Raining

 It is raining here this morning but is supposed to stop in a couple of hours.

Rivers is coming over to help us and we are moving back towards the marina.

Steve was meant to phone the manager to see if there is room for us but he's not done so yet, I'll do it later today if he still hasn't. I'm sure they will make room for us when they know we are selling up and if  not then  the other marina nearby will. 

I think Steve has realised that we cannot afford to buy a three bed house and anyway I don't want anything that big. I want something small and easy to take care of.

All change.

 That's it, life on the cut is coming to an end.

The boat is going on the market and we need to move into a flat.

Doctor's appointment today

Just for a blood test, Jennie is taking me and I'm taking Beano with me. 

Not really very convenient but there is no way Steve will cope with him.

I wonder how many people are dying because they can't get a Drs appointment.

Before I lost my hearing I would have insisted on an appointment. My attitude has always been that I so rarely ask for an appointment that I should get on when need one. With poor hearing, everything is such a struggle.

Foggy

I have felt very foggy and thick headed but my brain is gradually clearing as the antibiotics start to work. 

I have known for a while that a life of isolation doesn't suit me, I just about coped when I had a car  but now I'm carless it's getting more difficult.

I need to make changes whilst I still can and whilst I still have some eyesight and hearing left.

I hadn't realised how badly Steve has been affected until this trip, he's barely coping so I need to make changes.

I shall make plans and see how Steve feels about making changes.

My blood pressure is through the roof as Steve is taking it multiple times a day. He was the same just after he had his stroke he kept taking his own blood pressure and panicking about the readings. My problem is my fat arms, my bingo wings are covered in small bruises where Steve has been taking readings multiple times a day!

I shall start making plans. Today's plan is to fill up with fuel and water and head back to the marina.

Doctors

DD2 must have played merry hell at the Dr's surgery as she got me an appointment at 6 o'clock which is after they shut.

She came in with me as I can't hear at the moment and I'm was very confused. She now has permission to deal with the Dr as I was finding it all such a struggle.

I'm now on antibiotics and the fog is clearing, Steve is doing his headless chicken act and we are returning to the marina.

Rivers is coming along to help.

Moving day

On Tuesday we moved from Burghfield to Pangbourne. 

Rivers came along and did the locks with me, we did seven and I'm knackered now. 

Steve's friend Bob came along, met us at  Caversham and came to Pangbourne with us, I barely spoke to him as I felt awful. He is used to me being a better hostess.

Steve kept complaining because Beano and  I wouldnt sit outside, it was far too hot. Steve loves the sun but me? Not so much.

Weekend

So anonymous doesn't like my posts even though he/she has been following me for years. Simple answer, bugger off and stop following me if I'm boring you.

That's what I do if I'm following a blog and it changes direction to something in not interested in I stop following it.

DD2 is trying to get me an appointment at the Dr's, she's worried about my mobility declining along with my vocabulary. They could both affected by lack of use but I think my social isolation could affect my vocabulary. Steve stopped wearing his hearing aids a few weeks ago, claiming they were hurting his ears. I gave up speaking to him as I was having to shout everything. I don't see anyone else to talk to apart from DD2. She has taken me shopping since we left the marina but from next week Steve will take over the shopping again.

I also need an audiology appointment, either my aids are failing or my ears are and I need to find out which. I'm pretty sure it's the vestibular schwanoma causing the problem but in my area they are not diagnosed in older people.

My eyesight has stopped changing and seems to have settled down, I'm no longer nauseous but my vision has declined. I can't get glasses, I've tried two or three opticians but with no luck.

So I apologise for moaning but having a cluster of medical problems at once is a bit inconvenient. I'm sadly lacking things to keep me entertained, I can watch a couple of tv programmes a week, Who do you think you are, and Sewing Bee. 

I knit but only with large needles and super bulky yarn and only for about half an hour.. I can't listen to the radio which is a shame, I miss listening to music and plays. But I find everything sounds so distorted, with tv I can have large subtitles up on screen.

On Monday we will visit the nearby pub for an Anniversary Meal, hopefully DD2 & DGS will come too.

We are still waiting to find out of we will have a place in the marina this winter as they are having building work done.

