How are you today?

[RobB]

You should have had your tonsils whipped out years ago.

Hope you don't have any adverse reaction to the anti-biotics....potentially they can make you feel worse than the infection.

[blue]

Eugh. Woke up this morning with the pressure behind the left eardrum really painful, this is what happened on Friday night with the right one a few hours before it burst. Think it might be too late to stop the same thing happening on the other side. [b)]

I'd actually started to feel slightly better last night as well, I got up and cooked myself something and then sat and framed some pics of Kate and Rocco to put up on the wall. Had a cup of tea, then started to go downhill again.

Now I can barely hear anything out of either ear, I'm having to converse with my daughter and friends via email rather than phone today.

Oh god, please let this all be over soon. I am not a good patient, I resent being ill.

[Angie]

Beth! Oh no! You have my most sincere wishes for a fast recovery. Take care! [akiss]

[alx5962]

I'll be in London this weekend, but I'm not invited to the royal wedding

[blue]

Beth! Oh no! You have my most sincere wishes for a fast recovery. Take care! [akiss]

Thanks so much Angie, I think the recovery may have finally begun, touch wood. Not so much pain today, but it all got quite complicated over the past few days.

Sorry for the couple of days absence, but sweet fried Jesus on a bed of what-the-fuck, I have been so, so ill. The other eardrum did indeed burst, late on Tuesday night. Spent a sleepless night with the sensation of being repeatedly stabbed in both ears with a sharp knife, and started coughing like a mofo into the bargain. Managed to get an emergency appointment with the GP on Wednesday morning, where it transpired that not only was the infection still raging in my ears and tonsils, it had spread into my chest as well. The GP informed me that the doctor who treated me at the out of hours clinic on Monday had only given me HALF the dose of antibiotics needed for an infection as bad as the one I've got.

So basically, that was two days wasted and the infection was able to reach the other ear and cause the second perforation. GP has changed me on to a high strength antibiotic, but reckons it could take 10 days for it to clear completely. I've been signed off work in the meantime.

I can't adequately describe the level of pain I've been in since Tuesday, with both eardrums gone. Holy mother of god. I've taken so many painkillers, but the only thing that dulls the pain is ibuprofen which I'm not supposed to take at all, due to having reactions to it. This has led to further problems - I've had the ibuprofen rash and itching since Saturday, but yesterday my mouth started to swell, my eyes were weeping and my nose was bleeding. Needless to say I've had to stop the ibuprofen. I've switched to codeine which is the only other strong painkiller available, so far touch wood it's working well, the pain has been damped down all day today just from one dose this morning.

I'm hoping the antibiotic is now kicking in and starting to tackle the infection. Goodness, I can't believe something like this has hit me out of absolutely nowhere. My hearing is obviously badly impaired at the moment, but this has had some interesting effects which my curious mind has found rather intriguing - everything I can still hear sounds really weird and spatially displaced, it's a bit like hearing on LSD. You know that film 'Blink', where the blind woman has her sight replaced with a transplanted cornea or something, but she sees everything out of sequence and at weird angles? Yeah, it's a bit like an auditory version of that! Going up to the hospital in the car with Kate on Monday, I heard some tinkly music that seemed to be coming from her handbag on the floor of the car and asked if her mobile was ringing. Apparently it was actually the gigantically loud music coming from a funfair we'd just passed.

I'm quite fascinated with boiling the kettle at the moment because it sounds like a stream running through the kitchen. I've been drinking lots of tea.

[blue]

I'll be in London this weekend, but I'm not invited to the royal wedding

Your invite just got lost in the post Alex, go along and grab a chair anyway, nobody will mind.

[RobB]

Beth, you've certainly have had a torrid time of it lately.......i really do hope that that infection clears up asap. It sounds really nasty the symptoms you've been experiencing.

Alex, have fun in London.

[sound world]

That sounds horrible, Beth. Actually I had to stop reading, I'm so squeamish. All good wishes to you.

Alex, a good time to do a bit of looting!

Apparently Blair and Brown haven't been invited to the wedding, but David Beckham has. Country's going to the dogs.

[RobB]

Apparently Blair and Brown haven't been invited to the wedding, but David Beckham has. Country's going to the dogs.

Blair and Brown having screwed up the country over 13 years of labour mis-rule [censor] .....no wonder the country has gone to the dogs......and equally no wonder they didn't get an invite.

[blue]

That sounds horrible, Beth. Actually I had to stop reading, I'm so squeamish. All good wishes to you.

Ha, and I left out the really squeamish bit as well, ie having both ears dripping gunge the whole time! Delightful sensation, not.

I had a terrible night, but I think it may have been the worst bit before everything starts getting better. Finally fell asleep at six this morning, slept till noon (missed the wedding, dang), but feeling a bit better since I woke up this evening.

Apparently Blair and Brown haven't been invited to the wedding, but David Beckham has. Country's going to the dogs.

Well one wouldn't expect the Royals to be particularly welcoming to Labour politicians, I suppose.

Beckham did a lot of work with Prince William on the London 2012 Olympic bid, I'd guess that's why he was invited. Was Vicky there? I don't care what anyone says, I love Vicky, she's awesome.

[blue]

Have managed to catch up on a lot of the wedding news on the internet today, I see Vicky Beckham was indeed there with hubby and she looked absolutely gorgeous!

