Dental surgery TOMORROW!!

Toofsday is almost upon us, and this time tomorrow, I will be over half way through the surgery, exciting eh!

I did promise to go into more detail about it all so here goes. First some background again.

As a kid I had prep work for braces done, dentist visits were quite a regular thing, routine checkups etc. After having 4 back teeth removed in preparation for braces, it all came to an abrupt stop. I don't recall being against having the braces done, no more than any normal kid that age anyway, but for one reason or another they never happened. And instead I slowly developed very cramped and crooked teeth, with a nice big buck tooth at the front.

As life progressed and I got into adulthood, interest in dental care took a back seat, dental hygiene and wellbeing took a nose dive, resulting in decay, extractions, poor gum health, teeth getting wonkier and so on. I made a bit of an effort about 10 years ago to try and sort things out, but was already very much resigned to the fact that I would never have a toothy smile, never have any confidence in smiling, and would always be self aware when my mouth was open. Not a great feeling, but at the end of the day life went on. 

After many years of not putting myself first, the change of job, change of lifestyle and change of pace has helped me rethink things. Finding myself in a position to do something about my oral health, I decided to take a look at the extremes of making things right. Knowing I have loose teeth, wonky teeth, missing teeth etc, I did a deep dive into what is possible, and what the best outcomes were, and decided on the most extreme. REMOVAL!

Now this decision has not come lightly, and I have consulted at length about the pros and cons of all options. Eventually deciding that the most effective way to do it was to have removals, implants and bridges, to give my jaw and gums the best possible chances for the future. You see this is more about oral health than vanity, but I am not going to say vanity doesn't matter, because when you are spending big money, you want the best you can get. And after looking at practises out there, I really do feel I have chosen the best possible option out there, both treatment and dentist (prosthodontist in this case).

We discussed many options from treatment and straightening, to simple dentures. Single implants, to what I settled on which is All-On-6. The latter feeling like the best solution for a natural looking outcome, which also allowed the best potential for my gum recovery and health. I have visited a number of times now to have examinations, x-rays, CT scan, 3D scan, design consultations, oral hygiene work etc. 

To put things in perspective before I move on, and answer the common question of "are you getting them done in Turkey?" NO!

Even before a single thing has happened, I already realise and appreciate why getting them done in the UK is better. I am fortunate enough to have a expert on my doorstep in Forest Hill, that is a massive bonus already. However, when you see the promises from the online ads for "teeth in a day" in Turkey, you need to ready between the lines, or the gaps in the teeth if you may.

First up, all these appointments and checks I have had prior to surgery... If I was doing all the prep work via email and Teams before a trip to Turkey, how would the examinations take place? A separate trip there and back each time. Even a single trip to do all the scans would be long winded. 

Then the planning and design stage. Again, no face to face discussions, just online chats, images shared, without much opportunity to think of and ask questions. Just rushed and informal.

Then there is the pricing. What I have noticed with the ads is the small print. Prices promising the work to be done at half the cost of the UK. But when you read closer, that is for the work on the day, no appointments before, no consultations, no treatments or examinations. It also doesn't include the price of flights and accomodation, or any additional work needed such as bone grafting. That alone when you look at the additional costs can ramp the price up massively. 

Then there is the next concern, aftercare.

If you have an issue, you have a 4 hour flight back to Turkey. OK you could do a round trip in a day, but how much do last minute flights cost, would you be fit to fly, could they even fit you in? Even without an issue, how are your post op checks done? The plan for me is to have a number of follow up appointments to check how things are healing, how the teeth and implants are settling, addressing any issues. Identifying if there are any little infections that need medication and so on. Again, how is this done from 2,500 miles away?

Next up, there is the teeth themselves. The plan we are going with is to have a couple of sets of temp teeth, to let things heal, make any adjustments necessary, make sure all is well, before the final fitment of teeth. Shape, contour, colour (vampire fangs!! Lol) It is all up for discussion and consideration during the coming weeks and months, as well as on the run up to tomorrow. How does this work when you have to fly to another country? Again from reading the adverts it suggests you will get your final teeth on the day, job done. Just all seems so rushed and uncertain for the sake of POSSIBLY saving some money.

Obviously this is just my take on things, and I am lucky enough to be able to afford to take the plunge and get the work done in the UK.

However if I was not able to afford it in the UK, I am not sure I would want to do it abroad, knowing the differences in approaches taken, and the accelerated timescale of things just to save a few grand. 

