OK folks, I’ve been told I have to blog more so here goes.
The disease Aspergillosis is somewhat rare, incurable and a right pain in the backside. It strikes for no apparent reason and once in the lungs, it never goes away.
So now you all know what aspergillosis is, or maybe not. If not please check out my earlier blogs. Anyway it’s not the disease itself I wish to ramble about this time. No I’m afraid the subject I wish to mention is the mortality rate of this disease.
As a life time asthmatic I have made many friends which I then lost to that particular disease, nearly lost myself on many occasion. But now as I gather new friends in fellow suffers of aspergillosis, I find they are leaving me again.
A lady with a family, a previously busy life and hope for her future has just been informed that she has none! No future! The medication she has been receiving, the only medication available is in itself, killing her! Her doctors have suggested she stops all the treatment as it’s not helping anyway, and to settle her affairs and ready herself for what is destined to happen very soon.
I have known this lady for several years now and I know the battles she has fought, unfortunately it appears she has won some battles but now has lost the war!
I’m sorry for this sad blog but it needs to be known just how deadly the disease of aspergillosis is, the effects it can have on a family and the sadness of loved ones, relatives and friends who stand witness to this loneliest of moments.
My friend still fights but the enemy is overwhelming . . . . .
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
A Fly on the Ward
So finally, after many years of thinking about it, finding excuses or simply forgetting how to write, I have just published my first book! OK, so I know I’ve only published on Amazon’s Kindle thingy but at least I’ve published the thing.
It was quite easy to do, not the writing, the publishing I mean. I dutifully followed all the instructions, watched the `How to’ video and read through most of the advice bits. In fact I followed them too closely because my book has been published without a title! The instructions stated that I should send a jpeg image for the front cover but no mention was made about the title or, more importantly, my name! I assumed as the instruction was for jpeg images alone, they would fill in title and authors name. Wrong! So now I have to wait until the 12 hour publishing review is up, . . . . in 24 hours and correct the front page. Ah well!
The book is a record of some humorous, strange, heart warming and odd events and occurrences I have witnessed while being frequently incarcerated in one of today’s modern, marvellous, medicinal motels of medicine, commonly or laughingly otherwise known as a hospital.
I have recounted, with the odd embellishment, stories tall and short that happened in my long history of a medical victim and from a patient’s point of view. Namely mine!
There are thousands of books available written by doctors and making humour from their experiences with patients. I have even read one or two of these books and some are a good read indeed, some are not!
I have published via Amazon because alas I am no fourteen year old pop star writing a biography, nor and I a famous footballer listing my achievements, on and off the pitch! I am not an infamous politician regaling everyone within hearing distance about my life in Parliament and I am certainly not a film star either!
So getting a book published would be easier than finding a pile of rocking horse manure on my front lawn! Yes it would be easier if I took the road of self publishing, paying all the publishing costs, printing and distribution. But sadly I am not Richard Branson or Alan Sugar, though in truth both are famous enough for publishers to fall over in their haste to publish a book by either.
Nope I’m just a Joe Nobody so getting a book published would be difficult or very expensive, so I chose the self publishing option offered by Amazon. I hope it works!
Dunno if links show on this bloggy thing, but here goes with the link to my book. Please buy it so I can afford the paper and ink to write a second one.
Oh by the way, the book is called; A Fly on the Ward and can be downloaded for a minuscule fee to your Kindle, computer, IPod etc. Enjoy.
It was quite easy to do, not the writing, the publishing I mean. I dutifully followed all the instructions, watched the `How to’ video and read through most of the advice bits. In fact I followed them too closely because my book has been published without a title! The instructions stated that I should send a jpeg image for the front cover but no mention was made about the title or, more importantly, my name! I assumed as the instruction was for jpeg images alone, they would fill in title and authors name. Wrong! So now I have to wait until the 12 hour publishing review is up, . . . . in 24 hours and correct the front page. Ah well!
The book is a record of some humorous, strange, heart warming and odd events and occurrences I have witnessed while being frequently incarcerated in one of today’s modern, marvellous, medicinal motels of medicine, commonly or laughingly otherwise known as a hospital.
I have recounted, with the odd embellishment, stories tall and short that happened in my long history of a medical victim and from a patient’s point of view. Namely mine!
