Stuart Briggs

Living with sarcoidosis, the good, the bad, and lots of in between.

Author: Stuart

I’m back, PC has recovered after being well cared for

I believe I have had withdrawal symptoms, so much to write, hmmm, and quickly what to start with, that’s quite easy…

Just watching last weeks QT, jeez, they all have still missed the point. When employed at Airedale hospital the huge majority of ‘trained’ staff were hell bent on telling me how they had a ‘degree’ and that they only carried out ‘trained’ duties, yet they hadn’t a clue about the basics.

As I held a patients hand a nurse tried to close the patients eyes as she passed, that was so bad, its the tip of the iceberg to what I witnessed, I complained a few times and each time got taken into the office. Now my pc is no longer ill, I will breakdown all I witnessed at all levels, appalled, absolutely appalled, I decided not to keep in contact with anyone from that employment.

The article will not be aimed at all I worked with as a very few were very genuine, nice, caring and helpful, a very few is the wording, it must also be mentioned the article will not be aimed at all the NHS, last year they were brilliant for my Dad at the Leeds General Infirmary – the LGI, the article will be aimed at Airedale hospital.

February 12, 2013
Arrogant neighbours

I love where I am fortunate to live, but a few months ago number 13 upstairs were watering plants without a drip tray, yes the water, dirty water dribbled down my windows leaving a mess, it took me five times to go upstairs and get them to sort it, and so they hired a skip, threw the plants into it, and then they were decorating. Once the skip were removed then this;

It is a mess, its been reported to the housing association, they have forwarded my report to the management group, these folks appear reasonably ‘well off’ yet so messy and arrogant.

This is a super polite letter, these neighbours are ill, but so am I, from my experience’s most ill folks try even more to be clean and tidy, even respect others more, yet keeping very personal. I feel sure most who view this post would agree, we do not like to look out of our window at a mess, rant over!

January 17, 2013
Page’s plectrum

While watching Led Zeppelin’s celebration day, at the end I could not help but notice Jimmy Page uses the same plectrums as me, how dare he? he is a failed biological research scientist, shocking stuff!

You can just make it out while Robert Plant looks over a little sheepish, he knows Pagey is ripping some of my tunes off…

Oh whatever nevermind, I will let him off, but, hmmm, he is still my main hero of guitar, on a par with Hendrix maybe?

January 16, 2013
Black Doc Martens deserve red laces

Finally, I get some red round laces for my black Doc Marten eight eyelet boots, each pair I have bought get sent with black or yellow laces, but for me it just has to be red laces.

January 15, 2013
PC repairs cheap and easy

Its a first for me, for months my PC has been rattling and crashing, the decision was taken about ripping the sides off, and so I gently did screw them out, then the sides were still not moving, they actually had to slide after removing the screws!

What i discovered were a couple of trapped wires between the CPU fan and that other fan which is stuck to the side of the panel, hmmm, so I cleaned the dust out, give it a good blowing, ensured all the fan were free and replaced the panel, this time I ensured the wires were not trapped, I also used electrical tape around were they were trapped as some copper was showing!

After putting it all back together something very typical happened…

I have one screw left, work it all out the best I can, yet my engineering knowledge and qualifications meant nothing, I am now left with a screw and a PC that appears to work better than ever until??? Yes I cleaned the dust up silly.

January 14, 2013
Room with a view

What a nice view, hmmm, but with a little snow I feel sure our transport will grind to a halt claiming its the wrong salt, or is it the wrong type of snow?! thing is, I do have a very important appointment at St Lukes today, we need to know drug and direction, as it has been mentioned maybe different medication? kind of worried about it, especially after the last few weeks, last week I felt dreadful, well, unwell, well, unwell, jeez my body, at least working allows my mind to somewhat keep away from the sarcoid…

And after only 30 minutes…

I think it has been wise to cancel my appointment, they do chat with me on the phone so lets see, I can not take the risk of getting to hospital then getting stranded!

To be honest, it is the first winter as a one in ten sarcoid, and I am – thankfully – working, all will still be fine, the direction is good.

January 14, 2013
A treat is certainly on the way…

Right, rather than mess about getting a few cheap-er guitars to look like the ones I really want, Iv decided to get the ones that I really want;

AMERICAN VINTAGE ’56 STRATOCASTER®
Yes the Mexican Strat is cheaper, pretty much the same, but its not a US one.

SG Special Humbucker worn brown.
Many reviews have put the Epiphone worn brown SG on a par with the Gibson but I just need the Gibson!

These are a couple of my dream guitars, sometimes we have to get items that we have only dreamed about, no, i’m not a musical instrument snob but these last few years have shaken me up, I really am feeling that my position is currently allowing me to get ‘things’ that I like, and not through others views!!!

January 13, 2013
Angled in Scarborough

Yeah I know, but sometimes, thing here is, I really can not understand why folks find this as a shock, or they initially did do? I first met him in 1981 ‘who is the old guy sat outside’ this was at Tommy’s (a mainly cyclist cafe’ in Otley for many years), my pals told me who it were, and so I just said he looked odd, never liked him, met him a few times ‘stand over there, take your clothes off and I will do you, a favour’ was something he once said to a good friends young wife, never liked him…

Just saying, on behalf of my views about Jimmy Savile.

January 12, 2013
The world needs us of types!

1957 and watch that there hair;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM
Fantastic, I so think the world would be so bland without extroverts, we are usually not too conflictual too!

Mind you, being married at 14 to a 17 year old wife, and later marrying a 13 year old cousin is certainly conflictual! he married at least six or seven times, erm, something kind of odd there, but, the Burt Renolds movie Deliverance comes to thought, music is still great though.

January 12, 2013
Friday and back to work

What a couple of days it had been, very glad to be back in work, but how do I explain in my return to work interview (after being on sick leave) that im not really sure what was wrong? not to forget, I achieved my employment through Remploy, Leeds, and so the company know that I have a stupid and rare condition. I do chat with my consultants and doctors, the best way to explain, I have had the flu, yes influenza, it can last usually between one and two weeks, me, two days…?

Let me try explain, I caught the flu, it went absolutely mad in the first 24 hours, probably because my immune is suppressed by drugs, and? after that 24 hours the sarcoidosis got a ‘sniff’ that something was indeed wrong, and so the sarcoid attacks the flu, and pretty much in 24 hours the influenza has been neutralised, or has it? what happens next, the sarcoid carries on attacking but then the Prednisolone kicks in and again suppresses the sarcoid.

You now know what I mean? ok you don’t…? me neither, and nor really do the consultants, but in a shell nut its been mentioned that in 48 hours my body has probably been through what a healthy person might in one to two weeks of that there flu bug, and that alone can leave you feeling trashed and knackered, but I got into work, and managed to do as much as I could.

It doesn’t finish here, I’m part of the governments ‘Biobank’ scheme, more later…

It’s all random shit? questions welcome, as for an answer, it might be vague…

January 11, 2013