So, the details. I currently have 11 top teeth and 8 bottom teeth. I can only bite on one side of my mouth due to lack of back teeth. My teeth are so wonky that my mouth closes further than it naturally would, so my face appears shorter with my mouth closed. My teeth don't simply meet in the middle, the overlap and cross over like meshing your fingers together. As you can see from my last post, the gaps are all over the place. So the goal is to address a number of things.

Firstly, a straight bite, and teeth meeting naturally and evenly. Allowing me not only a big beaming smile, but also a healthier bite, and opening my jaw back up a little when my mouth is closed. 

Next up is the width. At the moment my teeth angle inwards, so instead of holding my cheeks out, and giving me a wide jaw so to speak, everything leans in, leaving my cheeks to collapse in, and narrowing my mouth. So currently I have a short narrow mouth / bite. Forgive me at this stage for my absolute lack of knowledge of the correct terms here, I only hope it makes a little bit of sense. 

The process is brutal, extreme, and not to everyones taste I am sure, but before I go on, please understand that my oral health is poor, and will only continue to worsten without some serious intervention. This is MY choice and NOT simply following the recommendations of a dentist. 

The 19 teeth I mentioned, a few are really loose, a few more quite loose, and eating has become uncomfortable. So they are ALL coming out! Yup, you heard me, tomorrow I am having 19 teeth taken out!

In their place 12 implants will be placed, 6 top and 6 bottom. The gums will be manipulated a little bit to form a workable gum line, then bridges (uncertain of how many yet) will be placed on the top and bottom jaws, with complete sets of teeth. These will be the first set, used to heal around, and form a foundation for the future. The design, colour, and shapes of the teeth have been custom done to best fit my mouth in order to achieve the best possible fit, feel and of course look.

The whole day is booked out for this procedure, and I am sure it is going to be as uncomfortable as it sounds, but I have faith that I am ready for this huge next step.

Once it is all done, the recommendation is no solid food for a week or two, then slowly introducing the softest of foods over the coming weeks and so on. Needless to say there is some weight loss on the horizon, which is much needed, so I get the bonus of losing some weight, so something to smile about with my new smile in due course. This is going to be a great opportunity for me to reset my relationship with food, and quite frankly I am really excited about that too.

The biggest curiousity for me right now is what it is going to feel like having teeth at the back of my mouth again, feeling them meeting together from front to back is bound to feel strange for a while, but I can't wait. 

After tomorrow, there are a number of follow up appointments to check healing, adjust and fit another set of temporary teeth to make sure things are going the way it has been planned, and then finally when all is well, I get my final smile fitment. High gloss, bright white, with vampire fangs, and glow under UV... How about that!!! 

Haha, just kidding, I think the prosthodontist would kill me if I asked for that.

So watch this space, and lets see what happens over the next day, then coming months.

I will leave you with a range of pics of my current fat face, poor grimace, and failing teeth. 

Thanks for reading, til next time. 

Smile!

Ironic title, given how infrequently I actually smile, but that might all be about to change. I have one more shift at work to complete before I take a couple of weeks off for dental surgery. I was in there earlier this week for one last good clean, and spoke to the staff about how I was 80% excited, 20% anxious. Maybe that's nearer 90/10 actually.

In my earlier blog I covered off the basics of what is being done, I will be going into more detail in time, but for now just wanted to mark the countdown to the big day, and the fact that between now there is no more work for me, woohoo! 

This is what we are starting with. It's a bit of a mess and sight not seen by many for a long long time. Now as I have said before this is not an aesthetics thing, well not primarily anyway, but more a health thing first. 

I am hoping to get some more pictures from the dentist, and hopefully some more during too (maybe). But as you can see, they have their work cutout for them, however I have complete faith in them, and can't wait to see the end results. But that is a while away yet. 

That said, the initial day should see quite the change. The appointment is booked for 570 mins, which I am sure anyone who doesn't enjoy the dentist will appreciate is quite a while. 

 Anyway, I just thought I would share that image, to show others what is happening.

Anyway, that's me for now. 

New Year - New Me 2025 edition.

 It has been forever since I last wrote anything in this blog, so thought it was about time I did. For the past 10 months or so everything has been about my mental state and how I am coping with the ever changing world I find myself in. However I am pleased to report that things have slowed down a little now, and I find myself able to both think about and talk about other things.

One of the things that has always bugged me in life is my teeth. Yup, simple as that, I hate my teeth, have always had a bad situation in my mouth since childhood, and now finally find myself wanting to do something long term about it, and in a position to actually do something about it. 

I have looked at what I can do about it for a few years now, and considered many options, but never gone so far as to actually enquire and get pricing on it. HOWEVER.. that all changed earlier this month when I walked into London Dental Arts for an appointment and consultation for what my options were. To say I was surprised is an understatement. 

