Autumn

Grab yer hat......grab yer runners....lets go....sometimes I think what rubbish I have on my iPod. Doesn't stop me smiling and humming along though. If your interested the song is by an Irish band called B*witched.

There are many arguments over nature vs nurture. I used to lean towards the nurture side of the argument. Until,that is, my last trip to Ireland. As a family we all share certain mannerisms. The mannerisms are also showing through in the next generation! Bearing in mind I've lived in England for over 20 years and as a family we haven't lived in each others pockets. It goes further than that though we can see the differences in whether its paternal or maternal family genes which are stronger.

I was also told on the visit to quit pretending to be a tourist....yer Irish get on with it! Which is true the accent is as strong as ever.

Now with the hypothyroid systems I found my voice became husky and I could be 'roaring' but my voice never seemed to carry. Now I find with quite a few months of 'decent' Tsh levels my voice has softened. And yes people can hear me.

I haven't really changed much more in my diet. Except I've cut out tea/coffee during the day. I'm keeping the sugar and carbs to a minimum. I suppose the only real change in the last month is I've started using Rapeseed oil for cooking. I think it's easier in the guts and the other half seems to be losing a bit if weight as well.



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Reading & Music

Is it just me?!

I've gotten back into reading and music this year. Is it a horrible side effect of hypothyroidism which kills the want to enjoy either of these pursuits?!

Luckily the local charity shop has a decent selection of books. Though my favourite by far have been Val Mcdermaid 'wire in the blood' offerings.

Good news as well on how well my clothes are fitting. I bought jeans about 5 years ago and haven't until now been able to fit into them. Looks like the walking and the strength work are paying off. I haven't lost anything more off the scales but I do seem to be looking trimmer.

Hope your all enjoying the Olympics.


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Not in Kansas

Ok, so I'm a week into my new working area. I am so happy it's unreal. The people are friendly and I'm settling into the work quickly.

I am so glad I did what I did. My Tsh level is now 1.3 and my humour is well it's happy. People have really noticed the difference.

It just goes to show how much a rubbish environment has on your personality and your health.

I could sit about and do nothing but that's not my style. I'm nearly finished and writing procedures for one part of it. I've also lined up more refining for next week.

In case your wondering I've haven't rolled in pretending to be the big I am. I've rolled up my sleeves and asked what can I do to help! As for the reward well hearing the words 'thank you' is amazing.

If you have people who work for you/with you say 'thank you' now and again. See how much it's means and how good you feel saying it


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Body image

Ok,so I'm very tall for a woman 5ft 11 inches and well above the 'fat' on the BMI ratings. It is however all changing. I seem to be having more tall days (not complaining). My shape is also changing I've worked out I've lost about 7 inches of my waist. I know!!!

I used to look in the mirror and just look at my face! The rest ah! Well let's put it this way there are not many mirrors in the house. Now I want to look and see the changes. What I don't want to do is get fixated on losing weight. If I'm sensible it will happen.

I look back on what I will call my before photos. Crumbs I was skinny. That's not going to happen again....I love me cake too much!!

So the photo is off a belt I was given by one if my sisters gave me a few years ago. I couldn't buckle it up then. Now well let's just say there's only a couple of notches to go.(no photo cause of a technical hitch) Grrr

Taking a chance

Ok, so things in one part of my life and to change. The stress it was causing was intolerable. Why?! It was all personal and I don't cope very well with personal attacks. What made it worse was I couldn't answer/fight back. I had to sit and take it.

It got to a point where I had to make a choice. Stay and take it and risk my health or do something's about it. Difficult decision but I made it. It's nearly 2 weeks later and I feel so much better for it. Ok, I am now standing staring into an abyss. But it's good I have expressed myself and hopefully I will come out of the experience even stronger.

I think listening to the rumours of what's occurred is hard. Its disappointing knowing who is spreading them. However, I can walk with my head held high knowing I did the right thing. I have stood by my morales. I also know now I can express myself clearly without getting all girlie(bawling my eyes out). My thoughts are clear and as for thyroid rage...ha i laugh in it's face!!