There are thousands of books available written by doctors and making humour from their experiences with patients. I have even read one or two of these books and some are a good read indeed, some are not!
I have published via Amazon because alas I am no fourteen year old pop star writing a biography, nor and I a famous footballer listing my achievements, on and off the pitch! I am not an infamous politician regaling everyone within hearing distance about my life in Parliament and I am certainly not a film star either!
So getting a book published would be easier than finding a pile of rocking horse manure on my front lawn! Yes it would be easier if I took the road of self publishing, paying all the publishing costs, printing and distribution. But sadly I am not Richard Branson or Alan Sugar, though in truth both are famous enough for publishers to fall over in their haste to publish a book by either.
Nope I’m just a Joe Nobody so getting a book published would be difficult or very expensive, so I chose the self publishing option offered by Amazon. I hope it works!
Dunno if links show on this bloggy thing, but here goes with the link to my book. Please buy it so I can afford the paper and ink to write a second one.
Oh by the way, the book is called; A Fly on the Ward and can be downloaded for a minuscule fee to your Kindle, computer, IPod etc. Enjoy.
Friday, 20 April 2012
Social Networking Sites.
Social networking sites, which do you prefer? For my countless and untold sins I have accounts with several of the more commonly known social networking sites, and I have suddenly arrived at a conclusion. Beginning with the ever popular Facebook, what makes this site so widely used? As far as I can see the Facebook team appear intent on changing the damn layout of the site every other day, making it extremely frustrated to those of us who have just gotten used to one format, and learnt how to use it, then Hey Pesto it’s changed again! Bloody nuisance!
Then there are the characters who use this social network, an interesting bunch, which like I said, includes me. Most use the site to keep in touch with friends, sometimes relatives and often just to have a nose at the profiles of those we used to know, want to know, would like to know or wish we didn’t know!
By far my biggest irritant is the `Buy &/or Sell’ sites on FB. Why do people place an item or vehicle for sale on the site but constantly not bother with any information about the item or vehicle? For instance, For Sale. Ford Escort. That’s it! No location, year of registration, mileage or condition. No prices on items, often not even a title or description, just simply a photo! Do these people all assume we are a nation of mind readers? Or are they themselves just too damn lazy! Imagine a shop with no advertising, no items on show and no prices available, not even a name above the shop premises, would you go in and attempt to purchase something? Not bloody likely!
OK, what about Twitter? From the little I have learned about this site, it is further reaching than its FB rival, tweets appear to span the world based solely on what subjects or people one follows. A Good idea I think. The downside to me is, every one seems to just tweet links to other sites or webpage’s, no real messages, just links. If one reads a statement or comment and replies, no further answers, replies or insults are returned, is this `social’ or more in the realms of anti-social? I am still learning about Twitter and so far I have made some fascinating contacts, or follows & followers as the used titles. I just wish more Tweeters would write something interesting, entertaining, hopeful, helpful or simply plain nice, instead of thousands of links to other sites, films, books, people or publicity stuff that no one really wants to bother with.
I became a member of Linkedin but damned if I can remember why and who invited me! Yes it’s a great site for announcing ones business, qualifications, work status and other formal information, but again getting answers is difficult. I find no one sends me messages or answer any I send, the Linkedin members seem intent on publishing their own successes and achievements but with little thought to what their own contacts are up to. OK, so this may be just down to me, maybe I’ve chosen the wrong people as contacts, or not stated my interests clear enough, or possibly I simply don’t have any friends . . . . .
Then there are the characters who use this social network, an interesting bunch, which like I said, includes me. Most use the site to keep in touch with friends, sometimes relatives and often just to have a nose at the profiles of those we used to know, want to know, would like to know or wish we didn’t know!
By far my biggest irritant is the `Buy &/or Sell’ sites on FB. Why do people place an item or vehicle for sale on the site but constantly not bother with any information about the item or vehicle? For instance, For Sale. Ford Escort. That’s it! No location, year of registration, mileage or condition. No prices on items, often not even a title or description, just simply a photo! Do these people all assume we are a nation of mind readers? Or are they themselves just too damn lazy! Imagine a shop with no advertising, no items on show and no prices available, not even a name above the shop premises, would you go in and attempt to purchase something? Not bloody likely!