Due to things being so bad orally, it has been a while since I went to the dentist, and had definitely never been to a private dentist. LDA is a completely private dentist, so things are a little different to what I am used to. For the better I might add. Last time I had any imaging done it was done using the little thing that you held in your mouth while they positioned a little machine to the side of your mouth.  So standing up with the machine moving around my head seemed space aged.

The first imaging that was done was a lovely crystal clear x-ray, which was then analysed by AI to work out the lay of the land so to speak. This image was enough for the dentist, sorry the Specialist Prosthodontist (SP) to discuss my options and work out both some plans of attack and some pricing based on my decisions. 

After the initial conversation another appointment was planned for some more imaging to be done to allow them to further explore the options I was leaning towards. The second appointment was to have a CT scan done this time, so they could see in better detail my bone density and any other things that could impact the treatment. Seeing the imaging created by this was absolutely stunning. I have seen these images on TV but never in person. WOW !!

Once these images were done, and the SP had had some time to look them over, the next step was to see if what I wanted was possible, and if it was, how it would happen, and a timeline. This was done at another appointment, where even further imaging was done, this time a 3D scan of the mouth, including gum, palette etc. Again, I was shocked to see how good this imaging was.

My final appointments to date were with the SP and the hygienist. For a good clean, and then a chat with the SP to confirm the plan, sign some consent paperwork, agree the pricing and treatment plan, and confirm the date of it all. On top of this I was able to speak to the SP about the look I wanted for the teeth, and look at some provisional renders of what I would look like smiling. I am 52 in Feb, so me smiling showing teeth is not something that feel natural to me, so it was alarming and amusing to see  none the less. 

To say I am excited about this is an understatement, and with just a couple of weeks to go, and one final appointment with the hygienist to make sure everything is clean and bacteria free before the surgery, it is all very real too. Once the process starts the first step will be massive and drastic, not to mention uncomfortable if that is the right word for it. Everything after that will be incremental and hopefully an improvement each time. 

A few people know what I am having done, and I am sure I will reveal more after the initial surgery on the 14th Jan, but until then, thank you for entertaining this blog entry, and I hope to update soon with some more interesting and exciting information. 

All I will say is... it IS drastic, and it IS expensive... But its for the rest of my life, so I feel its worth it too. 

Fantastic Florida

 The past few months have been hectic, so I am writing this retrospectively, so please forgive any muddles in the timeline or tense some things are written in. I am going to try and make it sound recent, but I was in Florida in August and it is now mid November.

Here goes...

After being  made redundant at the start of the year, I have spent the past few months trying to secure a job I am interested in. There have been some interesting options, which are all discussed over on my other blog at  www.snazy.co.uk.  But this is about what came next. Once I had secured the job of my dreams, it was time to hit the reset button HARD before starting my new job, and what better place to do that (in my books) than Florida.

Travelling in the school summer holidays is never cheap, so if you are going to spend good money, have a damn good time. For me the main pillar of any trip to Florida is the accomodation. Having stayed on Legacy Park last year when we got married in Florida, we were 100% sure we wanted to stay there again. A lovely little gated community, just off the US27, and within a short drive of almost anything you could want to do in the Orlando or surrounding area. This is further helped by the fact that the US27 around Davenport is a 5-10 min drive to reach the 192 or I4, so the world is your oyster.

Now just to find somewhere. A quick search on AirBnB brought up a few options, however this one really ticked all the boxes for me. Here is a link to it. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/35381840

Let me start with a summary of it..... A beautiful corner plot with fantastic views of the estate from the upstairs windows. The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning from by the pool, or from the master bedroom. Fully equipped with all the creature comforts, and beautifully kept. From the kitchen having plenty of cutlery and crockery, not to mention every kind of utensil you could want (not something I have found in other properties), to the games room for those moments you just want to relax, or the weather isn't behaving itself. 

One thing I will say that you don't usually find in peoples blogs or reviews about properties they have stayed in is, what it is like to be in during a tropical storm or hurricane. We were fortunate/unfortunate enough to be in Florida for Storm Debby, which made a nice pass over the house in the early hours. Being able to use the TV as a source of information, and receive up to date warnings of any tornado threats was helpful, and of course when the time came, the emergency broadcast system kicked in perfectly, on both the TV and our phones. Thankfully it was nothing more than some very heavy rain, and strong winds with some powerful gusts. My main point of writing this part is just to say, at no point did we feel at risk from what was happening outside. No leaks, no winds whistling into the house. Like the 3rd little Piggy, we were safe and sound. 

