Jambo

I start off my week by cooking one and sometimes two packs of streaky bacon in my Air Fryer. I cook them until they are crispy. I break them up and they go into a tub in the fridge. I do similar with a kilo or so of chicken wings. Half a dozen eggs go in a steamer and they go in the fridge. I cook more eggs if required. The above forms the basis in various forms for my literal "break fast" meal at 10:00 am for 4/ 5 days alternated with smoked haddock, scrambled eggs or, what I had this morning, being kippers. Occasionally they would do for an afternoon snack but as a very small portion. Tonight I had five lamb chops cooked in the Air Fryer. Currently In my fridge or freezer are two ribeye steaks, four pork chops, fresh salmon steaks, cod fillets and smoked salmon/king prawns. The above forms the basis for my second meal for the rest of this week which I have to eat by 6pm as I do not eat again until 10:00am the next day. No fruit/No vegetables 🤣 I drink lots of water and up to a maximum of two coffees a day with double cream NOT milk. I am sure many would be aghast at the above. I feel really healthy. I never feel hungry and in the five months I have been on this diet I have averaged losing just over a kilo a week. It works for me.

Well done! Keep it up as if I can stick to a diet everybody can. My original goal was to get below 90kgs by the 13 October being six months on the diet. To date I have lost 22 of the 26 kgs to achieve that so 4kgs to go. I have decided to amend that by making it 5 kgs still to go when I will revert to a more healthy low carb diet reintroducing appropriate fruit and veg. When I achieve that ( I am back after the short break on the carnivore/fasting plan) I will weigh in at 13st 12lb in old money. That will be just 5lb above my ideal football playing weight of 13st 7lb which never altered for 10 years or more. I am absolutely certain that the key to me successfully losing weight is that I totally only eat food that I enjoy. I don't have to count carbs because 95% of what I eat has none! The only supplement I take is electrolytes dissolved in my water cooler. I am probably boring members by my repetitive posts on this subject but it helps me focus on the overall goal. I am determined I am not going to fail.😃

I absolutely hate it when I start hearing a cover version of a song I consider a classic. Total sacrilege!

From the first day I moved to Thailand I adopted a personal policy that if Thailand decided to make it impossible to continue to live in Thailand it would not hurt me too much financially. On my second day in Thailand Lek (aka The Knifefighter) was very useful helping me to purchase a brand new Yamaha scooter. It was sometime later that I discovered she had registered it in her name which meant when she eventually stole it.......she didn't..... ! I had watched her put it in her name without realizing that was what she was doing !!!! What a dickhead!

I will have to revert to trips in future. Spring next year for a month, Pattaya and 'Up Country", then repeat in November. Well that is the plan.

Yes, I know that is a risk. I finish my course of blood thinners the day before I fly and I have paid for extra leg room seats in the first row on the flights. Every hour I will stand for 10 minutes and walk around if that is possible. f**k it! I feel like I have wasted the last 18 months and I intend to make the most of the time I have left. The up side is that being stuck in at home it has been difficult to spend much money so my holiday fund is looking very healthy. Every month I buy some more premium bonds. I am even showing a modest profit in my Sky Bet account over the last 12 months. Too much time on my hands.

Flying to Clark was a godsend compared to Manila and that awful traffic jam of a journey by taxi.

I have to wait some time before I am allowed to take a long haul flight of over 4 hours duration. Aiming for Spring next year for a month in Thailand. I have friends, a loved one and 4 dogs I am missing. Nothing to stop me jumping on a short haul flight to Spain and completing the trip I cut short 18 months ago when I went down with covid after 4 days. I was limping then but blissfully ignorant of the pain to come. Booked it today. 🤣 Supposed to be still warm and sunny in October where I am going. Four weeks of exercises to build up my general fitness before going. I am walking fine and off ALL medications other than completing blood thinners.

My problem was somewhat the opposite to reducing the deposit by 400K. Every year I renewed my Retirement Visa with 800K in the bank except it was always in joint names. ( required my signature for withdrawals). I had no idea that was not in the rules because every year they accepted the bank deposit without comment. I even visited Immigration a week before the final renewal to clarify whether I had to get the supporting letter from the bank on the actual day of renewal. On the actual day of renewal I handed over all my documentation only to be told "You will need a further 400K in the bank in your name as joint deposit not acceptable." I replied "I actually spoke to you a week ago and you said that was fine." He ignored that and replied "You will have to apply for an extension TODAY (Go to desk ...) and THEN move money into one account in you name." Then he said "Why you not use an Agent?" He wanted me to use an Agent. I was still in shock from the renewal not going smoothly so I missed the significance and the easy way out there and then. Instead I spent half a day getting the extension and then going to the bank to unscramble the deposit. I was so pissed off I went to see Secrets Accountant a couple of days later with my passport and it was returned in two days all stamped up. Apparently they had been quite amused at Immigration when they saw the temporary extension. A new way to hassle the farlang. I hated going to Immigration from the very day of my first renewal when that mincing iron hoof Officer returned my Passport by throwing it to me across the desk so it fell on the floor.

