Waiting for a mammogram result

So....................  Some of you may know.........................  Some of you may not know..................


Three years ago I had breast cancer.  Fortunately it was diagnosed very early and I did not have too much of a traumatic time. 


However as a result of that I have to have a mammogram every year for the next 5 years.  This is year 3.  I feel fine, I look fine.  I am fine.  Having said that - it's exactly what I said 3 years ago after I'd had my very first mammogram aged 52.


On the 17th September at my 3 yearly check up I was told the results would be with me within 2 weeks.  I was handed a little card which said, 'If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks please phone this number'.


Well the two weeks were up just before I headed off to Spain for a holiday.  I hadn't heard and I didn't want to phone because I didn't actually want to know what the results were.  As far as I was concerned I was off on my hols and if something was wrong I would deal with it on my return.  And also I was sure that a letter would be waiting for me on my return.


.............A letter wasn't waiting for me on my return.


By this time it had been more than 3 weeks so I plucked up the courage and phoned the number on my little card.


The person who answered the phone said that the results were taking up to 4 weeks, she didn't know who was writing 2 weeks on the 'little cards' and was I worried???  Well of course I was worried!!!  3 years ago I had breast cancer, didn't know I had breast cancer, had no symptoms, felt fine, etc, etc.  Who's to say it's not come back again???


Person on the phone asked if I wanted her to try and find out more and she'd phone me back.  That was really nice of her.  But actually I don't want to know.  I feel fine.  I am fine.  If I'm dying is a couple of weeks really going to make any difference???  I told her I'd just wait for the results to be sent out.


But tomorrow it will be 4 weeks since my mammogram and I still haven't had the results.  I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing??


.................And now I think I do want to know.


I'm working all day tomorrow but if there is not a letter lying on my doormat when I get home from work tomorrow evening, I will be phoning the hospital on Thursday and demanding to know what is going on.


Surely looking at a mammogram x-ray thingy shouldn't take this long?????????????


This is 2014 - Technology is brilliant so surely if there'd been something seriously wrong with me it would have been picked up straight away and the hospital would have contacted me???


There again, too many ill people, too few beds in hospital, poorly paid nurses, not enough staff.


Nobody cares.  Patients these days are just statistics???


.....................I'm scared that there is something seriously wrong with me and I won't get the treatment that I need.


Having said that...........................  I feel absolutely fine.  There again, I did 3 years ago ................And then I was diagnosed with breast cancer!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously annoyed!!!

This evening I am seriously annoyed.


I am going to have a rant about CHAT magazine.  CHAT magazine, as far as I am concerned is a magazine for chavs??  It's not the most upmarket magazine in the world but actually I quite like it.  I like reading about betrayal, affairs, tragedy.  CHAT magazine is like reading about a 'Jeremy Kyle' show instead of watching it.


Anyway I have just been on my hols so I took along a couple of CHAT magazines for trashy reading in the sun.  I read them, I did all the puzzles and on my return I thought I'd fill out the online competition entry form.  After all I could be in line for a few thousand pounds worth of prizes.


So I registered, I filled out my entry forms for the last two weeks of CHAT magazine and then a message popped up.  Something about answering 2 simple questions before I could submit my answers???


I actually couldn't submit my answers???  The two simple questions wanted me to tick a load of boxes.  But if I ticked the load of boxes that meant I'd be getting a load of emails from a load of places that I don't actually want???  And as far as I could see there was no way of by passing all these stupid boxes.


I'm furious!!!!  I've just spent ages trying to submit some answers to a 'chavvy mag competition' and it seems that I can't unless I tick all the boxes which from what I can see is signing me up to all sorts of crap.


I like to think that I'm a reasonably intelligent person????  A lot of the people reading CHAT magazine are not.


Fabulous marketing ploy CHAT magazine???


.................I won't be buying you again.

Toilet paper

OK so I haven't ranted for a while.  Been a bit busy recently and also I suppose nothing has annoyed me enough to have a good old rant.


Today I am going to rant about toilet paper.  Now while that may seem like a strange thing to rant about; it's something that has been bugging me for a while.


Over the summer I always have a lot of people to stay.  And they always use a lot of toilet paper.  Which leads me to the question - How many sheets of toilet paper is it normal to use on one trip to the toilet?


I live by myself and to be honest I have no idea how much toilet paper I use a week but I'm guessing about two rolls tops??


Last year when my niece came to stay with me we went through 8 rolls in three days.   Surely 8 rolls of toilet paper for two people in three days is a bit excessive.  What was she doing with it?  Eating it??


