Hope For Cancer Sufferers
On Wednesday I was invited around the Cancer Trials Unit at Liverpool University. I have to declare two interests in that my youngest son died from cancer of the pancreas and I contribute in a small way to their research.
It is an impressive unit and the visit left me with the feeling, that if their attitude, thoroughness and methods are repeated in hundreds of other similar units across the world, as I suspect they are, then there may well be some better news for cancer sufferers in the future.
The Pollen Count is Going to Get Worse
I’ve just looked at the pollen count forecast on the Met Office web site. Their new system is here.
It would appear that by the weekend the levels will be high.
Yesterday, I asked a friend, who is a racehorse trainer, whether he had been affected. He personally hadn’t, but some of his horses had had hay fever like symptoms, with runny eyes.
He thought the high levels were because we had a warm April, and that has brought everything forward, so all of the pollen has come along at the same time.
Is My Right Hand Getting Worse?
I’ve had a couple of very small accidents with my right hand in the last couple of weeks. Nothing serious, but I did drop a can of Coke.
On the other hand, I had no trouble carrying the parcel to day to Canary Wharf. And for most of the journey I used my right hand to hold the prcel.
So is it a comparative thing in that my left hand is actually getting better? I’m certainly making fewer typing mistakes with it.
I don’t know, but the left hand isn’t so useless as it was. As an example, I had a pork chop today and it wielded a fork with a degree of alacrity, that wasn’t there a few months ago.
Choosing A Shampoo
I get fed up with shampoo. For years I used the same brand and then it was rebranded for split ends, more bounce, better colour etc. I just want something that gets my hair clean.
Today in Waitrose at Canary Wharf I couldn’t even find the one I changed to or the standard Essential Waitrose cheap one.
So I bought what I used to use, when the children were young; Johnson’s Baby Shampoo.
AT least it should be kind to my sore eyes.
Germany’s Cucumber Problem
I typed “german cucumber joke” into Google and found this site. It’s actually part of a serious German web site called Toy Town Germany, for Germans and others who live in the country who speak English.
How The Turks Deal With Pollution
This horrific story is in The Times today, although I’m pointing to a green web site, so evryone can read it.
Turkey may well have nine percent economic growth, but at what cost?
So is it right, that we increase unemployment, because of imports from Turkey?
In my view it isn’t!
C and I once had a holiday in Turkey and in some ways we weren’t impressed. Luckily we could afford to go somewhere better.
As a coeliac, I starved in Turkey, as they just couldn’t get the idea of what gluten-free was! Despite the fact I had an excellent translation.
Is Measles Making A Comeback?
I had measles as an adult at twenty-eight, at the same time as I had chickenpox. I would not wish that on anybody, and hopefully it didn’t leave me with any long-term health problems. My sister had it very badly as a child and it might have explained her poor eyesight. I also know of people slightly older than myself, who have suffered seriously from the disease.
So when I read that there has been a large increase in measles, I get worried.
It would appear that most are related to young people who have travelled abroad.
It says the latest cases are mainly among unvaccinated people under 25 years old and are centred on “small clusters in universities, schools or families or associated with travel abroad”.
I feel that we should encourage more vaccination. I would not recommend my experience of the disease to anyone! But I was lucky! Others may not be so!
A Hay-Fever Diary
Last year I put together a Pain Diary to see if I could find a better strategy to feeling better.
So now, as I’m suffering badly from hay fever or something like that, I’ll see if I can find any link. Note the two factors after the date are the pollen level according to the BBC and how I have felt on the day out of ten.
Monday, May 23rd – Moderate – 3/10
It started as a good day.
But after washing my hair at about three, it went swiftly downhill. It was almost as if I’d got soap in my eyes.
I had dinner at Arbutus and felt a bit better as I was very cruel to a rabbit. But I suspect the restaurant was air-conditioned.
Tuesday, 24th May – Moderate – 3/10
I got up and after breakfast went back to bed only getting up at about 10:00. I didn’t eat much all day, as I was so tired. I think it was just a Beanz thing for lunch and strawberries for supper.
Wednesday, 25th May – 4/10
Again I got up late and went to IKEA in Croydon. Lunch was a plate of IKEA gravadlax and a bottle of ginger beer. Did the air-conditioning help?
Thursday 26th May – Moderate – 6/10
Lunch was an egg dish in Carluccio’s and then getting wet in the rain.
Supper was a Marks and Spencer beef stroganoff after a drink down the pub.
Friday 27th May – Low – 5/10
I had a lot of pain this morning, in my face, left arm and left leg. I was sneezing a lot as I walked around the city.
After lunch of a salad nicoise, I slept for two hours.
Supper was another Marks and Spencer salmon after a drink down the pub.
Saturday 28th May – Low – 5/10
Less pain than yesterday, but like yesterday I did have a two hour sleep after lunch.
Sunday 29th May – Low – 6/10
The pain has been back in my arm today. And I had a good two hours sleep in the afternoon.
I didn’t have much lunch, but supper was Moroccan Chicken from the freezer with rice and strawberries to follow.
Monday 30th May – Low – 6/10
The pain was still in my arm today. And again I had a good two hours sleep in the afternoon.
I cooked the Beef and Bean Casserole, but supper was very much a snack.
Tuesday 31st May – Low – 7/10
The arm pain wasn’t so bad today and I didn’t have the sleep in the afternoon.
Lunch was eggs in Carluccio’s and supper was a couple grilled pork chops with some beans.
Wednesday 1st June – Moderate – 5/10
I didn’t have much pain, but I did need a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon.
I was also lazy and had supper in the Northgate Arms
Thurday 2nd June – High- 6/10
I went to the physio this morning and after some asparagus for lunch, I slept for a couple of hours.
Supper was fish and beans.
Friday 3rd June – High – 7/10
Perhaps the physio helped, but my arm was much better today.
Lunch was in Carluccio’s in Hampstead and supper was a Waitrose Indian meal for one after my long walk in Bow.
It was the first day in a long time, when I didn’t have a long sleep in the daytime.
Saturday 4th June – High – 7/10
As the blog shows, I went to the Derby, where it was very hot. I came back tired and went to bed at 21:30, which is early for me. I slept until 07:20, which is a long sleep for me.
Sunday 5th June – Moderate – 6/10
Not too bad a day and the pain hasn’t been too bad. It’s now 22:00 and I’ll be going to bed soon.
Volcanic Ash and Pollen Clouds
I don’t care a fig about the volcanic ash from Iceland, but I do find all of this pollen horrendous. And speaking to others, it would appear that I’m not the only one in London, who is suffering badly.
Looking at the pollen forecast, it would appear that I should emigrate to somewhere like Manchester! I think I’ll stay here and fight it out!
INR Test – 23rd May 2011
Result: 2.3
Dosing Recommendation: 4.8 mg/day
Next INR Test interval: 56 days
Repeat INR Test on 18th July 2011 at 11:00.
The Anonymous Widower 