Kathyw

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year and hoping 2010 brings everything you hope for.

A few years ago we were coming up to the lights at Kentish Town. There was a quite a lot of traffic and the lights turned red. Ray had started to slow down as the cars in front did and then we stopped. Bang! A cyclist had gone straight into the back of us - he had not seen our brake lights go on nor had he noticed all the other cars stopped. He broke one of the read lights and as it was a volvo we had at the time it cost him over £300.00 - but give the guy credit. He stopped, he exchanged numbers etc and when the estimate was given he paid up pronto. Ray said had it been him he would have left the broken cycle and legged it so the cyclist was honest. Years ago I was crossing on a pedestrian crossing near the finacial times building. The bus had stopped for me to cross as had a car but a motorcycle decided he didn't want to and nearly hit me. He was stopped just around the corner at the traffic lights and I was so angry I ran up and whacked him round the head with my bag (or portmanteau as my mates referred to it). It took him by such suprise that he fell of the bike. As he looked up I said can you f****** see me now you pratt? I got a round of appaulse from the bystanders who had seen him nearly knock me over. I got into work and then started to shake all over with the shock. People who step straight out onto a crossing expecting everyone to stop dead should be fined imo. You must give the drivers/cyclists time to see you. We all need to take more care whether we drive cars, ride bikes or are road crossers. We are all responsible for our own safety but have to be aware of other people and their safety too.

I got this email and wondered if there is a fugee who is in the area and can help. Thank you. A lovely young student found an elderly white dog straying in the bitter cold in Southampton last night. This chap luckily called the number on the tag and found it to belong to our Wendy - Going to the dogs - and so it must be one of the many she's rescued over the years. We desperately need someone to hold this dog until Wendy can get there to collect her, so anyone who's in the area, or can pop over and hold her, PLEASE pm Going to the Dogs and let her know? Thank you very much everyone!

I do not drive but years ago I rode a bike to work. On the Highway in stepney I diced with death every day with the big lorries and it made me chuck the bike and walk - job was nowhere near a bus route. But in London if we stop at a red light and there are bikes approaching we always bet on how many will cross the road against the red light. Most of them do. Amwell street has a cycle lane - it's a busy road during rush hour yet bikes will often be two and sometimes three abreast as they race each other down the hill seemingly oblivious to oncoming cars in the car lane. Most do not wear head protection yet have the nerve to wear a mask so they don't breathe in car fumes! We need a system of cycle lanes everywhere but cyclist must not overtake or race other cyclists - they take their lives into their hands and it's scary. Many car drivers should also learn that they roads are not their private property and they also have to obey the rules.

Dr Hadwen Trust is a fav of mine. My cousin once donated to the 'abolition of visisection' in my name and it was the best gift I could have asked for.

Oh I know that Kats and I recently spent a few days in hospital myself and cannot complain about my treatment. I moaned and groaned and at one point sat and cried for a couple of hours during the night with a nurse sitting with me and helping me - this was in a unit where it was very busy as it was the floor for infectious diseases. But then as I said I did moan and questioned stuff - no-one seemed to be annoyed about that fact, indeed it seems to have helped as everything was explained to me. I was never rude but did expect (and got) to be treated as a person. I thanked each and everyone who treated me thus but gave a tongue lashing to the pr*tt who was nasty to me. As I got better I started to tell jokes etc and the nurses would come and sit with me to have a laugh! But with my Mum and Ray I cannot say the same. I have had to really get off my bike to get my Mum treated properly. I find it upsetting that people who are very sick to have to fight to get treatment - indeed to get treated with respect and dignity - that should be par for the course not something we celebrate. I have seen the very best of nurses and the worst and the same with doctors - perhaps I have too long a memory when hospitals were places where you went when sick having no fear of catching anything in there and nurses truly were angels. I hope that the op's Dad gets all that he needs and is treated with respect without anyone having to get angry and upset - he deserves it and so do his family.

I do not have good things to say about the nhs and it's treatment of people but I do know of one successful outcome. A close friend phoned and I couldn;t understand what she was saying she was sobbing. She had breast cancer (48 years old) and was terrified. She had three boys and her sister had fied at 32 from cancer of the womb and brain. This was just before Christmas and the doctor said they would have her in and operate in January. My friend said no I want it done now please. She said she was sobbing and begging them and they listened to her. She had the op two days later. She had chemo and lost all her hair but now three years on she is clear and is one of the success stories and there are some. She honestly believes that her lack of control (crying and sobbing) in front of the doctors was the reason she got early treatment as she said, many people are stoic and just wait for the doctors to tell them when they will treat them but she couldn't do that and believes that was what made the difference. I agree with Scotlass that the people running the trials are scientist and not concerned with the person - only the outcome. Stand your ground but also take Kats advice.