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Guts

Ok I think we get to an age and we start obsessing about certain parts of out bodies.

At the moment my obsession is with my guts. I've learned that's where my immune system lives. It's also where T3 gets converted. If my guts are as I call it mangled then my back also suffers.

So for me part if living well is looking after my guts. Like most who are hypothyroid....constipation is another battle. So it all ties up into bit of a mess.

My sister gave me the idea of drinking prune juice instead of eating prunes (they are just too gross). A week and a half into the drinking of said juice and all seems to be well.

Hope this helps someone!



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Blip

I'm going through a blip...well at least that's what I'll call it for now. I will, as I have in the past, get through it. Determination and support from wifey and good friends helps.

We all have blips.....we are human

Vitamins & Healthy Eating

Ok, so I've not been a paragon of virtue when it comes to food. However I know my limits when eating carbs. I've given up coffee and now drink black tea. I've even cut down on the fizzy water. I rarely drink coke or anything like it either.

From a female perspective I gave up taking mephonamic tablets to help my fibroids. The changes in diet and milk thistle have helped a lot. This month I had what I would call normal pain and discomfort.

My body is feeling happier. I'm sleeping better and not crashing as often. My humour is also better. I've noticed a big difference in how I cope with people being twats. I'm laughing more and my attention is focused. My short term memory is also improving.(So, wifey it's me choosing not to argue the point knowing full well I'm in the right ;-) )

What else?! I don't know how to describe I just feel better in myself. Ok, I still have some anxiety wobbles and pains in the legs but they are not as bad as they were. I reckon another 2 months and I'll be back to my usual self. Well fingers crossed I will.


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Bank holiday weekend

So, it rained and rained and then for a change it rained again! Despite this we had a cracking weekend.

Friday evening I decided to be a bit wild and had not one but two cans of Stella Cidre. I was snoring away by 9.30pm. Such a wild thing I am!! Am mortified it takes so little to get me tiddly these days.

Saturday we went to a garden centre and had good rummage around. We got loads of ideas for the next corner of the garden we are planning to transform. These modern phones are great for taking photos as you go. Cue the evening watching Bad Teacher. Very funny movie if you get a chance to see it take it.

Sunday was equally miserable weather wise but we decided to go to a local Celtic festival. We should have known better.there were about 3 tents and it was all geared up for kids. If you had kids it would have been a fantastic day out. As the ticket included looking around the grounds and the big house we did just that. Managing a cup of tea and scone with cream and jam as we went. We also visited the working watermill. Fascinating stuff and they sold the flour they ground there. Can't remember what we did in the evening but it involved lounging around

Monday was brave the garden day. I moved a few paving slabs and managed to relay them properly. We're doing our best to reuse materials already in the garden to keep costs down. Also from a recycling...environmentally friendly point of view it's nice to say we make an effort. Hanging baskets were created by wifey and I must say I think they are better than last years. We went to a local garden centre as well.
More pricing up of plants and hunting for inspiration. I'm useless with plants. I just point and say I like that not worrying about whether they'd be suitable or not.

The evening was spent doing sod all again. But then what better way to enjoy a Bank Holiday?!

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Laughing

Ok, so I shouldn't be sitting here giggling away but.....the tom cat has just walked in front of the tv. No dramas except the other half is playing an xbox game. 'Get out of the way'....'Garfield I swear you do it on purpose'.... he's a cat like so yeah its on purpose.....better still he lands on the cat bed (which hangs on the radiator) and then proceeds to get onto the window ledge opening the curtain letting the evening sun blind the other half. This is too much am going to have to walk away.....laughing this subtly is bad for me I'm sure!

So, today I've had a good day. Ok my sinuses are still not right. I slept well last night. We've had a giggle today as well. Nice and relaxing all round. I've been taking my temperature and today its nearly normal. I wonder if its connected. (Will be keeping a watch on that).

We went on a Ghost Hunt at the weekend and it was brillant. Will post about it when I've a good spooky picture to go with it.

Acceptance

Acceptance is a mighty big word and I think it banded around without much thought of what it really means. It also have many different levels and meanings.