Back to the fun stuff though. Starting the day having breakfast by the pool, and a nice cool dip to get ready for the day was a delight. In the time we were there I think the pool guys were there twice for pool maintenance and a little lanai repair. As I say, this place is very well looked after. 

Speaking of being looked after, there were a couple of times we needed to contact the management about little trivial things, and both times we were treated with respect and courtesy. To the point of when they visited to do a little repair we ended up chatting for ages and got to know them really well. Definitely makes you feel comfortable highlighting any issues you might have, and very happy to help with any other enquiries about things to do around the area also. A great point of contact, and it just went to show how good the management and upkeep of the property is.  Which as I say, showed clearly in the property. 

For our stay it was just the two of us, so we only used the master bedroom, however the house is huge and perfect for a large family or a group of friends who want to stay together, but also like their own space. The lounge area has a great seating arrangement, and super for a get together to watch some TV, or just relax and unwind after a day out.

Then there is the dining room, perfect for a nice sit down, meal and chat. Strangely I don't think I have ever used a dining room in all the times I have stayed in Florida houses, but they are a welcome addition, especially for those who like to do things more formally at times, and be together as a family. Just off the dining room is another smaller lounge area, with sofas and a coffee table. Nice for just sitting down and getting some alone time in for a bit, or for different family members to do their own thing. For us, it was a good staging area to start the day in. Putting shoes on, gathering things we needed for out day out, or on the flip side, putting all the bags and bags of shopping down as we came in from trips to the malls.

The kitchen is huge and well equipped, with an island and breakfast bar which personally I loved sitting at with a coffee in the mornings before heading out to the pool and sunshine. Again the island is perfect for keeping stuff on, easy to grab for when you are heading out, or need to get something from the car etc. But obviously serves a practical purpose too, especially for larger groups, being able to have breakfast and meals in separate areas depending what suits. Side note, the stools for the breakfast bar are super heavy and well made, another indicator of the quality to expect in the property.

Speaking of the pool and the sunshine, the pool area gets sun all day round, from sunrise to sunset, there is a part of the pool area which will ensure you get the rays you went to Florida for. There is ample seating, a large table to sit around and an abundance of loungers too, all with good quality cushioning too, not a guaranteed thing at some houses as I have found. And again, the quality counts here too. After the rain a quick wipe is all they need to be usable again. Some places tend to have cheaper cushions which soak up the rain and are unusable for days after. 

The community itself is well kept, and groundskeeping staff are there almost every day keeping the grass cut, bushes trimmed, and carrying out any other maintenance that is needed. This is course is all separate to the house itself, but worth mentioning. I enjoyed morning sunrise walks and runs daily, both inside the gated area of the community, and sometimes heading out into the streets and other communities in Legacy Park. Occasionally venturing even further afield to the US27 for a few extra miles. 

Just outside Legacy Park there are plenty of places that you might find useful. From the Publix supermarket a mile up the road, to the Walmart a couple of miles down the road just past the 192 exit. Not to mention lots of places to eat, from the mainstream to the independents. There are of course the must haves like KFC and McDonalds for those who like to stick to what they know, as well as Chick-fil-A, Dominos, iHop, Applebee's.  Shopping is plentiful too locally, with Target, the aforementioned Walmart, as well as Dickies, Best Buy and much much more just up the road. Or if you feel a little more adventurous, a 10 min drive will put you on the I4 and you will be at Mall at Millenia in no time.

In the time we were fortunate enough to be staying at this beautiful house we ventured to many places both near and far, but it was always lovely to come through the gates, drive onto the driveway, and walk into a place which instantly felt like home to us. Feeling safe and secure, in an area I was happy to go out for walks and runs in the early hours in darkness to watch the sun rising. It is hard to convey how perfect it all felt. Regardless of what you felt like doing, you had a good base to start from. And even on days where we barely did a thing, being able to lay in bed and watch TV, not on a microscopic stamp on the wall sized TV,  but a decent one was lovely. 

Getting ready to go out was great too, having a choice of bathrooms to use is always a bonus. Laundry room upstairs, right where you need it, right by all the bedrooms. Plenty of towels available too, so one less thing to have to waste your precious luggage allowance on too. Definitely noteworthy!

I could carry on all day but will just finish up by saying. When you are looking for a place to stay, this is a definite contender. Regardless if you are a large family or just a couple, this is massive bang for the buck, and I am pretty sure you will never look at another properly again. Why settle for a little single storey cramped place, sandwiched between others, when you can have the luxury of a beautiful corner plot, loads of space to do your own thing, and everything in a house you could want for.