I hope they all turn up Mark but would not hold my breath. I have had so much stuff 'vanish' in the sorting offices - far more than usual. We were having strikes here every third day from the begining of august, well before the national strike. The most upsetting was a parcel of doll's clothes sent to a cousin. My Mum made me clothes and gave the scraps of left over material to my Nana who would make me a matching outfit for my doll. I found these gems when opening yet another of the boxes we bought over from Mum's. There are over 55 years old, beautifully made and priceless yet the post office managed to 'vanish' them. They asked me to put a price on them but how can I? They are priceless to my family but not to anyone else. Other parcels sent have also 'vamished' and I have given up trying to locate parcels that should have arrived here that I have paid for. Personally I would get rid of the post office as I cannot see their value at all.

I agree with you Alex. I would be very upset if someone gave money in my name to any charity that did experiments on animals but most people who know me would know that and hopefully would not do so. I have given donations as gits but have always made sure that the person 'giving' would like the charity I have given to. I have always given gifts that I know would be appreciated - it just takes a little 'listening' to work out what is acceptable to people and to give something that would be against what they woulddo themselves is selfish inho.

This is disgraceful. I have moaned about the treatment my oh and Mum have got but your experience is far, far worse. Make a fuss and contact all the people who have been suggested. Their GP, the patients association etc and put the complaints in writing. It does get their attention and hopefully your Dad will get the treatment he needs. I can understand you being upset with your Mum - tis only natural but you do need to stand together in your fight for your Dad. Sending good thoughts for Jan 4th and hoping that it will be the start of your Dad getting the treatment he needs to fight this and come home healthy again.

Thank you everyone and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Mum didn't seem to realize it was Christmas and I had to open all her prezzies for her. She was watching a film on tv and was like a child pointing at the tv and saying 'oh look at that he can fly'. It made me weep. She went for her dinner and sat between her two admirers - they hold the chair for her and put her napkin over her. She is concerned about the floods caused by all the melting ice cream! But in her own little world she is content I think. Anyway a big Thank You for all you good wishes for my Mum - they are appreciated more than you could imagine.

Me neither but I second your reply. A very special lady indeed. Sending good thoughts for a good response to treatment.

Me neither but I second your reply. A very special lady indeed. Sending good thoughts for a good response to treatment.

This is my fourth attempt at a posting (my laptop is poorly) so hoping this one goes. Seansons greetings to everyone and hoping that your Christmas is just what you wanted. Mum cannot come here for Christmas dinner (second time in 62 years) that I have not been with Mum for dinner. She is very poorly and I would like to ask for any good thoughts you have to spare to be sent to Daisy. We will be having a Christmas dinner later on when both Daisy and myself are stronger. Eat drink and be merry and have a wonderful New Year. Yippee it worked.

Thank you Anne Even liver treats didn't help There is a set of steps (scuz pun) that have to be followed - 15 mins x 3 per day wearing the aid for a week and then 30 mins x 3 per day until by six weeks the dog ias s wearing the aid full time except for bedtime and when unsupervised. Elsa still has her normal 1-2 hours over the Heath and would wear the aid only for the first 15 mins/30 mins until she was up to full time. I took the aid back to the vets and Elsa is going to be re-measured on tuesday she wears a special sort of harness to enable me to help her up the car ramp and the ring is in the wrong place so Ray is going to put another ring onto her harness. I would like to hear from anyone who has used one of these - I know they are fairly new but maybe someone......

http://www.vetinst.com/pages.php?pageid=112 Elsa was measured last week and it arrived saturday. Elsa doesn't like it and tries to get it off and I wanted to ask if anyone else has seen or experienced them and did the dog get used to it and be comfortable with using it. It is supposed to help delay the need for wheels. Thank you

http://dmgd.org/

Nowhere did I say I want to decide who has the right to do anything and it's arrogant to assume you know what I would like. Mobile phones should be used for calls that are urgent - not for chatting because you have sod all else to do or because you are bored while on a journey,walking your dog/dogs/pushing your child across the road in a pram yet 75% of all mobile calls are for those reasons. You have completely missed everything else I said. The fact that people are killed on the roads because of mobile phone calls seems unimportant to you - or am I being arrogant in assuming what you think?