Since then I have been monitoring the amount of toilet paper that guests use when they come to stay.  Yes, I am a bit sad.  And I've come to the conclusion that everyone uses more toilet paper than me.


So how many sheets of toilet paper do you use on a trip to the toilet?


OK - I'll go first.....................


I normally tear off three bits for the first wipe lets not be shy here and then another three bits for any subsequent wipes.  Actually, I have to be honest here and say why are toilet paper squares so small?  I bet no one actually only tears off only one bit!!!  There again there could be a whole community of people that do.  Who knows??  The amount of toilet paper one uses is not actually talked about a whole lot is it???


I guess it all comes down to whether you are a 'folder' or a 'scruncher'.


I am a 'folder'.  I like things neat & tidy and that applies to my toilet paper.  I tear off 3 squares, I fold, I wipe, I fold, I wipe, I flush, I tear off 3 squares, I fold, I wipe, etc, etc, etc.


To be honest I'm not sure what 'scrunchers' do??!!  However I imagine they do something like unravelling the roll as much as they can, they've obviously watched too many andrex puppy ads, and then scrunch it up for just one wipe??!!


I think most of my friends/family are scrunchers.


I've had lots of people come to stay with me over the last few months and it would seem that they are all 'scrunchers'.  When people come to stay, one plans meals, buys in more alcohol, does the supermarket shop and spends money on food items that one wouldn't normally buy.  However, I have to say that I've never actually thought about having to buy more toilet rolls because people are coming to stay.


......................I think I may have to have a rethink.........................


And actually another thought comes to mind - Myself & sisters were brought up the same way so I would have thought they would have the same 'toilet paper habits' as me and passed these onto their kids??? This doesn't seem to have happened.  Perhaps their father has done the 'toilet training' stuff??!!


I always buy my toilet rolls in multipacks and once I open a new multipack I put 'toilet rolls' on my shopping list knowing that I've got about a month to buy a new multipack. 


The only trouble is; when my niece came to stay - I opened a new multipack of toilet rolls on Monday and by Thurs we were onto the 9th roll.


I would actually hate to run out of toilet paper.  Since I have had my own home that has ever, never happened!!!


I remember going to primary school in the 1960s and if you were going to the toilet for a poo (to the horrible cold toilets that were outdoors) you had to ask the teacher for 2 sheets of toilet paper.  Horrible, rough, scratchy, shiny paper that the poo just fell off.  Yuk!!!  Needless to say I don't think I ever had a poo (or a wee for that matter) the whole of the time I was at primary school.  Obviously I must have experienced this at least once to remember how horrible it was. Think I must have blocked the whole traumatic experience out of my mind!!!  What I do remember in infant school; is asking to go to the toilet, being given my two sheets of toilet paper and then heading off to the toilets (which were in a block in the playground) and staying there for ages.  Nobody bothered coming to look for me.  I spent a lot of time just standing in the outdoor toilets when I was at infant school because I didn't actually like school that much.  Bet that wouldn't happen today?!  Can't actually remember what I did with the horrid toilet paper?  Threw it down a toilet I guess.


I remember living in a student flat in the 1970's and if we ran out of toilet paper we used newspaper.  How gross is that.


And perhaps my early experience of toilet paper has influenced how I use toilet paper today.


Judging by all the visitors that I have had recently; it would seem that I use toilet paper very sparingly.  I really don't think that I do.  I use as much as is necessary and after been brought up on horrible scratchy stuff, at the age of 55, I like to have a bit of luxury in my life so always buy 'nice soft' toilet paper.


................And that's my rant for today...........................


Much as I love all my friends & family that come to stay - they're all costing me a fortune in toilet paper!!!

BT

I haven't blogged for ages.  I haven't really had anything worth ranting about.  I have now!!!!






Today I am going to RANT about 'BT'.






Two and a half weeks ago I noticed that my landline was dead.  Haven't actually got a clue when my landline died because I don't actually use it that often.  Anyway on Sunday 15th June I went to make a call and the line was dead.  A friend had tried phoning me the night before and couldn't get through so had phoned me on my mobile but because she'd got through to me I hadn't really thought too much about my landline being dead.




When I wanted to call out on it; it was a different matter.




It took me ages to find a number that I could phone BT on to report the fault, and then, when I did; I had to go through a whole load of 'automated voice mail stuff' and 'pressing buttons stuff' and numerous other stuff before I was actually connected to a 'real live person'.




'Real life person' sounded like he was in a call centre in India.