High speed internet, great selection of TV channels, even showing the F1 which was a nice bonus for me. A games room in the garage, ice machine in the huge fridge freezer in the kitchen, shower room just off the pool, leading back into the house, which also doubles as your downstairs WC. No more frantic drying off to go in to use the loo, or dripping walks to the bathroom to shower after a swim. 

Seriously, if you read my other blogs you will see that I complain and moan a lot, but there is none of that here, saying it as I see it, this is a stunning house which I will happily re-book to stay in again and again. As I write this I am eyeing up dates to book off work, and flights I can book to enjoy my next dose of the Sunshine State, and an amazing home from home. 

Massive thanks to the owners and management for an amazing stay, here's to many more.

PS there are plenty of genuine, as it really is, pictures on the AirBnB link, so I will refrain from posting anymore. 

PPS, for amazing slow mornings, may I recommend a stroll around Lake Rianhard with a breakfast pastry and coffee from the Starbucks which is at right there on the lakeside. 

Look up you **** !

 What is it with people today, not paying attention to where they are going, and when they finally realised that they are on a collision course with you, they just stare blankly at you, wondering what the **** you are doing there. How dare you be in THEIR way.

This isn't a new thing, and it certainly isn't limited to any particular demographic. In fact, it seems almost part of evolution. Years back a joke illustration was made of the evolution of the human race, showing it going from hunched, to stooped, to walking upright. With a new addition at the end of the human starting to stoop again to naturally be in a "staring at phone screen" position,

But here's the thing, it's not even just phone zombies now, nor the latest addition, hoodie wearing cybermen, as predicted by Doctor Who decades ago. Wherever you go, you are sure to find one of the varieties of the human race who are incapable of looking where they are going.

Coffee drinks away with the fairies, phone zombies fixated on their screens, school mums too busy chatting to acknowledge anyone else around them, regardless of the danger they pose. Headphone wearing day dreamers, or just plain ignorant ****s. There are many more, as well as combinations of the able, but lets keep this basic shall we. 

Every time I leave the house, for a walk, a dog walk, a run, a ride, or to drive somewhere I am guaranteed to encounter a number of them. Running along, balancing along the kerb so I don't have to run into traffic, but hey, you do you, why should you budge over just a tiny bit, how dare someone else need to use the pavement. 

Walking the dog, the phone zombies staggering down the road, I try to keep property side of the pavement, dog on my left to use myself as a barrier between the person and the dog. Here they come, swerving down the road like a drunk at 2am after kicking out time. Suddenly they reach me, looking up in shock and disgust. Confronted by a furry face who is now interested why they are so close to their human. But hey, my bad !!

It just goes on and on, scooter riders, as well as bike riders, just popping out of nowhere, then suddenly joining the road right in front of the car, but again, shocker, they are surprised there is a car on the road, imagine that.

The point I am getting to here is a simple one. Spacial awareness, it is something built into us as part of self preservation. Awareness of danger around us, avoiding coming into physical conflict with anything which poses a threat to our well-being. But alas, it's slowly being evolved out of us, and replaced by entitlement. 

The dirty looks you get from someone who just put themselves in mortal danger is a thing! Rather than shock, relief and maybe an apology, you now get confusion, aggression and an entitled rant. "You should have been looking out for me".... NO! YOU should look where you are going and be more aware of your surroundings. 

Phone snatchers thrive on this new mentality, do as you please without recourse.  Walk down the road in your own little world, completely unaware that there is an e-bike heading towards you with a rider in a balaclava, woosh, suddenly there is no more distraction, and your phone is gone, probably with all your credit cards etc too. If only you were move considerate and aware of what was happening around you. Rather than rudely barrelling through the streets expecting the world to part like the Red Sea.

Then we have pedestrians and cyclists who end up being hit by bicycles, mopeds, scooters and cars. Everyone else is to blame, it is never the person involved. The ability to take responsibility for our actions and occasional mistakes is gone. Replaced by... yup you guessed it, entitlement. Some scenarios and how they play out.

Pedestrian bumps into phone zombie... pedestrians fault.
Phone zombie walks into road and is hit by cyclist... cyclists fault.
Cyclist jumps red light and hits a car... cars fault.

The list goes on an on, but somehow, every time, the entitled arsehole somehow manages to blame the other party. 

