Heatwaves, Endoscopies and Bunny Sitting.

To quote an old tabloid headline: 'Phew! What a Scorcher!'. I did my hour's gardening early this morning before the heat became too oppressive, I've done all my usual Monday chores, worked my way through a mountain of ironing, been for a swim (the Lido was heaving!) and now I'm sitting in front of the fan, with half an eye on Wimbledon (is it just me or does Centre Court look very bare without its customary linesmen?) and half an eye on my camera as it slowly uploads the photos from the last couple of months. We don't cope very well with the heat in this country. For one, we aren't used to it, and for another, we have a distinct lack of air conditioning. If this carries on, I'll actually look forward to the supermarket shop tomorrow, just so that I can stand in the freezer aisle for a while.

This last week has been a bit rubbish to be honest. Without going into too many details, I have a long history of bowel issues! My GP referred me to the GI consultant last August. I eventually received a date for a telephone appointment, which took place a week ago last Friday. After a little chat, she informed me that I needed a gastroscopy, colonoscopy and probably a CT scan. Not being overly keen on the idea of the former 2, I consoled myself with the idea that if it had taken them 10 months to get around to a consultation, it would be a similar length of time before the endoscopy date materialised. Imagine my surprise when, on returning from a trip to the library the next day, R informed me that the endoscopy unit had rung with a date for the following week. Luckily it was at our little community hospital and we didn't have to trek to Reading. 

A few days before the designated date, my bowel prep pack arrived, along with a list of low-fibre foods that I would be permitted to eat from 3-4 days beforehand........... R is still laughing. When I had eliminated anything that wasn't vegan and gluten free, I was basically left with white rice, white pasta, white bread and tofu. It was a grim 3 days. I love tofu as a rule, but I really think that having it as my sole source of protein for 3 days tested even my love of the stuff. Looking back, that was the highlight. The optimistically labelled 'mango' and 'fruit punch' flavoured laxative that I had to take the day before the procedure was truly disgusting. I had been concerned about having to fast from 8am on the Tuesday until after the scopes on the Wednesday. It turned out that I need not have worried; the mixture made me feel so sick that I had no appetite whatsoever. The effects were also a bit of an experience. I spent the night on the bathroom floor and it's a good job that we have a downstairs loo, because there was no way that R was getting anywhere near the one in the bathroom! I even injured my ankle jumping up off the floor at 5 minute intervals, so that when I eventually limped into the hospital reception, they nearly directed me to the X-Ray department!

If you've never had the delight of an endoscopy, the prep really is the worst bit. The unit was lovely, the staff a delight and, as well as a sedative, they also gave me some Entonox when it turned out that I have a small capacity colon making the procedure a bit tricky and uncomfortable. Next time, apparently, they will use one designed for teenagers. Imagine me having the colon of a teenager - makes sense I suppose - moody and unpredictable! :O) Anyway, the gastroscopy was normal and the colonoscopy revealed ulceration and inflammation of the terminal ileum, indicative of Crohn's Disease. We will, however, have to wait up to 6 weeks for the biopsy results to confirm it. I also have my CT scan booked for the end of July. I'm not worried about that one, apart from the fact that it will take place in Reading and parking will have to be negotiated. So, all good fun at this end. In the meantime, I am trying to reduce my stress levels, which basically involves more yoga, breathing techniques and a refusal to watch the news, an activity guaranteed to raise my BP.

Apart from the medical issues, the last couple of months have been a bit on the quiet side. A birthday concert to attend, a couple of plays and some jigsaws and general gardening and crafting. I'll try and whizz through the photos as the Alcaraz/Fognini match is getting rather interesting!

A trip to Tyntesfield, a National Trust place near Bristol. I have been here a couple of times before with a friend, but R had never been. He really enjoyed it:

Another nostalgic jigsaw. I enjoyed this one as it was quite easy:

A friendly sheep on a circular walk near Nettlebed. We also collected lots of wild garlic, the last of which I used yesterday in a wild garlic, pea and mint soup. It was yummy.

A trip into London for R's birthday present from L. She had bought him tickets to a Baroque concert at the Cadogan Hall. We were staying at L's for the weekend, bunny sitting for her as she was away for a couple of days. We arrived early and, after a sushi lunch in the park, explored the National and National Portrait Galleries.

Here are a few of my favourites:

I loved this portrait of author Maggie O'Farrell:

We then walked to the Hall. It was the weekend of the London Marathon and preparations were well underway.

The concert was brilliant. Zadok the Priest took my breath away when the choir came in.

Sorry, I forgot to rotate this one!

My birthday Moomin jigsaw. This was a little trickier than the kitchen one, but still enjoyable:

Cygnets at the bottom of the garden:

I collection of poems and readings at our local museum to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day:

Another baby fawn in the garden:

Another concert in the abbey at Dorchester upon Thames. I'm racking my brains trying to recall the programme - there were a couple of Brandenburg Concertos (Concerti?!) and some Vivaldi. The acoustics weren't the best though, although we were sitting right at the back so that may account for it. 

A falafel box from our local vegan market:

3 short plays at the New Era Theatre. 2 were Alan  Bennett's Talking Head monologues, one of which was performed by the girls' old English teacher. She was brilliant, especially considering that she had had a knee replacement 3 weeks before. I thought that her 'old lady stiffness' was very impressive!

A trip to London to see 'Operation Mincemeat' with L. It was absolutely brilliant and made me laugh and cry in equal measure. The real tearjerker was 'Dear Bill', which you can hear here, even though the actor is different. We shared our traditional interval cocktail (Sangria) and dinner was a delicious masala dosa at Sagar's.

We also killed some time before the performance in the Moomin Shop in Covent Garden - I may have bought a tea towel!

We were supposed to go to another concert in London last weekend - L was playing in a North London Symphony Orchestra concert and we had tickets. Unfortunately, she came down with Covid during the week and we had to cancel. It didn't seem worth driving all that way without seeing her.

Sunday saw us enjoying an outdoor sound bath under an oak tree at Shaw House. It was lovely, although a little more minibeasty than an indoor one!

We also have plans to see The Tempest soon. I thought that I'd put the photo up now, whilst I remember!

Well, that's all for the moment. The tennis match has excitingly gone to a 5th set, so I'll finish here and go and cheer for the underdog. I hope things are good in your corner and that, unlike a member of the crowd who has just fainted, the heat isn't getting too much for you!

Toodle pip for now. x