When my GP came out of his room and announced my name to the waiting room I quite deliberately left my cane with my daughter and walked towards him and into his room without the trace of a limp. I was being a bit naughty. He was not my usual GP but the senior Partner to whom the Royal Hospital sent a detailed letter at the time of my discharge. He obviously had been reading my notes but looked a bit puzzled and made a point of studying the wall calendar. I laughed and said "Not bad for 10 days after my operation." "Indeed" he said "I was just checking the date of your operation" Anyway, he was more than happy to agree that with immediate effect I was to cease co-codamol, Etoricoxib and Omeprazole which is what I wanted to hear. Apart from anything else, co-codamol makes one constipated. The little green tablets I take to counter that give one the galloping shites. It will be good to get back to normality. 😊

I ceased the 800K after they moved the goal posts and stitched me up at Immigration. Could not be bothered with all the hassle any more and let Secrets accountant do the renewal for a flat fee. A little bit more expensive than the Agents in Town but guaranteed service and hassle free.

Friday - Day 10 following my hip replacement Op A really good day yesterday. I managed to complete my full range of ten designated exercises each one with the total number of recommended repetitions. Some muscle ache this morning but that is to be expected. Did a somewhat extended walk both in the morning and afternoon. I can do this without a limp, no additional pain and although I took one walking cane I only used it when going uphill/downhill for insurance. Where I stay is hills everywhere including in the "condo's" garden. I ca n walk fine but I need to rebuild my general fitness. On the way back I called into Mo's general store and left with a Magnum. Sat on the wall opposite in the sunshine and enjoyed my diet busting indulgence. Went on the scales this morning and discovered that in the two weeks since my diet went somewhat on the back burner I had still somehow managed to have a total weight loss of exactly 22 kilos. Four more kilos to go to hit my target loss of 26 Kilos by the 13th October. Or put another way, 26 Kilos in 26 weeks. Seeing my GP this morning. I intend to tell him I wish to completely end all my current medications and that I took my last co-codamol opioid yesterday. My pain is minimal as the wound heals and my muscles get used to exercising once again.

To Wrap, or not to wrap? That is the question. Never, ever orally speaking.

I must admit that prior to my operation when I was at my lowest ebb I consulted a "faith healer" along with my mate John who has has a terrible stutter. We made our financial contribution and entered the faith healer's inner sanctum. He muttered some kind of prayer and then in a loud voice said "Danny, throw away you crutches" I threw away my crutches. "John, John my son. Speak to me!" "Ddddddddddddddddddddddddannyy's faaalllleeeeen over!

Aged 17, my first car was a "sit up and beg" Ford Popular. It cost me 25 pounds and was written off on Boxing Day by a drunk driver whilst parked round the corner from my house. I passed my driving test in it having put the L Plates on it outside the test center. The Policeman who told me the good news offered me a tenner for the wheels/tires. A month later I received 35 pounds as full settlement of my insurance claim. Those were the days.

Mt daughter loves football and used to have a season ticket next to me at the Villa. She, like me, is English and will be cheering for England. Her son, my 11 year old Grandson is a Scot. My daughter told me Morgan was with all his mates cheering on Scotland and expecting to win. "Good luck with that says I to his mum." At half time, with England 2 up, I sent the following message to Morgan "Scotland, Scotland whats the score Scotland , whats then score?" His reply, to his Grandad, was unbelievably insulting but fair banter in footy terms. Five minutes after full time he sends me a message challenging me to a Scotland vs England race. Nothing like putting the odds in his favor given my new hip 8 days ago! 😆

There is a car dealer quite close to me that sells nothing but second hand Ford Rangers. I cannot believe how expensive they are or how anyone can afford them.

Good advice. I just took a phone call from my Doctor's Practice. it would seem they have had second thoughts about seeing me after all. I have a 10'30 appointment on Friday with the senior Partner at the Practice to whom the original two page letter about my medications was sent by the Royal Hospital. I would place a very large bet that it was the old cow of a Receptionist who decided there was no need for me to see the Doctor. 😄

Nice headlamps.

There is a guy on U-Tube who posts regularly about his EV Porsche. He went over some uneven ground and holed the underside of the vehicle. It was feared he had holed the battery which meant a new battery replacement at a horrendous cost. He was fortunate to get away with that but he absolutely hates the vehicle. He did long journeys and it was a constant problem of finding places to recharge the battery. Go into a filling station for petrol and you are in and out in less than 5 minutes. For EV vehicles you have to plan for long journeys to find a charging point, hope it is working, wait your turn and go and have a coffee or two whilst it gets on with the recharge. f**k that for two soldiers! I think he has got rid of it now but thanks to the immediate deterioration in value he is left owing I think he said 30K in finance. More than a little "off topic" but I am seriously considering getting an e-cycle because I like cycling but at my age the assistance of battery power is very attractive. Then I read about the number of batteries that have apparently self combusted on recharge. I was thinking of recharging the battery in house so to speak which becomes alarming. The other consideration is that they are three times as heavy as a normal cycle so people fall off them more often at slow speeds.