Is it 'racist' to say that?  If it is - I don't really care.  I really don't care what nationality of person I talk to as long as they can understand me, I can understand them, and my problem can be resolved.




'Person in Indian Call Centre' tested my phone line, said there was a problem and told me that it would be resolved by the end of the day on the Thursday.




I wasn't very happy that it was going to take this long and asked if it could be resolved sooner.  Apparently not!!!




'Call centre person in India' took my mobile phone number and said they'd keep me informed via text messages as to how the problem was progressing.




I received NO text messages.




By Wednesday (remember fault reported on Sun) I logged onto the 'BT track your fault' website.  This showed that my fault should have been resolved by 1700 on the Thurs.  It wasn't.


On Fri it was still showing the same thing.  And what is even worse it had my contact details as my landline.  Duh???




On Sat it was still showing the same thing.  At which point I was less than happy so fired off an email to BT listing my email address and mobile phone number (which they already had???)




Sunday - took the dog for a walk and past BT digging up the road not far from my house.


2hrs later my phone line was up and running and I thought, 'Fabulous, everything is back to normal.' (Though BT still hadn't communicated any of this.)




BUT - I was HAPPY!!!




On Tuesday morning I received 2 phone calls from BT on my landline asking if my service was up and running.




It was.............................




...................But now my internet connection is soooooooo slow it's almost at a standstill.


I've just spent another 27mins on the phone to BT.






Another RANT will be following soon.

Consumer surveys

Today I left work at 2pm and popped into the Co-op to get something for lunch.  Ideally, I wanted a sausage roll or a pastie or something else from their hot counter.  The hot counter was empty.  So I bought a packet of ham, some pate and a baguette.  Oh, and some cheese because I wanted to make some cheese sauce tonight and I didn't think I had enough.


On leaving the Co-op I was accosted by a consumer interviewer who incidentally didn't even ask me if I'd mind asking some questions proceeded to fire questions at me about the Co-op:


These questionnaires are totally ridiculous.


The Co-op that I went to today is OK.  That's all - it's OK.


I wouldn't go there for my weekly shop.  I popped in because it was the only shop on my way home.


I don't particularly like the Co-op.  The main reason I don't like the Co-op is because it's 'sell by' dates are non existent.  Every time I attempt to buy meat or any other fresh food, etc from the Co-op they only have a one or two day shelf life.


I didn't get asked that question in the numerous ridiculous questions that I did get asked.


The other reason I don't shop in the particular Co-op that I went into today is because it's car park is an absolute nightmare.  There's probably about 8 parking spaces but getting in & out of them if the car park is full is pretty much impossible so if I'm heading there and I see that the car park has more than a couple of cars in there I just don't bother going.


Did 'consumer questionnaire person' ask me about the car park??  Of course she didn't!!!


I was asked really stupid questions like:


On a scale of 1-10:


Are the shelves well stocked.
Are you buying stuff for your dinner tonight.
Have you bought fruit & veg today.
Are our staff friendly.
Are the aisles wide enough.


Actually the above statements are a lot more informative than what I was actually asked???  And my answers to all of the above statement would have been 'NO'.


I said to 'consumer questionnaire person' that I's just popped in to get something for lunch.  I couldn't answer any of her questions.  She didn't care.  She just wanted to tick a few boxes on her clipboard.


Actually this whole thing has made me so mad, well I am a ranting middle aged spinster, I might contact the Co-op and tell them their questionnaire isn't really giving them a realistic view of their shop.


I got the impression that 'consumer questionnaire person' was just stood there filling in her forms so that she could get paid.


I told her that I thought all the questions were really ambiguous.  She agreed but she still kept asking me questions.  And then, after more than 5 mins she handed me a form which apparently told me that they weren't going to use any of my contact details.


I said, 'But I haven't given you any contact details'.  At which point she asked for my name, address & phone number???!!!   GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Bank Holiday Weekends

Today's rant is going to be about Bank Holiday Weekends.


This afternoon I had the radio on and all the DJ kept saying was, 'It's the start of a 3-day weekend.'  If he said it once he said it a million OK slight exaggeration times.


I was listening to a local radio station.  I live in the Southwest.  Most people in the Southwest are employed in the tourism industry.  People who work in the tourism industry work seven days a week, 365 days a year. 


Bank Holiday Weekends are the tourism trades busiest times. 


Local radio stations should know that and stop winding us all up.  To be fair a lot of people had contacted the radio station to say that they were working and the DJ did then mention them - but he still kept saying it was a 3 day weekend.


I haven't had two days off in a row since February and it's doing my head in hearing all this rubbish on the radio.