My version of it at the moment is finally understanding and acknowledging I have a chronic illness. I now understand those words don't mean I am on the scrap heap. They mean it's a bit more of a battle for me to live every day. That I have to put more work into living well. I need to be more aware of my body and it's needs. Probably the most important part is I'm not anywhere near the superhuman I thought I was.

I've been reading the book 'living with hypothyroidism' by Mary Shomon. I'm not going to wax on and say how brillant it is. However, I will say it is a good read. A lot of the information I had already found through various sources over the last few months. Other bits just hit home. Like the use of the word 'No'. Also, how important it is close family understand what your like when your not well. I thought one of the best points made was the different it lengths of time it can take to get back to optimal health.

This length of time varies from person to person. I've now worked out how the 'flush' of extra thyroxine rushing through the body makes you feel like your on top of the world. The reality is it can take a few months after for things to settle down and improve.My Tsh hit 16 at Christmas time and over the last couple of months there has been a lot of stress dished out a work. Which I can now see hinders my recovery.

I hear things like 'things need to get back to normal'. Now instead of going yes and battling to be what they want. I'm taking a deep breath and pushing back. I understand and accept it's not all in my shoulders. They have a part to play in this as well. 'Normal' I would love to be normal!!

I have also realised talking with others who have the condition/disease helps. A friend told me last night how much of a difference it made having someone to talk to about how they were feeling. To support and understand how they are getting fobbed off by their doctor

I've also worked out why I haven hit a bad patch like this before. I used to go to the gym a lot and exercise is mega important. I also used to get massages on a regular basis. It's not that I have been neglecting myself it's just life changes. Myself and the other half did some stretching exercises yesterday. I can definitely feel I did something!! Again, it's back to little steps and rebuilding. I'm not going to be back in a gym anytime soon.

I accept!



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Finding the horse

Ok, so the last few months have been an awkward journey. I've learned my body needs vitamins and supplements to function more than it needs food. I've also learned the body has more control over the mind than I would like.

I've been taking most of the vitamins now for nearly 12 weeks and I have noticed improvements. I added Evening Primrose oil, Flaxseed Oil and Omega 3,6 and 9 about 2 weeks ago. It will take another 4-6 weeks for them to kick in. I'm thinking about adding liquorice root to the mix as I've read it has a good levelling effect on hormones and helps the guts!

Food wise I think my stomach has shrunk as I feel fuller now with less. Or it could be because my body is working better my natural 'that's enough' indicators are working. It's horrible eating and never feeling satisfied. Mind other new habit is if I feel like snacking I have a drink of water or a cup of coffee.

Now your probably thinking 'what the heck has all this got to do with a horse?!' well you might be familiar with the phrase getting back on the horse. I'm not going to blithely say I'm back in top form and everything is ok. This is a long journey and tomorrow could be a one step back type of day.

I'm learning to take each day as it happens. If I instinctively feel upset by something I walk away and tell myself to chill. Again it's my body reacting not my mind. I read somewhere that you should start the day with a positive aspiration. Instead if saying 'I'm not going to eat chocolate today' say 'I'm going to eat a bit more fruit/veg'.

My aspirational for each day at the moment is to have a good laugh. Last night the other half suggested taking the dogs for a walk in the woods. I wasn't feeling up for it but still said yes. We had a giggle! My describing the walk as if it was a 70's porn movie probably was funnier to me than the other half. Did I care no...I was laughing and enjoying myself.

I slept better last night and I've woken up refreshed. I'm looking forward to today!

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Highs and Lows

Does anyone else experience high and lows in your body's performance?!

I've had a few really great days this week and now today I feel horrible. I know if I don't push myself to do anything I would just laze the day away. Maybe it's because I've strayed from what I call my Spartan diet. I have had some sweet things in the evenings.

My blood test results this month are TSH 2.31 mu/l (ref range 0.27 -4.2)
T4 17 pmol/l (ref range 10-24)
T3 4.4 pmol/l (ref range 2.8-7.11)

Not brilliant but could be a lot worse. I'm hoping all the vitamins I've been taking will help. My weight has steadied and considering I've had over a week of not eating properly I'm not unhappy. I'm carrying nearly 4 lb extra but as it's also my period week I'm not unhappy. Though my guts are telling they aren't happy!!