I have been on co-codomol far too long. I am sure it has become less effective as my body has got used to it every day. The Hospital wants me to take it 3 times a day but three weeks prior to my operation I decided to reduce my consumption to just two tablets twice a day. I definitely had withdrawal symptoms including a few days of "anxiety" feelings in the morning. That did not last long and I was soon back to normal. Unfortunately in those last few weeks "normal" was very severe pain in my hip but that was due to my hip getting to the point of collapse not the reduction in the medication. I decided to make one last attempt at requesting a phone call from my GP simply with the object for him to concur with my decision to get completely off the opioid med asap. Certainly by the end of this month. The final insult was I tried to complete an online e-consult this morning making the request for my GP to phone me. It came up with a message: "We are unable to assess your condition on line. Please close the e-consult and telephone your GP to request an urgent appointment." More chance of winning the lottery.

Monday - Day 7 after my new hip Dear Diary The Good: 1. My total experience at the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh. A credit to the UK's National Health Service 2. Early telephone call this morning confirming the District Nurse will be with me before 1pm to clean and change my dressing. 3. Phone call from Blackburn Pharmacy confirming they will be delivering another batch of blood thinners later today. ( I have to inject myself with these for the next 6 weeks.) The Bad: Telephoned Simpsons Medical Practice as I had not received confirmation that my GP will see me on Friday to discuss my range of medications as set out in a two page letter issued to them by The Royal Hospital. I had been instructed by the Doctor at the hospital who gave me my initial supply of medications to insist that my GP discussed these with me this week. I sent an email to the Practice asking them to find me a slot this Friday when my Daughter can transport me by car. No chance! No appointment available and apparently my GP does not consider there is any urgent need for such a visit. I should mention that the last occasion I telephoned the Practice for an appointment with my GP the earliest available was exactly 28 days from the date of my request. The reason I wish to see my doctor is that the Hospital has put me back on Co-codomol which I do NOT wish to take 1 day longer than I absolutely necessary. What is the opposite of self-medicate? From today I reduce my co-codomol intake by 50%. If there is no major increase in pain, and I don't believe there will be, I stop taking this opioid completely on Thursday. Major Advantage: No more constipation. I can have a couple of pints when I take my family out to lunch on Saturday.

Sunday - Day 6 after my new Hip Dear Diary It has been a good day. 🤣 Completed my 7 set exercises in full with no subsequent pain other than a dull ache where the wound is healing. It is funny as I have been so used to my left leg not working, not bending, not weight supporting that I still wonder if it is going to work. I am therefore quite surprised that I can lay on my back and slide my heal towards my new hip or sit in a chair and straighten my leg all without any pain. May sound silly to say that but extreme pain has been my constant companion for so long. Everyone is different and has there own experiences. I log into YouTube today and immediately there is a batch of new videos about hip replacements. One of the new ones was I am sure a doctor who had the same operation as me but a couple of days later than mine. He had three days of extreme pain after the operation and was still experiencing that pain as his wife drove him home from the hospital. The guy in the next bed to me in hospital all but passed out from the pain he experienced from his first attempted walk. I have been amazingly lucky. In the 6 days since the operation the only pain I am experiencing is the good pain of a wound healing. I went for a walk today and I am using a stick in my right hand but.........just in case, not because I need it for balance. I went up and down the 5 steps adjacent to the entrance to my flat. There is nothing special about me. I did read that the posterior version of a hip replacement makes minimal movement to the tendons etc around the hip so there is less to heal. I don't know whether that is true but I give all the credit the Mr W the Consultant who replaced my hip. Sun is finally coming out today. I think I will head out to the garden with my kindle again. 😄

I am intending to return to my carnivore diet from Monday. I still have a target to achieve. Basically that is all protein being meat and fish/seafood. No processed food; no sugar; no carbs. Sounds unhealthy but if it was not for my hip I have never felt healthier and I have no cravings. Do you still recommend adding in the protein shakes? The only additions I currently take is daily strawberry flavored electrolyte tablets.

Saturday - Day 5 following my new hip. Not allowed to get the dressing wet so sponge bath spraying water all over the bathroom. For the first time for months I decided to leave the condo and visit the paper shop which is a 100mtrs or so down hill. I only used one stick just for balance but took it slow and easy. Hit the ATM in the shop and back to the usual football banter with Mo the owner. He had been wondering where I had been. Back, up the hill this time, then work my way through the condo to the lift. A walk down another long hall and down 5 steps ( bad leg first) and into the flat. My hip was aching from the walk so I decided to take an hours rest before doing my mandatory exercises. I have 7 mandatory exercises to do twice a day with a further three to add once I am comfortably completing the first seven. I could do them all but I reduced the repetitions on three of them. They emphasize building up slowly. It is a balancing act between between doing too much and not enough. Both are as bad as one another. Another rest and then lunch. Another beautiful day and you have to make the most of these in Scotland. So off I go again walking down to the garden where I spent the next two hours out in the sunshine reading my kindle. Elevated my left leg using a neglected old chair. Watching England playing footy now. How the f##k is Magire still in the side? I feel sorry for Saka because he is getting no service. To be continued.