Monday, 9 March 2009

My Hospital Appointment…

At last the day of my appointment to see the Consultant has arrived… The appointment was for 10.00am. Not a good time of day for me… Just a little too early without getting up extra early to make myself ‘safe’ to leave the house.

I must have started worrying about it on Friday. And as I’ve said before, stress can bring on a bad bout of visits to the bathroom! I sat watching Crufts live on my PC for most of the day, then in the afternoon all hell let lose, tummy wise. I had to dose myself up and then got such a swollen tummy, I just didn’t feel like eating much. I had had a small pie around midday, as usual then a bit of pasta late. Not enough to keep a mouse alive.

Bad Saturday & Sunday night… I went off to bed and managed to rest and fall asleep for a short while, then woke feeling very sick. So it was trips to the bathroom. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sick. I’d have felt a lot better if I had been! Got up on the Sunday morning and was sick! I felt a little better then, but was dreadfully tired as I hadn’t had much sleep during two nights.

On the PC watching Crufts for most of the two days. My son Danny was coming up on Saturday, but I put him off as I was just not feeling well. I rang him on Saturday morning after Chris, bless him, had done a great deal of extra housework!

Crufts…

I am so impressed with the coverage that the Kennel Club have given. I have managed to see far more of Crufts than if I’d been there all four days, as is usual. As you may know, the BBC pulled out of filming this year. In my opinion, that is the best thing that they could have done. We wouldn’t have had the continual coverage all four days, if they had been there. We’ve never had coverage online before.

The BBC used to get some celeb presenters, half of which didn’t know one end of a dog from another, and film five minutes of this and that. You ended up with four hours on four nights of just a taster of what was going on, interspersed with chit chat as the presenters made sure they had their faces on camera half the time. They were generally asking silly questions that were totally irrelevant and showed their ignorance of dogs.

During the ‘live’ coverage we have had people who knew what they were talking about commentating on the events.

I have paid my £9.99 to be able to watch Video On Demand where I can catch up on all that I didn’t see. I watched  the Main Arena Events ‘live’ for free.  All the Obedience Events were put up the following day to watch V.O.D. So watched some in the evenings.

Back to my problems…

Sunday night I went to bed early... Unfortunately, my tummy woke me unexpectedly at 3.00am. It was twenty past before I could get back into my bedroom to take some tablets to bind me. Then I awoke with a start at 5.30am and had to rush through to the bathroom again! Took a couple more tablets and lay down again. Dave woke me at just gone eight… I hadn’t fed the dogs! He made me a coffee – I fed the dogs – then ran a bath. Then I took a couple more tablets. Oh dear… I am going to suffer with a swollen tummy after all these tablets, but I dare not leave the house unless I feel safe.

We needed to leave by nine to give us time to park up at the hospital and find the right department. Dave went out and warmed up the engine. I let him drive. Big mistake… I’ve not let him drive me for months, and yet again, he’s forgotten how to use the indicators. I so annoys me! Men!!!

I got out at the hospital main entrance and left him to park up. He noticed that someone was about to leave a Disabled spot in front of the hospital, but failed to notice a woman waiting to go in the spot when the car had backed out. I was standing quite near at the main entrance finishing off my last ciggie, so I saw it all.

Dave pulled up behind the car that was about to reverse out which meant the woman waiting was beside him… but she was sort of parked very near the left curb. She didn’t have her indicator on to indicate she wanted to turn into the parking spot when the car came out. So I don’t blame Dave for not noticing her at first. But she then pulled out into the road… Two more cars came up and had to stop behind Dave as there was no longer room for them to drive through. Silly woman!

I saw the reversing lights go on on our car… Luckily, the car behind noticed and also began to reverse slowly as the end car driver woke up and also began to move! Dave had to reverse up a bit to let the car out of the spot!

Then he drove straight in, leaving the poor woman to swear at him from her driving seat! I did feel a bit sorry for her as she had been there first, but you’d never have realised she wanted the parking spot from her position on the road. She had been where people stop to let passengers out of cars.