So, today I'm back on the wagon so to speak. Going to make sure I drink plenty of water this weekend to help flush my system.

Anyways back to spring cleaning the house. It's the kitchen's turn to get pulled apart today.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

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Womanly Health/Children/Dogs

I've been using period tracker light over the last few months. It's been interesting comparing how I feel each month. The pains and pmt anger moods are all disappearing. I would say I know I'm a bit irritable an negative a few days before so I've decided they are the days to go quiet.

Period tracker has also shown my average cycle is 26 days. So much for all the medical stuff I read which says periods are infrequent. My cycle is also regular and predictable! I also read about hair loss. I'm hairy beyond a joke. When I was born I was taken back to the hospital because they thought there was something wrong with me. I tend to molt though and I give the dogs competition on who can clog the Dyson first.

My thinking is the hypothyroid condition can't be looked at on it's own. Other systems in the body are jump into the mix and cause the cauldron to bubble a bit more.

On a doggie note Hera is getting more submissive. My godson was around last night and Hera and Juno managed to tire him out. Hera is perfect for playing with young kids. Despite her size she is gentle and very aware of space. Juno doesn't quite get play in the same way and once the session of feeding treats and playing catch are over he takes a back seat.

I do wonder what the next knee jerk legislation for dogs is going to be. I think the move in Northern Ireland to have all dogs microchipped is a good idea. I think having a dog is good for children and young people. I also think there's no such thing as a bad dog only a bad owner. I also believe dogs pick up on character behaviour from their owners.

Cats on the other hand are their own masters until it comes to feeding time!!

Hope you all have a good day

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Hormones

Dear Creator......wouldn't you just love to be able to send that sort of letter and know you'd get a response! (Note Creator can be anything you believe)

I would like to know if we are still in the R&D (research and development) phase of the project or is this it. If we decided to change our views on how life should develop on a global scale and went back to a local version. Would that change attitudes to healthcare for the better?! I read an article the other day which suggested GPs didn't have time for diagnosing patients and the task should be handed over to private companies.

On the one hand I wasn't surprised and my work head said yes a great way to progress. But my me head said hold on! I have experienced doctors offering advice when they didn't really know me or my health history and if I listened I would have made myself worse. Personal experience which makes me shudder at a more corporate attitude to health care.

There is a great need for decent administrators and managers to make the paperwork side of things work. What about Nurse Practitioners.....are their skills put to good enough use?! I have met a nurse who was hypothyroid too and she just took her doctors advice and was settling with the negative symptoms of this condition. Mind I have to say it was me getting annoyed with a doctor which made me get off my arse and learn more about what I can do to make my life better. Maybe we trust in GPs too much.

Personally, I think we need more GPs who take a holistic and person centred approach. Any body got any thoughts on the subject?!

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Laughter

Ok have had a belly full of laughing this afternoon. Thanks to drawing with friends.

Laughter is definitely the best.......

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Moods and Aches

I'm fighting off a cold at the moment. I'm using cold and flu relief tablets and they seem to be working.

My mood is fairly light and easy going. Though I know if someone where to wind me up it wouldn't last. My memory is getting better as is my deductive reasoning. Though for some reason I seem to be thinking about things like a jigsaw. Everything must have corners and the outer edges will be straight. Normally I'm quite a random throw things in the air and see what happens sort of person. I'm warming to this logical approach.

I still feel really cold. This I find annoying as I used to wander round I T shirt and shorts even in the middle of winter. I still have aches and pains but these seem to be when I wake up in the morning and when I get tired. Whereas before I used to chew painkillers I've managed to go weeks without having any. I think what causes most of my aches is my guts not working properly. I'm working on this and it can takes weeks to get them back to normal after a rough patch of constipation.

I've been reading more about conversion of T4 to T3 and I think this is one of my issues. From what I have read I need to take selenium. Or eat Brazil nuts. Will start this after my next blood test,which is next week, and see if it makes a difference.

