EEG and MRI scan

& Lift Scare

We got into the Hospital nice and early and after going to the ward, we were sent to the neuro suite for the EEG scan.
The Consultant came to talk to us about it saying that it may induce one of Geoff's seizures, and Geoff didn't like the sound of the consultant and ended up sniffling on my shoulder.
As you can see by photo's, some nice sticky goo was used to stick the sensors to Geoff's head, and then they had a DVD player for Geoff and Me to watch as they were doing the scan.
Part way through Geoff was given a windmill to blow for 3 minutes and so to exhaust him, and after that it was different series of flashing lights.
When we got back to the ward we received an appointment for next week to go through the results and we just happened to be up that day anyway for a ENT appointment.
Then we had a wait for the MRI scan, which for a change the anaesthetist told us we were 1st on the list, and expected to go down at about 1330hrs, He also told us that he would have no problem putting a cannula in one of Geoff's veins when he was under ( it took him 2 attempts to get the cannula in ).
So at about 1300hrs Geoff was given a pre-med and after 1400hrs the Porter eventually turned up to take him down.
Unfortunately they picked the time Geoff was on the table waiting to be gassed, to go through a long questionnaire about whether Geoff had any metal in him and other medical problems, with Geoff getting more upset, before they eventually got around to gassing him and him going to sleep crying. A silly delay with a form that could surely have been done on the ward without causing upset.
About an hour later Geoff was in the recovery room very sleepy still and came awake crying , as they say they do if they go under crying.
We then had a45 minute wait for a porter to take Geoff back to the ward. Geoff had been delayed going down because no porter had turned up and the Anaesthetist had came up twice to see what was going on.
We got out of the Hospital about 1700hrs, spent a night in the Hotel. and the next morning on our way down in the lift from the room. the lift stopped and the lights went out. Geoff was a a bit upset, but I managed to calm him and Imogen was showing a brave face for Geoff as she is not keen on confined spaces.
We pressed the alarm button, first of all the alarm phone wouldn't connect and when it did we were asked what lift we were in, as there are only two lifts in the Hotel, I said the small one. Silly me as they wanted to know what building as they cover more than one building.
Well It was probably just a reset button as we were soon out of the lift and we then walked down the stairs.

Another bad Ed day & off to Hospital again for us

Unfortunately Ed failed his second driving test, through a different fault this time, but unlike the 1st time he didn't realise that he had failed until the instructor told him at the end. For a short time after he wanted to change to an Automatic, but that idea is out of his head now.

We are off to London today for Geoff's MRI scan which he will need a full anaesthetic. So it will be a 2 night stay for us as it is an early start on Tuesday in the Hospital and they like him ( anyone) to stay up after a full anaesthetic, though he won't be staying the night in Hospital, we will be in the Patients Hotel opposite.
Weather permitting we will go and see Bert the goat.

Megan who is staying with her Grandmother, will no longer be allowed to pack for herself as she failed miserably yesterday, one wonders what she did take because it didn't include things like knickers, socks, PJ's and toothbrush.

Have just been informed that she took the essentials, which to her was:

1) Hair straightener

2) Make-up

Driving Test Booking Fiasco

Due to reasons unknown, we found out yesterday that the Test we thought that was booked for Ed for Thursday, was in fact not booked.
Luckily we managed to get a last minute booking for Wednesday, if not we would of had one stroppy upset 17 year old, and you don't want to be near one of those I can tell you.

One of the things that the RAC man fitted into Penelope was a navigation aid, which consists of a button that you press and it connects you to the travel centre where you give your destination and then you get a programmed route which comes out verbally to the car. Geoff who couldn't resist pressing it a few times got the man answering at the other end as I didn't know at the time how to cancel it. As the car can be tracked by the Black box, I was wondering that if you are out driving after Midnight do they ring you on the car and tell you to go home or does Penelope then turn into a pumpkin ?

I've got Nothing to Wear

It's all fun at the moment with Megan and no clothes to go into Town after we wouldn't let her wear her Tiny shorts.
Everything else she had was either too small or too big, or so she said. Though why she buys clothes that don't fit her I don't know !
She won in the end by giving us all a headache and was given a £10 voucher from Ed, that he had found and more money from us (stupid or what especially as she already has a generous allowance ) to purchase something in town, though she was given guidelines as to what she could wear. Whether she keeps to the guidelines I don't know.
Meanwhile the RAC man has turned up to fit a Black Box into Penelope which tracks her movements, which is part of the Pay-as-You-Drive Insurance, that we are trying out to see if it will work, as although it is not as expensive as normal Insurance, the car isn't allowed out between midnight and 0600hrs in the morning and it is also based on Mileage.
Here's looking forward to a nice Half Term Break with the Kids home..........................