I need to try to sleep now so I must turn my light out

Moving on.

We moved on again today, four locks and a bridge and then we stopped.

DD2 is collecting me tomorrow and taking me shopping.

Hopefully we can have a peaceful few days.

I'm hoping to recover, I was wiped out today and went to bed as soon as we moored up.

Keep buggering on.

Rambler, he's not listening to me currently, I'm playing it by ear. If he gets really unsafe I will abandon ship and leave him to cope alone.

Ellen, I don't get a break unless you count my occasional trips to the supermarket and he's trying to organise more deliveries and less trips.

Steve has an audiology appointment today at 4:30, hopefully he'll get his hearing aids repaired. It's proving tedious having to repeat everything 4 or 5 times because he can't hear me.

Unfortunately if I can't hear him it's my fault, if he can't hear me it's also my fault, though this seems to be very common amongst the men on the cut.

I'm hoping to see DD2 at least one more time before we get to the Thames, I've not managed to see anyone else apart from one boaters wife for some time now.

Not dead yet

Morning all.

I'm still around, still wobbly and the Wi-Fi here is pretty ropey.

I've managed some knitting, it's a super bulky yarn so fairly easy to knit with.

Steve's adamant we are going on the Thames, I can see it being fraught with problems, if we get stuck I shall abandon ship and leave him to it.

No second opinion

 Hi Debby.

No there is no second opinion, I have Macular traction, the surgery failed.

I just have to live with what is left.

Update

Jaccs, there is nothing that can be done, apart from surgery which they won't do as it failed last time. I don't think I could face it again. The waiting room was rammed from the start as everyone had an 8:30 am appointment. Older patients arrived constantly throughout the day as did tiny newborn babies. My surgery was put back and put back until there was just me left. By the time I went in the surgeon must have been exhausted as it was about 6:30.  He knew what had happened as he swore, he blamed me and claimed I'd moved. I was warned that there was a chance the surgery would fail and it did. This was some years ago now.

I don't wear glasses I've been told I'm not a suitable case for treatment and I doubt I could afford glasses even if they were available as they would be a very complicated prescription.

Why

 Jacss asked why my vision has changed.

I have Macular traction. 

This is not the same as Macular degeneration.

It distorts my vision and gets worse with time.

It started in my left eye.

I had surgery on it, it failed!.

I now have traction in my right eye.

I have permanent double vision.

On the day of the surgery I arrived at the hospital at 8:30, 

I was seen at 5.30, the last appointment of the day.

I expect the surgeon was tired.

I went back the following day as I couldn't see at all.

After a week my sight started to return, I returned to work.

The surgery caused a cataract.

I have refused to have surgery on the second eye as I wish to save what vision I have.

That was the jubilee weekend!

We didn't see much of the jubilee, Steve's not interested and I couldn't see the bits I wanted as we weren't around at the appropriate times.

The family wedding went well although it was difficult for people to get to the Guildhall in Windsor at the appropriate time. We had to get a lift to the station and then catch three trains each way. Windsor was heaving with crowds because of the jubilee, I'm not convinced my brother in law realised it was the jubilee weekend when he booked the wedding.

Steve hung on to me for grim death whilst we made our way to the Guildhall he's probably more upset at the change in my vision than I am. He seemed to think I was going to disappear in a puff of smoke if he let go of me.

We moored in our usual place in the marina for the weekend and my daughter gave us a lift to the station at just after 12 o'clock. We didn't go to the reception as it was 16 miles away from the Guildhall and with no transport links. The wedding was at 2 o'clock and the reception was at 5 o'clock so we returned home after the ceremony. We were home by 5:30 and that included having a meal in the station pub.

We went to the Three Guineas at Reading station. Steve had Hunters chicken, followed by a choclate brownie, I had Scampi followed by strawberries and cream. It was much better than we expected for a busy pub. 

I'm rapidly adjusting to my changed vision but it's bloody inconvenient.

Lost it

 Posting will continue sporadically, I can't see to type at least at the moment. I had a very bad day and  then a few days of very iffy vision. It's now stabilised but I've lost another chunk of my eyesight.