Nikki-ann

On Friday I experienced a totally different camera to those that I use in my daily life. This camera was long & thin and……. (excuse me while I pause to gag!)… slid down my throat and all the way down to my duodenum. Yes, I had an endoscopy. I’ve still got a bit of a dry throat and I’m still tired. I don’t know if the tiredness has anything to do with the sedation, because I’m sure I wasn’t this tired when I was previously sedated.

I gag at the meer thought of having a camera down my throat, so I asked the nurse if being totally knocked out would be a possibility. No, sedation would be enough, apparently. After signing a form or two and being asked if I was nervous (who wouldn’t be?!), I was led to a waiting area where I quietly began to panic. I just knew I would gag, why wouldn’t they knock me out?!

Another nurse came to take me to the treatment room (or whatever they call it). I climbed onto the trolley and they hooked me up with some oxygen and the clip on my finger to check my pulse. They then put the sedation line in, at which point I remember telling them not to hold back on that stuff (I hope I didn’t come across as a druggy - I was just panicking that I was going to gag). Next up was the “banana spray” (it tastes like banana cordial that hasn’t been diluted) which numbed my throat (quite an odd sensation!).

Then came the mouth-guard… They’d hardly put it in and I was gagging! I don’t know whether the sedation was starting to kick in or what, but they managed to get the mouth-guard in and then start with the camera. My memory is a little hazy from then on in. I do remember the Doctor saying where the camera had reached at certain points, but I don’t remember swallowing it or it coming out (thankfully!).

The next thing I knew I was being wheeled into the recovery room, still hooked up to oxygen, the pulse monitor and a blood pressure monitor. Sometime later I was discharged into my Dad’s care where I gulped down water and went in search of food!

All in all, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Still, it’s not something I’ll be having again in a hurry.

The rain finally held off today, so I took the opportunity to go for a drive and take some photos. I ended up at Borth & Ynyslas (about an hour away from home).

It was cold and windy, but that didn’t stop some people enjoying the beach. One family braved putting their feet in the old Irish Sea water, while others were flying kites (perfect weather for it!).

(Click to enlarge)

2007 is just about done, so I guess it’s time for my review of the year.

I think I’ve done well on the family history front this year. I discovered a couple of forgotten family bibles in the bookshelves, giving me a whole generation of birth, marriage and death dates. I found information on a great uncle who nobody seemed to have heard of - He was dead by the age of 20 and spent his last years in a lunatic asylum, poor soul. I also met up a long lost cousin and his wife (found through Genes Reunited) and discovered one or two more distant relations. I discovered I had a rare marriage certificate in my possession (the bride & groom, their fathers and the 3 witnesses all shared the same surname) and it was published in the Family Tree Magazine. I also discovered my Great Great Uncle served in the British Army by finding some military records on Ancestry, when previously I’d only got 1 reference to him in the 1871 census.

This year I ventured abroad for the first time since 2001. Dad & I went on a World War 1 battlefields trip to Northern France and Belgium.

We stayed in Tournai (Belgium), spending some time in the Ypres area visiting the city as well as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 62 and Santuary Wood, Hooge Crater, The Yorkshire Trench near Boezinge, Poperinghe with its 2 death cells, execution pole and military cemetery, and Menin Gate for the Last Post.

We also spent some time in the Somme area (France) visting Historial de la Grande Guerre (The Museum of the Great War) in Péronne, Guillemont Road Cemetery, Delville Wood, Lochnagar Crater, Sunker Lane and the memorial to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

It was a very interesting and informative trip, and we were blessed with beautiful weather.

As usual, I attended a few gigs. I saw James Marsters at Rich Mix and Union Chapel in London, Anthony Head in Milton Keynes and Take That in Birmingham. I should have seen James Marsters in Cardiff too, but the floods prevented me from going anywhere that weekend in July!

I also went to 2 or 3 motorsport events this year. I saw the DTM and Superside at Brands Hatch in Kent (Mika Hakkinen nearly ran me over with his scooter that day!). I couldn’t afford to go to the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, so I went to watch the Big F1 Test instead (not as good as watching racing, but it was still great to see the F1 cars blasting around the track). I also went to the Charity Open Day at the Honda Racing F1 Headquarters in Brackley. While there I met F1 driver Antony Davidson and commentating legend Murray Walker - another great weekend.

Work has been very busy this year, especially the 2nd half of it. A colleague was on sick-leave for a couple of months and I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed before! So, I was ever so glad when the time came for my Christmas break!

Christmas was a quiet one this year. Nan didn’t feel up to coming over for Christmas Day, so Mum, Dad & I went over to my grandparents for Sunday lunch and spent Sunday with them instead.