Detention Please

I was going to post about this women having trouble filling her car in a petrol station, but I feel guilty that I didn't go and help, my only excuse is that I was in the car zone and waiting to get to a pump myself.
Instead I will go on about Megan who has just received her second after School detention , and no I don't remember how many I had when I was at School but don't think it was many.
It was quite funny at dinner time yesterday as there was the usual kicking under the table and denial of doing it, only I caught her out by having my foot as an unseen shield which threw her denial right out of the water
, so she then moved to the your foot hurt me by being there. The answer that she wouldn't of hurt herself if she hadn't tried to kick doesn't really fit into her logic.
Well she is at detention even as I wrote this, and with her grounded on Friday, Megan won't be too happy. Though I must say that we don't normally ground the kids as that only caused more pain to us, but I will get over that by still allowing her Internet access. Well she is missing a night out ice-skating with friends !
And as for Ed who was supposed to have a driving lesson yesterday which we payed for, but cancelled it 1 hour before by text, instead of the necessary 48 hours.
When I was a kid, yadda yadda yadda

Bargains and more at Blackbushe

Well have to keep Penelope running until Ed passes test, so today we went to Blackbushe Market mainly to get Megan a coat, and hopefully she will wear it, if she picks it as the good coat we bought her she wouldn't wear.
She eventually found one, but when she got to us it took an age to find the stall again. No pictures of coat but here is Megan with the hat she bought herself, her friend Frankie also bought one but we didn't see her wear it.


Geoff enjoyed the slide and also some new PJ's, which are quite Yellow but he likes them.


I visited one of the many mobile phone stalls and purchased a cover for my phone, all very exciting I must say, .
I decided to put the picture of pushkins in, Megan hasn't seen it as it is her brush that is being used.

Catch-up appointment & Driving disappointment

Well we went to the London Hospital for our two appointments on Tuesday, the Neurology was really a catch up, as we had been transferred from the registrar to the Consultant's care.
So it was just to see how Geoff was and what they will and won't get from the MRI scan,
The Audiology was to get the moulds redone for Geoffs hearing aids, but first they had to suction out some wax from both ears.
Things have changed slightly since our last visit to London ( not that long ago), the Bonnington Hotel in Southampton Row where we have stayed a few times, has been taken over by some other hotel chain and is now called the Park Inn. The Burgers in the Bedford Hotel are not up to scratch and so it looks like we will have to find another watering hole for a lunch time meal, well after 5 years its probably time to move on. We ended the day by joining the rush hour train traffic to get home.

Penelope is now fit for the road and legal, but unfortunately Ed failed his driving test so will be taking it again during half term, and hopefully not meet up with any white vans, as he failed by not seeing one at a roundabout.

No Spirits in School Please

After a weekend of our daughter and her friends scaring themselves by dabbling in the mystical and black arts of the Ouija board, it has also been carried on at School and to the notice of the School teachers and head who are trying to clamp down on it by supposedly saying that it is illegal and all 100 participants will be either included or excluded.
The action of using the Ouija board in School will bring spirits into the School, with the result that the pupils eye's could roll inside out and pour with blood.
the result of being possessed more than 3 times will obviously result in death.
The police will be informed and those involved will be fined (not the undead I expect, as they don't as a rule pay fines).

We suspected as much

On Friday while talking to Geoff's helper at School, Imogen asked her what training she had been given by the nurses, and she revealed that she hadn't.
Not quite what we were led to believe, that she had been trained in resuscitation in case Geoff had a fit.
Obviously some urgent phone calls to the paediatric nurses tomorrow morning............

4th Feb : The buck has been passed to the School, who will have training in place soon.

Penelope Failed at The Pitstop

This is a model ! not real Penelope, who was to
too upset to face the cameras.


Earlier today, in fact at 1300 hrs we were given the bad news that Penelope would need surgery.
As she is a car we will have to go private, well it is either that or DNR ( do not resuscitate her), oh by the way I didn't name her and she isn't my car, she is Edmund's who will be taking his test on Wednesday.
Poor Penelope has been waiting a while for the grand day, only to be let down by a common old Fiat ailment. Something to do with her back wheel bushes, probably something a bit more technical than that.
Well it was either surgery or spares, and better the devil you know, not that she is a devil, just a little Punto.
Penelope's surgery will cost more than her true monetary value.

Daddy Owns Up

Yes it looks like it was ME, while retrieving my trainers where I keep them I uncovered the hiding place of Megans Ipod.
I hadn't worn my trainers for quite a while, probably about the same amount of time that her Ipod had been missing and I think everyone had been blamed for the missing Ipod, especially Megan who I apologise to.
Of course it wasn't my fault, it couldn't of been could it ?
The blame clearly lies on my failing memory and if Megan had done as she was told ( due to the failng memory can't remember why I cofiscated it ) I wouldn't of confiscated it.
I must stop hiding things and forgetting where
I must stop hiding things and forgetting where
I must stop hiding things and forgetting where
I must stop hiding things and forgetting where

Geoff's friends

Looks like Geoff had a good week at School,
and seems to have made some friends.