I still get the odd bout of shakieness and feeling sick but I think part of that is brought on by anxiety. So I'm going to have to learn to stop worrying about what hasn't happened yet.

Hope your all enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.

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Test post

Good morning! Today is 'work' Friday and its even longer to 'work' Monday!!

Ok so I zonked last night before the end of The Apprentice. I woke up to the news and a story about puppies needing to be rehomed only told be told no by the other half...jez I hadn't even got that far in the thought process. We had good news lay night my sister, who's faithful dog died a few weeks ago, had the urge to go to a dog rescue. She visited left and basked her eyes out (the crying is a family trait). Then went back and adopted a beautiful puppy.

Ok so food wise what I do wrong yesterday. I didn't eat enough to start with. A packet of doritos for lunch isn't acceptable. I also and some dark chocolate last night. It was Green & Blacks so I thought it wouldn't hurt. Well will make sure I eat better today.

My mind us feeling sparkly and I got energy. I was up at 6 this am and I logged onto work and cracked on with a bit. I'm at meetings this morning so it was good to get some routine admin done. I'm also in a learning mood.

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Vitamins

Ok,these work for me! If anyone decides to try them make sure they are right for you! Milk Thistle, Chromium, Vitamin E, calcium, Vitamin D, magnesium, Zinc, Garlic, Primrose oil with starflower oil and vitamin c. When I'm feeling stressed I take more vitamin c to help my body cope.' I've been eating better for nearly 8 weeks now too. Though at weekends(friday night/saturday) and then take Sunday to let my body recover. I drink more water than before too.

 I've lost all my extra 'thyroid weight' I put on last year. Which if I'm honest was nearly 3 stone. I have also lost a further 11 lbs. With my weight reducing this should also help the issues I have with polycystic ovaries. About 3 weeks ago I had a stupid week and a half of stress. My body wasn't happy as I ended up with 6 cold sores on my bottom lip which became infected. Some good cream from the doctor and 2 weeks later it's nearly all healed. I also had what I call a girly hormonal weepy reaction to some rubbish stuff as week. But even that didn't last long.

My energy levels are fantastic -ignoring my little hiccup with the spuds the other night. I'm also waking up easier. I feel happy in myself and my brain is sharpening up. I'm getting back to my best. I've learned I need to laugh and pat myself onthe back when I do something right. I need to ignore wankers who do t understand or want to understand this condition. I read other peoples stories and I thank the powers that be that I have a good standard of life. My other half has learned to recognise when I'm having a bad day and when I need to rest. Mostly it's about pacing and taking in what's good in life aka sitting in the garden drinking tea whilst watching the dogs destroy the grass. More importantly wifey has learned to pull me up when I seem to be a bit of centre. I've learned to not prattle on about geeky things that some people just aren't interested and I should be more aware of my audience. I do feel sad that I have lost so much time because doctors couldn't be arsed to treat me and instead just read the numbers and said 'boderline - no action'.

 We're entitled to a free blood yes every 3months and it's important to get a copy of the results. I then match these off with my diary and how I'm feeling. I'm in control not my thyroid. I'll end with saying I've learned to take tablets in the morning washed down with water. Then there's a break of an hour until I eat. I take the vitamins in the evening so there's no chance of them affecting apsorption. Be positive....if you feel it it's real

Potatoes!

Yes, apart from the annoying, but curiously funny mobile phone message by Keith Lemon, I had a wierd experience after dinner last night.

Dinner was slow cooked stewing steak, with a carrot and onion, with a teaspoon of marmite in the stock for flavouring with boiled new potatoes. Yesterday I should explain was a fantastic day. Had gotten up early to start work and had really enjoyed myself tripping through the day. The extra milk thistle in the morning seems to be helping the shakes and vomitting feelings. Anyways to dinner....its one of my favourites. I love potatoes and when I decided, about 8 weeks ago, to minimise carbs potatoes, rice, pasta and bread all went out the window. The other half prefers oven chips and I'm not a big fan. So, I settle down to enjoy the meal. Well, by the end of Eastenders (which was quite dull by the way) my eyelids were getting heavy. I grabbed a snuggly blanket and stretched out on the sofa snoring away. I woke about 10.30pm and dragged myself up to bed. I felt foggy and drained. At some point before the alarm went off I woke up and I felt dizzy. 'Bugger' I say to myself. Still when the alarm goes off its hard to ignore the two dogs who want a wee and their breakfast. I will also mention the tom cat bouncing on me cause he wants feeding to. I think  used the word 'Bugger' a few times this morning. Especially when I realised I had to iron a shirt as well.