We went into the Foyer… I asked where my department was. I was told it was at the other end of the hospital. Luckily, we had left plenty of time. Off we set… Dave stopping a couple of times to get his breath back and once for a sit down. Got to the right place to be told I should go back near the main entrance. Here we go…!

We did manage to get back the whole way we had just walked and I booked in. My doctor was running late! What’s new???

Found a couple of seats together. The place was packed out. I got chatting to a lovely lady in her 40s with similar problems to mine. She was with her mother. I did feel for her being so young, with similar problems to me. You sort of expect things to start deteriorating with your body as you get older. I was fit as a fiddle in my 40s, working and training my dogs and walking them for miles. Then competing or judging each weekend and driving all over the UK to where the shows were.

I got a warm welcome from the doctor when it was eventually my time. I was called in an hour and ten minutes late! He actually apologized for the delay and for having to give me such an early morning appointment. He said he’d been worried about me. I’d like to believe he had given me a second thought… but I doubt it with the number of patients he has!

He has recommended that I see a surgeon for keyhole surgery. To put a camera down my throat to see if there is any way to take care of this blockage/constriction. I told him I hadn’t eaten anything other than a couple of small pies over two days. I told him I hadn’t had much sleep either… I don’t think I left anything out. He really did seem to remember what I’d told him the last time I’d seen him… OK. He’d read up on my notes! But it is nice to feel that the doctor does know quite a bit about you.

So fingers crossed I don’t have to wait too long to see a surgeon. I was told it should be in the next 3 or 4 weeks. I do hope so. I really am a little worried about my weight. I am nearly 6 stone. Far too slim for me… I look like a stick woman. Stand sideways and I can hide behind a broom handle!

I promised to let friends know how things went with my appointment. Now I am going back to finish watching the fantastic videos the Kennel Club have done of Crufts. Who knows, may be next year I’ll be able to go again?

Saturday, 7 March 2009

Crufts Day 3….

I haven’t been writing as the Kennel Club and Crufts have had such fantastic live coverage in the Main Arena. I have sat here glued to my PC watching everything.

I have managed to take my dogs out for several good games during each day and my son has had them out for walks.

Who needs the BBC with the coverage we are getting? We don’t! When I’m at Crufts I sit and watch as much of the Obedience as I can. I watch the Inter Regional Team events on Thursday, the Obedience Championships on Friday and Saturday, followed by the World Cup on Sunday. I also wander around meeting up with friends I haven’t seen for a while and end up spending far too much money!

I never get to see any Agility or Flyball or anything else going on in other rings. This year everything has been videoed and apart from the events in the main area, you can watch it all the next day through Video On Demand.

I paid my £9.99 and can watch through till the end of March. It has been a great success. I have heard from people around the world who are watching.

The BBC only ever put on snippets of other events over four days with one hour programmes. Now we are able to watch the whole event. I can’t praise the Crufts video team enough for all they have done and are doing.

So if you have been busy and haven’t been able to watch too much, sign up and pay your tenner and you can see it all till the end of March.

Here is a video of one of the Championship Bitch rounds, Shirley Budgen’s round. She didn’t win but she and Reesa put on a fantastic show:

I asked a friend if the sun shining in the Obedience ring affected any of the handlers and/or dogs. This is her reply…

Hi Jane
I was at Crufts Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday for the Regional teams the sun was very off putting. My friend Sharron with her Labradoodle Mutley was first in for the Western Team Beginners. On one of the about turns - she turned into the sunlight and was blinded by it - indeed on occasion the judge - Hugh Wynne - could be seen holding his hand up over his brow as you do when the sun is shining in your eyes.

Also when Sharron left Mutley for the recall, when she turned she could not see him for the sun! Fortunately she coped ok and gained second place in the Beginner section of the Inter Regionals.

On Friday I don't think it was quite as bad somehow - maybe the sun wasn't quite as bright just a little more hazy - though there was sunlight.

I personally don't think it affected the dogs - only the Rottie seemed a little worried right at the very end of her round - she seemed to think she had to sort of step over the line between light and shade but this was very minimal.

