test please delete

[NickFitz]

Traffic outside is crazy, both heading into town and outwards in the direction of the big retail park. Thankfully there isn't anything I need to get

[barrydidit]

Doesn't appear too terrible from my eyrie above Harrogate. The weather is mince, but that's another story.

[NickFitz]

Final Christmas pickup from the Amazon Locker: some of those cards for putting banknotes in that do such a wonderful job of saying to my nieces, "I haven't got a clue what to get you, but when I was your age I always wanted more cash and I assume things haven't changed much"

[NickFitz]

Rain has arrived

So torrential is it that it makes a loud rattling as the wind blows it against my windows. I am responding with all the weapons at my disposal: the fire's on, I've made a pot of tea, and I'm going to watch an Ealing film

[zeitghost]

I've just watched the end of "7th Cavalry" starring Ole Stone Face himself, Randolph Scott.

Preceded by some lunatic thing on the Armed Forces channel starring Lee Ermy blowing tulip up with gay abandon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1548678/?ref_=ttep_ep13

Preceded in turn by sommat recorded off the same channel this morning all about the evolution of the V2 into Trident via assorted machines of death designed by the Reds & the Septics.

And last night I watched the end of a prog on PBS all about the various lunatic designed for manned (or personned) spy satellites.

Oddly enough it wasn't very successful, unlike the keyhole sats.

[vwdan]

How's baby doing?

Very well, thank you. It's pretty damned incredible how he's come through the other side - when we first saw him in ICU, surrounded by people complete with ventilator, blood transfusion and half a dozen IV injections you kind of wonder if he's ever going to be alright again to be honest. And then the emergency procedure was, well, pretty damn awful to be honest.

In fact, I'll let the pictures do the talking (Linked, but there's nothing gory I promise - the first is the worst, from when we got to meet him again after his operation). So, from this on Tuesday 6th: http://i.imgur.com/XIMH4hO.png to this on the 13th: https://i.imgur.com/IBxqERx.png and finally something resembling normal by the 14th where they let us venture to the hospital coffee shop: https://i.imgur.com/4EV5ob8.jpg

We finally got discharged (from in-patients, we still seem to be there constantly) on Monday 19th and he's basically a normal baby. He's receiving a lot of after care and attention, but he's no longer got any wires or aids and he's progressing really well. Didn't need a pace maker in the end, either, so they removed those wires which is nice as that was one of the more likely negative outcomes, if that makes sense. In fact, his blood oxygen levels are higher than predicted, too, which is a bonus. Weight gain seems to be an issue at the moment, but it's early days. But for now we're getting acquainted with all the normal bits of parenthood - do they ever stop tulipting this much, btw?

If I'm being brutally honest, though, aside from his operation and second procedure, the worst bit about the whole experience is just the place itself. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've got no doubt it's one of the best places in the world to be as an ill child but I'd not recommend Paediatric Intensive Care as a holiday. You definitely leave a piece of yourself in a place like that and it's tough not to dwell on some of the low lights and the people you left behind.

[mudskipper]

Very well, thank you. It's pretty damned incredible how he's come through the other side - when we first saw him in ICU, surrounded by people complete with ventilator, blood transfusion and half a dozen IV injections you kind of wonder if he's ever going to be alright again to be honest. And then the emergency procedure was, well, pretty damn awful to be honest.

In fact, I'll let the pictures do the talking (Linked, but there's nothing gory I promise - the first is the worst, from when we got to meet him again after his operation). So, from this on Tuesday 6th: http://i.imgur.com/XIMH4hO.png to this on the 13th: https://i.imgur.com/IBxqERx.png and finally something resembling normal by the 14th where they let us venture to the hospital coffee shop: https://i.imgur.com/4EV5ob8.jpg

We finally got discharged (from in-patients, we still seem to be there constantly) on Monday 19th and he's basically a normal baby. He's receiving a lot of after care and attention, but he's no longer got any wires or aids and he's progressing really well. Didn't need a pace maker in the end, either, so they removed those wires which is nice as that was one of the more likely negative outcomes, if that makes sense. In fact, his blood oxygen levels are higher than predicted, too, which is a bonus. Weight gain seems to be an issue at the moment, but it's early days. But for now we're getting acquainted with all the normal bits of parenthood - do they ever stop tulipting this much, btw?

If I'm being brutally honest, though, aside from his operation and second procedure, the worst bit about the whole experience is just the place itself. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've got no doubt it's one of the best places in the world to be as an ill child but I'd not recommend Paediatric Intensive Care as a holiday. You definitely leave a piece of yourself in a place like that and it's tough not to dwell on some of the low lights and the people you left behind.

Fantastic news that he's doing so well, and lovely to have him home for Christmas. I had a friend as a kid who'd had open heart surgery as a baby. We were all very impressed by the scar down her chest! I still remember her 6th birthday party where she decided to have a 'standing on your head' competition which she won by miles. AFAIK she had no long term problems - my mother kept in touch with her mother until a few years ago and all was well. (This was the 60s, and stuff has moved on so much)

Nope, they keep tulipting - wait till you get on solids!


Edit: Nice babygro!

[NickFitz]

Fantastic news that he's doing so well, and lovely to have him home for Christmas.

WMSS

[NickFitz]

Rain has arrived

So torrential is it that it makes a loud rattling as the wind blows it against my windows. I am responding with all the weapons at my disposal: the fire's on, I've made a pot of tea, and I'm going to watch an Ealing film

And crumpets

I watched The Lavender Hill Mob in the end, that being one of three Ealing comedies I have in a digitally restored Blu-ray set. I don't think I'd ever realised it was Audrey Hepburn playing the young lady of, it would appear, dubious morals in the opening scene in South America - it was one of her earliest parts.

And the rain seems to have moved on now

[mudskipper]

I gave blood yesterday. Have done so on 35 previous occasions without problems.

About 3.30am, I woke up feeling like I was about to faint (even though I was recumbent) - felt very sick and thought I was gonna chuck, so in my oxygen deprived state made for the bathroom before collapsing on the bedroom floor (apparently - I have no recollection). Then passed out cold for a couple of minutes. I remember coming round on the bed wondering why the feck my nose was so sore (faceplanting the floor can have that effect).

Feeling OK this morning, but a wee bit shaky still (and nose is cut and bruised). WFH to be on the safe side. I fear my blood-letting days are over.

In other news, I just gave my nose a tentative wobble, and it appears to be 99% recovered.