Christmas morning was spent giving and opening presents. Dad & I surprised Mum with a fairy statue/bird bath from us both and I surprised them both with giftbags of goodies - a book about Passendaele and a bottle of whiskey for Dad and a silk scarf, purfume and kitchen bits for Mum. I received a subscription to the Family Tree Magazine, a few books (including Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood, Michael Palin’s New Europe and On The Edge by Richard Hammond), a calendar, money, a gift voucher and some other bits & bobs.

My brother joined us later on in the morning and stopped for Christmas dinner (the best meal of the year!), but my sister-in-law had to work as she’s a carer. The evening was spent relaxing in front of the TV. This year I watched a new-ish Christmas film - The Polar Express - a wonderful animated movie.

Boxing Day was quiet too. More TV and another roast dinner to finnish off the turkey!

I haven’t done as much as I wanted to do with my time off work so far. The weather has been so miserable! Before I go back to work I’m hoping to go over to Melton to visit my friend Lisa (and deliver presents) and make a trip up to Caernarfon. I also want to get out and take more photos, so I’m watching the weater forcast carefully.

As today is Remembrance Sunday, it’s only fitting that I remember men who fought during the Great War. These men did not die during war, but they survived a hell and had to live with the memories for the rest of their lives.

Granddad Charlie was called up for service with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 5th March 1917. He served as a Lewis Gunner on the Western Front, I believe in the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres). We have been told he was rescued by another man in the field, but I don’t know any details (I can only be eternally grateful). Sometime in 1918 Granddad was reported as missing, but in October of that year the family received a postcard from the British Red Cross stating that though wounded he was reported as a Prisoner of War (Camp not stated). Granddad was repatriated on 4th December 1918 and transfered to Army Reserve on 22nd October 1919. He was given the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in the Great War.

During World War II, Granddad Charlie served his country once again, this time in The Home Guard. Granddad was certified as having attended a practical examination at a Bombing Range and was qualified to assist in the throwing of live grenades (although I would have thought his time in the Great War trenches would have qualified him for something like that). During this time, my Grandparents also took in a number of evacuees.

As with most Great War veterans, Granddad never said much about his time on the Western Front. I can’t imagine what he’d been through and he probably didn’t want to think about it either. Granddad Charlie died at the grand old age of 86.

Joseph Groom wasn’t family, but he was close enough. I’ve been told my Great Grandfather Alfred took him in at a young age.

As far as I’m aware, Joe had joined the Army before the Great War. He certainly saw battle by November 1914. Joe was in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and by August 1915 was fighting near Hooge, Belgium. While there, he earned himself a Distinguished Conduct Medal. The London Gazette announced people who had won this prestigious medal and on 15th September 1915 they listed Joe and an account of why he’d been awarded the DCM. It says:

For conspicuous gallantry on the 9th August, 1915, during the attack on the Hooge trenches, when he was ordered to reinforce the captured trenches with a machine gun. In the advance he came under heavy shell fire, the gun was damaged and several of the gun team wounded. Although wounded himself, he bound up his comrades’ wounds, returned to Headquarters and reported, and successfully took another gun and team to the firing line.

A well deserved medal, in my opinion. I also know that he won the British War Medal, Victory Medal and the 1914 Star Medal. He also served in the Nigeria Regiment in West Africa during the Great War.

Joe achieved so much at such a young age, but sadly didn’t live much beyond the Great War. Regimental Sergeant Major Joseph Groom D.C.M. died on 7th April 1919 of “Acute bellow atrophy of the liver”, aged just 23 years old.

May they rest in peace.

For ease of use I’ve decided to set-up a new blog (e.g. here). I’m still ironing out one or two wrinkles so do let me know if you find something that doesn’t work as it should. My old blog is still in place as I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with the rest of the website, at the moment.

After the disappointment of not seeing Meat Loaf live at Birmingham NEC (the tour was cancelled due to Meat Loaf’s ill health), I was excited to receive an email announcing Bon Jovi’s 2008 UK tour. I was less excited, however, to discover the £75 price tag for a “Golden Circle” ticket, especially as I’d only paid £50 for one last year! Bon Jovi are an excellent band, espcially live, but I’ve seen them a few times now and I’m just not willing to pay for a ticket that’s had a 50% increase since last year.

I do have good news though. In April 2008 I’ll be going to see John Barrowman at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff! It will be John’s first solo tour and he’ll be singing songs from his new album, Another Side. The album includes songs such as Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ (a favourite of mine) and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’. John has a wonderful voice and is a true showman, so I’m sure it will be a great night out.

Anyway, we’re having visitors in a little while, so that’s all from me for now. See ya!