OK, what about Twitter? From the little I have learned about this site, it is further reaching than its FB rival, tweets appear to span the world based solely on what subjects or people one follows. A Good idea I think. The downside to me is, every one seems to just tweet links to other sites or webpage’s, no real messages, just links. If one reads a statement or comment and replies, no further answers, replies or insults are returned, is this `social’ or more in the realms of anti-social? I am still learning about Twitter and so far I have made some fascinating contacts, or follows & followers as the used titles. I just wish more Tweeters would write something interesting, entertaining, hopeful, helpful or simply plain nice, instead of thousands of links to other sites, films, books, people or publicity stuff that no one really wants to bother with.
I became a member of Linkedin but damned if I can remember why and who invited me! Yes it’s a great site for announcing ones business, qualifications, work status and other formal information, but again getting answers is difficult. I find no one sends me messages or answer any I send, the Linkedin members seem intent on publishing their own successes and achievements but with little thought to what their own contacts are up to. OK, so this may be just down to me, maybe I’ve chosen the wrong people as contacts, or not stated my interests clear enough, or possibly I simply don’t have any friends . . . . .
Monday, 2 April 2012
Apathy
So, the government now wants to monitor our texts, emails and websites, doesn’t this sound a tinsy bit like the Cold War years? The difference being, we the public are the `enemy’ and the government is the Big Brother Authority.
Squeal as you may to this latest piece of national dominance issuing forth from the allegedly democratic British government, but in truth, is it not our pure apathy that allows such things to occur?
People in the western world appear to be unable to stand up for themselves anymore, relying solely on moaning and lamenting to anyone willing to listen!
Most of us fall into this category, if a person were to trip over an uneven pavement; the cry would go forth;
“Why doesn’t some one report this?”
But alas no one does because no one really cares. Why should we be bothered, it was not us that tripped so let someone else deal with it! This same level of apathy drapes its uncaring blanket over all of us at some time, a practice we have all been guilty of at some stage in our lives.
So why do we simply insist on moaning rather than standing up for our rights? Is it because we do not know how? Is it because we fear any back lash? Or is it just that we cannot be bothered to make the effort? What ever the reason, the government, businesses, the medical establishment, in fact all those in a position of authority are allowed to happily stamp all over us.
The only thing we are famous for fighting against, is planning permissions! Suggest building a nuclear power station in the middle of nowhere and lo and behold, thousands pour onto the streets in protest! Even though those who protest will benefit from increased jobs, increased commercial benefits and an economic up turn for that area. No, all we care about is the value of our houses and how having a nuclear plant near by may reduce the selling price of our property. I used a nuclear plant as an example but it could be any type of commercial construction, from a school to a wind farm, we raise our voices in protest at the sheer audacity of building such a thing near our homes.
So what is our stance in life today? Is it simply to protect the value of our homes? Unfortunately this does appear to be the case. Start a war in another county? Fine, OK. Raise taxes beyond the ability of thousands of people on low incomes? Yep, that’s fine. Snoop into our private lives, through the web and texts, through our financial transactions? Yes that’s alright.
Try to ease our fuel consumption by erecting wind turbines? No! That’s not OK; it’ll affect our house values! Build an incinerator to help reduce the amount of rubbish that is buried in landfill sites? No, that’s unacceptable as it will affect the value of our homes!
Take any action or construct any device, machine or building that will help both us and our environment will bring cries of dismay from all homeowners across the western hemisphere. But tax us into the gutter, spy on our every move with CCTV or read our texts and emails, enter all our details onto every computer in the land, yes that’s fine.
Where did this apathy come from? Why do we no longer care unless it affects the property values? Where has our spirit of defiance gone? Is there a price?
Squeal as you may to this latest piece of national dominance issuing forth from the allegedly democratic British government, but in truth, is it not our pure apathy that allows such things to occur?
People in the western world appear to be unable to stand up for themselves anymore, relying solely on moaning and lamenting to anyone willing to listen!
Most of us fall into this category, if a person were to trip over an uneven pavement; the cry would go forth;
“Why doesn’t some one report this?”
