Thursday, November 18, 2021

 

I had my booster, and all seems well. Helen was able to insinuate herself into the system and get hers too – thus making the hours she had nobly consumed on my behalf more profitable for herself. We had to go all the way out to the airport. She has decided to go ahead with Greece – she’ll take a train down tomorrow, and fly direct from Stansted to Thessaloniki.

 

My consultant rang up today asking why I had cancelled the colonoscopy. She seemed satisfied with the answer. She suggested my going into hospital for the preparatory days before the procedure. I agreed without enthusiasm that that might work. But she also seemed to agree that if “anything sinister” (the usual NHS phrase for cancer) turned up, they probably wouldn’t do much about it, given my age. We have a telephone consultation booked for next week. She will talk to gastroenterology in the interval. I’ve never actually met her – I liked her voice.

 

Knitting

 

I did a fair amount, as we sat around after our injections waiting for an anaphylactic shock reaction. Machu Picchu was perfect – round and round without lengthening the knitting or diminishing the ball of yarn. And I did a certain amount after we got home, while reading about Roman history.

 

Matthew (comment yesterday), thank you for the link to the ladder-back jacquard hat, which I watched with interest. I think I’ve got at least the rough general idea. The technique is completely new to me.

 

Cheetahs

 

You have to keep watching. They come and they go.

 

I found myself wondering whether they could be tamed. I’m sure their keepers try hard not to make pets of them. I get the impression that lions are as affectionate as domestic pussy cats, although they remain dangerous because of their size. I’ve never heard anything very cosy about a tiger. And I know you can’t generalise about an animal family from one or two members of it – zebras (or so they tell me) are completely untameable.

 

 

5 comments:

  1. =Tamar7:42 PM

    The phone consultant as good as admitted that a colonoscopy at your age would be a waste of time because they probably wouldn't do anything anyway. So don't do it.

    Cheetahs were tamed/trained in ancient Egypt, I believe as hunting animals. They are said to be the most doglike of the cat families.
    Lions vary in personality almost as much as house cats. Some are trainable, some are not. (source: old autobiography _Here Keller Train This_, if I recall correctly)

    I have seen an old photo online of a zebra in harness to a carriage. If you can trust an online photo.

    I am happy to hear that you got the booster and had no complications.
    And hooray for knitting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My father went into hospital this time last year as an emergency for severe stomach pain. He did have a colonoscopy during which they gave him a stent to deal with a blocked bowel! Who knew such a thing could be done! It was very worrying for a couple of days, and took a little while for him to regain his energy levels but he has been here there and everywhere ever since. He was 92 this year. So these things can be done, but need plenty of consideration - of course when it is an emergency everything is different.
    Elizabeth Zimmerman said something about there being no situation which cannot be improved by knitting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:10 AM

    The Rothschilds at Waddesdon Manor had zebras trained to pull a carriage. I've seen the old photos.

    https://waddesdon.org.uk/whats-on/creatures-and-creations-platon-katrantzou-exhibition/

    JennyS

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with Tamar re. the colonoscopy. And I will have to investigate ladder back jacquard. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan Rainey has written about this, and has a video, I think. What I can't remember or figure out is how you "cast off" those background stitches when you get to the top/end. Any ideas, anyone?

      Cam

      Delete