And then you have cyclist mentality, which is a whole thing of its own. I recently saw an old clip on X which was of a cyclist running a red light and close passing a woman with a buggy. Alarmingly quite a few people went either with "didn't hit her, whats the problem" or, "shes was in the wrong for stopping when she saw him, she could have caused an accident". Unreal! Don't defend the indefensible, don't make yourself look stupid, and take some damn responsibility for your actions. 

If things carry on the way they are going, the world is doomed, and the human race, especially the western world, is done for. Sod climate change, attitude change is the thing that is most damaging to the existence of humans on this planet. And what makes it even worse, is the infrastructure and laws of the land are changing to support these arrogant entitled attitudes. 

That's better, now I don't have to think about writing this blog every time I go out and encounter these arseholes.

Thanks for reading.

Wiped out!

 Phew, what a roller-coaster the past dozen or so days have been. Dieting, exercising, counting calories, and trying to find a balance that fits me. Making sure I am getting enough food in to power the furnace, and making sure I don't over do the exercise and out the fire out. 

Yesterday was a busy old day, but before I get onto that, let me mention my highlights so far. 
Increased exercise load, or back to my old normal should I say (with exception to yesterday, but we will come to that)
Reduced food intake, more specifically reduced calorie intake. Ending most days with a 1500+ calorie deficit.

The result of which is a loss from between 14 and 19lbs, depending which starting weight you use. I will be conservative and call it 14lbs. But that is in 10 days, so I am not complaining at that. As usual all weigh-ins are dry. Post activity, post pee etc. Dropping from low 240s to high 220s in that time makes me happy.

I am of course mindful of a couple of things. Early days in weight loss are always productive, seeing a big drop off, then it tapers, but I am OK with that. Even OK with a couple of fluctuations along the way. I am not expecting the same from next week, and would guess at 224 by the end of next week, 222 would be amazing. 
I am also well aware that I carry a lot of muscle mass too, so getting anywhere near what some of the guides recommend. For example, after a weightloss program I did before, I was down to 196lbs. I was asked if I was seriously ill, and told I looked unwell.

So when you see the chart below, it is a bit of a concern. The 132-167 is normal range. 174-202 is overweight, then the next 2 are obese and severely obese. OK 278+ is a bit of a reach even for me, but if I was 174 I would have lost a lot of muscle mass and be wasting away, and somehow still be overweight. Another great reason to ignore science at times.

5 ft 10 in (70 in)	132–167 lb	174–202 lb	209–271 lb	278–376 lb

Next up is blood pressure, when it was tested at a job assessment recently it was quite high. Obviously stress of the situation wasn't helping, but on checking when I got home, it was indeed high. In 2 months I have brought that down to a much better place, and can feel the difference.

Also resting heart rate is a good measure for me, as the weight has gone on, the resting HR has risen. For my weekly average to be 45 or more is a sign I am not doing great, and that is roughly where it has been of late. However the last few weeks have seen that decrease too, and I am back around 40-41bpm average now. Again my body feels in rhythm and unstressed like this. 

However that brings me on to yesterday and today. Deciding to push myself a bit yesterday, I was off, the weather was nice and all that. I first did a 4.5 mile dog walk, then came home and went to the park to do 3 miles of running, including a 10 min benchmark run at high intensity. Then I came home, had a bowl od porridge, and went out for a 30 mile bike ride. The calorie deficit for yesterday was 3,300 by the end of the day, so massive!

I went to bed knowing sleep would not be great, and I was right. Lately my sleep score has been high 80s, last night, just 57. My resting HR was also up to 43, and I woke feeling lethargic. As expected really then. 

So today I need to take things a bit easier, nothing big planned, just a walk in a little while, then maybe a turbo session this afternoon just to loosen things up and keep things moving. Amazingly from all that, I have no aches and pains that I didn't before the day started, so that is nice.

Now if I can just wake up a bit, I can go for a little walk, stretch the legs, relax the mind, and get some fresh air. 

Thanks for reading.

A night shift with the Met

So last night....

I went for a ride along with a response unit from Lewisham Police to get a look behind the curtains of what the job takes.

Shakey start with the front desk not knowing about the arrangement but after one of the sergeants running about a bit I was assigned to 2 officers for the night.

Quiet start to the shift, leaving the station just before 11pm. A bit of a look around the patch, nothing much happening.

Just before 1am we got our first chance to run on blues to reports of a fight. After a 5 mile blue light run, with some absolute terrible driving by members of the public, we arrived with other units, to find it had been stood down as a play fight.

Shortly after assigned to another call, not i-grade. Encountered some more interesting driving along the way, with words of wisdom offered to them for their poor driving.

Just before 2am the officers suggested food at 2.30..