But alas no one does because no one really cares. Why should we be bothered, it was not us that tripped so let someone else deal with it! This same level of apathy drapes its uncaring blanket over all of us at some time, a practice we have all been guilty of at some stage in our lives.
So why do we simply insist on moaning rather than standing up for our rights? Is it because we do not know how? Is it because we fear any back lash? Or is it just that we cannot be bothered to make the effort? What ever the reason, the government, businesses, the medical establishment, in fact all those in a position of authority are allowed to happily stamp all over us.
The only thing we are famous for fighting against, is planning permissions! Suggest building a nuclear power station in the middle of nowhere and lo and behold, thousands pour onto the streets in protest! Even though those who protest will benefit from increased jobs, increased commercial benefits and an economic up turn for that area. No, all we care about is the value of our houses and how having a nuclear plant near by may reduce the selling price of our property. I used a nuclear plant as an example but it could be any type of commercial construction, from a school to a wind farm, we raise our voices in protest at the sheer audacity of building such a thing near our homes.
So what is our stance in life today? Is it simply to protect the value of our homes? Unfortunately this does appear to be the case. Start a war in another county? Fine, OK. Raise taxes beyond the ability of thousands of people on low incomes? Yep, that’s fine. Snoop into our private lives, through the web and texts, through our financial transactions? Yes that’s alright.
Try to ease our fuel consumption by erecting wind turbines? No! That’s not OK; it’ll affect our house values! Build an incinerator to help reduce the amount of rubbish that is buried in landfill sites? No, that’s unacceptable as it will affect the value of our homes!
Take any action or construct any device, machine or building that will help both us and our environment will bring cries of dismay from all homeowners across the western hemisphere. But tax us into the gutter, spy on our every move with CCTV or read our texts and emails, enter all our details onto every computer in the land, yes that’s fine.
Where did this apathy come from? Why do we no longer care unless it affects the property values? Where has our spirit of defiance gone? Is there a price?
Thursday, 22 March 2012
They
So, once more I am wide awake late into the night, sleep eludes me again, so why can't they do something about it? The rest of the house are sleeping soundly, if not quietly, but at least the sound of snoring assures me all is well.
They! That is a very big word in today’s modern world, They, so who are they?
Speak to anyone in the street, in the home, in the office or even in a shop and sooner or later the word `They’ with pop up in conversation. Maybe it’s more of a British thing rather than world wide, maybe it’s just we English who insist on blaming someone else, the elusive `they’. So who are `they’? Are they the same as `Somebody’ or `The Council’ or The Government’? Why do we frequently refer to those in charge or those in authority as `they’?
If a person were to trip over a raised paving slab in the street, I guarantee either that person or another will ask, “Why don’t `they’ do something about that”? Or “It’s about time `they’ fixed that. If a favourite landmark was to be demolished a voice would ring out loudly, “Why are `they’ allowing that? When our taxes increase, a multitude of tongues will state “They should not be allowed to do that” or “What are `they’ doing with our money?”
When people talk about authority, the word chosen as a label is `they’, for instance if a young man cannot find a job someone will say “They should help”, when a drain breaks in the road, in will be “They should fix that”. Other statements are also frequently uttered like, “How can `they’ do that? “They should not be allowed to get away with that”, “They didn’t say”, “They don’t know” when talking about the medical profession. Rather than simply name the authority or council or government or world leader or even just the family next door, people always seem to revert to the word `they’.
So why do we use the word `they’ so frequently? Are we just lazy and cannot be bothered to give full title? Maybe it’s often the fact that we just don’t know who `they’ are in certain circumstances, perhaps it has become enjoined into our way of life, our verbal antennary, our method of communication, our lack of deep thought, that we no longer see any problem with `they’? Although in our modern country all persons are acclaimed to have a basic education, a reasonable conception of the English language and certainly a wide range of assorted communication aids, this is sadly not the case.
They! That is a very big word in today’s modern world, They, so who are they?
Speak to anyone in the street, in the home, in the office or even in a shop and sooner or later the word `They’ with pop up in conversation. Maybe it’s more of a British thing rather than world wide, maybe it’s just we English who insist on blaming someone else, the elusive `they’. So who are `they’? Are they the same as `Somebody’ or `The Council’ or The Government’? Why do we frequently refer to those in charge or those in authority as `they’?
