A Good Spring Clean!

gosh!  it's been a long time since I posted.... sorry.

as you can see the blog page has had a Spring Clean.... a fresh new look ........ but I've had a different sort of Spring Clean for myself........

well.... I'm still having investigations into the pain I'm having in the same area as my gallbladder was in before I had it removed.  Since I last blogged I've changed consultants and had several more tests.  yesterday (Wednesday) I had a colonoscopy.

my appointment was for 2.45pm so I had to take a fast-acting laxative on Tuesday and also on the day of the proceedure and was allowed nothing at all to eat from 1pm on Tuesday.  

the proceedure wasn't pleasant but was tolerable.... and took 45 minutes.  I watched the whole thing on a big colour monitor.  I asked the doctor to tip the screen a bit my way as I was struggling to see it..... he replied that it was for his use and not mine and laughed.  I was really interested in the whole proceedure and the doctor was brilliant in answering my questions about where the camera was in my body and what he was doing.  

he removed a small polyp and took a biopsy or two.  totally fascinating!  watching it on the screen made it feel strangely not inside my body..... until he started to remove the polyp and told me I would feel a slight tug.  what a weird sensation that was!  not at all painful in any way.... but I just felt the tug and saw what he was doing at the same time lol.  

there was no sign of diverticulitis.......... so it seems that damage was done when I had my gallbladder out 18 months ago.  hopefully in time that will heal.... or perhaps I will have to live with it as it is now.

results will be sent to my GP in about two weeks, and will then see the consultant again.... but that could be a month or more away. 

anyway..... for now..... no more tests :-))

blessings to all of you, Willow xXx

Garden Watch & Gallstones!

After saying last week that I was beginning to feel a bit better after my gallbladder operation I am again experiencing the pain in the gallbladder site :-(   This is the third time since my operation in October.  I've been to see one nurse and two doctors this week and I'm being sent for an emergency scan and back to the consultant because the GP says that I might have a stone in the duct and it can't escape because it is now sealed in by 2 clips!!!  magic!!!

I'm on antibiotics for 10 days .... and back on the very low fat diet!!!!  hopefully not just salmon and beetroot with green beans and courgettes which was my diet for 6 months before my operation  .....if the pain gets worse or the dizziness comes back again then I have to ring 999  :-(   So..... I'm being very good and resting (groan). 

This weekend is the Big Garden Watch organised by the RSPB and I sat and watched my garden (and it's visiting birds) for an hour and noted the birds that graced me with their presence.  Even though house sparrow numbers have halved since the 1970s I had 7 in my garden all at one time.... so I was thrilled with that.  During the hour the most of each species of bird at any one time was 7 house sparrows, 3 starlings, 2 bluetits, 2 collared doves and 1 blackbird.  Not bad for a postage stamp of a garden!

I also kept an eye on my little portable tv which shows the inside of my new birdbox which has a camera in it (birthday present from M).  I managed to photograph one of the bluetits that was inspecting the box after being invited by her boyfriend to view the property ;-)   Shame I didn't manage to catch the two of them together.  I just wasn't quick enough getting the camera!  The camera is now sitting by the tv!!!

The birdbox looks massive compared to the bird..... but hopefully in the Spring it will be filled with their offspring.  I'll keep you posted.

I think it is time for some creative crocheting now :-)

with blessings, Willow x

Creations.... Ta-Dah!

As some of you know I have been incapacitated for a few months due to problems with my gallbladder.  Well I finally had my gallbladder removed in October 2011.  All was well for the first few days after the operation and I was allowed home on the Friday.  But on the following Tuesday I began to feel really ill.  To cut a long story short I had an infection and needed to be on antibiotics for 10 days. 

I've taken a long time to recover ... and I'm still not 100% so I have had to fill my time somehow.  As you can see from my blogs I am doing some walking this month and feel better for it.  But most of my time has been spent doing crochet projects for Christmas presents and for my Folksy and Etsy online shops.  Here are some of the items I made in November and December 2011.

Plum scarf.... I made one of these for my Folksy... and one in blue for my brother.

One of these was for my sister in law.

This scarf was from a pattern I found in a craft shop.

close-up of the scarf above

This pink scarf is my own design for my Folksy.

One of these was made for a dear friend and one for Folksy.

This is my own design and I've made a lot of these in different colour-ways.

Another scarf of my own design.

I've still got some sewing up of ends of some other projects which I'll show you in another blog.  I loved doing the curly whirly scarfs..... watching them twist tighter with each row of crochet.  But I suppose there soon won't be any call for 'woolly' scarfs if the weather continues to be so mild :-(   .........  I need a new project.  Any ideas?

with blessings, Willow x

At Last!

well, at last I have a date for my gallstone operation....... two weeks today!   I've been waiting for 19 weeks.  seems such a long time when you are on a restricted diet of mainly beetroot, green beans, courgettes, cucumber and humous LOL

will keep you updated.... but for now I have a bit of jumping around with excitement to do ;-)