Obviously at 2.20 a car came onto our radar, and after a couple of short bursts of speed, and what seemed it was going to be a fail to stop, a car was stopped. Extra units called for, good quick show of numbers, resulting to one being taken into custody.

To complete the experience I was then permitted to go to custody to see how the processing of someone who has been arrested works. Having seen it all on TV, I was shocked to see just how much longer the process is. Not in a bad way, but it's really not like you see it on TV. Very thorough indeed.

Even seeing the evidential breathalyser machine being used is nowhere near as swift as they show on TV. Just the process of leading up to taking a sample takes a while.

Once the person was safely in a cell, it was time for the paperwork. That is where the real surprises came in. A large pool of hot desks for officers to do their "paperwork" at. A very detailed and long winded system to get everything on record in body cam footage.

Obviously I realise this is VERY important and needs to be done properly, but seeing so many officers at desks having to get all the paperwork done before returning to the streets really highlights how much time is spent on this process. To add insult to injury, after almost 2 hours of doing the report, inc time taken to grab some food, the system decided to crash and the whole report was lost.

As he started it all again, the sergeant came over and suggested it might be a good time to call it a night. I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved.

It was a real eye opener, and something I would love to do again one day. I would genuinely recommend it to anyone, especially those who have questions about policing and how it works.

Huge thanks to the officers I spent the shift with for answering all my questions and giving me a genuine view of how the streets are policed. And the challenges the police face. 

How are you?

Thought it was about time I posted something on this blog. It's been forever.

So I thought I would as, "how are you?" 

In our busy lives we only manage to touch base a with a small handful of people day to day. Now matter how hard we try, we never manage to speak with everyone we care about, and I don't know about you, but it makes me feel bad at times.

Sometimes by the time you realise someone you care about is struggling or needs that chat, it can be too late, and they can already be fighting to keep their head above the water. 

I have done a post like this in the past I know, but as the darker evenings and shorter days draw in, I wanted to repeat myself and reiterate my message. I'm here and happy to chat. Of course that comes with caveats, and hopefully anyone who knows me well enough to want to talk to me and open up, knows what they are too.

Recently I have been reminded that so many people live their lives with the appearance of a duck on water.... Above the surface, the public persona, all is beautiful and well. While under the surface they are struggling to stay afloat. Dealing with all sorts of dramas and dilemmas, but because no-one can see the struggle, there is no lifeline, no help, no conversation. And for the sake of saving face, even when the question is asked "are you OK", the stiff upper lip appears and you lie through your teeth. 

So.... How are you? 

If you are not great, let's talk. If you are great, that's great, I still care. 

If you know me, please never feel uncomfortable speaking openly. The worst that can happen is I write a blog about it and publish it to the world lol. 

A day in the health care system.

Didn't see this coming, and to be honest had never known what they do in here until today.

I have felt occasionally and rapidly short of breath for the past few weeks now. Since getting back from Florida I have felt lethargic and every now and then just can't breath. Like there is pressure on my neck and chest. Inhalers don't work. 

It can last from a few seconds to a few mins at a time, yet I am pretty much able to train as normal. Unless of course a wave hits me in the moment. 

I called my GP this morning to see if I could get an appointment, got through just after 8am.

Received the triage texts shortly after that. 

Around 10am I got a call from the surgery saying the GP would call between 11 and 12.

About 15 mins later I got a text from the GP saying she wanted to see me in the next 90 mins of possible. 

I 'hurried' to the surgery and saw the doctor after a short wait. Thankfully it was a GP I have a history with, so she listened while I explained. The confusion grew as I described what was happening with me. After a few checks and asking me if I thought there was anything it might be, she said she wanted to get something checked. 

It seemed like because I had flown recently, and because I had been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid, she wanted to be sure it was not DVT or PE. She then made a call to Lewisham Hospital to get some advice, and after five mins of chatting, came off the phone and asked me to go straight to Ambulatory Care at Lewisham Hospital. They would run some tests to rule out Pulmonary Embolism as a diagnosis. 

So here I sit now. 

Having only ever seen signs for it before, and having no idea what it was, I have since found out that it is an all in one department that runs a barrage of tests, gets all the results back in the same day. Rapid diagnosis you might call it. 

So far within 30 mins of getting here I have had AN ECG, blood pressure test, temp, SATS, and finally bloods. The bloods have been sent off and as I write this, I am waiting on the results. Just to be clear, I'm in no rush to get them, I am massively thankful for their care here today.

The wait time is approx two hours so I am told, which is fine with me. 

In the meantime a barrage of messages have been sent by me to loved ones and work, making sure everyone is in the loop. 