Some of the outfits and hats were hysterically funny. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie supplied lots of laughs, looking like the weird relatives that are normally kept locked in a padded room somewhere and only let out for special occasions.

[sound world]

To me, Victoria Beckham epitomises modern Britain-someone with little talent but huge ego; a golddigger with vanity to spare who has become rich through her looks and luck and who puts herself and her family ahead of anyone or anything else. But I don't know a whole lot about her, since I'm allergic to slebs.

Politics aside, I really think there are certain people you have to invite to such a do: I think it's a tremendous snub to Blair and Brown whatever they might have thought of the whole carry-on.
And then, politically, I think it's sending a signal to anyone even slightly left of centre that the status quo of privilege and capitalism is to be maintained at all costs.

That said, I enjoyed the bits I saw, mostly because of the fantastic singing and music in the Abbey-great to hear those old Parry chestnuts, Jerusalem etc sung with such vigour and refusal to languish. Mind you some of the arrangements were teeth-grindingly tacky. Great spectacle too of those beautiful coaches, dresses, costumes etc.

I do feel sorry for all those people who lined the Mall for four days just for a fleeting moment to scream when the Royals went by-and Kate was probably waving and looking in the other direction. I really don't understand what motivates people to go to such lengths. I guess it's a kind of 'there, but for the grace of God,...' or something. I can understand fanaticism for footballers, pop stars etc, but for people who just go about their weird Royal lives because of an accident of birth I can't see what there is to feel so excited about.

[blue]

To me, Victoria Beckham epitomises modern Britain-someone with little talent but huge ego; a golddigger with vanity to spare who has become rich through her looks and luck and who puts herself and her family ahead of anyone or anything else. But I don't know a whole lot about her, since I'm allergic to slebs.

That's a popular view, but I don't think it's necessarily an accurate one. Whatever her lack of ability as a singer, she worked hard to get where she is, and personally I don't have a problem with people who strive to achieve what they want in life. She took what she had and did fantastically well with it.

I watched a really fascinating documentary about her some years ago, which she participated in happily, and I must say I thought she was absolutely delightful - not vain at all (in fact I think she's very insecure about her looks, and doesn't see herself as anything out of the ordinary at all), very funny, very self-aware and ready to have a laugh at her own expense. Clearly a devoted mother and wife who takes those roles seriously, which is something I find very admirable. This view of her was confirmed for me by someone who did volunteer work in one of my previous places of work, in his day job he was often at Beckenham Palace ( ) doing work for her and he said she is completely adorable in real life, just a lovely woman with no airs at all. She spends most of her time looking after her kids and doing charity work that the public doesn't hear about. Yes, she definitely likes the finer things in life, but her family and home are the most important things in the world to her. I can identify with that.

I think the way she's handled all the rumoured infidelities by David is sheer class. She's chosen to stick by him because she loves him, has never complained publicly or put him down, always handles herself with real integrity. I admire that tremendously. I couldn't do it.

Politics aside, I really think there are certain people you have to invite to such a do: I think it's a tremendous snub to Blair and Brown whatever they might have thought of the whole carry-on.
And then, politically, I think it's sending a signal to anyone even slightly left of centre that the status quo of privilege and capitalism is to be maintained at all costs.

Yep, I agree, I'm just not surprised that this is the case. I think also you have to bear in mind that Blair is such a controversial character, possibly one of the most hated politicians ever these days, and they may have wished to avoid attention going to him at the wedding.

Great spectacle too of those beautiful coaches, dresses, costumes etc.

Oh yes, we do that sort of thing rather well in the UK, don't we. I can enjoy the pomp and circumstance without supporting the whole thing in any way, although actually, I'm not a republican. They do live fabulously privileged lives, but I wouldn't want to be them, endless duty and tedious etiquette and formality and so on.

[sound world]

Blair is such a controversial character, possibly one of the most hated politicians ever these days, and they may have wished to avoid attention going to him at the wedding.

Didn't stop them inviting fuggin' Thotcher though, did it. I suppose she's a mad old bat these days (or should I say a madder, older bat) and finally harmless, but I can't believe anyone is more hated than her in the UK, with good reason. (Cue: riposte from our True Blue forum member ).
By the way, where did they put Earl Spencer? I didn't spot him, and I guess they had to keep him at bay from Charles, anyway.

Great spectacle too of those beautiful coaches, dresses, costumes etc.

Oh yes, we do that sort of thing rather well in the UK, don't we. I can enjoy the pomp and circumstance without supporting the whole thing in any way, although actually, I'm not a republican. They do live fabulously privileged lives, but I wouldn't want to be them, endless duty and tedious etiquette and formality and so on.

Yes, I was imagining Kate thinking, as she cruised along waving to the throngs, 'oh fuck, this the rest of my life now'. And in the 20 minutes or so I watched, I heard the National Anthem played at least three times. Brenda must detest that terrible tune, but she has to keep a straight face, poor sod.
Have you read Alan Bennett's book about the Queen, Beth? Highly recommended.

[RobB]

Good old Maggie, best PM we've ever had.

.....and despite the wedding's security bill of millions of pounds the tax payers have to meet, at least one good has come out of it............ Pippa's bum has got its own FB page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pippa- ... 0471735513