This Bank Holiday Weekend, I'm working all day tomorrow and will also be working most of Monday.  Personally, I think I should be getting paid double for working on a Bank Holiday - but I'm not.  It's just accepted that a Bank Holiday is just like any other day.  I normally work on a Monday so work on a Monday I have to do??? 


Guess I'd better do a bit of googling to find out exactly what my 'rights' are???


And here endth this RANT!!!

Car Parking - take 2

Normally I'm quite a placid sort of person.  I don't do confrontation.  I HATE CONFRONTATION.








..............And I wasn't going to RANT about this..........................  BUT...........................








...............A few weeks later and I'm still really angry.   Grrrrrr!!!!!










I live in a small seaside town in the South West where parking is extremely difficult.  I'm very, very, lucky to have an allocated parking space in a resident car park in front of my home.








I've lived here for 12 years.








There are 12 properties where I live.  6 properties which occupy the ground floor, overlooking the car park.  And  6 properties on an upper level that have sea views & balconies  We all have an allocated parking space.  Very lucky people.












However a problem has arisen whereby one of the downstairs owners is getting a bit stressed out because her only view is of a car park and lots of cars.  I have to ask the question - if you don't want to see cars, why on earth would you purchase a property that has it's main window overlooking a car park????




Anyway, after me living here for 12 years (I think she's been here for about 17), she's suddenly decided to go into rant mode and I thought I was the only ranting person on blog and have a go at all my friends who have dared to park in front of her window.






The problem is....................  Another resident has had an extra car parked in our car park for about 6 months.




It's not blocking anyone else in.  It's not making it difficult for anyone else to get in or out. 


But........... it's not in an allocated space.  Each property ONLY has ONE car parking space.




However, myself and 'Extra car person'  do have 'space' whereby our visitors can park behind our cars thus blocking us in but not impending on any of the other 10 parking spaces in the car park.


For 12 years, visitors to my house have just pulled up behind my car knowing that they're not blocking anyone else in apart from me.




Now................... all of a sudden my downstairs neighbour is spending her whole life just looking out of her window which overlooks a car park and is having a real go at my friends for parking where they've always parked.




This is seriously doing my head in!!!!




To explain.........................................




In the car park there is space for a car to park behind me and block me in.  Even though I've had a lot of friends/family to stay over the last 12 years I have never, ever, allowed them to do this until last year.  I've known that 'downstairs neighbour' doesn't like it so I've not done it???




However, last year my sister came for 3 days.  She arrived on a Sunday afternoon, parked behind my car, (thus spoiling downstairs neighbours view - she hasn't got a view, her house looks over a car park) I went to work at 8.30am on Mon, Tues, Wed. (So only one car was in my space).  Came home just after 2pm each day and by 2.30pm was out again.  Came back about 5pm-ish - so actually there was only two cars there overnight for 3 days.  Sister left on the Wednesday.




What makes me really mad is......................................




Friends that come to visit me actually think they're being considerate by parking their car right behind mine.  They drive into my car park and park their cars behind mine because they're not actually blocking anyone else in.  If I was a visitor visiting me I would do the same.  In fact, one of the staff of the managing agent of our building, actually came and knocked on my door last summer and asked if she could park behind my car because she was visiting other properties in the area and couldn't find anywhere else to park??  I wasn't going anywhere.  So obviously I said it was OK.


And then on 'Good Friday' this year another neighbour came and asked me if I was going out and did I mind if their friends blocked me in.  I wasn't going out so said I didn't have a problem with it but that downstairs neighbour did.  A couple of hours later I looked out the window and saw that there was a car parked across mine and my next door neighbours car, thus blocking both of us in.  I wrongly assumed that downstairs neighbour had told them to park like that (because her daughter parked like that a couple of years ago - though as it was at the other side of the car park it obviously didn't impact on her 'view').  She hadn't and when I went out to put stuff in my car she immediately appeared???


And what makes me even madder.............. is downstairs neighbour sits by her window all day long and then as soon as she sees someone parking where she doesn't think they should be (ie in front of her window) ............... she pops out and has a go at them.  One of my friends has actually been parking behind my car for the last 12 years??? (Though I only found that out recently).  He's never here for longer than half an hour but now 'downstairs neighbour' has told him that he has to park in the 'middle' which is right in front of someone else's window?????


It just seems like - there's six houses overlooking the car park but as long as she doesn't have a car right in front of her window then it doesn't matter if other people do??  How selfish???


As far as I'm concerned........................  If you don't want to see cars........................  Don't buy a house that overlooks a car park.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........................