First world problems time.. 

My phone battery is at 29%, not helped by me writing this..

I'm a little hungry now and that leads to a bit of a nauseating feeling.

And I would love a drink right now. 

All that said, all is well, I feel OK other than a shortage of breath occasionally.

Oh and I read my GP notes, and saw "Dyspnoea" definition.. " awareness of the sensation of shortness of breath. It may be pathological, psychological or social in origin."

I shall add to this post as and when I get my results. I am expecting to be told I am good to go. But if that is NOT the case, the next step is xray and scans.

Oh and side note, when taking my SATS the nurse kept asking me to breathe deep..... Deeper..... DEEPER.. before saying "that's fine." So I am going to assume they were low lol

In the end the bloods took about three and a half hours to come back. In which time I was moved to a comfier seat in a booth, which was a nice touch. 

In the meantime a consultant came to see me to get some back story and try and work out what was going on. We chatted for about 10 mins, talking health history, recent travel, changes in health recently etc. 

The outcome " quite unremarkable". Said with a smile, and reassuring tone, he said with all the info he already had, he was quite sure that there was nothing drastic going on, but obviously something was happening or I would not be there. 

All my bloods were back with exception to the one he wanted, the D-dimer for micro clots or PE. In the meantime, to cover all bases he sent me for an x-ray. With a parting explanation that the xray would just confirm whatever the bloods were saying. 

There would be two outcomes. 

1/ D-dimer registered something, in which case start treatment. 

2/ D-dimer clear, so would want to run a 24hr at home ECG, to check for arrhythmia which MIGHT... at a stretch cause short spells of breathlessness. Unlikely but only right to rule out. 

10 mins later, x-ray done, results came back, all clear. D-dimer came back registering absolutely nothing, so all clear for PE. Big stuff out of the way, that was a relief. 

So next I will be contacted by cardiology for an appointment to go and get the ECG fitted, then removed the next day. And in the meantime, I am to follow up with my GP for further investigations and explore other routes to treat. 

The breathlessness continues as sporadically as it always has. I have returned to using my new inhaler, and am pleased to report I slept a little better last night. 

So watch this space, who knows what it is, but the thing I do know for sure is it's frickin annoying. 

Thanks for reading and thanks everyone for their concerns.... Mainly about who gets my bikes, but.. 😂

What a load of Greenwash bollox

Usually greenwashing is when something bad for the environment is painted as being friendly. This time we have something which was never good for the environment, was badly planned, or carefully planned depending on your view on it, to ultimately raise revenue, but being touted as a great clean solution for all. Rather than the shambolic load of shit it actually is. 

Not content with the ULEZ extension, now this little gem.

The Silvertown Tunnel touted as a solution for all, which was designed and built with no pedestrian or cycle passage available is now having a consultation on a dedicated bicycle service through the tunnel.

Some of the quotes from the piece are cringe worthy.

"These cross-river cycling proposals are a key part of our commitment to ensuring that the Silvertown Tunnel supports growth in cross-river cycling use."

A key part would have been considered at the planning stage, not when it's 3/4 built.

"TfL said the bike bus was under consideration because it would be “unsafe” to allow cyclists to ride through the £2bn tunnel"

Years in planning, £2bn, but no provision for "free passage".

A brand new tunnel is "unsafe" for pedestrians and cycles, yet the Rotherhithe Tunnel is for all to use, with only the tiniest of kerbs separating the road from the "pavement" Cars passing within inches of pedestrians.

"Will Norman, the mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “These plans will mean that cyclists will benefit from easier travel between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown, enabling more people to make the switch to active travel and helping to build a better, greener London.”

Sure thing Will. Using a bus to carry bikes through a brand new tunnel, waiting 10 mins between buses for a ride that would take a couple of minutes. That's a real benefit.

"The consultation will also help to determine whether the service should be free.

A TfL spokesman said no decision had yet been taken on whether to charge cyclists to use the bike bus. “That forms part of the consultation to help understand whether a charge would impact customers’ decision to use the service or not,” he said."

Aaah now we have it... So, design a tunnel for toll use, then make sure EVERYONE who uses it can be charged. Too dangerous for Pedestrians and cyclists just screams piss poor designing and initial consultation.

Declare it unsafe for such use, even though the tiny Rotherhithe Tunnel is "safe", then provide a bus "service" which may or may NOT be free, probably the latter. So now anyone using the crossing will be charged in one way or another. Smart!

All quotes are taken from this article. 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/london-cyclists-silvertown-thames-tunnel-bicycle-bus-proposal-tfl-consultation-b1094751.html