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Saturday 27 October 2007

Diet Blog

I'm going to start a diet blog soon with my view on my life permanently on some form of weight loss programme and how I think I have found the trick to losing weight without dieting. I'm going to give tips that I've picked up over the past 30 years of watching my weight and detail foods that can actually cause you to lose weight.

It's something I have been thinking of for a while as I have collected so much diet and weight loss information over the last 30 years and also tried every diet, slimming club, pill and health farm in the book.

When I eventually finish it I would obviously love to get it made into a diet book suitable for a whole family, no matter what age, and even the dog can use my tricks if weight loss is needed for it. So, do keep your eye on this blog and I will let you know when I get it up and running.

Monday 15 October 2007

Chocolate Week mmmmm yum,yum

In case you didn't know it - it's chocolate week this week so it's a good excuse to have that extra bit. I've been searching the Internet on where the free tastings are but they are mostly in London and as my daughter works on Oxford Street, I have given her the details on the one at John Lewis which is on between 12 - 2pm in the food hall with demonstrations and tastings so do let me know what it was like if you get their.

I'm off with the girls tomorrow ( there are 12 of us) going to Harrogate for the day and I'm bitterly disappointed that there are no free chocolate tasting going on for chocolate week so I've been out and bought us all some lush chocolates to eat on the coach and printed some details off about the Hotel Chocolate Tasting Club. If you haven't heard of this before, basically you join the club and are sent a collection of new chocolates to try every month.Every month founder Angus Thirlwell and his team create a completely new selection. They are made in separate ultra-fresh batches exclusively for the Club. Of course it's not free they just hope that you will choose one to taste each month. I got most of this from their website http://www.chocs.co.uk/ and boy did I want some chocolate when I finished looking over it.

Saturday 13 October 2007

BLACK MAGIC COMPETITION

Have you seen how much I've written on my blog today. I just love writing but some days I could just write and write and write and today is one of those. The trouble is my neck will be terrible tomorrow, but hey! nothing new their then.

I've just written a 1000 word article for our local glossy magazine on how I lost my weight through hypnosis but I won't post it on here until its been published.

I've also entered the Black Magic Competition that was in the Daily Mail to become an official chocolate taster for them. My sister spotted it in the paper and rang me to give it a go. You have to write 50 words on why you should be a taster for them so I have done a poem with exactly 50 words. Wish me luck. Can you imagine if I won it mmmmmm chocoholic or what !!!!!

I'm gutted I can't give blood !!

I'm really gutted I can't give blood. It was one of my New Year Resolutions this year that I would give blood, lose weight, and learn to speak Spanish. So far, I have achieved my weight loss and started learning Spanish at home with a private tutor. Everything was going hunky dory until I needed to cancel some lessons due to some family commitments ( Dad had his knee operation). My teacher was then off for Maternity leave and although she is now back working again I have not booked any more lesson as I just cannot commit myself to "anything" at the moment until my brother-in-law is back home and settled.

After my last spinal operation (some 9 years ago) I had to have a blood transfusion and ever since then I have vowed I would join the list of blood donors. Then after hearing that my brother-in-law also needed a blood transfusion after his operation it promoted me to finally get it sorted. So, off I popped yesterday, eager to give my blood at last when the nurse gave me the bad news that I couldn't give any. "Why?" you say, well its all because I have had a blood transfusion 9 years ago and it is possible that I could be carrying Variant CJD from it.

It wasn't until December 2003 that evidence came to light that a blood donor may have transmitted vCJD to a patient via a blood transfusion. Scientists are not 100% sure that this is the case as it is still possible that both donor and patient separately acquired vCJD by eating contaminated beef. Even so, in the light of this case donors who have received blood in the UK since 1st January 1980 ( the date BSE became present in the UK food chain) to stop giving blood. People who have received blood since 1980 now belong to a large group that together has a potentially slightly higher risk of exposure to vCJD than the general population. At the moment they are saying it will be OK to give blood after 20 years have passed since my transfusion or if a test comes out that can see if you have it.

What this has meant is that many thousands of blood donors will have to stop giving blood for the time being. Over the coming months and years, this will add up to an enormous number of donations that will be desperately missed. (Medical Fact file August 2004 - National Blood Service)

So, you lot out there - if you haven't given blood yet then please do, you never know when you might need it.

London Fashion Show in aid of Breast Cancer Care supported by Swarovski

This is our second trip to this fantastic fashion show held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, on Park Lane, London. Six of us went down for the day and although we arrived thinking we had plenty of time to get to the Hotel their was a terrible wait for taxi's at St. Pancreas so we were towards the back of the queue. The trouble with that is that when we got into the function suite most of the tables with prize envelopes to buy were sold out and all we managed to get were some raffle tickets for the Marsha Varrow "BELIEVE" bracelet and a real leather Alexander McQueen handbag. With this raffle you buy a Lucky Combination Code and if your combination has the winning four digits then you have a chance of winning the prize with Champagne for the runners up.

We could see it was much busier than last year and will remember next year to get an earlier train. It didn't spoil the afternoon for us which was presented by Fiona Phillips with all the Models in the Fashion Show either recovering from breast cancer or being treated for it, including two gentlemen that had it. It was a real tear jerker as you can imagine.

After the Fashion Show we had a lovely afternoon tea although this year's was no where near as good as last year's. They just appeared to be short of staff which resulted in us getting the tea before the milk so it was cold when we put the milk in and getting the scones and jam before the sandwiches but we enjoy it so much we have already decided we will go next year.

The best bit for me is meeting my daughter for a couple of hours afterwards in Debenhams. We all then walked along Oxford Street and found a lovely Restaurant for some Pasta before getting the train home.

I'm on a run now writing my blog !!!!

I saw my pain consultant the day before we flew to Spain and as usual he was extremely understanding and sympathetic with me and has now decided on a plan to get me more pain free (yipeeeeee) I am starting off with another injection into my neck but in the side of my neck this time in the hope that it will leak down my arm to help my arm pain.

I am then having a lumber epidural which he is putting above my syn cage in the hope that it will leak down to my prolapsed disc. If I have no success with the pain relief of either of these then he wants to send me to see a Neurosurgeon to see what he thinks about my spinal stenosis.

Finally, if all else fails then we are going to try me with an implant !!! I felt tons better after I had seen him. I know its a long term plan but my back is a long term problem and at least I have a plan now.

I should be having my first injection in the next four weeks but with all the postal strikes goodness knows when the appointment will come through.