They are on the same low frequency as cell phones and do not interfere with pacemakers. Crudely made ones (maybe home made) could interfere with pacemakers and there are supposedly a few of those out there. They are legal to own in the uk but illegal to use. It is also illegal and far more life threatening to use mobiile phones while driving - we have yet to go out in the car without seeing at least two/three drivers using phones while driving - sometimes lorry drivers turning corners with one hand on the wheel the other holding the phone. As a friend who works in a transplant centre said 'all there patients have pagers and that is how contact would be made should a donor become available'. As for 999 calls I am talking of a jammer that only works within a 20' radius - I would certainly be aware of anyone needing police/fire/ambulance that close to them. Perhaps it is different outside of London I don't know but you cannot walk in any of the parks withoutevery other person using a phone - loudly. When it is someone walking dogs I get very annoyed - they do not notice the dog having a poo - they do not notice what the dog is and as an example two nights ago a man on a mobile did not notice his dog had decided to go in the opposite direction and follow two other dogs who were on leads. He never turned around and was oblivious to the fact that his dog was almost out od the park. I called out to him - he turned and couldn't see the dog but stayed on the phone! Eventually he panicked and started to run towards the gates and lucky for him the people with the other dogs stood and waited and he got his dog. Had those people been on the phone and unaware - they would have continued on their way home and the loose dog would have followed them - possibly across a few roads. If I was to go outside my front door I know that there will be a few people passing and a couple at the bus stop - guarantee at least half of them will be on the phone and talking loud enough for me to hear some of their conversation. ie 'I am having chinese tonight - what are you having' really important stuff.

I was having a ponder and thought how wonderful it would have been to have had an outside toilet and a pot under the bed - I would have flung it and it's contents all over the loudmouth d*ckhead.

http://gadgetsangizmos.co.uk/onlineshop/prod_124952-Mobile-Phone-Signal-Blocker.html I am feeling very poorly (awwwww) and after walking the dogsm I went to bed only to be awakened by some loudmouth in the street shouting down his phone. This happened after a walk up Primrose Hill where everyother person with a dog was on the pphone oblivious to what their dog/dogs were up to. I would love to be able to cut them off so that they turn around and make sure their dog is in their sight and maybe actually interact with their dog on it's walk. And to have been able to shut the loudmouth up and go back to sleep would have been wonderful. Have any of you one of these gadgets and do they work? Thank you

I looked on the site and it does seem good stuff but it doesn't say if it dehydrated and that is evidently a must! Her dogs will not eat dry food and adding water to ordinary dry food doesn't work for them, nor does gravy. Joanie said that this food is fantastic - would love to have a try of it for my lot. oops it is dehydrated - I am going to order some for my friend as she wants to try it - I might get some myself.

A friend has come back to the uk and asked if I know where she can get this food here. She highly recommends it and so I thought I would ask on hereI have emailed the company (friend has no internet connection set up yet. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-EasyRaw-Dehydrated-Dog-Food/999244.aspx Thank you

Thank you everyone espec Sam. I have been on all the sites for this problem but I wanted the perspective of people who actually deal with dementia sufferers ie how well do the meds work if they are needed. Unfortunately I don;t think there is a need for the scan to confirm anything - I want Mum to have it but any hopes I had that it might be a urine infection were dashed (urine infections can cause confusion) forever. They had checked her urine but yesterday Mum laid on her bed all day and refused to eat. Staff said Mum never lays on her bed except to sleep at night or if unwell and then she is undressed and in the bed. I went to see her this morning and it was like a slap in the face. The deterioration has been dramatic and swift. Mum knew who I was but that was about it. Miguel (the manager) said that although we knew this was there and would only get worse, I had to be aware that things had moved very fast and had to prepare myself for what was to come. How the f*ck do I do that? This has been too fast, I was thinking her memory would just gradually slip away but it's almost gone and although she still looks like my Mum, my Mum isn't really there anymore. I don;t get it at all - it's too too quick. She keeps asking everyone why no-one told her my Dad had come home, he had a key but no-one told her. She is very upset about it and cannot be pacified and I was at a lost to help her. Whatever I said didn't register. She asked about my dogs????? yet didn't know who Ray was. Have any of you medical peeps known it too move so swiftly as this? Almost overnight a dramatic change? Its as if a whole year has vanished into a day if you know what I mean? I know I should have spoken more to Miguel but I needed to get away from there coward that I am, I just was not ready to hear anymore. Miguel was wonderful but I had the feeling of getting Mum and running away with her so I had to leave. I want to hear more from carers/medical peeps of their experiences so I am more prepared for what Miguel tells me. I always take the easiest route and this is no different. Thank you for any input you can give me from your personel experience please.

My Mum is having a scan on the 16th of this month to determine whether she has dementia and or the extent of it - so the home says! This waa asked for by Mum's social worker in Febuary and they have just got round to getting the appointment after I screamed blue murder. Mum rarely remembers anyones name, what day of the week it is and time is beyond her nowdays. Bizarre conversations are the norm - she still knows who I am but sometimes cannot remember the word daughter. Mum also forgets sometimes that she has eaten and will ask for food as she is hungry despite having eaten breakfast/dinner whatever just beforehand. This alone tells me she has dementia as her brain is not registering she has eaten. Do the scans really give the extent of the dementia and if they do would meds be given to aliviate the symptoms? Thank you for any answers or advice.