I drank a few glasses of water and did some slow breathing exercises and that seemed to help. I got a cup of black coffee and a couple of plain digestive biscuits. This helped even more.  When I got to my destination in London, after a fun trip on the top deck of a number 47 bus, I had an egg and beans. Feeling even better so I walked into the meeting feeling all bright and sparkly.

I can see a massive improvement in form from the begining of the year. My weight is going the right way. I'm sleeping rather than crashing. Mentally its been a bit harder. However, I seem to have turned the corner with that to. I'm not feeling brain fog and I'm getting a kick of the work I'm doing for the Olympics. I love a challenge especially when its something which has never been done before. Just for the record what I need to do to get stuff sorted for the Olympics is a peace of cake the real test is getting everything sorted afterwards. Everyone around me is only focused on the lead up and the main Olympics. I won't break the bad news to them just yet.

Stress and Changes

About 9 weeks ago I made a conscious effort to change diet. I am now on a low GI diet. (and yes I do fall of the wagon at weekends but not to excess) I also got help with researching what supplements I should be taking to keep the hypothyroidism in check.

The effects...I feel better in many ways. I have lost nearly 11lb in weight. Which makes it nearly a steady 2lb a week which I believe is the healthiest approach. My tiredness is now manageable and for the most part I have my sleep well managed. The biggest at the moment is internal shaking and the feeling of wanting to vomit. The aid for that is its seems Milk Thistle. I also need to balance my hormones a bit more so from tomorrow I well be introducing Flax Seed Oil and St John's Wort into the mix. My guts unfortunatley are not doing so well. I'm visiting the doctor again tomorrow to see if there's anything more I can do.

I've worked out that stress is a major contributor to my thyroid levels going topsy tervy. I believe the extra stress began in 2009 and got progressively worse. I do also think the increase in stress contributed to my normally sensible thoughts going all over the shop. This is now coming back to what I think are normal.

The other annoying thing is people don't get this condition/disease. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. However, with decent support and a medical know it all to ask stupid questions life is returning to normal. I have learned a lot about myself and how not to let people push my buttons. I have the urge to go and do some utterly different things. One is to pump the tyres on my bike. Being about 2 stone lighter than when I last rode it I'm hoping I will be able to give Chris Boardman a race. Ok, well maybe not....I don't keep my legs as hair free as he does.

Getting there

Ok, the last few weeks I've had a contant feeling of wanting to vomit. Horrible feeling is all I can say. Well Friday, I went for a walk with the mrs and the dogs. The fresh air, the laughter and probably the mud all contributed to getting rid of the feeling. I think the feeling is due to unwanted stress. I like a bit of stress but when its a positive challenge rather than just bad feelings.

I keeping up with the healthier eating and have lost another 1lb. That takes me to a loss of about a stone since christmas. So, its slow but steady progress. The only thing I don't like about is losing the weight is getting the odd stretch mark. For this I'm going to try using bio oil to combat. I'm also looking forward to the mornings getting brighter so I can get the bike out again. I think that will speed the weight loss and improve my fitness.

I've a blood test book for Wednesday and I'll be asking to get my T3 and T4's checked. What I had forgotten, and them in the doctors surgery never remind me, is don't take the thyroxine on the morning of the blood test. Which means my last blood test results were a bit out. Be interesting to see what the numbers.

I stil have symptoms. I feel tired, I don't feel emotions the way I would like to. I'm so laid back I don't even get angry if I feel its right to (very wierd). I have mild pins and needles in my hands which isn't too intrusive and I haven't had this for as long before.

