h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Perhaps you mean this one Baron? http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/sense_of_place/facts/major_oak.shtml

Do something amazing.

One in three people will need a blood transfusion at some point in their life.
38% of us know someone who has needed a transfusion.
One in 30 people are blood donors.
Only 4% of the population who *could* give blood actually do.

Donated blood keeps for 35 days and 7,000 donations are needed every day to keep stocks across the country. Some blood groups are needed more than others, at the moment there are only enough stocks of O- and B- to last about 4 days.

My mum is O-. When AML was first diagnosed she was given 6 units. She's had another 8 since then, as well as a platelets only transfusion, and will probably need more this week. Each transfusion gives her counts a boost and she gets a little bit more time, but eventually, very soon, they won't work.

I'm a donor, so is Sunshine and Moonlight will give her first next week. I'm telling everyone I know, and since I have a captive audience of 17-18 year olds, they are getting a push in the right direction too.

Are you healthy, over 17 and able to spare an hour 3 or 4 times a year? If so, do something amazing. If not, find someone who is and encourage them to donate on your behalf. Please don't leave it to someone else. http://www.blood.co.uk/
#giveblood

Yep... I'm sure that's it.

I had almost completely forgot about visiting a tree on that trip.

In London, it was cathedral after cathedral with Mme. Toussaud's thrown in and an "open itinerary" on day 5 (I visited the Battersea Powerstation, all the other kids on the trip went to the Hard Rock Cafe. ). Then we went to Stratford Upon Avon, for the obligatory play. At some point we stopped to climb a lone tower on a hill, the story of which was completely lost on me as I was forming a bit of a crush on one of the young ladies on the trip. Then we went to Bath stopping at Stonehenge on the way, I believe (if my geography is off, blame it on my leaky memory). I really liked Bath, I'd like to go back there one day, such a pretty town. Then we ended up in Brighton for one last night before hopping back across the pond, as it were. In Brighton they put us up in the "American Hotel" and we all enjoyed having en suite toilets and showers after 9 days. I'd liked to have more than just an evening in Brighton as well. Other than a quick stroll on the shore, we didn't see any of it.

I vaguely remember walking around a castle with a beautiful garden at one point. Also, we walked around the ruins of a castle and looked at a stone lined rectangle on the ground that was one of the many purported burial sites of King Arthur. (I surreptitiously stood in the rectangle and sp*t off to the side, just so I can technically say I "spit on king Arthur's grave". I don't even know where I'd heard that phrase before or why I felt compelled to do so. I guess I could just as easily "danced on King Arthur's grave".)


Oh, I wish I hadn't lost so many negatives I shot on that trip. Yet another reason I need to travel more.

(just changing the heading back)

That sounds like a good trip and Bath via Stonehenge is entirely possible. You need to come back and get new pictures!

Also, you'll be pleased to learn, pretty-much all* hotels here, now have the obligitory en-suite, shower etc, even the cheaper ones (I.E., the ones I stay in ocacsaonlly!)

I'm always very annoyed tha I'm prevented from recieving blood; a transfusion saved my life many years ago, I'd lost so much blood from the roat traffic accident I alwmost had a heart attack, as my blood pressure dropped so* low But sadly I'm prevented from giving blood

2legs, what you can do is tell others. You can't give blood yourself, so push someone else. As I said, only 4% of the people who could give blood actually do. So find one of the 96% and prod them. That's still amazing.

Maybe it's time to revive this page: A626834 Giving Blood on my Behalf

A2150344 Being a Blood Donor in the UK
A261082 Donating Blood in the USA

Maybe I could force... I mean* convince my Brother to do it

This has reminded me that I have been meaning to check whether I am eligible for a while. Something to do tomorrow.

I can't give blood either, but I commend the practise.

[Amy P]

7th November.

Today is my mum's birthday, she is 78. It's her last one.

When she was first given the AML diagnosis 2 months ago she was feeling so ill, and believed she wouldn't last a week. Since then a combination of regular blood and platelet transfusions and palliative drugs have got some of her counts to a level that enables her some quality of life in her own home, but the neutropenia means a very limited diet and no contact with groups of people for fear of infections.

