.
The car is on charge over night at Honda and will, hopefully, be delivered back to us tomorrow morning. Enough for today.
Tuesday, 13th December, 2022
A much better night. Slept until 4.30 am and then on and off with the radio on until 6,30 am. Up on an attractive morning of weak winter sunshine. Honda phoned at 8.00 am to let us know that our car was completely recharged and ready for the road. Pauline got John next door to run her over there and she returned with the car. Good start to the day.
We nipped down to the Marina where the tide was high. It wasn’t too cold so we had a little walk to stretch our legs.
This afternoon, we have put together an insurance claim for just over £500.00 to reclaim medical expenses – £300 for two Hospital assessments and £200 to BA for the change of flights. We don’t anticipate any problem with that because it is entirely reasonable.
Wednesday, 14th December, 2022
Feeling a little worse this morning. Bit shocked to have gone back a bit. Struggling to get going. However, life goes on. Pauline did a large fish order yesterday as it looks like we will be home for a while. It is delivered mid-morning so she has a lengthy job skinning and portioning it up. It should make about 12 meals apparently. While she is doing that, she is also making bread – 4 x Brown Loaves. I am sitting round rather uselessly.
My brothers and sisters meet more often on Twitter and Facebook than in reality. Bit of an indictment but there it is. Jane put on her annual, Christmas posting which I always think strange as she swears not to eat cakes and sweets. She obviously likes the tradition of Betty’s of Harrogate.
Bob, on the other hand, who is a photographer in retirement, posted this lovely shot of a walk around his local area in Maidenhead in Berkshire.
You really know who your friends are when things are not going well. Richard in Chorley kindly sent us an e-card and wished me well. Julie contacted me to say that she had stopped her statins because she was also having adverse Liver problems and wished me well. David from North Wales has contacted me twice and Kevin from North Yorkshire has tried to keep my spirits up by making me laugh.
Our neighbours have been absolutely lovely, sending us messages of sympathy that our American trip was cut short and wishing me a speedy recovery – offing any help that they can provide. It is all rather humbling.
Seems rather strange that we have received £500.00 Winter Fuel Payment plus £20.00 Christmas Bonus plus £400.00 additional fuel bill support but we are going to supplement that by completing a medical bills claim for around £500.00 this afternoon.
Thursday, 15th December, 2022
An absolutely beautiful day of clear blue skies and strong sunshine. I’ve got up feeling genuinely much better this morning and more optimistic than for about 3 weeks.
Early on, I received a phone call from a nice lady from Nat West Insurance Services being friendly but probing the veracity of the claim I submitted yesterday. Being a nice, honest person, she knew my claim was genuine almost instantly and ended up telling me about her Mother’s health and what she was doing for Christmas rather than quizzing me. She told me my claim would be paid in full but I told her that two more receipts for about another $250.00 would be coming in the next week and she agreed to hold off and wait for them. A claim that would come to less than £750.00
My brother, Bob, who lives in Berkshire, has cold, Winter conditions and took the photo above this morning. Glad we haven’t got that.
We drove out along the sea road towards Lancing to drink in the sunshine and get some fresh air. It was absolutely delightful.
We didn’t stay long because it wasn’t terribly warm but the time was enough to stretch our legs and fill our lungs with sea air.
On home for a bowl of hot, homemade, Pea Soup and then down to the surgery for an ECG – heart trace – to see whether this recent incident has affected or damaged my heart function. I doubt that myself but it has to be checked to rule it out.
I’ve had a sudden rush of blood. It must be the illness but I’ve bought Pauline an early Christmas present. I’m sure she’ll love it. I’ll make sure she has plenty of time to play with it.
Friday, 16th December, 2022
A strange night of figures dancing through my head. This is an odd thing I’m going through. Leonard Cohen sang to me. Faces smiled and blew kisses. Places appeared and faded. I woke late. Outside there were signs of frost on the roofs. I didn’t know frost was allowed on the South Coast. Anyway, the sky is clear blue and the sun is strong. The world looks beautiful and I am feeling a little bit more optimistic.
People talk about the paucity of service in our current NHS without acknowledging that the Tories have spent 12 years running it down, underfunding it, allowing staff to go unreplaced and preparing it for privatisation. I can tell you. Dear Reader, we will all regret it if it happens. Two simple visits to a doctor plus simple blood and urine tests cost me £750.00 and the service was less accurate (more money driven) and the facilities were no more plush.
People in America saw me the day I turned up and they said, I’m sure you wouldn’t get this in UK. In reality, Pauline booked me a doctor’s appointment in UK from America on Friday and I was seen at 8.00 am on the Monday. Yesterday I had an ECG and that full heart trace found no problem. I must admit that I didn’t think it would. The Statins have been removed and I will have repeat blood tests after they are completely out of my system. I couldn’t ask for or pay for better and more thorough treatment.
I am not completely right yet as a couple of hours shopping showed me this morning. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. I don’t like it and I don’t know why it’s happening.
Saturday, 17th December, 2022
Quite a cool but wonderfully bright start to the day. Went out early to collect Pauline’s new, Christmas steam iron and some 2kgs of frozen strawberries. My chef is making strawberry jam this afternoon.
We’ve finally tracked down the source of our flat battery that dogged us as we arrived home from America. Our car has a wireless smartphone charger where you just lay your phone and the engine trickle charges it as you drive. As soon as you switch the engine off, the charger should go off. We realise, now that the charger had stayed live for a week since it had been driven and even that small discharge of power had been enough to run the battery down. It hasn’t happened since.
Interests rates went up again last Thursday to what people are laughably calling historic levels of 3.5%. It is the highest for 14 years but miniscule for people of our generation. However, although I’ve got most of our money tied up in higher rate investment bonds, We have a fair chunk in a YBS ‘rainy day’ Easy Access account. It only pays 2.6% which is criminal set against an inflation rate of 9.3%. I put £35,000 in there in July but it is still about the best available at the moment. I don’t think institutions have been quick enough to react to the rate rise but maybe something will happen soon.
Littlehampton Beach yesterday evening.
These are lovely times for wonderful skies on the coast. I stare into that seascape and find it rather scarily bleak and infinite …. like death. It makes me want people.
The chef has produced another 11 pots of delicious strawberry jam and has now been allowed time off to play with her new steam iron. I’m watching the Test match from Pakistan.