I've been keeping up with taking the vitamins and the milk thistle. I've been a slave to eating properly during the week. I must admit I slip a bit at the weekends. I now know that if I eat something that isn't right I feel pain....bad pain! Usually in my right hip and down into my right leg. I think it happens that way because about 8 years ago that was the side which was badly damaged when I had a prolapsed disc.

I've been reading all sorts on the net and some of it is rubbish and some of it, usually reading others stories make me feel lucky I'm not as bad as it could be. I thinky though my body is still recovering from the 6 months it was out of whack last year. The doctors kept saying I was boderline. I've since learnt borderline needs to be argued.

I also know I'm not right at the moment because my sinuses are killing me and in turn all noise sounds sharp and hurts my ears.

Big Night Out!

Nearly forgot about this. We went to a works do last Wednesday night. The guest speaker was Clare Summerskill. Very entertaining and more importantly so very appropriate for the theme of the evening.

The jubilee line managed to have an incident so we were forced to find the Docklands light railway to get back into town. The funny bit is the Mrs had already said she didnt want to be doing much walking (the price for wearing newish boots). Anyways we got to Baker Street eventually. Even better we stumbled into a restaurant with friendly staff. Great start! OMG the food....I've never had such a good steak.

We then went to see a friend who works for LUL and the mrs got to see the supervisors back room control centre. (I will turn her into a transport geek eventually). So, a pleasant cup of coffee and chat were had.

Then back to the Travel Lodge. It was basic but clean and very comfortable. The breakfast in the morning was very good too.

Night out last week

ok, we've decided this year to make sure we do something in a month that we wouldn't normally do. January is was go to a new pub and try the food.

Last month, cripes as it

High Energy

Don't I just wish I had loads of it. Well I've been up and down like a tarts knickers (though I'm sure a modern tart would go with crotchless ones to save time).

Last weekend I was brimming with energy thinking ya I'm going to up date the blog....do this...do that.... but what happens. I eat a curry with rice on Saturday night and I bascially crash, fall into a deep sleep, afterwards. It takes a day or so to get over it. However, it proves a point.

About 5 weeks ago I made major changes to my eating habits. I cut out the carbs and even started drinking my coffee black. I started taking supplements as well such as milk thistle, chromium, etc etc. Why so I can try and lose weight and feel all round better in myself. My humour hadn't been the best for a long time either and a few weeks ago I cranked at the Mrs. Sulked off to bed and slept. I felt better for it. Can't say she was too impressed but at least it was out of my system.

Even though I'm 5ft 11 tall and wiegh a bit more than 7 stone people don't realise I'm bit of a pushover and I do take things to heart. The Mrs has often had to put up with me bawling me eyes out over things people have said or done as work. Mostly though I try to turn the other cheek and just get on with it.

Having an underactive thyroid does impact and the hormone bouncing that goes with it is annoying. I can't honestly say I go through full on periods of depression. I describe it as getting into bit of a funk. I also think its my body that goes through it rather than my mind. Difficult to explain but sure what about humans is ever simple. The change in eating habits is I think making a positive difference. I've lost 4lb in 5 weeks so am well chuffed with myself.

Next step now is to try and get rid of the pains I feel in my back and legs. Not sure what is causing them but there must be something I can do. On with the research!

New Year and January....

......already done!

So here we are in February. Snow on the ground and a wind chill factor which has us all reaching for our thermals. I've been meaning to up date the blog a bit more often but I've kinda started using Twitter...but the intention now is to at least reflect on the previous month.

So where do I start?! Oh yes, this year is meant to be an austerity year. Being even more sensible than we normally are. On the shopping front we have been. Even managed to get the guttering cleaning for a bargain £30 (though I did give him an extra £10 cause it was a freezing cold day).

We also had Hera spayed. I'd been quoted £180 plus maybe £20 for odds and sods. This turned into £240 plus an overnight stay with the emergency vet for £208. In total £428. Upshot is we are now changing vets. Yes, Hera is fully insured but it doesn't cover any after costs for spaying.

We've started planning how we want the garden to look with minimal grass. Well lets face it..its the lawn is getting mullered by the dogs so we need to do a makeover anyways.

I'm now trying to plan for February given we're £200 or so down cause of last months over expenditure. The joys not!!