Carol Moving From Willen Hospice

Last Friday we were told by one of the doctors, that, because of the fact that Carol's pain had been got under control she would need to transfer to a new place of care. This came as something of a shock to both of us. They began the process of finding suitable accommodation and first they needed to get funding her her new care package, wherever it was likely to be. There was the option for her to return home, but we discussed this and it would be impossible for her to return home. The house is not suitable, she would need a bed in the lounge, which wouldn't work because of the size of the room as well as the fact that there is a large bookcase which would be in the way of the door which would prevent the use of a wheelchair, as well as steps in and out of the front door and the layout of the rooms would make access virtually impossible. She wouldn't be able to use the upstairs bedroom, because of mobility problems. So a suitable care home which could provide similar nursing care as Willen Hospice would be a better option. It seems Willen is only set up for short term care of around four to five weeks and she has been there for at least five weeks.

On Tuesday, when I got home from Willen, I got a telephone call from something called Continuing Care, telling me that they could fund Carol's transfer to a new care home, called Castlemead Court which is in Newport Pagnell. A lady at church had said that she would be willing to go with me to check out places for Carol, so we decided on visiting on Thursday morning, after which I would decide, in consultation with Carol, whether this place was suitable. Carol wasn't too pleased at the news of having to move away from Willen, understandably. A bit of s shock, basically because she's got used to being there as well as building up relationships with the nursing staff.

On Thursday I went to see Castlemead Court. I really liked the place. On arrival, I was met by a little dog, a bit like our Poppy, barking at me. Then, when we were shown upstairs to the unit on which Carol would be, there were two more dogs. They sniffed at me, obviously picking up Alfie's scent on my clothes. Then the two dogs followed me around as we were shown around the property. The individual rooms are spacious, a good deal larger than those at Willen. The place has a more homely feel, less institutionalised or like a hospital, which, basically, is what Willen is like, although it has a lovely calming atmosphere. So I decided that the place was suitable for Carol's needs, her care wouldn't change from what she is getting at Willen, along with all her medications as well as having a hospital bed.

On being taken back to the reception area, I was given a brochure and more details about Castlemead, with photographs and descriptions of the place, which I would give to Carol to look at when I visited on Friday morning. We discussed the move to Castlemead and she agreed that it would be a pleasant enough place to transfer to. One of the doctors came in and we discussed Castlemead and Carol's moving there and the doctor said that he would contact Continuing Care to start the ball rolling for Carol to transfer there from Willen.

(Wednesday) I took Alfie out for his morning walk (More like a gallop, as he hardly walks when let off his lead.). There was a slight drizzle as we got out into the road, and it seemed to get heavier the closer we got to the grassy area where I let him off his lead. So I had to make the decision to cut short the walk and not do the usual circuit of the park, cutting across the grass and back home along the path back up to our house.

(Thursday) Well, I know I keep repeating myself, but it really doesn't matter. It's because we follow a routine. Alfie didn't want to miss his walk, even though it was barely light when we ventured forth this morning. I did stick my head out the front door to see if it was raining. It wasn't. It rained during the night, because I could hear it rattling on the windows. We did our usual circuit of Eaglestone Park. I was determined that we did. Some 1513 steps, according to my step-counter. On the way round we saw a lady coming out of her house with a dog, I think it was a Basset hound, one of those low-slung dogs with droopy ears and a long tail and black and white. I'm thinking of the character of Fred Basset who has his own comic strip in, I think, the Daily Mail. What caught my eye was the fact that he had a string of blue Christmas lights around his collar! Very original and very clever. I have never seen this before. Must have been battery powered. I don't think the doggy was interested in being friends with Alfie, who almost always wants to say 'hello' to every dog, whatever its size or shape, that he encounters.

This morning (Friday), when I was visiting Carol at Willen, I got a telephone call on my mobile, from Continuing Care. It would appear that they hadn't been contacted about Carol's transfer to Castlemead, but I gave my consent for them to make arrangements for Carol's move, which, if all the paperwork gets sorted by the various departments, this should go ahead early next week.

Alfie's New Doggy Friend

(Wednesday) So, we have a beautifully groomed and clipped Alfie! Even his claws are trimmed! You can see his face properly! His eyes are clear and he doesn't now have that annoying fringe over his face. Infact, he looks sleek and efficient. As he should. He shouldn't need another trim until at least the Spring, probably April. 