If a person were to trip over a raised paving slab in the street, I guarantee either that person or another will ask, “Why don’t `they’ do something about that”? Or “It’s about time `they’ fixed that. If a favourite landmark was to be demolished a voice would ring out loudly, “Why are `they’ allowing that? When our taxes increase, a multitude of tongues will state “They should not be allowed to do that” or “What are `they’ doing with our money?”
When people talk about authority, the word chosen as a label is `they’, for instance if a young man cannot find a job someone will say “They should help”, when a drain breaks in the road, in will be “They should fix that”. Other statements are also frequently uttered like, “How can `they’ do that? “They should not be allowed to get away with that”, “They didn’t say”, “They don’t know” when talking about the medical profession. Rather than simply name the authority or council or government or world leader or even just the family next door, people always seem to revert to the word `they’.
So why do we use the word `they’ so frequently? Are we just lazy and cannot be bothered to give full title? Maybe it’s often the fact that we just don’t know who `they’ are in certain circumstances, perhaps it has become enjoined into our way of life, our verbal antennary, our method of communication, our lack of deep thought, that we no longer see any problem with `they’? Although in our modern country all persons are acclaimed to have a basic education, a reasonable conception of the English language and certainly a wide range of assorted communication aids, this is sadly not the case.
Monday, 19 March 2012
Funny old day
Well it’s been a funny old day, not being able to catch myself coming or going! Way too many little jobs to do that outweigh those even bigger chores that are lying in wait for when I least expect them.
When my life is too busy to be realistic, my mind wanders into the realms of `What if?’ What if there is no afterlife? What if I have chosen the wrong religion? What if there is no meaning to life. Is life just a random set of occurrences?
My whirling brain spreads its wings into other areas of confusion as I delve into the deepest pits of my subconscious and being examining my place on this ball of dirt, my footprint in the sand. A famous person who I cannot recall once stated that we live on until the last person to remember us dies, and then we are dust, in physical state and memory.
Yes I know this is a really depressing blog, I did not intend it to be such as I am only recounting some of my muddled minds journey. All of us suffer random and irrational thoughts during those quiet moments or those extremely busy periods of our day. Apart from the question of existence, other huge topics clamber for space in our melting pot of thoughts, but that’s for another day.
Today mine have been depressing, but I’m not depressed, today my thoughts have centred on religion, but I already have my own conclusions on that subject. Today I have wondered about the afterlife but that is a question without answer for those who live, and I’m in no hurry to discover the answers!
So live long, live healthy but never forget there is only one certainty in life . . .
When my life is too busy to be realistic, my mind wanders into the realms of `What if?’ What if there is no afterlife? What if I have chosen the wrong religion? What if there is no meaning to life. Is life just a random set of occurrences?
My whirling brain spreads its wings into other areas of confusion as I delve into the deepest pits of my subconscious and being examining my place on this ball of dirt, my footprint in the sand. A famous person who I cannot recall once stated that we live on until the last person to remember us dies, and then we are dust, in physical state and memory.
Yes I know this is a really depressing blog, I did not intend it to be such as I am only recounting some of my muddled minds journey. All of us suffer random and irrational thoughts during those quiet moments or those extremely busy periods of our day. Apart from the question of existence, other huge topics clamber for space in our melting pot of thoughts, but that’s for another day.
Today mine have been depressing, but I’m not depressed, today my thoughts have centred on religion, but I already have my own conclusions on that subject. Today I have wondered about the afterlife but that is a question without answer for those who live, and I’m in no hurry to discover the answers!
So live long, live healthy but never forget there is only one certainty in life . . .
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Publication or bin?
Publish or bin it?
Well I’m almost there; I only have a couple of thousand words to write before finishing my first book. The stories are there in draft so it’s no great deal to simply write them up and include them into the whole document. Then it’s the chore of putting all in the correct sequence and position, re-reading and editing constantly, arranging a proof read and finalising the title, then I can set about locating a publisher. Phew!
