Short and Sweet

I think that I should have changed the title of this blog to longer and sweet. Short and Sweet is the title of the shrug by Angela Best that features in the Stitch and Bitch Happy Hooker book. The first time that I made this shrug I used an aran wool but I found it to be rather thick so I now use a double knitting instead. It does need a bit of adjustment in that I have to work extra rows and make a larger size than is required to compensate for using thinner yarn.

Some people struggle with this shrug as they don't quite understand that it starts at the shoulder and works downwards but to work the fronts you return to the cast on chain and work the opposite way along it thus eliminating the shoulder seam. I have taken photos that show the start of the front as I have stopped crocheting the back until it is time to link the back with the fronts to make the body. Sylvia tried on the one that I was wearing on Sunday and decided that she would like hers a bit longer. There will be no problem with that but I may go on a larger hook as I get to the waist to give the shrug a bit more room as it goes to the hip area. The pattern looks far more complicated than it actually is. It does take a bit of concentration at first to get the pattern set in my head but after that it is all plain sailing.

The weather is quite nice again today and I am doing a bit of hoovering. I have found out that if I walk about bare footed then my knees seem more stable than if I wear my slippers or shoes. It's OK being bare footed in the hot weather so I do hope that I get my op before the colder weather comes. I have had no word as yet so hopefully no news is good news. I do hope that they don't tell me bad news with a letter that won't arrive for a couple of weeks. I still haven't had my confirmation letter about my operation date which is slightly worrying.

I have got a date

No, not that kind of date. I wish it was that kind of date but sadly Prince Charming is still nowhere to be found. I have got my hospital date for my knee op. March 24th so it will soon come around. I just hope that I can get rid of this blooming cough before then!

Rewselene (aka -laurie) said in my comments that she would like to see photos of the bedroom that I described yesterday. Sadly most of it is now dismantled. I am sure that I have a photo somewhere showing everything in situ, including my late cat if I remember rightly, but I can't quite put my hands on it at the moment. That is not a surprising thing in my house as filing things away neatly is not one of my virtues. Discovering things in drawers and cupboards months later is part of my life these days. It adds a bit of excitement to my hum drum life! I have taken one photo of a bit of wallpaper and some of the gold leaves and one of the pile of brass bits and bobs that used to reside in my bedroom and is now waiting to be taken to the charity shop.

My pink duster has progressed a little although I am undecided whether it is a bit on the large side. I think I will try tapering it in towards the waist by either going on a smaller hook or omitting one of the chain between the shell patterns. I like things roomy but as this is a long length coat I don't want it to turn out too loose and baggy. I may decided to unravel and re-do it all on a smaller hook. I am not a lover of things too openwork despite it being the fashion these days.

My premonition came true

I have said all along that I didn't think Mr Mohammad wanted to do my operation. First he said it was my weight that was a problem. In fact he called me morbidly obese which he later denied every saying. My BMI was around 35 at that time so I know it was high but I didn't think too high for a much needed op. Then he lost me in the system. The letter of explanation I got when I got the MP involved fluffed about but gave no direct answer except that they could not understand why the notes went to his desk and then disappeared after that. Hmmm. He then said he would operate even though my BMI is still higher at 32 than his limit of 30 because my condition had got so much worse since he had seen me last. And whose fault is that Hmm?

Today I got an urgent message on my answerphone to call the hospital asap. I phoned and got greeted with "You were supposed to be having an operation next week but" not quite the sort of thing I wanted to hear. She went on to say that Mr Mohammad was operating in someone else that day ( excuse me but surely I was booked first?) and so was cancelling my operation. She went on to say I could wait for him but it could be another 2 months before he could fit me in again or I could come tomorrow and see another surgeon who will operate on Friday. Needless to say I chose the last option as I have been barely able to walk today after my stint in the garden. I have got to the end of my tether with the constant pain and the numbness which is not only in my feet but in my legs and buttocks now. I feel it gets worse day by day.

I found out from my son today that Mr Mohammad was supposed to operate on 2 of his work colleagues but they both got cancelled and eventually both swapped to other surgeons. One finished up having to pay privately as he was in so much pain. There is something wrong going on at that hospital or is it just the NHS in general.

I am going in the morning (well today as it is 1am now) to meet up with this new surgeon. I only hope that he is equally qualified as my surgery is rather complex. The person who rang me had no idea whether I am staying in or coming back home and returning early Friday morning. I have been frantically packing and putting credit on my phone etc. Luckily I had bought all my toiletries a couple of weeks ago. My brother is taking me to hospital so I will put my bag in his boot just in case.

Buster has gone off on his holidays to my son's but was looking very fretfully back at me through the car window as he was driven off in the back along with Skye the rottweiler. I hope that he is OK as my son is a lot harsher with him that I am. He is my baby and rather spoilt. I am missing him already and keep turning around to see where he is. I will get him back home again as soon as is possible. He has a tendency to bark to alert me to any strangers in the street so I know he will get into trouble at my son's for his barking when they leave him to go to work. Skye doesn't bark much and they don't want Buster teaching her bad habits.

I believe that I can get on the net from the TV at my bedside so if I am able I will try to blog from there. I will have to lie on my stomach a lot but I am sure that they will have me up and in a chair as soon as is possible. If I don't stay in Thursday I will update you when I come home from my appointment. Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye. Hopefully I will speak to you soon.

July 10th

I went to walk the dog today and whilst I was out I had a message left on the ansaphone to ring the specialist's secretary. I rang and she has offered me a date of July 10th for my operation.

Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me that nothing else goes wrong between now and then.