I personally thought the bitch day was one of the best Crufts I have ever seen. Kim was a very well deserved winner. The round was flowing and interesting. The whole ring was used - not as in some years where I personally thought too much happened in one part of the ring and not another. There were no gimmicks - all the competitors had the round sent to them prior to Crufts so they could work it before hand. Not one bitch failed Sendaway - three black plant pots. Some were short of the back marker but they all went through the front two markers.

There were many handler errors - as there will always be at Crufts - nerves will always affect some handlers. When the competitors ran Herbie (the judge) ran - when they were doing slow pace Herbie did slow pace - and the same for the normal pace. Yes he was pretty close at times but this should not affect handlers at this standard.

He did the round every time a competitor did the round - he always seemed to be in the right place - nothing seemed to be left to chance. He never judged from one side of the ring while the competitor walked horizontally across in front of him - when you can't have a clue as to whether the dog is wide or not.

The scent was very straight forward - a line of cloths vertically in front of the handler - with a male and female decoy - it posed very few problems.

In my opinion Jane this Crufts was the whole package. It wasn't won or lost on one exercise as has happened occasionally in the past if a Sendaway proved very difficult for instance - as has happened. You had to do it all under the eye of a very knowledgeable and astute judge.

I was just sorry that I couldn't be there today.
Madge

Thank you Madge for allowing me to reproduce your email here.

Technorati Tags: ,

Friday, 6 March 2009

Crufts Day 2…

The Championship Obedience (Bitches), has just finished. Here is the lineup.

1st Kim Innes and OB. CH. Barlingo Go Balistic

2nd Kathy Ingham and OB. CH. Ruskath Othentic Image

3rd Linda Rutherford and OB. CH. Colliewood Confidential

4th Lyn Green and Kuseley Diamond

5th Dot Watts and OB. CH. Zygdan Zyma

6th Christine Smeaton and OB. CH. Rockin at Glenbrittle

Crufts Video On Demand should have the rounds on tomorrow.

Today, they have had most of the Inter Regional event on VOD. We are only missing the Class B and Class C rounds. I expect they will be up soon.They were competing yesterday. The Southern Team won.

You can get all the results on the ObedienceUK web site.

Thursday, 5 March 2009

Crufts Inter Regional Scores…

Click here to get the scores.

Keep updating (refresh) your page – F5 – to get the latest as Sheila puts the score in live at the ring side for us.

You can click on either ‘Scores by Score’ or ‘Scores by Running Order’.

Crufts Live TV…

If you are having trouble getting the live pictures up, make sure you have downloaded Active X control. Should be a line under the menu.

In response to a query, this is their reply:

“We recommend that our viewers use Internet Explorer v6 or above, and windows media player v9 or above. The latest versions of these can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com

Then click here to watch.

Crufts Day One…

To watch live coverage of the events in the Main Ring click here…

You have to register first.

Here is a list of todays activities…

Thursday 5 March

08.30 Agility – Starters – Jumping
09.00 Agility – KC International – Jumping
09.35 Agility – Team – Large Semi Finals
10.25 Training with Mary Ray
10.35 Freestyle HTM Competition
11.55 Agility – KC International – Slalom Knockout
12.30 Presentation of the Police Dog Team Operational and Humanitarian Action of the Year Award
12.35 West Midlands Police Dog Display
13.05 Agility – Eukanuba Mini/Maxi Pairs
13.50 Flyball – Team Quarter Finals
14.35 Agility – Starters – Agilitiy
15.05 Agility – Large – Team Finals
15.35 Agility – KC International – Agility
16.10 Freestyle HTM – 2nd
16.15 Break
17.15 YKC Agility Competition
17.45 Heelwork to Music – Freestyle (winner)
17.50 Kennel Gazette Junior Warrant Winner of the Year – Final
18.10 Group Judging (Terrier) and Presentation
19.00 Group Judging (Hound) and Presentation
19.50 Programme Ends

To listen to Crufts FM click here… Click the link on the right hand side.

Friends For Life videos…

Crufts Day One…

To watch live coverage of the events in the Main Ring click here…

You have to register first.

There is a list of todays activities on the right hand side of the page.

To listen to Crufts FM click here… Click the link on the right hand side.