Alfie is more than eager to get outside for his routine walk across Eaglestone Park. I have to get ready with my jacket and shoes on where he can't see me, otherwise I get a barrage of loud and persistent barking. I have my mobile in one pocket, a doggy bag in another along with my trusty G.T.N. spray. I usually have a few sprays under my tongue just in case and we set off, with Alfie yapping contentedly. We get part-way round the park when we hear a deep bark. Another dog. Alfie has been set free from his lead and round off to investigate and we come across two ladies walking a rather over-weight beagle, black-and-tan, but not too eager to befriend a small Yorkshire Terrier. Alfie runs rings round this dog, who is somewhat befuddled by the advances of poor Alfie, who just wants to be friends. Perhaps it's just too much for this poor dog. And no wonder. This dog makes me think of the beagle which used to appear in a cartoon strip in, I think, the Daily Mail, called Fred Bassett. It was created by Alex Graham. I am in the middle a writing project set in and around a park (not Eaglestone Park, by the way.) and Alfie is featuring heavily. I have it part-written, but a lot of it is in note-form. I will return to it when I get the opportunity, but the fact that we do our routine daily walk through the park is giving me plenty of inspiration. It is far easier to write about real situations, or at least, use them and fictionalise them, than to write imaginary situations. It makes what you write seem far more convincing. These blog posts are also useful for inspiration.

Further Television Annoyances

O.K., so I'm going to mention even more things which annoy me about television. You may be asking, 'surely there can't be any more?' Well, you are wrong, sorry to have to tell you. 'So,' you are going to tell me, 'how come you don't just find something else to watch, with somewhere in the region of 250 channels on Sky and probably 30-40 if you have Freeview. Or you could read a book or find some other pastime to keep you entertained.

This time, I get annoyed by the strange camera angles employed in some programmes. The picture at a peculiar angle, or, the camera being spun round to make you feel sick. Why do directors of such programmes have to resort to this sort of thing? Because they can. Another thing I hate is BIG CLOSE-UPS. For no better reason, again, because they can.

I really detest 'Strictly Come Dancing.' It's not the dancing, which, in general is really entertaining. It's the ballyhoo which surrounds it which annoys me. The fact that they use 'celebrities,' which, as a term to describe the contestants is annoying, the amount of space taken up in the press as a result, every little thing that gets mentioned by the judges and any slight hiccough gets a full-page spread in the likes of The Sun or Mirror or even Daily Mail. I hate the fact that the audience has to clap along with the music. It's so infantile and pathetic, I don't think children in a Primary School would behave like they do. Then, all the over-the-top cheering and noise they make. We attempted to get tickets to this show over several years, but never managed to. But, on reflection, I'm glad we didn't because I don't think I'd want to have to clap along to the music if I'd been in the audience. Can the BBC at least be honest and tell us which bits of this show are genuinely live and which pre-recorded? I imagine the opening dances done by the professionals are pre-recorded as well as the bits with the guests.

Why can't they have the results programme on the Saturday? Is this show pre-recorded? I reckon it is, because I can't believe they'd send the audience home after the Saturday show and then have them back on a Sunday. Just seems unlikely. I reckon it's recorded after the live Saturday show. For a start, they'd have to get the celebrities re-dressed and re-made up for the results show. I wish they'd just stop pretending all this is live when it's quite obviously not. I think also that the cost of production staff on a Sunday would be a reason for not having this show live, what with the cost of overtime etc etc.

'Foxglove extract digoxin helps the heart' Daily Mail headline says

'An “extract from poisonous Foxglove can protect against high blood pressure and heart failure”, the Daily Mail has reported. It does this by enhancing the mechanism the body uses to protect itself against the conditions, the Mail says.'

'This story is based on laboratory research into the potential role of the drug digoxin (which is extracted from the foxglove plant) in treating heart conditions such as high blood pressure and heart failure. Digoxin is currently used to control heart rate in some patients with an irregular heartbeat, and has been shown to improve heart failure symptoms. However, the fact that it can be poisonous and needs to be monitored means that it is not commonly prescribed.'

'The current study identified a protein that is involved in the prevention of high blood pressure. The researchers scanned a library of thousands of existing drug compounds to identify ones that could potentially treat the condition. They found that digoxin was able to increase the presence of this protein in both cells in the lab and living mice. The researchers conclude that this may explain how digoxin improves heart failure symptoms, and suggest it may offer a new approach for treating heart conditions.'

