Feeling sorry for myself...........

I am really feeling fed up, not just a little fed up, but big time fed up.  It’s not because we are back home after our holiday, no it’s not that, I am very happy to be back, it’s this horrible cold-cough-cum virus that’s getting me down. I have been suffering for 7 days now and I don’t really seem to be getting any better.  You won’t believe the amount of snot and flem that I have been eliminating from my mouth and nose, arggggh it’s disgusting.  And it’s not only the hacking cough, or being blocked and bunged up one minute then streaming the next, what really gets me, is the overwhelming lethargy.  This could also be due to daily 4am wake-ups but my lack of energy is the worst.  Also it’s not just me, poor Phil is still suffering and he started with the cold 2 days before me so today will be his 9^th day. 

It’s a shame really because Friday was potentially a big day for us but it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax.  First up, we were at the MacMillan Unit at MK for a 9am appointment with the consultant.   We were seen by the consultant’s registrar and the appointment was a complete waste of time.   Phil & I thought that they would at least take bloods to test his PSA levels but no tests; it was just a case of “how are you feeling Mr Krause” and a “well that’s normal after radiotherapy”.  Apparently they won’t be testing PSA for 6 months and we came away with an appointment in March 2012.  But they can sod off; I will be making sure Phil gets tested before that, just to get an idea of how his prostrate has reacted to the radiotherapy. 

After hospital we nipped home for a Lemsip and then drove to Overstone Lakes as we had an appointment to pay the final balance on the caravan.  Unfortunately our loan application was turned down but luckily Phil had applied for some more credit cards before we went away so we used these.  We were a little worried that it would have to be hard cash but it was fine, the plastic was accepted, no problem.  Julie in the office, produced contracts, which we signed without reading and Dave the resident maintenance man, showed us ‘caravan’ ropes and handed us the keys.  In normal circumstances, we would have been excited, but not so on Friday because we both felt like absolute shit.   We unloaded a few boxes; we had a bar snack at the pub at the end of the road, called The Worlds End www.theworldsend.org.   It was okay, bit poncey and slightly overpriced but maybe we just weren’t in the right frame of mind.

In the afternoon, Phil reclined on the sofa and caught up with TV and I chopped up meat and vegetables and threw them all in the slow cooker to cook for 5 hours.  I saw Sandy’s car on the drive so I popped across the road to say hello.  She was in the midst of packing boxes.  Poor Sandy is being repossessed and will be moving out in the next week.   Sandy has lived in the cul-de-sac for a long time and I can’t imagine how difficult it will be to leave. She is moving into her friend’s house in Bancroft with Kevin.   Dave, her son, is renting a room from the Co-Op in Giffard Park and Becky her daughter is staying in a friend’s flat.  I do so hope everything works out for them all. So WHEN and IF our sale ever goes through, then it will be all change in our little cul-de-sac.

Sue came over on Friday evening which was great because we had loads to catch up on.  I did worry before she came, that I wouldn’t be very good company and would at the very worst, pass on our germs but it was fine.  We had a lovely time, and I don’t know whether it was the hearty beef casserole that I cooked, or the red wine that we consumed (probably the latter) but I managed to stay up until 10.30pm and sleep until 6am.  Actually I did think I felt a little better on Saturday morning but not so, I deteriorated as the day went on.  Phil picked up G from Northampton and went to his mum and dad’s for the day.  I had great plans for my ‘home alone’ day but they didn’t materialise.  I managed some washing and ironing and I did pop out to Dunne Elmes to buy a fur mattress protector and paint for the caravan but that was about it.  The rest of the afternoon was dressing gown, blanket, hot water bottle and 4 weeks of back episodes of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders.  All of the TV programmes that Phil hates.

Yesterday was a little more productive.  We loaded both cars and drove over to the caravan.  We were there before 9am so couldn’t really start making too much noise.  I painted the main bedroom.  Phil wasn’t sure it needed painting but even he agreed it looked so much better when I’d finished.  It wasn’t easy though, normally I can get a first coat on in an hour but it took me nearly 4 hours to do the bedroom, lots of cutting in around the built-in furniture and I had to second coat.  I decided against painting the storage cupboards but I will end up doing these next spring.  I will also be revamping the bathroom, on closer inspection it’s looking a little tired and weary in places.  I can live with it for now, but again, it’s another project for spring 2012.  

Dave the site Maintenance man managed to get us a second hand shed for just 70 quid. It’s okay, all bar the size.  The site allows you to have one 6 x 6 shed but the shed that Dave got was only 6 x 4.  You may think that doesn’t matter, but believe me, when you are downsizing from a 3 bed detached house to a 35ft x 12ft caravan, size, or is that space is very important. We didn’t want to upset Dave so we decided that the shed could stay and we would make do.  While I painted, Phil put down wood flooring in the shed base. After he got the wood floor done, he then cut to size sheets of polystyrene and fitted these on to the shed walls. Dave told us that we needed to insulate to cut down on condensation and to stop the pipes from freezing in the winter.  Joy!  We got home around 2pm and then the rest of the day was chicken curry for lunch and the Singapore Grand Prix.  I fell asleep on the sofa and then guess what; we were both wide awake this morning before 4am.

Not sure of the plans for this week, with no exchange date in site, it’s so frustrating and we are beginning to think this sale is never going to happen.  But the caravan still needs sorting so at least we can get going on this project in the meantime.  Today we’re going over to paint the second bedroom and to sort out wiring and on Wednesday we’re hoping to hire a van and move a couple of sofas and the garden furniture.   I just wish that I felt better.  Right now all I feel like doing is crawling under the duvet and staying there forever.