It's hard to know what comes next. I guess these marker points give something for the terminally ill to aim for, and her Dr always said he could see no reason why she wouldn't make it to her birthday, although we shouldn't make plans for Christmas just yet.

So she's made this marker. Maybe it now feels like there's a big deep hole ahead of today and she's just waiting to drop into it. She's told my brother she doesn't expect to get to tomorrow. There's no reason why she shouldn't of course, but the positive mental attitude isn't there. She could make another 6 months, even more. After the 50% drop out in the first 3 months, the decline in numbers slows and a small percentage of people with AML do make it to 9 months, even a year. So we keep telling her, even if no one really believes it.

One brother is there today and I'll go tomorrow to take her for a bone marrow biopsy. All being well she should begin a second cycle of a drug trial, which she agreed to do because it might give help to someone in the future. That's why people donate to cancer research and we're all in support of her decision to take part.

But "happy" birthday doesn't really sound right, does it.

thinking of you

It's my birthday, too.

Coincidentally it's my unbirthday today.

Much and sympathy.

I hope you had a good day Lil.

*sips *

At the risk of sounding like a character from The Fast Show, aren't smartphones brilliant!

I was reflecting on Lil's list of innovations from yesterday, but for me, the one thing that has really transformed my life is the smartphone. 3 years ago I decided to upgrade and did a lot of research online and asked around before deciding on the Galaxy S2. At the time it hadn't launched in the UK so I pre-ordered and then told Moonlight.
"But mum, what do you want one for? They have apps. Do you even know what an app is???"

I went on to prove her wrong, and within 3 months she'd ordered the same phone. Then Sunshine ordered one. Hilariously, so did the ex Mr coelacanth, who to this day still believes he followed the lead of his extremely cool daughters. 6 months ago I upgraded to the S4, within a month Moonlight did too.

So, today I present: 24 hours with me and my smartphone.

Last night: Checked an app which uses sleep cycle length to work out the best wake up time. Then played a game to pass some time so that I could then set the alarm to wake me when I was at the right stage.

This morning: Alarm woke me at the right time, no need to keep turning the phone over to make it snooze. Checked the BBC website for any overnight news.

Before leaving home: Switch on GPS, enter route on Google maps and check arrival time and alternative roads. Send text to mum to tell her I'm leaving.

Driving: Clip phone into a holder, attach lead from the phone to the AUX socket. Sat nav constantly checks route and redirects if needed. Audio book on as well, to pass the journey. Both sat nav and book operate at the same time easily. When the book finishes I switch to using the iPlayer Radio app to listen to 6 music streamed, sat nav still on. Send a sneaky text to mum when held up crossing the river, with the eta taken from the sat nav.

Driving mum: Sat nav set for the quickest route to the hospital. En route played mum a small clip of the least offensive part of Jack and Michael Whitehall - where Jack auditions for Harry Potter.

Waiting around: Text brothers with information. Use Cam Scanner app to create a pdf of the latest blood counts, immediately upload this to Dropbox so that the whole family can see. General internet surfing and texting in the day ward, including checking a half remembered quote for mum. Sat nav for quickest route back to her home.

Mum's home: Show her a film clip send to me on What's App by Moonlight who had been at the Ottery Tar Barrels. Discuss blood counts by reference to the pdf. Text brothers to see who can take her for next week's appointment. Google the name of one of her new tablets so she knows what it's for. Check route home on sat nav and wait until the roads are less congested. Pass time by showing mum some pictures of the cat and a from my garden because she can't seem to sketch cats eyes quite right, so we compare the cat and the frog.

Driving home: Decide not to start a new audio book, but use iPlayer Radio to catch up on a Radio 4 programme from earlier in the day, and then find some light comedy from yesterday on 4 extra for the last half hour.

Home: Text Moonlight to praise her for a very thoughtful letter she had sent for mum's birthday.

This just scratches the surface of what I use the phone for, eg I have a whole page of apps just about London, and there's another page for ones I use at school. So, again - aren't smartphones brilliant!

(I'd like to say I composed this on the phone, except yesterday it upgraded to Android 4.3 which seems not to have a 3x4 keyboard so it would have taken ages.)