'This was an early stage drug discovery study. It will probably take several years of continued research into the effectiveness and safety of digoxin for high blood pressure patients before the drug could be available for treating the condition.'

Where did the story come from?

'The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Toledo in the United States, and was funded by the US National Institutes of Health and the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation.'

'The study was published in the peer-reviewed  journal Molecular Pharmacology.'

'The Mail’s headline emphasising the poisonous nature of the foxglove extract is misleading, as is its discussion of the use of foxglove extract in the 13th century and Victorian times. While digoxin may have been used throughout history for various purposes and can be poisonous, it is a licensed treatment for certain heart conditions. However, it takes the body a long time to break down digoxin and, as such, treated patients, particularly the elderly, can be at risk of adverse effects due to toxic levels of digoxin building up in the body. Toxic levels of digoxin can cause heart problems, giving rise to symptoms similar to those it is used to treat. For this reason, digoxin can be a difficult drug to use, and levels in the blood sometimes have to be monitored to ensure that it is not building up to toxic levels.'

What kind of research was this?

'This research was carried out in cell cultures and animals. It aimed to identify an existing medicine that could target a specific protein, RGS2. This protein is important for normal heart function, and low levels of RGS2 are associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. The researchers thought that a drug that targets RGS2, increasing its production, could provide a new approach to treating these common conditions.'

'Cell and animal studies are a vital part of the drug discovery and drug development process. They can provide an early indication of the potential action of new drugs or, in this case, the potential action of old drugs in treating a new condition. They can also be useful in studying the specific mechanisms by which drugs work. However, they cannot tell us whether a drug will effectively and safely treat a condition in real patients. Further clinical trials in humans are required to assess these factors.'

What did the research involve?

'The researchers identified a protein, RGS2, which is found in low levels in some patients with high blood pressure and heart failure. They tested thousands of drugs to see whether or not they could increase the levels of RGS2 in cells. '

'The selected drug compounds were then tested in mice. The animals were given the drugs for seven days, and then their heart tissue was tested for RGS2 levels.'

'The researchers analysed the data to determine whether or not there was a dose-response relationship between drug treatment and RGS2 protein levels.'

What were the basic results?

'The researchers found that digoxin, and other similar drugs (digoxin was the only currently licensed medical drug used in the study), led to a two to three fold increase in RGS2 protein levels in cells. The change in RGS2 levels was both concentration and time dependent, with higher levels seen at greater digoxin levels, and the levels decreasing over time after exposure to the compound.'

'Mice treated with digoxin for seven days showed increased levels of RGS2 in both heart and kidney tissues compared with mice that were not treated with the drug.'

How did the researchers interpret the results?

'The researchers conclude that digoxin, a drug currently used to treat heart failure and certain heart rhythm problems, could be used for the treatment of high blood pressure.'

Conclusion

'This early stage drug discovery study suggests that digoxin may have potential use in the treatment of high blood pressure. However, much more research is needed to determine whether the drug is safe and effective for treatment of patients with hypertension. '

'Digoxin is a chemical found in the foxglove plant. It is a drug that increases the force of heart contraction, and also slows the conduction of electrical impulses through the heart. As such, digoxin is currently licensed to treat heart failure and certain heart rhythm problems. However, the risk of the drug building up to toxic levels in the body, which is particularly dangerous in the elderly, means that its use within the medical profession is often quite limited.'

'The exact mechanism by which digoxin improves heart function is not known. This research suggests that its role in increasing RGS2 levels may account for some of its clinical impact in the treatment of heart failure. Further research is required to determine whether this is the case, however.'

'The researchers say that, at this stage in the research, it is not possible to say whether the increased levels of RGS2 seen after treatment with digoxin will translate into a functional effect. They say that the effects of continuous digoxin treatment, and associated increases in RGS2 levels, are not known, and will need to be investigated in future studies.'

'Overall, this study provides additional knowledge that may be helpful in developing new drugs for heart conditions, and understanding how current cardiac therapies work. It has, however, little immediate relevance for patients with high blood pressure.'

Item taken direct from the NHS website.

Well, I for one wouldn't try this. I was always lead to believe that foxglove was poisonous, and I would never trust entirely what I read in a newspaper, and certainly not the Daily Mail.