But is the hard work done? Is writing the thing in the first instance the hardest task? No! Securing a publisher or literary agent to take on my book will be by far the most arduous task I face! Unfortunately I am not a 14 year old pop star or famous footballer promoting my miniscule autobiography, so I have little chance of being published.
Publishers and literary agents are often overwhelmed with hoards of enthusiastic would be authors lobbying for their own pieces of work to be placed on the worlds stage, or bookshelf! So actually getting one to agree to read a new book is nigh on impossible. One typo, one grammatical error or mispronunciation is all that is required for a publisher to consign a year of work to the waste bin. The market for unpublished authors is rampant, publication and a possible literary career is purely at the whim of publishers.
Nor do I believe in self publishing, one still needs an impartial mind with a commercial interest to honestly determine if the entire book is crap! I am not arrogant enough to assume I’ve written a best seller on my first attempt, but having read some of the rubbish that has successfully been published, I would consider I have a good chance!
For those slightly interested, my book contains multiple short and humorous (hopefully) stories relating to the UK medical profession. I won’t say more as I feel it may be premature and hinder my already impossible task of seeking publication. I have covered an theme that has been mostly unconsidered, though I do remember a TV show written along the same lines many years ago. So I’m hoping this different angle may win me some brownie points in the world of literature. However I am still watching the skies for the fabled flying pig!
What other choice do I have? Well I believe there is now Epublishing, though I have scant knowledge of this avenue. I would have to examine Epublishing further and seek guidance from those who know before deciding on this route, so it may be a possibility yet.
Or there is self publishing. Self publishing is great if one does not wish to command a cash return for ones efforts. Personally I want to be paid! Plus the distribution of self publicised work depends solely on . . . oneself! And I cannot be bothered with that!
So if I fail to get the services of a publisher or agent, then my book will find its place onto my bookshelf and there remain for eternity, unread, unpublished and unloved. I will strive for literary completion, for my own self esteem if nothing else, but as to whether I will gain publication, I wouldn’t bet on it!
Well I’m almost there; I only have a couple of thousand words to write before finishing my first book. The stories are there in draft so it’s no great deal to simply write them up and include them into the whole document. Then it’s the chore of putting all in the correct sequence and position, re-reading and editing constantly, arranging a proof read and finalising the title, then I can set about locating a publisher. Phew!
But is the hard work done? Is writing the thing in the first instance the hardest task? No! Securing a publisher or literary agent to take on my book will be by far the most arduous task I face! Unfortunately I am not a 14 year old pop star or famous footballer promoting my miniscule autobiography, so I have little chance of being published.
Publishers and literary agents are often overwhelmed with hoards of enthusiastic would be authors lobbying for their own pieces of work to be placed on the worlds stage, or bookshelf! So actually getting one to agree to read a new book is nigh on impossible. One typo, one grammatical error or mispronunciation is all that is required for a publisher to consign a year of work to the waste bin. The market for unpublished authors is rampant, publication and a possible literary career is purely at the whim of publishers.
Nor do I believe in self publishing, one still needs an impartial mind with a commercial interest to honestly determine if the entire book is crap! I am not arrogant enough to assume I’ve written a best seller on my first attempt, but having read some of the rubbish that has successfully been published, I would consider I have a good chance!
For those slightly interested, my book contains multiple short and humorous (hopefully) stories relating to the UK medical profession. I won’t say more as I feel it may be premature and hinder my already impossible task of seeking publication. I have covered an theme that has been mostly unconsidered, though I do remember a TV show written along the same lines many years ago. So I’m hoping this different angle may win me some brownie points in the world of literature. However I am still watching the skies for the fabled flying pig!
What other choice do I have? Well I believe there is now Epublishing, though I have scant knowledge of this avenue. I would have to examine Epublishing further and seek guidance from those who know before deciding on this route, so it may be a possibility yet.
Or there is self publishing. Self publishing is great if one does not wish to command a cash return for ones efforts. Personally I want to be paid! Plus the distribution of self publicised work depends solely on . . . oneself! And I cannot be bothered with that!
So if I fail to get the services of a publisher or agent, then my book will find its place onto my bookshelf and there remain for eternity, unread, unpublished and unloved. I will strive for literary completion, for my own self esteem if nothing else, but as to whether I will gain publication, I wouldn’t bet on it!
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